f.
Develop infrastructure, as well as local production and marketing capacity, by involving
the local people to promote alternative livelihood systems and alleviate poverty;
g.
Establish a revolving fund for credit to rural entrepreneurs and local groups to facilitate
the establishment of cottage industries/business ventures and credit for input to
agropastoral activities.
(b) Data and information
12.29.
Governments at the appropriate level, with the support of the relevant international and regional
organizations, should:
a.
Conduct socio-economic baseline studies in order to have a good understanding of the
situation in the programme area regarding, particularly, resource and land tenure issues,
traditional land-management practices and characteristics of production systems;
b.
Conduct inventory of natural resources (soil, water and vegetation) and their state of
degradation, based primarily on the knowledge of the local population (e.g., rapid rural
appraisal);
c.
Disseminate information on technical packages adapted to the social, economic and
ecological conditions of each;
d.
Promote exchange and sharing of information concerning the development of alternative
livelihoods with other agro-ecological regions.
(c) International and regional cooperation and coordination
12.30.
Governments at the appropriate level, and with the support of the relevant international and
regional organizations, should:
a.
Promote cooperation and exchange of information among the arid and semi-arid land
research institutions concerning techniques and technologies to improve land and labour
productivity, as well as viable production systems;
b.
Coordinate and harmonize the implementation of programmes and projects funded by the
international organization communities and non-governmental organizations that are
directed towards the alleviation of poverty and promotion of an alternative livelihood
system.
Means of implementation
(a) Financing and cost evaluation
12.31. The Conference secretariat has estimated the costs for this programme area in chapter 3 (Combating poverty) and chapter 14 (Promoting sustainable agriculture and rural development).
(b) Scientific and technological means
12.32.
Governments at the appropriate level, and with the support of the relevant international and
regional organizations, should:
a.
Undertake applied research in land use with the support of local research institutions;
b.
Facilitate regular national, regional and interregional communication on and exchange of
information and experience between extension officers and researchers;
c.
Support and encourage the introduction and use of technologies for the generation of
alternative sources of incomes.
(c) Human resource development
12.33.
Governments at the appropriate level, with the support of the relevant international and regional
organizations, should:
a.
Train members of rural organizations in management skills and train agropastoralists in
such special techniques as soil and water conservation, water harvesting, agroforestry and
small-scale irrigation;
b.
Train extension agents and officers in the participatory approach to integrated land
management.
(d) Capacity-building
12.34. Governments at the appropriate level, with the support of the relevant international and regional organizations, should establish and maintain mechanisms to ensure the integration into sectoral and national development plans and programmes of strategies for poverty alleviation among the inhabitants of lands prone to desertification.
D. Developing comprehensive anti -desertification programmes and integrating them into national development plans and national environmental planning
Basis for action
12.35. In a number of developing countries affected by desertification, the natural resource base is the main resource upon which the development process must rely. The social systems interacting with land resources make the problem much more complex, requiring an integrated approach to the planning and management of land resources. Action plans to combat desertification and drought should include management aspects of the environment and development, thus conforming with the approach of integrating national development plans and national environmental action plans.
Objectives
12.36.
The objectives of this programme area are:
a.
To strengthen national institutional capabilities to develop appropriate anti-desertification
programmes and to integrate them into national development planning;
b.
To develop and integrate strategic planning frameworks for the development, protection
and management of natural resources in dryland areas into national development plans,
including national plans to combat desertification, and environmental action plans in
countries most prone to desertification;
c.
To initiate a long-term process for implementing and monitoring strategies related to
natural resources management;
d.
To strengthen regional and international cooperation for combating desertification
through, inter alia, the adoption of legal and other instruments.
Activities
(a) Management-related activities
12.37.
Governments at the appropriate level, and with the support of the relevant international and
regional organizations, should:
a.
Establish or strengthen, national and local anti-desertification authorities within
government and local executive bodies, as well as local committees/associations of land
users, in all rural communities affected, with a view to organizing working cooperation
between all actors concerned, from the grass -roots level (farmers and pastoralists) to the
higher levels of government;
b. Develop national plans of action to combat desertif ication and as appropriate, make them
integral parts of national development plans and national environmental action plans;
c. Implement policies directed towards improving land use, managing common lands
appropriately, providing incentives to small farmers and pastoralists, involving women
and encouraging private investment in the development of drylands;
d. Ensure coordination among ministries and institutions working on anti -desertification
programmes at national and local levels.
(b) Data and information
12.38. Governments at the appropriate level, and with the support of the relevant international and regional organizations, should promote information exchange and cooperation with respect to national planning and programming among affected countries, inter alia , through networking.
(c) International and regional cooperation and coordination
12.39. The relevant international organizations, multilateral financial institutions, non -governmental organizations and bilateral agencies should strengthen their cooperation i n assisting with the preparation of desertification control programmes and their integration into national planning strategies, with the establishment of national coordinating and systematic observation mechanisms and with the regional and global networkin g of these plans and mechanisms.
