Research for Week of October 21st, 2002: (as of October 21st, 2002)
  1. Education:
    • Natural Resources Management and Rural Poverty Reduction Project (Brazil- state of Santa Catarina) {information courtesy of World Bank}:
      • Approval Date: 04/25/2002
      • Closing Date: 12/31/2008
      1. To reduce rural poverty while improving the management of natural resources:
        • Institutional Development and Organization (US$ 25.4 million; 23.9% of base cost)
        1. stakeholder training to promote economic, social, and environmental sustainability at microcatchment level
          • finance preparation of both implementers and beneficiaries for behavioral changes and new modes of operation that are implicit in the new technical strategy
          • training of 75,000 farmers and 14,650 municipal leaders in the principles and practice of rural diagnosis, group formation and operation, participatory planning and stakeholder monitoring would be complemented by appropriate practical or technical courses, such as techniques for sustainable land management, product diversification and agro-processing
        2. environmental education of farmers and fishermen that enables them to solve environmental problems, and environmental teaching projects implemented in municipal and state schools
          • boost public awareness of, and commitment to, solving environmental problems in general, reaching the target population plus other stakeholders
          • to allow schools within the benefiting microcatchment areas comply with Federal laws on environmental teaching
          • 1,000 environmental teaching projects would also be financed
          • Detailed Plan:
            • Environmental education activities would be implemented at the rural school and microcatchment levels and in close coordination with activities in other project sub-components, in particular the Training, Rural Extension, Rural Investment and Environmental Management sub-components. The work with rural schools would target around 1,000 schools in the project area (mostly located within or around the project's targeted microcatchments). It would facilitate and promote awareness, appreciation, knowledge and stewardship of natural resources. It would also support partnerships with the departments of education at the municipal and state levels and would provide technical assistance to build skills that enhance the awareness and abilities of Loth teachers and students to achieve the objectives and principles of the sub-components. Specifically, EE(Environmental Edcucation) activities would include: (i) development and dissemination of classroom-ready teaching aids and materials, such as the EE teacher's guide (10,000 copies) and EE syllabus (190,000 copies); (ii) presentation of 50 "environmental awards" to schools that improve their environmental education efforts; (iii) organization of 586 workshops with school staff (two per municipality); organization of 130 seminars with school parents and 130 field trips and outdoor workshops for primary and high school students; (iv) technical assistance to support the preparation of l,E projects in the target schools; and (v) support to EE school group formation to enhance the abilities of teachers and students in problem solving, leadership, decision-making and cooperation.
            • To achieve the aforementioned sub-component objectives at the microcatchment level, the project would implement a series of EE capacity building and technical assistance activities with communities through a programmatic approach. They would include: (i) organization of courses and workshops that would be tailored to the needs of different stakeholder groups, distributed over the whole disbursement period, reaching 75,000 farming or fishing families, 11,000 members of environmental working groups (farmers' family members and other microcatchment citizens), 14,650 local leaders, 1,000 indigenous peoples and 1,680 technicians (EPAGRI animators, microcatchment facilitators, municipal technicians);' (ii) establishment of partnerships with governmental and nongovernmental institutions to undertake joint EE activities; (iii) woik with microcatchment and watershed communities in the preparation of EE materials; and (iv) technical assistance to communities within microcatchments to support the preparation of EE projects. Details of course content, duration and phasing have been reviewed at Appraisal.
        3. recruiting and training extension agent
          • support rural extension and technical assistance to individuals and communities
          • the promotion of the project among the rural poor by providing information, motivating decision-making bodies about the project, assisting group formation, assisting beneficiaries in preparing microcatchment and farm plans and assembling the community demands for social as well as technical and financial support
        4. adaptive and social research as well as socioenvironmental mapping
            • respond to specific technology adaptation and information needs arising from demand-led participatory development programs
      2. To identify and carry out rural investments that increase value of agricultural products, improve land management practices, equip rural homes with basic sanitation, protect water sources, and dispose of pig waste satisfactorily. 
