IUCN World Conservation Union (Eastern Africa Regional Office)
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Dr. Alice Kaudia
Regional Director
Karen - Langata Area, on Wasaa Road Off Mukoma Road
P.O. Box 68200 – 00200 Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: ++254 20 890605/12
Fax: ++254 20 890615
E-mail: earo@iucn.org
Website: http://www.iucn.org
Serah Kiragu, Program Officer. Email: serah.kiragu@iucn.org
Description
The World Conservation Union, IUCN established the Eastern Africa Regional Office (EARO) in 1986. It operates in ten countries in East Africa, the Horn of Africa and the Western Indian Ocean including the Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, the Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. The Regional Office is based in Nairobi under an Agreement between IUCN and the Government of Kenya. There are Country Offices in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Kampala, Uganda. EARO together with the IUCN Uganda and Tanzania Country Offices implement the Eastern Africa Regional Program (EARP).
IUCN Eastern Africa Regional Office’s vision is ‘conservation and development in harmony, for the well being of people and nature’ in Eastern Africa by implementing the IUCN’s Global Mission and, in particular enhancing the capacity to conserve nature and improve livelihoods in the region. In this attempt, it has a twin purpose to promote conservation of the Eastern Africa Region's biodiversity, natural features and processes and to reconcile nature conservation with the development aspirations of the Region's peoples and their need for improved livelihoods. In this dispensation that ends in 2008, EARO’s focus is on biodiversity for development, in particular, Tree Dominated Landscapes; Wetland and Water Resources; Marine and Coastal Ecosystems; and Drylands. It hopes that it will be able to achieve its focal thrust through contributing to the development of natural resource management and conservation knowledge base and a learning culture facilitated within the sector alongside empowerment by building capacity for conservation and sustainable natural resource management especially the development of the institutional and human capacity for natural resource management and conservation as well as the development of policies and legislation support for wise use of natural resources.
Additionally it will be able to attain its thrust through provision of support for the planning of conservation compatible with development. It also anticipates supporting the integration of livelihood and poverty issues into conservation and management of natural resources in the region. Noting that IUCN is a union of members concerned with species loss and ecosystem integrity, it is recognized that the causes of environmental problems are largely political, economic and social. Thus, the IUCN Program 2005–2008 has identified the need for the Union to act as a simultaneous focus on the direct and underlying causes of biodiversity loss. The Program has also recognized this aspect and the link between environmental health and human wellbeing and explicitly seeks to address the elements of the UN Millennium Development Goals and the World Summit on Sustainable Development’s Johannesburg Plan of Implementation that relate to the environment-development nexus.
The governance structure for EARO is strong and broad based. EARO, which is accountable to its membership and partners and ultimately responsible to the IUCN, Global Headquarters in Gland, Switzerland, is IUCN's first Regional Office worldwide. It is headed by a Regional Director. Its mandate includes planning and implementation of the Eastern Africa Regional Program (EARP). The Nairobi Secretariat is complemented by the Uganda Country Office (UCO) in Kampala and by a country office in Tanzania (TCO) which are both led by country directors.
The secretariat is composed of highly qualified and dedicated staff working under the leadership of the Regional Director and the Regional Program Coordinator. The Technical Program Group includes specialists, whose role is gathering, sharing and applying sound scientific knowledge to achieve the goals and objectives of the EARP. The group possesses expertise in regionally relevant thematic areas such as Forest Conservation, Water and Wetlands, Marine and Coastal, Dryland Ecosystems, Environmental Policy and Planning, Environmental Economics and Species.
From time to time the Technical Advisors may be called upon to provide additional guidance to selected field projects. The Program Management Department Group is primarily composed of Program Officers responsible for the management functions of project planning and implementation. Based at EARO, the Uganda Country Office and Tanzania Country Office, they ensure that projects are implemented effectively and efficiently. Project management may also be complemented by Technical Advisors and Project Managers working together with implementation partners on field projects.
