LINKS AMONG DESERTIFICATION, POVERTY AND FOOD SECURITY STRESSED BY SPEAKERS IN ANTI-DESERTIFICATION COMMITTEE

15 January 1997

Press Release
ENV/DEV/398

LINKS AMONG DESERTIFICATION, POVERTY AND FOOD SECURITY STRESSED BY SPEAKERS IN ANTI-DESERTIFICATION COMMITTEE

19970115 As It Reviews Implementation of Regional Annexes Of UN Convention to Combat Desertification, Particularly in Africa

The fight against desertification was part of the struggle to reach the goal of food security for all, the representative of Norway told the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for the Elaboration of an International Convention to Combat Desertification this afternoon, as it continued its discussion of urgent action for Africa and interim actions in the Asian, Latin American and Caribbean, and Northern Mediterranean regions to implement the Convention.

The Norwegian policy in development cooperation was very much in line with the Convention, the main target being poverty eradication, he said. Multilateral organizations and institutions involved in desertification programmes should increase their support for the implementation of the Convention at the country level.

Several speakers stressed the need for education and public information campaigns to ensure the successful implementation of the Convention. The representative of Switzerland said the Committee should think more about heightening public awareness and advocacy. He suggested involving the university and scientific community to intensify cooperation and increasing participation by the private sector.

Emphasizing his Government's commitment to combating desertification on the international level, the representative of Spain said Spanish cooperation would continue to emphasize education and increased awareness to the causes of desertification.

The representative of Israel described his Government's plans to establish an international school for desert studies for students from affected countries, and the representative of the Russian Federation proposed the creation of an arid zone centre which would deal with the problems of desertification in Europe.

Commitments made at the November 1996 World Food Summit related in many ways to desertification problems and how to solve them, said the representative of Sweden. Many questions needed to be dealt with, including the responsibility of the affected countries, the need for a bottom-up approach, local participation, the important role of women and that of non- governmental organizations and the need for further capacity-building at the various levels.

Also speaking this afternoon were representatives of South Africa, Zambia, Cameroon, France, Japan, Portugal, Haiti, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Bolivia, Kazakstan, China and Syria. Other statements were made by representatives of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), European Community, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Nigerian Environmental Study Action Team, speaking on behalf of the International NGO Network on Desertification (RIOD).

The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. on Friday, 17 January, to continue its deliberation.

Committee Work Programme

The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for the Elaboration of the Convention to Combat Desertification met this afternoon to continue consideration of urgent action for Africa in combating desertification and interim actions in Asia, Latin America and Caribbean, and the Northern Mediterranean regions.

Statements

MATTHYS BOTHA (South Africa) said his Government had determined to develop a consultative national action programme to combat desertification and implement the Convention. In addition, implementation would be achieved by creating a capacitated institutional basis for planning, implementing and monitoring the programme; building partnerships and raising the awareness of the relevant stakeholders; and embarking on a national assessment/appraisal on desertification and developmental issues.

His Government was grateful for funds made available by Germany through their fund on urgent action for Africa, he said. The relevant governmental departments had earmarked funding for the implementation of projects, but South Africa was also currently seeking further funding to complete that consultative process. South Africa had also embarked on a national assessment/appraisal that would form an integral part of the national programme, and the Canadian Government had indicated its willingness to provide financial assistance.

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HUMPHREY B. KUNDA (Zambia) said his Government had been engaged in an aggressive public awareness campaign to sensitize the people on drought and desertification issues. It had taken the first steps towards the formulation of its national action programme, but its efforts were hampered by inadequate financial resources. He appealed to Zambia's cooperating partners for assistance, adding that the country was now in the process of reviewing its programmes and projects, as well as national frameworks, to incorporate the concerns of the Convention and to elaborate its national action programme.

Land degradation, deforestation and poverty had been identified as critical issues hindering Zambia's sustainable development, he said. A forestry action programme had been undertaken with the help of the Government of the Netherlands and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). At the grass-roots level, desertification and drought were being addressed through programmes such as the Siovonga Integrated Development Project, in southern Zambia, and Liangati Integrated Development Project, in the western part of the country. The two regions were some of Zambia's most arid areas where people lived in absolute poverty. The projects were designed to help minimize human-induced degradation and to ensure the sustainable development and utilization of natural resources. The projects were also intended to improve the welfare of the population there by promoting small-scale entrepreneurship and income-generating activities.

