this is more obvious at places where the
environment has been severely degraded. Where development is stalled,
frustrations build up and conflicts erupt. This is why I feel that protecting
and managing the environment and bringing to the fore the true value of our natural
heritage, is an investment for peace, harmony and progress.
ICEF’s portfolio of 49 projects is a mosaic with
distinct but complementary projects, thanks to the vision of the Managing Body
and the Joint Project Steering Committee, and inputs of the ICEF Project
Office. These projects are spread all over the country, which give ICEF
national coverage and influence.
The Project Summary lists the projects in order
of approval and provides key information. Projects added, on-going and closed
during the year, are covered in detail in this Annual Achievement Report. They
have been grouped into broad sectors. These include Energy, Wetlands, Watershed
Management, Environmental Education, Natural Resources Management, and Water,
Sanitation and Environmental Health. All projects made significant strides in
achieving output and outcome results, coalescing into a high level of ICEF
impact.
Projects in the energy portfolio have shown that
cost effective energy solutions can be realized when adequate capacity building
of local institutions is undertaken at project commencement. The projects
continued to supply electricity from renewable sources to the people, and
capacity building of the local institutions was extended to cover commercial
management, including formalizing the role of Panchayati Raj Institutions in
decentralized electricity supply through directions from the Karnataka
Government. The initiative for greening of brick industry was extended to
Orissa and Rajasthan during the year.
The project model of rooftop rainwater
harvesting system in Lakshwadeep has been adopted by the local administration
for replication in the rest of the island, while in Gujarat
the local industry was sensitized to protect mangroves forests, and stakeholder
capacity was built to promote more eco-friendly tourism in the wetlands of
Chilika.
The watershed management projects moved to the
watershed plus phase, wherein the gains from investments in physical and social
infrastructure are being consolidated and institutionalized for greater
assurance of sustainability. The approaches demonstrated include formalizing
and strengthening management practices, making operational the concept of
Community Managed Resource Centers, as sound enterprise models to service the
current and strategic needs of its constituent community organizations in an
effective, responsive and sustainable manner, and demonstrating the central
role of a well-managed revolving fund in livelihood enhancement activities, to
leverage the agro–forestry approaches, demonstrated earlier, as an alternative
to shifting cultivation. The participatory processes in watershed development
were strengthened through several regional workshops.
The environment education projects are
inculcating the lessons of conservation education in national parks and
wildlife sanctuaries, and the advantages of rainwater harvesting, paper
recycling and polybag weaving in National Capital Region schools.
Considerable strides towards achieving the
desired results were made in natural resources management projects by upgrading
technical skills and marketing support for products, providing lessons for
enhancing cooperation among the major players — community, government and
non-governmental organizations — in participatory irrigation management, and
developing and successfully testing a ‘5% model’ in Orissa, which has provided
beneficiaries in the undeveloped areas of the State the confidence to innovate
and experiment. At the conceptual level, indicators of sustainable development
for the country and systems for their monitoring were developed.
The initiatives grouped under water, sanitation and environmental health covered
new ground. The urban solid waste management project in Ranchi
was provided land by the municipal authorities to set up solid waste treatment
sites, the waste water treatment project using duckweed technology was provided
a new site in Puri, and the arsenic mitigation project covered new areas in
Jharkhand. The natural dyes project, to replace synthetic dyes with natural
ones, is setting up a centre to benefit other artisan groups. Water hyacinth,
which is a menace to the water bodies in Kerala and elsewhere, is now being
used as an alternative to plastic products. Work has begun on making the Amarsagar Lake in
Tripura as a model for restoring other lakes in the State.
In my interactions with the communities, I have
encouraged them to utilize and enhance their capacities built by ICEF,
strengthen their institutions, innovate, adapt technology, access resources,
imbibe the spirit of enquiry, respect the environment and equitably enjoy
nature’s bounty. Similarly, I have advised implementing partners to outreach,
promote sustainability and replication, facilitate linkages, especially with
Government and resource institutions, and share experiences. This will help in
continuously fulfilling the ICEF mandate, and our obligation to future
generations. It will also ensure that the constellation of ICEF projects
continues to have an impact beyond December 2007, and highlight how small niche
funds can make path-breaking contributions in improving the quality of life at
the grass roots level and promoting national learning opportunities.
The ICEF Project Office would not have achieved
all it has without the unstinting support of the Ministry of Environment &
Forests, the Department of Economic Affairs and the Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA). Our implementing partners and communities have
always shared our work and mission with zeal. ICEF draws substantially on the
State Governments, civil society and experts. The ICEF Project Office remains
the vital central hub. I take immense pleasure in thanking all those associated
with ICEF in contributing to achieve its stated goal and look forward to
renewed partnerships in the coming years. |