Taking advantage of its track record and the goodwill, EARO has been working closely with its members, partners and other IUCN Regional offices in Africa and around the world. The organization makes use of programs with an Africa-wide initiative so as to realize the potential of IUCN having continent wide activities and influence. Such programs include the African Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (AFLEG) and Africa Protected Areas Initiative (APAI).
Other aspects revolve around building capacity in Africa’s Regional Economic Commissions (RECs) and supporting Civil Society involvement in the these RECs. Engagement with the African Union has involved support to NEPAD. IUCN has a total of five regional programs operational in Africa including EARO. These offices further increase EARO’s scope for collaboration and networking across the continent.
Track Record
EARO has achieved much. They have over the years consistently delivered on their missions and objectives requirements in various programmatic areas.
For the last 20 years they have been supporting and developing cutting-edge conservation science which they implement through research in field projects and then linking both research and results to local, national, regional and global policy through dialogue with key stakeholders. In this pursuit they have collaborated with other key institutions that have a major stake in or influence in managing biodiversity and natural resources. These include; Host Governments and respective agencies, EAC, IGAD, AU, COMESA, UNEP, UNDP, UNHCR, CABI, WB, NORAD, CIDA , DGIS, FINNIDA, USAID, and the Ford Foundation.
Through its Forest Conservation activities, it has been noted that EARO influences, encourages and assists countries of eastern Africa to conserve the integrity and biological diversity of forest resources and to ensure that the use of these resources is equitable locally and nationally. The main thrust of this support is to impart practical approaches and techniques for conserving forests and promoting sustainable forest use and management. IUCN works with partners to develop the knowledge base about Tree-dominated landscape ecosystems and their importance for both biodiversity conservation and livelihoods of rural people through provision of goods and services to local communities. Lessons about balancing sustainable use with biodiversity conservation are used to inform and influence both conservation and livelihood policy processes in wider and more integrated land use.
In regard to wetlands and water resources planning and management, EARO has for the last 17 years been contributed to developing policy and legislation related to wetlands and contributed to the knowledge base on wetlands and water related ecosystems. They have also been keenly supporting sound planning and management of wetland and water resources, promoted participatory approaches in the management of wetlands and water as well as facilitated planning and management of trans-boundary ecosystems and raising awareness on the benefits and value of wetlands and water ecosystems.
Since 1992, EARO has operated the Marine and Coastal Ecosystems Program that seeks to promote sound management and restoration of biodiversity and ecological processes of marine and coastal ecosystems in Eastern Africa and to facilitate the sustainable and equitable use of marine resources. Consequently its key priorities are: the establishment and effective management of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), sustainable management of both coastal and off-shore fisheries, integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) and reducing poverty through marine resource based livelihood development. EARO has undertaken technical assessments of coastal biodiversity, socio-economic status of coastal people and livelihood development and made input to fisheries and ICZM policies and legislation. Further, along the coastal strips, EARO is concerned with assisting in the ‘Mangroves for the Future’ project which will promote the restoration and management of coastal ecosystems around the Indian Ocean that were affected by the 2004 tsunami.
In eastern Africa, drylands cover over 75 percent of the landscape and account for over 25 percent of the population. The people in these places live in some of the most risk prone environments. In an attempt to alleviate the suffering encountered in this area, EARO has resolved to develop and implement a program of work focusing on the drylands. The flagship project is the UNDP-GEF-MSP World Initiative on Sustainable Pastoralism (WISP) which, after a year of operation, is already having significant impact in advancing the cause of pastoralism in the context of economics and markets, rights based approaches and the importance of working with pastoralists to better organize themselves so that they can negotiate for their rights. Today, for the first time in UNCCD’s history, pastoralism is formally recognized. Further, EARO is collaborating with UNHCR on environmental restoration of refugee hosting areas, most of which are in drylands. EARO recently completed a series of studies in Africa on the Economics of Drylands and on Pastoralism as Conservation.