JEAN MISSOUP (Cameroon) said his Government was certain that the instruments of ratification would be deposited before the first Conference of the Parties. Cameroon was a microcosm of Africa, not only because of its many ethnic group, but also because of the variety of vegetation and countryside. Currently, an effort was under way to protect forests from destruction and an approaching arid zone. To assist implementation of the Convention, national awareness days had been organized by the leaders of the 10 provinces, and a national environment management plan had been drafted.

A national management committee meeting was held to discuss the problems of the northern provinces, which was the area most widely affected by drought and desertification, he said. His Government hoped to organize a workshop to include members of the Administration and concerned parties to set up strategies and a national action programme to combat desertification. His country thanked all bilateral and multilateral donors without which Cameroon's many activities could not have taken place.

VICTOR E. DJOMATCHOUA TOKO, a representative of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), said the pragmatic nature of the Convention to Combat Desertification was certainly a logical explanation of the enthusiasm of all those present and their development partners. The OAU shared the worldwide interest for that global ecological concern, and it hoped that the few pending items within negotiations would not destroy what had already been accomplished. With a spirit of cooperation and a sense of compromise, a

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proper solution would be found for the questions remaining concerning the Global Mechanism, host country of the permanent secretariat, and the composition of the bureau of the Conference of the Parties.

Regarding activities under way in the African region, the OAU noted with satisfaction that many initiatives in the region had been undertaken with the assistance of the Interim Secretariat and other regional partners in development, he said. The OAU would take important steps to harmonize African positions during the Conference of the Parties, and it was standing ready to ensure that there was a report prepared on the global evaluation of the resolution on measures taken concerning urgent action for Africa.

ROSELYN AMAD, of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), said that a number of activities had been undertaken at the subregional level in support of activities for effective implementation of the Convention. A media study was being carried out to sensitize professional media personnel on the importance of the Convention. It was supported by financial assistance from the German Cooperation Agency. The organization planned two workshops for subregional experts from scientific institutions. The aim was to establish an IGAD subregional committee for science and technology that would assist with the implementation of the Convention at the subregional level. A subregional forum was also planned in conjunction with the Interim Secretariat.

PER MOGSTAD (Norway) said the fight against desertification was an integrated part of the struggle to reach the goal of food security for all, at all levels. Poverty was a driving force behind desertification in Africa. Equitable distribution and redistribution of productive resources within a country was, first of all, the responsibility of governments. The donor community, on their part, had a moral obligation to assist in the implementation of the Convention. He expressed disappointment that most donors had not reached the United Nations agreed level of official development assistance (ODA). Direct foreign investment would not compensate for the decline in ODA to the marginal areas of Africa.

He said the Convention was strong on the issue of local participation requiring the empowerment of people. It required that women should be given access to productive resources and that local grass-roots organizations participate in the whole process of implementing the Convention. Participation would also involve recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples. Norwegian policy in development cooperation was very much in line with the Convention. The main target was poverty eradication. Environment, gender and participation were also crucial.

His Government would use a contact group that was established in connection with the World Food Summit to make the Convention known in Norway, he continued. Norway would continue to target the least developed countries

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in its assistance programmes and would continue to cooperate with subregional organizations in Africa. He urged the multilateral organizations and institutions involved in desertification to increase their cooperation on programmes of substance to support the implementation of the Convention at the country level.

BERTRAND GALTIER (France) said the best use possible should be made of the Convention for progress to be achieved in the fight against desertification. France was assisting African countries through its bilateral programmes. He called for urgent measures for Africa to be implemented aimed at immediate preparation of national action programmes and coordination of efforts towards that end. French support concentrated on west Africa. It had helped organizations such as the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel in its work. The assistance allowed for consultation and coordination programmes.

France was also supporting environmental programmes in Chad that would benefit from the equivalent of $9 million, he said. It planned to finance the organization of a seminar in west Africa. It placed importance on information exchanges and transfer of technological know-how.

