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ISSUE: OCT 2002 |
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THE EMS The launching of this new edition of the INFO-EMS comes into existence at a time when the Secretariat is consolidating development strategies and lines of action learnt over the last couple of years. Recently, an unprecedented institutional decision positively surprised the region: the Brazilian Government created the Ministry of the Cities. We trust that this new Ministry will contribute to the sustainability of environmental policies and the decentralization process. It is in this context that the EMS will continue playing the role of articulator and supporter of environmental initiatives geared to sustainable development at the local level. It will act both in terms of coordination, training, institutional capacity-building, dispute settlement and problem solving, as well as in the dissemination of solutions and alternatives for coordinated decision-making processes with most sectors involved. Above all, the attempt is to include research outcomes in decision-making processes so as to serve all sectors in the society, strengthening the frameworks of national policies and standing regional and international agreements. To this end it will contribute its knowledge networks and research capacity instruments, to governments and society in general in Latin America and the Caribbean. Thus, in the new
section COMING PROJECTS we introduce
the projects that EMS has launched over the last few months in
Central America; these projects attempt to strengthen the support to
community initiatives. The EMS
NEW FINDINGS FOR POLICY MAKERS Section will present a brief
vision of the results of research conducted in cooperation with the
MercoCities Network, to analyze environmental agendas in the cities
of MERCOSUR, Chile and Bolivia.
Also included is a case study funded by the EMS that allows
for the generation of local public-private partnerships for the
collection and re-use of waste in a municipality of Brazil.
Finally, a summary of the EMS
agenda of activities to be developed during this year is
also included. Apart from the
well-known CITY PRESS section, where we
publish information on activities related to the environment and
through which we recommend assorted articles and websites, we have
opened a section called RESEARCH OUTPUTS,
in an attempt to disseminate regional and international projects and
initiatives to connect actors and provide results of studies and
development of new technologies promoted by research centres,
governments, NGOs, the private sector, banks and, above all, the
local and national governments.
In addition, to provide answers to the most concerning issues
on pressing regional environmental problems, we inaugurate the
section ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY where public concerns over local and
regional environmental issues can be received and analyzed by teams
of experts and, in turn, allow for negotiations and exchange among
the different sectors involved. All the aforementioned initiatives will respond to the Secretariat’s strategic mission to provide scientific instruments that facilitate decision-making processes in environmental management through the use of participatory processes that facilitate the efficiency of decision-making and the transparency of public management. It is the hope of
the Secretariat to work in each country with national partners that
act as focal points in the identification of priorities in the field
of environmental management and sustainable development. In order to accomplish its mission, the Secretariat will go on inviting and attracting funding partners from all over the world who agree with the equity principle that ensures sustainable development.
- Within the framework of the Program on Small Competitive Grants for Research, during the first quarter of the year, a call will be open to fund research projects that set the practical and institutional bases to generate public-private negotiation roundtables that in turn create opportunities for agreements vis-à-vis local or regional environmental problem solving, under the coordination of municipal and regional governments. The strategic point to be incorporated is the gender issue within the Funds Program, as an instrument to secure equitable sustainable development at the local and regional scale. - By midyear, forums will be organized to create international partnerships among the Latin American cities networks and their equivalents in other parts of the world, under the concept of cooperation and mutual benefit partnerships that allow both parties to solve problems. - By the end of the year, roundtables and technical workshops will be promoted at the regional and international levels to validate methodologies and guidelines on good environmental practices. EMS, in turn, will reinforce its information services in the environmental management guidelines through the knowledge network that serves municipal governments in Latin America and the Caribbean, by strengthening its links at the regional and international levels. To this end, it will link this network to a network of international municipalities from Europe and North America. In the scope of its regional activities and in order to support municipal associations, the EMS is coordinating in Central America, together with IADB (Inter-American Development Bank), a project that is being implemented by FEMICA (Federation of Municipalities in the Central American Isthmus): “Environmental Services Management for Vulnerable Populations in Central American Cities”. This project provides assistance in environmental services management in vulnerable populations and sets out to strengthen the capacity of FEMICA in the provision of environmental services that might be useful to its members. The first phase benefits municipalities in Nicaragua and Honduras.