Among the additional achievements of EARO is its support in convening sessions for interaction between non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community based organizations (CBOs) and the private sector and governments on environment. A good example is the Nile Basin Discourse (NBD), a ten-country network of civil society organizations interested in the sustainable development of the Nile River Basin. NBD provides a forum for the exchange of information, experiences and opportunity for involvement in the development process of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) which brings together governments of the Nile basin with support from the United Nations. Here, EARO provides an anchor for this network and hosts the Discourse regionally as well as supporting the ten National Discourse Fora located in the ten countries of the Nile Basin. Civil Society and the private sector are also the basis for the Network of Environmental Journalists for Lake Victoria which encourages exchange of information about the lake basin through various mass media in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
Recently, it is emerging that the environment is under attack from aliens like invasive species. Invasive species have had deleterious impact on native biodiversity, on human health and development and sometimes on peoples' livelihoods and lifestyles. Regarding alleviating this challenge, in particular the water hyacinth, EARO assesses the impact of invasive species and assists in managing the invaders. It is on record that there are other invaders being targeted by EARO, including mesquite (Prosopis), congress weed (Parthenium), giant sensitive plant (Mimosa pigra) and Lantana camara.
On social dimensions, EARO has increasingly become involved in the human aspect of conservation, which necessitates a growing focus on social issues. A range of social factors are being integrated into the IUCN portfolio of projects as part of project and program implementation.
Challenges
Since setting up in the Horn of Africa, EARO has delivered on its objectives. Its continuing relevance cannot be overemphasized as governments, civil society organizations and other partners continue to engage with EARO and seek partnership on a range of projects and initiatives as was recently observed with Sudan and Djibouti. Governments are above all political entities and as national and global politics change EARO will have to refine and redefine its key cooperation parameters so that its partnership is not seen to involve those who support governments or organizations whose activities are deemed harmful to the environment. Additionally, the only other challenge might be how it manages its relevance with time.
The evidence that EARO is home to expertise in regionally relevant thematic areas such as Forest Conservation, Water and Wetlands, Marine and Coastal, Dryland Ecosystems, Environmental Policy and Planning cannot be challenged. However, it faces some capacity gaps especially in the area of environmental economics which is relevant in its work. At the moment it is able to draw on the technical expertise of its members, Commissions, other regional offices and the Union in general. This approach helps pool technical capacity and ensures that it has access to a large pool of technical expertise in a wide range of issues. But as it continues to partner with many other civil societies and CBOs, it will be necessary to enhance capacity in this unique area as well as Climate Change which is set to become another of its focal point.
With its strong partnership team, EARO operates in a competitive environment with regards to fundraising. Nevertheless, they have been affected from time to time by changing donor priorities that create funding gaps. Their internal expertise and long standing experience means that the organization is and has been stable as it has been able to manage its project portfolio and the associated risks. EARO is the first regional office of IUCN and has been in existence for 21 years since 1986. Changing donor needs might continue to be a challenge.
Opportunities
IUCN in general has a strong link with the United Nations and has a seat on the UN General Assembly. It has strong links with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) ensuring that it has greater impact. EARO, the regional framework of IUCN, is therefore at an advantageous position attractive to donors as it addresses issues relevant to the region especially on conservation and sustainable development. Besides, since IUCN/EARO has the advantage of being an international inter-governmental organization that can promote and convene trans-boundary dialogue between stakeholders, it offers room for cross border involvement by large cooperation partners keen on impacting a wider region. Moreover, EARO has other organs and mechanisms for engaging a large cross section of people on a range of issues who include its members, commissions and partners in the region and globally.
IUCN/EARO has vast experience in working with a range of donors. Its operational systems are effective and efficient. This offers opportunities for those in the same field to tap into. In addition, its national and regional presence and programmatic focus gives EARO local relevance and knowledge while its global presence ensures that all projects and initiatives can benefit from international expertise, knowledge and experience which are all key parameters that could be gainfully shared out.