HIROYUKI EGUCHI (Japan) introduced two experts from the Japanese ministry who had been conducting studies along the Niger River in Nigeria, Mali and Burkina Faso.

SHIN MURAKAMI (Japan) said his Government had conducted a demonstration study on desertification study measures to verify easily applicable techniques for the local residents. As a result, technical manuals and a model of the village were drawn up, and the results of the study were published and presented in October 1996 in Tokyo. The results gave technical information to experts and non-governmental organizations, as well as raised public awareness. Currently, Japan was conducting a new five-year study on development techniques in Burkina Faso and Mali.

HARUO MIYATA (Japan) said that with the close cooperation with Burkina Faso, the Japanese Government had undertaken a study on pre-existing valleys under desert lands. Although those valleys were later filled with sand, they still existed and water flowed when it rained. The study examined the results of damming underground water flows, and it discovered that small ones could be constructed with local labour and materials. A small underground dam could provide sufficient water for a local community and could help local people combat drought and desertification. Underground dams also did not trigger any serious side effects.

ANDRI BISAZ (Switzerland) said the Committee should think more about heightening public awareness and advocacy. In order to reach a greater number of people from a wide spectrum of backgrounds, the Committee should: give

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greater weight to non-governmental structures and organizations, particularly non-governmental organizations; emphasize concrete action taken in the field and political work performed by those organizations; involve the university and scientific community to intensify cooperation; increase participation by the commercial and industrial sectors; and identify major United Nations conferences which shared common bases for closer contact. Not every possible path of action had been explored. For example, why not schedule a session with representatives from the private sector at the Conference of the Parties? he asked.

INGE GERREMO (Sweden), recognizing the importance of desertification issues, had incorporated them in its bilateral cooperation programmes with affected countries long before the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). It had increasingly become aware of the need to support activities in the field of land degradation and desertification leading to improved land husbandry. Commitments made at the recent World Food Summit related in many ways to desertification problems and how to solve them. The concept of environmental refugees had unfortunately become more and more crucial. The Convention had a demanding role to play also in that respect to avoid or, at least, ease such problems. The environmental refugee problem was something that could have a bearing on many countries outside the directly affected ones.

He called for information exchanges on experiences. Desertification issues included many complicated technical challenges related to carrying capacity, including farming methods for the areas concerned. Intensified research and methodological work was needed to find environmentally sustainable solutions for the dry lands. Many questions needed to be dealt with, including the responsibility of the affected countries, the need for a bottom-up approach, local participation, the important role of women and that of non-governmental organizations, and the need for further capacity-building at the various levels.

A. OYOWE, of the European Community, said the Community had long recognized the devastating economic and environmental impacts of desertification and had, accordingly, incorporated remedial measures into its development policies, in particular, within the framework of the Lomé Convention. That concern was reinforced during the mid-1980s when Africa was yet again struck by a severe drought, after the great Sahel drought and famine of the early 1970s. In 1986, the Community had adopted an action plan for Africa which placed the fight against desertification in the forefront of its development cooperation policy. As well as making available 14.6 billion ECU for the period 1995-2000 to its partners in the Lomé Convention -- African, Caribbean and Pacific States -- the revised Lomé IV Convention gave pride of place to decentralized cooperation and development at the local level.

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The Community's fight against desertification extended also to Asia, Latin America and the Mediterranean region, he said. It was reviewing its programmes and projects as they related to dry land management, erosion control and fight against desertification. The review was almost completed and would be made available at the Conference of the Parties in Rome.

EMMA GABUNSHINA (Russian Federation) said that the alarming situation of desertification in Russia had given rise to the need for urgent decisions, and various steps had been taken for its accession to the Convention. With the help of the Interim Secretariat, appeals had been made to the Government of the Russian Federation for the swift ratification of the Convention. There was a risk of deterioration of the ecosystem, and steps had been taken to protect the land from broad-based desertification without any federal assistance.

The Russian Federation had proposed the establishment of an arid zone centre to deal with the problems of desertification in Europe, coordinate activities undertaken on the European continent, organized scientific and practical projects to combat desertification and monitor the processes of drought and desertification, she said. In order to promote the goals of Convention, the arid zone centre would house a global network of experts, and the centre would become a European link in the worldwide goal to combat desertification. Preliminary negotiations for the construction of the centre were already under way with representatives of Germany and France. Also, there was a need for an annex to the Convention concerning European countries.