The 1st International Meeting on Sustainable Management of Waste organized by the Municipality of Sao Paulo was held on November 6 and 7, 2002. During this event, Dr. Ubal made a presentation in the framework of the “International Agreements to Promote Sustainable Development and the Future of Local Agendas 21”. http://www.ems-sema.org/eventos/1102sp/index.html
EMS
NEW FINDINGS FOR POLICY MAKERS RESEARCH The research made by Carlos Fagetti outlines Environmental Policies in the MercoCities Network. The study was carried out as part of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the MercoCities Network and the EMS/IDRC in November 2000. It identifies the main environmental problems in the region and it also illustrates municipal environmental agenda within the region to propose guidelines to strengthen the Network vis-à-vis MERCOSUR. In line with the conclusions the author proposes a set of recommendations to be taken in consideration by Merco-Cities authorities and national and international authorities. Those aim to strength the role of cities as scenarios of environmental management and social inclusion policies in the framework of Local Agenda 21. It also calls for coordination among Municipal Environmental Secretariats, the Municipal Environmental Councils and the Thematic Units of the Network and with the MERCOSUR Work Sub-groups. That initiaitive must be reinforced with communication tools (website, the Dialogue magazine, Forums and e-mail networks). Finally the study encourages efforts to generate a pilot experience for “Cities in a Coordinated Environmental Management”, to compare processes, exchange information, disseminate experiences and develop coordinated urban environmental management policies, encourage inclusion and social participation among cities in the Network. Along with it a proposal is made to use Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to Monitor the Coordinated Environmental Management experiences. Additionally, a second proposal addresses the Work Sub-groups (SGT) of MERCOSUR, such as the SGT6 for the Environment to develop projects on Competitiveness and Environment and Environmental Information Systems for MERCOSUR, to intensify the exchange of information within REMI (Specialized Meeting of Municipalities and Town Halls) and the Work Sub-groups. More information: http://www.ems-sema.org/mc/ CASE STUDY: "Integrated Management of Urban Solid Waste: Impact and Potentialities" The objective of this work was to develop methodologies, reflections and good practices that would help understand the possibilities of establishing partnerships between public and private sectors and the civil society, on the basis of results and activities undertaken in the "Waste and Citizenship" Program of the Municipality of San Bernardo del Campo, in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. In 1999, 90% of the Brazilian municipalities dump solid waste in open sky garbage sites. In Sao Bernardo do Campo at the core of the Sao Paulo car industry area, thousands of families livelihood depended on the irregular garbage collection, causing countless social and health problems in the population. To mitigate these problems, the Municipality formulated a strategic plan organizing cooperatives of garbage collectors. The procedure consists in collecting the garbage and placing it in “caçambas” (containers). Later on, a lorry transports the garbage to the sanitary pit and people of the cooperatives are also responsible for sorting out recyclable material. To upgrade the above mentioned modality and formulate a sustainable development municipal policy involving the private sector, the POLIS Institute of Sao Paulo assessed the public-private partnership modalities by answering the following questions: i) Why would the private sector be attracted in integrating such consortium? ii) How could these participatory actions be integrated to the routine tasks of municipal governments? A first experiment included industrial and commercial waste from the private business sector of Sao Bernardo. Thus, they shared the social responsibility with municipality and citizens. Local enterprises transported the waste to cooperative’s operated treatment units built on Municipal lands. As an immediate result, for example, the monthly income of these workers experienced a real increase of 22% in just two months. Additionally, the plan foresees children education, training for adolescents and adults and public programmes to improve waste management (minimization, recycling, etc.). http://www.ems-sema.org/castellano/proyectos/solidaria/ppp/The Federation of Municipalities in the Central American Isthmus (FEMICA), has documented the experience of several municipalities in areas important to local development in the following fields: - Mechanisms to