12.40. The General Assembly, at its forty -seventh session, should be requested to establish, under the aegis of the General Assembly, an intergovernmental negotiating committee for the elaboration of an international convention to combat desertification in in those countries experiencing serious drought and/or desertification, particularly in Africa, with a view to finalizing such a convention by June 1994.
Means of implementation
(a) Financing and cost evaluation
12.41. The Conference secretariat has estimated the average total annual cost (1993 -2000) of implementing the activities of this programme to be about $180 million, including about $90 million from the international community on grant or concessional terms. These are ind icative and order -of- magnitude estimates only and have not been reviewed by Governments. Actual costs and financial terms, including any that are non -concessional, will depend upon, inter alia, the specific strategies and programmes Governments decide upon for implementation.
(b) Scientific and technological means
12.42. Governments at the appropriate level, with the support of the relevant international and regional
organizations, should:
a. Develop and introduce appropriate improved sustainable agricultural an d pastoral
technologies that are socially and environmentally acceptable and economically feasible;
b. Undertake applied study on the integration of environmental and developmental activities
into national development plans.
(c) Human resource development
12.43. Governments at the appropriate level, with the support of the relevant international and regional organizations, should undertake nationwide major anti -desertification awareness/training campaigns within countries affected through existing national mass m edia facilities, educational networks and newly created or strengthened extension services. This should ensure people's access to knowledge of desertification and drought and to national plans of action to combat desertification.
(d) Capacity-building
12.44. Governments at the appropriate level, with the support of the relevant international and regional organizations, should establish and maintain mechanisms to ensure coordination of sectoral ministries and institutions, including local -level institutions and appropriate non -governmental organizations, in integrating anti -desertification programmes into national development plans and national environmental action plans.
E. Developing comprehensive drought preparedness and drought -relief schemes, including s elf-help
arrangements, for drought -prone areas and designing programmes to cope with environmental
refugees
Basis for action
12.45. Drought, in differing degrees of frequency and severity, is a recurring phenomenon throughout much of the developing world, espe cially Africa. Apart from the human toll - an estimated 3 million people died in the mid -1980s because of drought in sub -Saharan Africa - the economic costs of drought-related disasters are also high in terms of lost production, misused inputs and diversio n of development resources.
12.46. Early-warning systems to forecast drought will make possible the implementation of drought - preparedness schemes. Integrated packages at the farm and watershed level, such as alternative cropping strategies, soil and water conse rvation and promotion of water harvesting techniques, could enhance the capacity of land to cope with drought and provide basic necessities, thereby minimizing the number of environmental refugees and the need for emergency drought relief. At the same time , contingency arrangements for relief are needed for periods of acute scarcity.
Objectives
12.47. The objectives of this programme area are:
a. To develop national strategies for drought preparedness in both the short and long term,
aimed at reducing the vulner ability of production systems to drought;
b. To strengthen the flow of early -warning information to decision makers and land users to
enable nations to implement strategies for drought intervention;
c. To develop and integrate drought -relief schemes and means of coping with
environmental refugees into national and regional development planning.
Activities
(a) Management-related activities
12.48. In drought-prone areas, Governments at the appropriate level, with the support of the relevant
international and region al organizations, should:
a. Design strategies to deal with national food deficiencies in periods of production
shortfall. These strategies should deal with issues of storage and stocks, imports, port
facilities, food storage, transport and distribution;
b. Improve national and regional capacity for agrometeorology and contingency crop
planning. Agrometeorology links the frequency, content and regional coverage of
weather forecasts with the requirements of crop planning and agricultural extension;
c. Prepare rural projects for providing short -term rural employment to drought -affected
households. The loss of income and entitlement to food is a common source of distress in
times of drought. Rural works help to generate the income required to buy food for poor
households;
d. Establish contingency arrangements, where necessary, for food and fodder distribution
and water supply;
e. Establish budgetary mechanisms for providing, at short notice, resources for drought
relief;
f. Establish safety nets for the most vulnerable hous eholds.
(b) Data and information
12.49. Governments of affected countries, at the appropriate level, with the support of the relevant
international and regional organizations, should:
a. Implement research on seasonal forecasts to improve contingency planning an d relief
operations and allow preventive measures to be taken at the farm level, such as the
selection of appropriate varieties and farming practices, in times of drought;
b. Support applied research on ways of reducing water loss from soils, on ways of
increasing the water absorption capacities of soils and on water harvesting techniques in
drought-prone areas;
c. Strengthen national early -warning systems, with particular emphasis on the area of risk -
mapping, remote -sensing, agrometeorological modelling, integ rated multidisciplinary
crop-forecasting techniques and computerized food supply/demand analysis.