MIGUEL JERONIMO (Portugal), speaking on behalf of the Northern Mediterranean countries -- which are covered in Annex IV to the Convention -- said, at the most recent meeting of the reflection group of Annex IV in October 1996, discussions centred on the various issues at stake. Representatives discussed possible institutions which should be involved in national action plans to implement the Convention, the status of those plans, analyses of different levels of the implementation, and identifying participants in areas that could contribute positively to process as a whole.

The possibility of establishing a scientific Mediterranean network was also discussed, as well as developing strategic orientations at local, national and European Union level, he continued. The reflection group was scheduled to meet in Lisbon early this year to discuss benchmarks and indicators to be used in the regional programme and a pilot project for the Mediterranean forests. It also intended to discuss the basis of a pilot project at a subregional level regarding the protection of the Mediterranean open forest with the aim of combating land degradation and man-made desertification.

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ARTURO SPIEGELBERG (Spain) said that since signing the Convention his Government had organized efforts to combat national desertification problems through the Ministry of the Environment. Proposals had been drafted and progress was being made so a national programme of action would be prepared sometime in the next few months. A channel -- through an adviser to the Government -- had been set up for the full participation of civil society.

Spain had gained a great deal of experience in battling desertification, and that was why it had participated widely in matters related to Annex IV on the Northern Mediterranean region, namely, to share its experience with the world. Spain was committed internationally to combat desertification, which was a global problem without borders. Spanish cooperation had emphasized education and increasing the awareness of people to the causes of the advances of deserts.

CARLO LA FOND (Haiti) said his country had been greatly affected by desertification due to climate change. An environmental plan of action was being drawn up with local participation, with account being taken of the need for sustainable development. An interministerial committee on environmental issues, chaired by the prime minister, had also been set up. The Haitian Parliament had ratified the conventions addressing desertification, biodiversity and climate change.

Seminars and workshops had been organized with the participation of high-level government officials, academics and representatives of non- governmental organizations, he said. A public awareness campaign had been organized. A foundation for regional cooperation had been laid with the assistance of countries, such as Argentina, Brazil, Cuba and Mexico.

He said greater awareness, timely mobilization of technical and financial assistance were needed to combat desertification. Haiti was undergoing enormous constraints and remained open to assistance. It would welcome swap arrangements and was also open to information exchanges in the area of public awareness, as well as other forms of assistance to combat desertification. He thanked Haiti's bilateral and multilateral partners and agencies for assistance offered to the country.

HENRIQUE VALLE (Brazil) said his Government was making great efforts to ratify the Convention before the first Conference of the Parties in Rome. As a country seriously affected by desertification and drought, Brazil attached special importance to the implementation of the Convention. Brazil considered fundamental a financial mechanism that could effectively provide affected countries with the necessary resources to combat desertification.

He stressed the importance of triangular cooperation in the combat of desertification. The Ministry of the Environment, Water Resources and the Legal Amazon, which was the Brazilian focal point for the implementation of

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the Convention, was developing, with the support of the UNDP and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the national plan to combat desertification.

The plan would be carried out by a non-governmental organization thereby ensuring the participation of the community in the whole process, he continued. The methodology used would highlight the areas affected by desertification for which an emergency plan for their recovery would be elaborated. A major initiative for the combat of land degradation in Brazil had been the establishment of "redesert", a national information and documentation network. It aimed to gather and optimize resources dispersed in the institutions involved in desertification to facilitate cooperation and the planning of common actions and strategies through continuous information exchange. Brazil had also been active in fostering technical cooperation with other affected countries, especially those in Latin America and the Caribbean region. It had committed itself, together with Mexico, to support Haiti in the development of its projects and strategies to combat land degradation.

