André Olschewski joins Skat

André Olschewski will join Skat – Swiss Resource Centre and Consultancies for Development – in May 2009 as Water, Environmental Management and Spatial Planning Specialist. He has more than 15 years of experience in strategy development and programme management as well as design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programs and projects in the fields of water supply, water resource management, environmental management, transport, and spatial planning. He has been engaged as programme manager and consultant in integrated settlement planning, groundwater and watershed protection, and water supply projects among others in Switzerland, Zambia, Malawi, and Tanzania. He has been involved as expert for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in Romania and Mongolia and leading interdisciplinary teams in the fields of environmental protection, environmental health, and spatial planning in Switzerland.

Source: Skat News, Apr 2009

Indonesian Environmental Engineer wins 2009 Goldman Environment Prize

The Indonesian island of Bali is mostly known for its beauty and tourism industry. But a large segment of its population, mostly the poor, lacks access to sanitation. Many many live the dangerous lives of scavengers in the trash piles. In recent years, an Indonesian environmental engineer put aside her well paid job to come to their rescue. In VOA’s weekly series, Making a Difference, is the story about Yuyun Ismawati and her struggle to improve lives and environment.

For Indonesian environmental engineer Yuyun Ismawati, this was a satisfying moment after years of struggle. She was awarded the 2009 Goldman Environment Prize in a U.S. ceremony for her work in the poorest communities of Bali. “I realized then, when people are empowered and trusted to help themselves they will succeed,” she said.

Almost a decade ago Ismawati was working as consulting engineer, when she began helping some of Indonesia’s worst slums with their waste problems. The government only collects about one third of the nation’s solid waste, mostly from high income areas. “Indonesia population is around 235 million people and 100 million of them have no access to proper sanitation,” Yuyun explains.

While Bali’s island beauty attracts tourists, Indonesians often come here looking for work. But many end up as scavengers, collecting discarded food scraps from hotels to deliver to pig farms. They risk sickness and she says the remaining trash is burned, spreading environmental hazards.

Yuyun and her organization called Yayasan Bali Fokus (Bali Fokus Foundation) negotiated with the hotels and the pig farmers. She persuaded the hotels to provide about 200 jobs to recycle much of the waste.

“Previously some of them were scavengers and now they are working as employee of a company. Of course, maybe the salary is not much different from their previous salary as scavengers, but it builds people dignity,” she said.

Later, Yuyun helped develop SANIMAS, a series of community-based sanitation projects for poverty-stricken areas which can be easily replicated. The concept has been introduced in India, Zambia and the Philippines.

Source: Zulima Palacio, Voice of America, 13 May 2009

Ned Breslin new CEO Water for People

Ned Breslin. Photo: WfP

Water For People, a nonprofit international development organization based in Denver, Colo., USA, has named Ned Breslin its Chief Executive Officer effective immediately. Mr. Breslin has been serving in the role of Acting CEO for the past eight months. He joined Water For People in January 2006 as the Director of International Programs.

As Director of International Programs, Mr. Breslin oversaw the organization’s expansion into the Dominican Republic, Peru, Rwanda, and Uganda, as well as led the existing programs in Bolivia, Guatemala, Honduras, India, and Malawi. During his tenure, international programs grew from a $3.3 million budget to a $6.5 million budget, [providing safe water] to 91,722 people and sanitation facilities to 92,983 people in 2008.

Mr. Breslin has worked in the water and sanitation sector for several NGOs since the 1980s, including the Lutheran World Relief, the Mvula Trust and WaterAid. He has a Masters of Arts Degree from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Studies from St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York.

Source: Water for People, 13 May 2009

Dubai Cares and Gates Foundation partner to improve child health and education

Dubai Cares and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have signed a memorandum of cooperation on 19 April 2009 to collaborate on new projects to improve children’s health and education in the developing world.

Speaking on the occasion of the signing, Al Hashimy said: “Dubai Cares looks forward to collectively implementing innovative solutions founded on the full value chain of education, a value chain in which the Gates Foundation’s health and development experience and expertise will contribute to making a lasting impact on the ground,” said Reem Al Hashimy, Chairperson of Dubai Cares.

Dubai Cares focuses on improving primary education in developing countries, while the Gates Foundation’s work in the developing world focuses on improving health and accelerating development. At the beginning of 2009, Dubai Cares announced it was launching a global awareness campaign to promote the integration and prioritization of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in all education programmes and budgets.

Source: Gates Foundation, 19 Apr 2009

Launch of the Global Partnership on Nutrient Management

On 6 May 2009, on the sidelines of CSD17, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Coordination Office for the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA), in conjunction with the Governments of the US and the Netherlands, launched a new Global Partnership on Nutrient Management (GPNM). At the launch, the UNEP/GPA Coordination Office, which will provide the Secretariat for the GPNM, described the proposed web-based platform, which is designed to provide information, tools and training opportunities from all GEF nutrients-related projects, as well as those from other partners. The platform will also bring together reports and overviews on nutrients from around the world, enabling the GPNM to produce nutrient source-impact guidelines that integrate policy messages and available management tools.

“Demand for food is expected to double over the next 25 to 50 years, and a lot of future food production will depend on the use of fertilizers and other nutrients that, when incorrectly applied, can harm the environment,” CSREES Administrator Colien Hefferan said. “This global partnership has the opportunity to develop and encourage sustainable food production practices to help meet rising food demand.”

The US Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) assisted in the organization and launch of the partnership. The CSREES manure and nutrient management programme of research, education and extension activities aims  to help protect surface and ground waters, food products, and the air.

A first meeting of GPNM partners is planned for September 2009.

Source: MEA Bulletin, no. 69, 07 May 2009 ; CSREES, 06 May 2009