NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

ALEXANDRIA GROWTH POLE PROJECT INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT

Project Description

The Government of Egypt, Alexandria Governorate, has received a PHRD grant from the Government of Japan toward the cost of project preparation of the Alexandria Growth Pole Project (AGPP) with the World Bank. The objective of AGPP is to enable Alexandria to take advantage of its competitive endowments, better manage local assets, and remove constraints to private sector-led growth, while ensuring the socio-economic integration of the poor. The major components of the project are:
Improve Local Investment Climate, Local Economic Development, and the Urban Upgrading of three squatter settlements.

NSCE Main Tasks:

  • Defining the environmental and social objectives as well as the area of influence related to each of the four components;

  • Conducting scoping sessions on the terms of references that will be developed for this assignment;

  • Conducting alternative environment and social analysis related to the three components as appropriate;

  • Identifying major environmental safeguards that are to be triggered and issues related to each component, and their direct, indirect, cumulative and cross-sectoral impacts;

  • Identifying the major social issues as well the appropriate social safeguards that could be triggered;

  • Determining the appropriate institutional arrangement and local policies required to mitigate any adverse impact;

  • Assessing the environmental and social baseline requirements;

  • Preparing a resettlement policy framework.

  • Conducting periodic consultations on the IESIA with local stakeholders, project affected people, project beneficiaries and local NGOs;

  • Prepare and finalize after consultation the IESIA report, including component-specific environmental management plan, and an executive summary in English and Arabic.
Period

Feb. 06 - May 06

Donor World Bank
Country

EGYPT

 

STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN FOR THE RED SEA AND GULF OF ADEN

 

The Strategic Action Program (SAP) for the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has been developed by countries of the region in cooperation with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and its implementation agencies.

SAP is a multi-facetted project and has been divided up into eight interconnected components. Its overall goal is: a) to adopt the most efficient and effective strategy in order to reach out to large communities and enhance their adoption of best practices and b) gain new understanding of their coastal environment as a source of economic support and c) improve the livelihoods at the coastal communities. One of the sub components of SAP is a Public Awareness and Participation Program with the immediate objective to enhance public awareness of the importance of coastal and marine resources in the region and to promote the active role of the public in their conservation.

Under a consortium with ACDI/VOCA, NSCE has been commissioned by PERSGA to carry out a social marketing assessment and to design a detailed micro-grant programme that would provide financial support to local environmental and community groups, as well as to prepare a strategic work plan based on the findings that will lead to the goals of the SAP.

Project Description  
Period

June 2001 – March 2002

Donor World Bank / UNDP
Country EGYPT, SAUDI ARABIA, JORDAN, SOMALIA, DJIBOUTI, YEMEN, SUDAN
 

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF NORTHERN SINAI AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

Project Description

The Northern Sinai Agricultural Development Project (NSADP), as proposed by the Egyptian Government, envisaged the reclamation of an estimated 400,000 feddans of desert land situated on the Mediterranean coast of the Sinai Peninsula. The proposed project aims to increase agricultural production through agricultural and livestock development while generating employment through the settlement of small holders and graduates from the Nile Valley. NSCE participated, as subcontractor, to the multi-disciplinary environmental impact study commissioned by the World Bank to Euroconsult, the principal contractor. The purpose of this study was to identify the potential impacts of the NSADP on the physical, biological, and social environment of the region, and to work out mitigating measures to reduce or minimize possible negative effects on the project. The NSCE staff carried out a survey in the form of in-depth studies, group interviews with members of the local tribal groups to ascertain the existing tribal land and water rights, and to assess local natural resources management by the traditional leaders and their effective present authority. The linkage and impact with the large-scale program were analyzed, negative impact and risks were identified, and measures were recommended and discussed with local communities. Subsequent mitigating plans were formulated and included in the final study report.

Period

1992

Donor World Bank
Country

EGYPT

 

MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL PLANT RESOURCES TO BENEFIT RURAL WOMEN THE NEAR EAST REGION

Project Description

Rural men and women play an important role in the management of natural resources in the Near East and North Africa Region. In fact, this region is home to a wide diversity of plant genetic resources. The semi-arid and arid areas of the region also have an abundant richness of wild plant genetic resources, including especially aromatic, medicinal, herbal, and food species.

Rural women are especially involved in the management and conservation of biodiversity, and they own indigenous knowledge and practices. However, those skills are neither recognized nor valorized.

FAO gives special attention to rural women and works on developing gender-sensitive methodologies and guidelines for improving their economic status. Thus, it has commissioned a study on Gender and management of natural plant resources with a focus on making more visible the role of rural women in the natural resources management and provide advice on how to help rural men and women to best manage natural resources and to improve their livelihoods through income generating activities. The study outputs should also contribute to the inputs for the regional expert meeting in the same subject, to be held in May 2005

 NSCE, in cooperation with the Desert Development Center (DDC), delivered: A sub regional assessment, in the three countries, of gender roles in natural resources management, local practices, recent innovations, constraints and potential. Guidelines to enhance the sustainable management of natural resources and increase benefits for rural men and women.

Period

April 2004- Dec. 2004

Donor

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

Country

EGYPT, SUDAN, MOROCCO

 

MATROUH RESOURCES MANAGEMENT PROJECT

Project Description

NSCE has designed and developed a comprehensive management-training program to improve the managerial and operational aspects of Women in Development Unit (WDU) within the “Women in Development Strategy” project.

The project is a World Bank-funded scheme executed by the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation with the technical assistance of ICARDA. It aims at developing the capacity of targeted project staff to identify and address the gender issues in the resource management of Matrouh area and to define and operationalize a relevant strategy and action plan. NSCE carried out a needs assessment of gender issues pertaining the overall objectives, structure and work plan of the project. Subsequently, NSCE conducted a training need assessment of the staff of the WID unit and sub-departments at central and district levels.

 

Period

Apr. 1999 – Apr. 2000

Donor World Bank
Country EGYPT
 

All rights reserved, North South Consultants Exchange, 2008