OCTAVIO PEREZ PARDO (Argentina) highlighted the importance of the first Conference of the Parties. Argentina had carried out its international commitment and had signed the Convention and deposited its ratification instrument during the current session of the Committee. Argentina had organized a seminar, and participated in another in Mexico and would participate in forthcoming one in Cuba. It was planning to draft a national action programme with the involvement of all sectors of the population. More than 600 private and public organizations, including non-governmental organizations, had been involved in the project. An advisory group had been set up in the area of science and technology, he said. The objective of all activities to implement the Convention should be sustainable development. Long-term policies should ensure the effectiveness of activities to combat desertification. Argentina was firmly committed to international and national efforts to combat the scourge of desertification.

GONZALO CHAPELA Y MENDOZA (Mexico) said that his country had ratified the Convention. There was need for greater understanding of the problem of desertification. New laws were being drafted to help manage forests to enable the country fulfil its obligations under the Convention. A national representative body formed last August had worked from the bottom up in the efforts to implement the Convention. Non-governmental organizations were involved. The Government intended to carry out awareness programmes. Mexico was working with its neighbours to draft a regional programme of action.

CARLOS AGREDA LEMA (Bolivia) said desertification affected 41 per cent of Bolivian territory and 76 per cent of the country's population. In addition to recently ratifying the Convention, his Government had established a Ministry for Sustainable Development and would set up a national action plan to combat desertification. Work was also being done on devising better ways to use the soil which would ensure adequate use and management of resources.

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The adoption of laws on forest lands, environmental and agrarian reform would aid the cause of sustainable development, he said. Specific activities aimed at protecting productive soil, rehabilitating destroyed ecosystems and mitigating poverty in the areas most affected had also been undertaken. His Government wished to acknowledge the important contributions made by the secretariat of the Committee to combat desertification. But the efforts being carried out in Bolivia and in other areas of the world would not be successful without the financial and technical support of the international community, especially developed countries.

G. BEKTUKOVA (Kazakstan) said that from the Committee's first session in 1993, her Government became involved in the fight against desertification because large areas of the country were affected by drought. With the help of the secretariat and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Kazakstan established an interim think-tank which included leading scientist and specialist and gathered data on degradation and desertification of land in the country.

Her Government had hosted an international conference on desertification for countries with transitional economies, and the need for joint action in the implementation of the Convention was stressed by the participants. Work had been concluded on a national programme of action to combat desertification, and it had been published and distributed to interested organizations, including UNEP. In 1997, Kazakstan planned to hold seminars in the areas of the country most affected by desertification, and the Ministry of Ecology was carrying out activities to mitigate the consequences of desertification and minimize its effects on the populations living in most degraded areas.

URIEL SAFRIEL (Israel) said in the months since the last session of the Committee, the Israeli Government had initiated implementation for its plan of sustainable agricultural development, which included irrigation of orchards, desalinization projects and programmes for forests, orchards and dry lands. At the regional level, Israel took part in meetings in New Deli and Beijing and proposed cooperation between Asia and Africa. The Government of Israel was willing to share its modest experience in combating desertification with affected people of Asian countries, all of them, far and close, to impair regional cooperation as embedded in the Convention.

Israel also continued to host trainees and interact with experts from affected countries from around the world, more than 60 during 1996 from Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia, he said. To increase transfer of technology, his Government was planning a centre for combating desertification. The programme included an international school for desert studies for students from affected countries with specializations in several different subjects.

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CI LONG JUN (China) said the Convention's entry into force would further promote efforts to combat desertification. As part of its implementation efforts, the Chinese Government had conducted a comprehensive national survey of land affected by desertification. Field operations were conducted by hundreds of field personnel and experts and produced technically sophisticated maps. Preparations were made for the establishment of an Africa/Asia centre on desertification, and a report on the feasibility of such a centre would be distributed to interested countries. In implementing its national action programme, China conducted a review of projects to combat desertification and increased the funds to those projects that performed well.

However, a lack of funds was still the major difficulty currently facing the Chinese Government, she said. Nearly 400 million people live in regions affected by desertification, and China attached great importance to negotiations on the Convention and believed it was of crucial importance to list the question of desertification on the agenda of global environmental issues. Combating desertification was no longer the problem of individual countries but cause for concern by the entire international community, and the design of the global mechanism should reflect that trend.

