Network for Environment and Sustainable Development in Africa / Réseau pour L'environnement et le Développement durable en Afrique (NESDA/REDDA)

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NESDA/REDDA
24 BP 95 Abidjan 24
Guichet Annexe BAD

Tel: +225 20 20 54 19
Fax: +225 20 20 59 22

Email: nesda@afdb.org
Website: http://www.kabissa.nesda.org

Description

NESDA was formed following a World Bank meeting held, in Dublin, Ireland, in December 1990 on National Environment Action Plan (NEAP) processes. At the workshop, the 17 African participants expressed the need to set up a coalition named the "Club of Dublin" to support the development of NEAPs in Africa. The initiative was supported by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)/World Bank, the African Development Bank and UNDP/UNSO, collectively called the "NESDA Support Group".

In 1991, the headquarters of an Operational Secretariat (OS) which became known as the "Environmental Dimensions of Development in Africa (EDDIA)” was established at the African Development Bank. In February 1993, the name of the Secretariat was changed from EDDIA to the "Network for Environment and Sustainable Development in Africa (NESDA)" which corresponds in French to "Réseau pour l'Environnement et le Développement Durable en Afrique (REDDA)". NESDA’s objectives are:

• Developing and promoting effective environmental strategies, plans, policies in Africa;
• Generating and disseminating reports on best practice and lessons learned from experiences in national and trans-boundary environmental planning and policy formulation;
• Facilitating the preparation of African positions on critical environmental issues into international environment management initiatives; developing and maintaining an electronic reference of National Environmental Polices and Strategies;
• Developing country profiles of environmental institutions and experts; promoting effective partnerships with other African Environment and Sustainable Development networks in order to maximise the positive impacts of programs; and,
• Collaborating and sharing resources with existing networks such as the African Network of Environmental Economists (ANEE), the Environmental Economics Network for Eastern and Southern Africa (EENESA), the Program for EIS in Sub-Saharan Africa and MELISSA.

To achieve its objectives, NESDA engages in three strategic programs described below which guide NESDA's programs and assist management and staff in placing priorities on planned actions and requests for services.

• Strategic Environmental Management and Advocacy program which include: promoting strategic environmental planning and policy development through the provision of information on best practices, lessons learned from implementation experiences and targeted technical advisory services to organizations and public sector institutions; the formulation and promotion of African perspectives and policy positions on critical environmental issues affecting the region including those subject to international conventions; the development of effective partnerships with key organizations and networks operating in the area of sustainable development and linking of information and resources on strategic environmental management through networking.
• The Communication and Information program areas of activity include: the development of an effective communications strategy that makes best use of the full potential of electronic media in the identification, effective management, and timely provision of vital information relevant to sustainable development; the promotion of African technical expertise through maintenance and dissemination of an experts roster and the use of other communication resources; and, the active dissemination of information on ESD by collaborating with other networks and institutions in the development of communication and information resources including websites, content databases, issue briefs and technical publications.
• The Networking for Sustainable Development program include: the development of effective partnerships with pan-African ESD networks and key institutions; the active promotion of multi-constituency networking at national level through a program of strategic support for national ESD affiliates; and, the promotion of African expertise and perspectives in the resolution of obstacles to sustainable development in the region.

NESDA has been providing services to stakeholder members using resources provided by the following traditional donors since 1990: Republic of Cote d'Ivoire; The African Development Ban (AFDB); United States International Development Agency (USAID) Trust Fund through the Multi-Donor Secretariat of the World Bank ; United Nations Development Program/Sahelian Office ( PNUD/UNSO); International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD); United Nations Environment Program (UNEP); Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ); Danish International Development Authority (DANIDA); Scandinavian Seminar College (Norway); International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED); European Union (EU); World Resources Institute (WRI) ;Government of Canada; Earth Council; Netherlands Government (Trust Fund); Government of the United Kingdom (DFID); Government of Norway Trust Fund; Institut de l'énergie et de l'environnement pour la francophonie (IEPF); United nations convention to combat desertification (UNCCD); Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI); and Grid Arendal.

In addition to grants received, resources were mobilized internally and represented mostly fees for services provided to or projects jointly implemented with other organizations. These include: the Economic Development Institute of the World Bank, the USD/AfricaLink Internet Connectivity Project, the NESDA/IIED Joint Project on Rethinking Sustainable Development Strategies in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Scandinavian Seminar College/Denmark and the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC).

In addition to cash grants from various donors, the African Development Bank, has, since 1992, made in-kind contributions of office space and maintenance, telephone, fax, stationery, water and electricity and security services. The Bank's assistance for NESDA has increased over time.

Track Record

NESDA is recognized as the leading African regional NGO promoting environmentally sustainable development in Africa. It provides high quality products and services to members, African institutions, and clients in the areas of environmental strategies and policy, environmental intelligence and advocacy. NESDA membership broadly reflects the region's wealth of committed and competent experts and activists from public institutions, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and professional associations. As an organization, the Network achieves its objectives through, among others, national and sub-regional chapters. It works with individuals as well as local, national and sub-regional level institutions engaged in the process of environmental planning and management.

NESDA’s existence has generated the formulation of a multitude of innovative strategic ideas and action plans to facilitate environmental sustainability. A few among them include the creation of the Network of African Environmental Lawyers. The network was born out of the realization that the development of environmental law and jurisprudence in Africa was slow, with many countries in the continent struggling to bring about the sustainable utilization of environmental resources while still burdened with outdated legislation (inherited from the colonial era). The network thus seeks to inform African lawyers on the new challenges of environmental law and provide them with the tools that will allow them to bring their support and assistance during the formulation of policies.

Under its capacity building program, NESDA has facilitated the growth and effectiveness of journalism on environmental issues. The program resulted in the creation of the African Network of Environmental Communicators (ANEC), whose mission is to promote sustainable development and environmental advocacy in Africa.

NESDA, in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and institutions like the International Union for the Conservation of Nature IUCN West African Office and Le Comité Permanent Inter Etats de lutte contre la Sécheresse dans le Sahel (CILSS), has produced the West Africa State of the Environment Report which is the first integrated and comprehensive report on the environment for this sub-region. The report is an invaluable resource for African governments in their efforts to tackle the root causes of poverty on the continent and its environmental and socio economic depletion.

NESDA’s success also arises from its increasing networking opportunities, a feat achieved through the set up of national NESDA chapters in various countries in Africa, including Congo Brazzaville, Kenya, Central Africa Republic, Uganda, Ethiopia, Ghana, Eritrea, Malawi, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Senegal, Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire and Mauritius. The national chapters are autonomous enough to recruit their own membership and carry out country agenda. This builds on the overall strength of NESDA through a strong base of members.

The National Councils for Sustainable Development (NCSD) Program of the Earth Council, during its assessment of progress made in implementing the Rio Earth Summit provisions, identified NESDA, as the lead agency in monitoring the national Rio+10 assessment process in Cameroon, Ghana, Ethiopia and Côte d'Ivoire.

In January 2002, NESDA was designated coordinating body of the activities of the African Steering Committee (ASC) of the Civil Society Organizations (CSO) for WSSD, at the Pan African Conference of civil society organizations, held in Nairobi, Kenya.

Further, NESDA collaborated with UNEP, CEDARE, and others in the production of African Environment Outlook II, “Our Environment, Our Wealth”—the first comprehensive compilation of the state of the environment in Africa and a must read for environmentalists and policy-makers.