      3. To focus on environmental management by implementing sub-catchment plans, establishes ecological corridors, consolidates protected areas, and creates economic incentives. 
      4. To finance project monitoring, and monitoring and evaluation.
    • Fire Prevention and Mobilization Project in the Amazon (PROTEGER 02) {information courtesy of World Bank}:
      • Approval Date: 06/06/2001
      • Closing Date: 09/30/2003
      1. Mobilization and Prevention of Forest Fires:
        • to develop technical assistance and educational campaigns for local communities and different stakeholders in high risk areas in order to provide guidance on the risks and consequences of uncontrolled burning
        • The prevention activities, such as training in the controlled use of fire and public awareness and education campaigns would be coordinated by GTA in partnership with State authorities and NGOs.
        • provide the risk-prone region with training and equipment to promptly address forest fires and prevent them from burning out of control
        • Community fire prevention units at the local level would be constituted and trained to monitor local fires and to call on State fire companies as needed in the event of uncontrollable wildfires.
      2. Alternative to the Use of Fire in Agriculture:
        • to disseminate information and exchange of experience on existing models for reducing the use of fire in agriculture
        • to identify existing and promising initiatives which will be visited by community leaders to assess its success and adoption by other communities
        • regional seminar would be carried out to present the results of these initiatives to small farmers and community leaders.
      3. Project Coordination, Monitoring & Evaluation
      • More details:
        • The proposed project would be implemented over two years under the administrative coordination of GTA The Amazon Working Group where the Project Coordination Unit (PCU) would be established. Executing agencies in each state would be state chapters of FETAGRI. IBAMA would collaborate during the training of trainers in the states and also supply dissemination materials and fire monitoring. The project will be guided by an Advisory Group made up of one representative from MMA, MPO, the Northern Chapter of the Brazilian Association of Environmental Entities (ABEMA Zona Norte), and a NGO based in the Legal Amazon. GTA, its affiliate NGOs and State FETAGRI would help implement the community mobilization and training campaign. State Environmental Agencies and IBAMA would participated during the training of trainers and some of the community training on fire prevention.
    • Monitoring and Analysis Project {information courtesy of World Bank}:
      • Approval Date: 12/08/1998
      • Closing Date: 12/31/2003
      1. Integrated Monitoring
      2. Studies and Analyses
      3. Dissemination
        • is intended to disseminate strategic lessons generated by the Pilot Program to relevant target audiences in Brazil and internationally, so that such lessons can be applied on a larger scale. This component will be implemented in collaboration with other Pilot Program projects and agencies, as well as public and private media organizations. The two audiences targeted for dissemination are: (i) decision makers, including project managers and donors associated with the Pilot Program and policy makers at the federal, state and local level whose decisions influence the use of tropical forests in Brazil; and (ii) resource users in the Amazon and Atlantic forest regions, ranging from company executives and large landowners to low-income rural communities. Lessons will be disseminated directly through a series of technical booklets and technical briefing notes, as well as in collaboration with other Pilot Program projects actively engaged in disseminating results, and through partnerships with media organizations that broadcast by newspaper, radio and television. The impacts of dissemination will be evaluated to reveal the degree of absorption and application of strategic lessons by target audiences.
  2. Applicable US laws regarding funding for project:
    • National Energy Policy Act of 1988 and Global Warming
      • STATEMENTS AND DISCUSSION: 
        • Merits of S. 2667; implications of global climate change for agricultural production, industrialization, and long-term economic development in developing countries; summary of AID assistance to developing nations energy conservation and environmental management programs. 
        • Explanation of joint NASA and Brazil space agency programs in the Amazon Basin to study tropical rain forest role in atmospheric chemistry (related graphs, maps, p. 308-317 passim); views on global deforestation and international economic development relationships; strategies to increase international funding of Third World conservation programs. 
        •  Analysis of S. 2667 provisions for U.S. Government and commercial bank reduction of foreign nation debt in return for energy conservation and tropical forest preservation efforts; importance of emphasizing efficient energy use in projects to assist developing nations.
    • Population and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean
  3. Useful links:

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