(c) International and regional cooperation and coordination
12.50. Governments at the appropriate level, with the support of the relevant international and region al
organizations, should:
a. Establish a system of stand -by capacities in terms of foodstock, logistical support,
personnel and finance for a speedy international response to drought -related emergencies;
b. Support programmes of the World Meteorological Organi zation (WMO) on
agrohydrology and agrometeorology, the Programme of the Regional Training Centre for
Agrometeorology and Operational Hydrology and their Applications (AGRHYMET),
drought-monitoring centres and the African Centre of Meteorological Applicatio ns for
Development (ACMAD), as well as the efforts of the Permanent Inter -State Committee
on Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) and the Intergovernmental Authority for
Drought and Development (IGADD);
c. Support FAO programmes and other programmes for the development of national early -
warning systems and food security assistance schemes;
d. Strengthen and expand the scope of existing regional programmes and the activities of
appropriate United Nations organs and organizations, such as the World Food
Programme (WFP), the Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief Coordinator
(UNDRO) and the United Nations Sudano -Sahelian Office as well as of non -
governmental organizations, aimed at mitigating the effects of drought and emergencies.
Means of implementation
(a) Financing and cost evaluation
12.51. The Conference secretariat has estimated the average total annual cost (1993 -2000) of implementing the activities of this programme to be about $1.2 billion, including about $1.1 billion from the international community on grant or concessional terms. These are indicative and order -of- magnitude estimates only and have not been reviewed by Governments. Actual costs and financial terms, including any that are non -concessional, will depend upon, inter alia, the specific stra tegies and programmes Governments decide upon for implementation.
(b) Scientific and technological means
12.52. Governments at the appropriate level and drought -prone communities, with the support of the
relevant international and regional organizations, shou ld:
a. Use traditional mechanisms to cope with hunger as a means of channelling relief and
development assistance;
b. Strengthen and develop national, regional and local interdisciplinary research and
training capabilities for drought -prevention strategies.
(c) Human resource development
12.53. Governments at the appropriate level, with the support of the relevant international and regional
organizations, should:
a. Promote the training of decision makers and land users in the effective utilization of
information fro m early-warning systems;
b. Strengthen research and national training capabilities to assess the impact of drought and
to develop methodologies to forecast drought.
(d) Capacity-building
12.54. Governments at the appropriate level, with the support of the releva nt international and regional
organizations, should:
a. Improve and maintain mechanisms with adequate staff, equipment and finances for
monitoring drought parameters to take preventive measures at regional, national and local
levels;
b. Establish interminister ial linkages and coordinating units for drought monitoring, impact
assessment and management of drought -relief schemes.
F. Encouraging and promoting popular participation and environmental education, focusing on
desertification control and management of t he effects of drought
Basis for action
12.55. The experience to date on the successes and failures of programmes and projects points to the need for popular support to sustain activities related to desertification and drought control. But it is necessary to go beyond the theoretical ideal of popular participation and to focus on obtaining actual active popular involvement, rooted in the concept of partnership. This implies the sharing of responsibilities and the mutual involvement of all parties. In this conte xt, this programme area should be considered an essential supporting component of all desertification -control and drought -related activities.
Objectives
12.56.
The objectives of this programme area are:
a.
To develop and increase public awareness and knowledge concerning desertification and
drought, including the integration of environmental education in the curriculum of
primary and secondary schools;
b.
To establish and promote true partnership between government authorities, at both the
national and local levels, other executing agencies, non-governmental organizations and
land users stricken by drought and desertification, giving land users a responsible role in
the planning and execution processes in order to benefit fully from development projects;
c.
To ensure that the partners understand one another's needs, objectives and points of view
by providing a variety of means such as training, public awareness and open dialogue;
d.
To support local communities in their own efforts in combating desertification, and to
draw on the knowledge and experience of the populations concerned, ensuring the full
participation of women and indigenous populations.
Activities
(a) Management-related activities
12.57.
Governments at the appropriate level, with the support of the relevant international and regional
organizations, should:
a.
Adopt policies and establish administrative structures for more decentralized decision-
making and implementation;
b.
Establish and utilize mechanisms for the consultation and involvement of land users and
for enhancing capability at the grass-roots level to identify and/or contribute to the
identification and planning of action;
c.
Define specific programme/project objectives in cooperation with local communities;
design local management plans to include such measures of progress, thereby providing a
means of altering project design or changing management practices, as appropriate;
d.
Introduce legislative, institutional/organizational and financial measures to secure user
involvement and access to land resources;
e.
Establish and/or expand favourable conditions for the provision of services, such as credit
facilities and marketing outlets for rural populations;
f.
Develop training programmes to increase the level of education and participation of
people, particularly women and indigenous groups, through, inter alia, literacy and the
development of technical skills;
g.
Create rural banking systems to facilitate access to credit for rural populations,
particularly women and indigenous groups, and to promote rural savings;
h.
Adopt appropriate policies to stimulate private and public investment.
(b) Data and information
12.58.
Governments at the appropriate level, with the support of the relevant international and regional
organizations, should:
a.
Review, develop and disseminate gender-disaggregated information, skills and know-
how at all levels on ways of organizing and promoting popular participation;