Modernize Municipal Public Services. Visit over 20 other experiences at:http://www.femica.org (in the Experiences section) PROJECTS As part of the URB-AL program, the Municipality of Montevideo has been chosen to develop a social integration project for populations living in poor sectors of the historical area known as the Old City in the city of Montevideo. This project is geared to the economic development of the neighbourhood through the promotion of turist and cultural activities. To this end, the population will be trained -with the help of grants/scholarships- to join the labor market. The plan includes the establishment of a Workshop-School to provide technical assistance to small and medium enterprises in the area. This initiative will allow for the rehabilitation and restoration of building facades and public areas that conform the historical and cultural heritage of the city. Due to the characteristics of the URB-AL network, the following cities also join the activities: Bilbao (Spain), Turin (Italy), Rosario (Argentina), Santo André (Sao Paulo, Brazil). More information: urbalmontevideo@deir.imm.gub.uy “Environmental improvement and urban development of the western area in the city of Montevideo, Uruguay” The Municipality of Montevideo is currently undertaking a local development project in the rural-urban interfase, in order to improve the quality of life for the population living in Santiago Vázquez, in the western area of the Montevideo Department. With this project the Municipality of Montevideo seeks to strengthen its environmental planning capacity in urban-rural areas, by promoting production development through the establishment of quality standards. 70% of funding is provided by the EC (URY/B7-3100/00/0007). More information: cooprrii@prodo.imm.gub.uy
It is an open space dedicated to the publication of news in the field of environmental management in cities and municipalities of Latin America and the Caribbean, received through our Information and Knowledge Network. In this space you will find: professional opportunities, events, courses, articles and publications, newsletters and bulletins, electronic fora and news. Share your activities by filling out the form at: http://www.ems-sema.org/english/noticias/city_press.htm or send an e-mail to: info@ems-sema.org
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EVENTS
GLOBAL MINISTERIAL ENVIRONMENT FORUM 3-7/02/2003 - Nairobi, Kenya. FRESHWATER FORUM 18/02/2003 - Winnipeg, Canada BUSINESS SEMINAR ON ENVIRONMENT, AGRICULTURE AND WATER & SANITATION Organized by: Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) 20/02/2003, from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm - Washington D.C., USA INTERNATIONAL FAIR ON ENVIRONMENT – PROMA 2003 11-14/03/2003 - Bilbao, Spain I Latinamerican Meetings on Environment 3rd WORLD WATER FORUM 16/03/2003 - Kyoto, Japan
First International Conference ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND EVALUATION 23-27/03/2003 - Bucarest, Rumania EIGHT MEETING OF THE SUBSIDIARY BODY ON SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVICE 10-14/03/2003 - Montreal, Canada UNEP CAPACITY BUILDING MEETING ON ENVIRONMENT, TRADE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FOR THE LATIN AMERICAN REGION 27-28/03/2003 - Mexico City, Mexico Iberamerican Congress DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT: LOCAL CHALLENGES TOWARDS GLOBALIZATION 11-12/04/2003 - Quito, Ecuador Deadline for papers: 9/02/2003 Launching conference RED 10 del PROGRMA URB-AL 14-16/04/2003 - San Pablo, Brazil VI International Congress NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT 21-25/04/2003 - Valdivia, Chile Deadline for papers: 15/02/2003 1st INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INTEGRATED COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT CARICOSTAS 2003 05-07/05/2003 - Havana, Cuba WORLD SUSTAINABLE ENERGY EXHIBITION & CONFERENCE - SUSTAIN 2003 13-15/05/ 2003 - Amsterdam, the Netherlands INTERNATIONAL FORUM ON ECOSYSTEM APPROACHES TO HUMAN HEALTH 18-23/05/2003 - Montreal, Canada III INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON WATERSHEDS MANAGEMENT – GEOCUENCA III 20-24/05/2003 – Havana, Cuba Organized by: University of Havana FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION 20-24/05/2003 - Espinho, Portugal Organized