IMPROVEMENT OF THE RESOURCE - POPULATION SUSTAINABILITY BALANCE

The UNDP assistance to the National Programme on Improvement of the Resource-Population Sustainability Balance focuses on the utilisation/conservation of natural resources, the advancement of women and environmental issues.

The main objective of the programme is to assist in capacity building in the management and utilisation of the country's natural resources for the economic and social benefit of all its people, while simultaneously ensuring that the productive capacity of those resources is maintained and, where possible, enhanced.

UNDP support to the programme provides assistance to a number of components, including: improvement of land husbandry, water resources development, mineral resources development, energy resources development, scenic resources development, agro-industry development, environmental education and population. To this effect, a total US $17.5 million was budgeted for the implementation of the programme.

It is also envisaged that UNDP will assist in improving administrative efficiency at the central level and create capacity for decentralised structured to also carry out their functions effectively. UNDP also supports the Government's efforts to enhance local capacities to identify needs and assess resource potential, and to plan, implement and monitor appropriate programmes and promote participatory development.

The programme supports the building and strengthening of existing capacities for sustainable management of land and water resources, especially the management of water supply and sanitation projects and the implementation of water resource projects.

Assistance is also provided in the formulation of the National Irrigation and Water Supply Policies, and in creating a climate conducive to local and foreign investment in the mineral resource sector and the utilisation of energy resources.

Provision has been made to support the conservation and utilisation of wildlife resources and broad policy development in the tourism sector. UNDP is also assisting four key agro-based industries to enhance their capacities so that the sector can achieve a greater role in terms of employment generation and foreign exchange earnings. Financial assistance was provided to the National Housing and Population Census that took place in October 1994. To assure efficient management of the programme at all levels, upgrading the management capacity of the Programme Management Secretariat (PMS) was also undertaken.

The programme is implemented in Tigray, Afar, Amhara, Oromiya, Somali, Southern Nations, Nationalities, Peoples' Regional State, Harari, Gambella and Benishangul regions. Training in tourism, photography, cartography, remote sensing and small scale industry has been conducted. Participatory approaches in indigenous conservation based farming systems have been assessed, and gold miners and soil technicians have been trained. Furthermore, to strengthen programme management at regional level, staff of line departments were trained in computer applications.

The programme is nationally executed and involves several sector institutions. The Ministry of Water Resources was designated by Government as the executing agency.

The programme covers twelve capacity targets and has several implementing partners, including: the ministries of Agriculture, Mines and Energy, and Industry, Tourism Commission, National Environmental Protection Authority, Central Statistics Authority and regional and local governments. UN specialised agencies also assist in the implementation of these UNDP financed activities.

ASSOCIATE FUNDS AND PROJECTS

United Nations Sudano-Sahelian Office (UNSO)

The Government of Ethiopia and UNDP also implement the UNSO (Office to Combat Desertification and Drought) funded activities. Currently, there are three ongoing projects in this area: the National Conservation Strategy (NCS); the Three Seed Project (TSP); and the Gonder Fuelwood Plantation Project, with a total budget of US $6.9 million.

The Global Environment Facility (GEF)

Another project implemented by UNDP and the government is the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) financed conservation project. The dynamic farmer-based approach of the project to the conservation of African plant genetic resources addresses a neglected aspect of plant diversity, that of indigenous crop varieties maintained by farmers in agro-ecosystems such as those found in Ethiopia.

The three broad categories of activities supported under this project, which has a total budget of US $2.4 million, are institutional strengthening, community-based conservation activities and identifying incentives for in situ landrace conservation. As a pilot project, this programme can be applied, with modifications, to other areas around the world facing loss of traditional crop genetic resources.