Environmental Mainstreaming

• Mainstreaming environmental linkages into national development planning and the UNDAF

In plain language…

• Understanding the contribution that better environmental management can make to the lives of the poor, particularly children, women and marginalized groups

Opportunities, Constraints, Impacts

• All sectors are influenced by the environment • Environmental factors may be critical to the success of UN-supported programming • UN-supported programming can have un-intended negative impacts on the environment

National Plans (PRS, NDP, MDG strategy, Sector Plans) UN supported programmes Env. Impacts (+ or -)

Environmental Mainstreaming: Key elements at country level

• Understand and monitor the linkages between major development problems and the environment • Put environment linkages into national development processes and their products (PRSs; MDG strategies) • Set priorities and develop strategic programmes (incl. policy dev) for UN-Government cooperation in the UNDAF that address

environmental opportunities, constraints and impacts

• It requires a sustained Country-led Effort to Operationalize” – from plan to implementation (

working arrangements are key

) • It means enagagement - as a UNCT- with: – state actors – non-governmental actors and – development partners

Mainstreaming: Value-added

• Understanding patterns of control and ownership of natural resources - their influence in national decision making • Greater focus on prevention and ‘up-stream’ decision making • Engagement with stakeholders ( communities and government peoples

Rio principle 10

) can lead to greater trust and confidence in and between – tremendous empowerment potential for the poor, women, indigenous • Improve the effectiveness of UN supported programming – Balanced solutions - help to make the consideration of trade-offs explicit in policy and programme design – Reduce the risk of environmental disasters and social crises caused by environmental damage

Lessons

(from PEI)

• Comprehensive, programmatic approach is essential project approach will not work – Three year plus & $2.0m minimum – Focus on results not agency – Very detailed mapping of government macro & sectoral policy, planning & decision-making processes – The Planning and Finance Ministries must drive from the outset • A realistic assessment of country commitment at different levels & in both environment & planning ministries – Country-led environmental mainstreaming has high transaction costs • Integrated economic & environment programme & policy appraisals must become standard operating procedures for planning/finance & sectoral ministries.

Environmental Mainstreaming Good practices at country level

(from PEI)

• • • • • • • •

Find the right entry point Find a “champion” Ensure the commitment of the planning or finance team Provide country-specific evidence Perform integrated policy appraisals Engage key sector agencies Consider the environment agency capacity Acknowledge the need for sustained support

Future reading:

• • www.unpei.org

http://www.undp.org/fssd/priorityareas/e nvmainst.html

• http://www.environmental mainstreaming.org/sourcebook.html