JOUMAU ABDULKARIM (Syria) said his Government would be depositing the instruments of ratification with the Secretary-General in the near future. The Syrian Government had initiated the Green-belt Project aimed at curbing the encroachment of the Syrian desert by separating it from agricultural lands. In addition, it had established a reforestation effort with fruit trees to rehabilitate degraded areas. Syria had also implemented a pioneering project that could provide and allow a transfer of technology with countries with similar conditions, and a task force would meet in Damascus later this year to witness a pilot of that pioneering achievement.

SAMUEL NYAMBI, Director of the Office to Combat Desertification and Drought (UNSO) of the UNDP, said that he had, on several occasions, reported to the Committee on UNSO's support for actions to combat desertification in Africa and in other regions. That support had been made possible by resources made available to the UNDP by a number of donors, particularly Switzerland. The UNDP highly valued the support of those donors. At the national level, support had been given to more than 20 countries in Africa, while two projects had been established at the regional level. The Programme was discussing plans to extend projects to Asia and Latin America.

The UNDP supported the establishment of funds in Africa as a means to mobilize resources for local initiatives, he said. The funds were also aimed at innovative aspects of the Convention. UNDP activities also included assistance to countries in the formulation of national programmes. Major challenges which should be faced included the initiation of partnership and the establishment of model support projects to help launch national action programmes. He called for the convening of forums to discuss details of

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national action programmes and a further phase of the process which would take account of financing needs and coordination issues.

FRANKLY CARDY, a representative of UNEP, said the Programme was an active participant in the implementation of the Convention. Despite its reduced resources, it was allocating most of it to supporting the Convention. The UNEP had assisted the process by working with the Interim Secretariat, the OAU, the Arab Magreb Union, southern African countries and others. The UNEP was supporting governments and subregional bodies in formulating national and regional action programmes. It had supported Kenya and other States in west Africa to organize workshops. It had also supported information awareness programmes. Similar assistance had been given to Latin America and Caribbean countries in conjunction with the Interim Secretariat of the Convention. The UNEP was still active in the implementation of the Convention and looked forward to continuing its cooperation with the Interim Secretariat.

BAHMAN MANSURI, a representative of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), said that it was clear that countries were at an important crossroads as they went beyond the sensitization and initial consultations phase towards defining the national action programme process in concert with all stakeholders. They had reached the point where they could begin to define their vision of national action programming, and that would be critical if the process was to move forward coherently. The national action programme formulation process, as currently envisaged, was evidently going to take much longer in many countries than perhaps originally envisaged. Unless there was complementary action on the ground, there would be little to show other than the important process of consultation itself. That was why a dual- track approach made sense. Local action plans could be established to provide participatory frameworks for local action and initiatives. Current and planned programmes in the dry lands could be harnessed to support implementation of the Convention.

ENOCH OKPARA, representative of the Nigerian Environmental Study Action Team, speaking on behalf of the International NGO Network on Desertification (RIOD), said the period between the end of the ninth session of the Committee and the beginning of the tenth had witnessed continuing efforts by non- governmental organizations at various levels. For the African region, non- governmental organization activities continued to focus on networking, awareness-raising, community mobilization and capacity-building. In nearly all the countries of the region, non-governmental organizations had taken part in cross-sectoral consultations to enable different stakeholders to contribute to the process of designing national action programmes.

However, combating desertification and mitigating the effects of drought required the systematic mobilization and channelling of funds to all levels, he said. The non-governmental organizations called on the developed country parties to create an enabling environment in the spirit of international

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cooperation and partnership that would permit the flow of funds for projects and programmes to combat desertification and improve the quality of life in the dry lands.

BO KJELLEN (Sweden), Committee Chairman, said the Committee should congratulate itself for implementing the resolution on urgent action for Africa and interim action for elsewhere in the world, because they signified that the Convention was up and running in many parts of the world. The discussion had been exceedingly illuminating and would be recorded in his conclusions later in the discussion.

The statements had emphasized that desertification was a global problem, and the mechanisms established in the Convention were working everywhere, he said. There were problems, but like democracy, the Convention would take time. But like democracy, there would also be a stronger base for the future. There was much to learn from the problems, as well as from the successes, and it was clear that Africa was the priority. And for that very reason, action for Africa had been particularly intense and varied. Knowledge was the key component to making the Convention better known among donors and recipient countries.

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