Addis A

baba, May 11, 2010: The African Union Commission, through the European Union, has awarded a grant contract of EUR 1, 845, 632 to its implementing partner IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) - an intergovernmental organization formed within Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD). The agreement was signed on Tuesday, May 11, 2010, in AMESD Headquarters in Addis Ababa. This signature marks the official commencement of a three years implementation project, up to the 10th May 2013.



Prof. Laban OGALLO, ICPAC Director, is signing the grant agreement witnessed by (from left to right) Ir. Etienne KAISIN, AMESD-TA Team Leader, Mr. Joan NADAL-SASRTE, Head of Operation at the EU Delegation to AU, Dr. Khalil TIMAMY, AMESD-AU Program Coordinator a.i., Prof. OGALLO and Dr. Debalkew BERHE from IGAD.

The Grant

The ICPAC grant is one of the five Regional Thematic Actions, also called THEMA, which are developed and implemented by AMESD in Africa in the areas of management of water resources (CEMAC region), cropland and rangeland management (ECOWAS region), land degradation mitigation and natural habitat conservation IGAD region), coastal and maritime management (IOC region), and agricultural and environmental resource management (SADC region).

Objectives

The signing of the grant contract, accordingly, is aimed at implementing a Thematic Action Plan on “Land Degradation Mitigation and Natural Habitat Conservation” in Eastern Africa region. The results of the program will directly target institutions such as national environmental authorities, national meteorological services, disaster management institutions, ministries of water resources, and ministries of agriculture, biodiversity/forestry and wildlife conservation institutions in the region. The program also targets mapping agencies and institutions of higher learning which are found in the region.

ICPAC will be responsible for the overall management of the THEMA and for developing the Natural Habitat Conservation (NHC) service. The Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD), ICPAC Partner also based in Nairobi, will be developing the land degradation assessment service.

The overall objective of the AMESD program in the IGAD region is to enhance land degradation and natural habitats assessment and monitoring for sustainable management of environmental resources. It is aimed at developing operational geo-information services and strengthening the information management capacity of regional and national institutions in order to support decision and policy making processes. This will be done by facilitating access to Africa-wide environmental information derived from Earth Observation technologies.

Collaboration between partners

We are extremely delighted and thankful to the European Union for providing for this very necessary support,” said Dr. BERHE, speaking at the signing ceremony. He also said that “the event will further intensify the collaboration between the European Union Commission, the African Union Commission and the partners that are involved in the implementation of the program.”

Director of ICPAC, Professor L. Ogallo, also said that “In IGAD, development is based on how we can actually sustain the environmental resources. It is crucial to monitor and sustain the environment for the sake of Africans.”

“Now the funds are available, real challenges are ahead of us with the implementation phase of the regional thematic program”, said Etienne F.P Kaisin, Team Leader of AMESD Technical Assistance. “We have to be able to respond to the needs of the political decision makers,” he added.

Representatives from the IGAD, the African Union Commission, the EU delegation to the AU and the AMESD Programme Coordination Team attended the signing ceremony.

Implementing its program in over 47 African states, the AMESD program addresses the need for improved environmental monitoring towards sustainable management of natural resources in five Regional Economic Communities of sub-Saharan Africa. The financing agreement for the AMESD program entered into force on 20 November 2006. The program is hosted by the African Union Commission (Addis Ababa). It is funded by the European Union under the 9th European Development Fund up to 21 million Euros, through Intra-ACP funds and regional indicative programs from CEMAC, ECOWAS, IGAD, IOC and SADC.

More information: http://igad.int/ and www.amesd.org

© African Monitoring of Environment for Sustainable Development (AMESD), 2010