by: Universidad de Aveiro, Universidad Aberta, Universidad do Porto, Liga para a proteccao da natureza (LPN) III LATINAMERICAN CONGRESS ON MANAGEMENT OF HYDROGRAPHIC BASINS 9-13/06/2003 - Arequipa, Peru INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE IMPACT OF GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS ON CONTINENTAL AND COASTAL MARINE WATERS 16-18/07/2003 - Geneva, Switzerland INTERNATIONAL FAIR AND CONGRESS OF CITIES – URBIS 2003 22-25/07/2003 Anhembi São Paulo, Brazil XVII CLAD COMPETITION ON STATE REFORM AND MODERNIZATION OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION Organized by: Centro Latinoamericano de Administración para el Desarrollo 28-31/10/2003 - City of Panama, Panama Deadline for papers: 15/07/2003 FOURTH INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON WASTEWATER RECLAMATION AND REUSE 12/11/2003 - Mexico City, Mexico Congress UNITED CITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT Organized by: International Union of Local Authorities 2-5/05/2004 - Paris, France
COURSES
Detailed information on these courses: http://www.ems-sema.org/english/evts/cursos.html
Distance learning Master SUSTAINABLE TOURISM MANAGEMENT 24/02/2003 Post Graduate Course GOVERNANCE, PARTNERSHIPS AND POVERTY 24/02/2003 – 21/03/2003 - Birmingham, England Master and Superior Certificate SOCIAL SCIENCES WITH MENTION IN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT 14/02/2003 - Cuzco, Peru Course Workshop CATTLE, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT 03/03/2003 - 2/03/2003 - Havana, Cuba International Course TELEOBSERVATION AND GIS 06/03/2003 - 05/12/2003 Courses SPECIALIZATION IN LOCAL DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIZATION IN GENDER APPROACH TO LOCAL DEVELOPMENT 31/03/2003 Advanced course DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT IN IBEROAMERICA Organized by: FLACSO Ecuador 9-10/04/2003 - Quito, Ecuador Course XV COURSE ON ECOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN LATIN AMERICA 27/04/2003 - 10/05/2003
PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Detailed information on these opportunites http://www.ems-sema.org/english/evts/oportunidades.html
Fellowships
IDRC
- International Development Research Centre
AGROPOLIS International Graduate Research Awards in Urban Agriculture International Development Research Centre (IDRC)
Internships
UN-Habitat Deadline: 01/03/2003 IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development UNDP United Nations Development Program
Calls
Call for the Co-funding of Competitive Funds. Native Forests and Andean Agri-ecosystems Program – PROBONA PROBONA BOLIVIA Deadline: 28 /02/2003 E-mail: probona@mail.megalink.com
Vacancies
IDRC International Development Research Centre Senior Program Officer, Specialist in Rural Water Management Deadline: 07/03/2003 Executive Director, International Model Forest Network Secretariat Deadline: 07/03/2003 CEPIS – PAN AMERICAN CENTER FOR SANITARY ENGINEERING AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES Director Deadline: 10/02/2003 IADB – Inter American Development Bank Senior Specialist on Environment and Natural Resources Deadline: 17/02/2003 UNEP (Nairobi, Kenya) Senior Project Management Officer (Project Coordinator), Pilot Projects Unit, Division of Environmental Policy Implementation Deadline: 13/02/2003 Associate Project Administration Officer, Division of Environmental Policy Implementation Deadline: 17/02/2003 FAO - FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Technical Officer (Water Resources Development and Conservation) Deadline: 03/03/2003
Agricultural Officer Deadline: 16/02/2003 IPC – INTERNATIONAL POTATO CENTER Project Development Officer UNFF - United Nations Forum on Forests Program Officer - New York, USA Deadline: 11/02/2003 IMM– Municipality of Montevideo Metropolitan Montevideo Sanitation Program (IADB) Specialist with experience in urban and industrial solid waste management (Biological orientation) Deadline: from 11/02/2003 to 28/02/2003
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“The EMS-SEMA has the support of IDRC, IADB, Environment Canada, UNEP and the Ministry of Housing, Land Management and the Environment of Uruguay (MVOTMA). It is an International Secretariat managed by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC-Canada)"
Internet EMS: http://www.ems-sema.org Internet IDRC - Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Office: The
publication of INFO-EMS is under
the responsibility of Walter Ubal and |
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