2006/2007 Annual Report - International Institute for Sustainable ...

project snapshots
snapshot 1: poverty – ecosystems report
Proposed by Anantha Duraiappah (former Director, Economic Policy)
and Marlene Roy (Research and Learning Resources)
Until this project, there had never been a report that fully conveyed the
relationship between ecosystem services and human development for
specific populations. By using a comprehensive set of statistics, this report
provides an overview of the ecosystem services under stress, and the state of
human well-being in Kenya, and analyzes whether this country’s recent
poverty reduction strategy will help. We expect that the report will
contribute to sustainable development by demonstrating with clarity the
inter-dependency between human development and ecosystem services. A
prototype report will be released in 2007.
snapshot 2: natural disasters and resource rights
Proposed by Oli Brown (Project Manager) and Alec Crawford (Project Officer)
“Natural disasters such as hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes damage
and destroy the land, sea, forest and other resources vital to peoples’
livelihoods,” write Brown, Crawford and co-author Anne Hammill. “They
kill titleholders, destroy documentation and erase demarcations.
Compensation after such disasters is often inadequate, and movements of
refugees can increase competition over scarce resources.”
Using the Asian tsunami of 2004 as an example, this project set out to
analyze how resource rights are re-allocated after disasters. The resulting
paper demonstrates how better-defined and fairly-enforced resource rights
can strengthen livelihood security and biodiversity conservation, while
helping to avoid conflict and promote resilience to future disasters. Until
this project, very little work was being done on the matter.
snapshot 3: sustainable procurement
Proposed by Mark Halle (Director, Trade and Investment)
and Oshani Perera (IISD Consultant)
On average, public expenditure and consumption accounts for 16 per cent
of national GDP—presenting an important opportunity to promote
sustainable public procurement (i.e., public sector purchases that favour
goods and services that are favourable from an environment or development
perspective). This project set out to analyze laws, guidelines and voluntary
initiatives that promote and enable sustainable procurement by state
authorities, local governments and public institutions across the world. The
project also sought to develop ideas on how to advance sustainable
procurement in developing countries and in economies in transition. Until
this project, there had been no comprehensive critical process designed to
assess and report on ongoing sustainable procurement initiatives.
two new initiatives
Collaboration is key—within our growing Institute and beyond—in the global
environment. By combining our knowledge, expertise and resources across IISD’s
programs, we can contribute to sustainable development in new and exciting
ways. Recognizing this, IISD’s Fund Development department has launched two
major campaigns for 2007–2008 to complement the efforts behind the IISD
Innovation Fund.
The world is becoming increasingly aware of the dramatic impacts of climate
change. Therefore, our first campaign will allow the Climate Change and Energy
team to develop innovative cross-cutting projects that incorporate other IISD
program areas such as Sustainable Natural Resources Management and
Measurement and Assessment. Our second major campaign addresses Young
Leaders in Sustainable Development. This new program offers young professionals
the opportunity to learn critical international communication skills and enhance
their future work in sustainable development. By focusing our efforts on programs
that encompass the entire Institute, we will be able to share knowledge and
capacity as we tackle the complex issues facing the world today.
For more information, please contact:
Susan Barkman, Director,
Development and Community Relations
sbarkman@iisd.ca
Nancy Folliott,
Development Coordinator
nfolliott@iisd.ca
our thanks to supporters of the
iisd innovation fund
Since the IISD Innovation Fund was launched in 2003, our corporate
and foundation funders have committed $410,000—and the Fund
continues to grow. We are grateful to those who have supported us.
They've invested in a proud, Canadian-based institution. And they've
invested in the future of our planet.
Alcan Inc $90
E.I. duPont Canada Company 20
The Great-West Life Assurance Company 75
Investors Group 75
Manitoba Hydro 75
The Kathleen M. Richardson Foundation 75
($000’s, Canadian dollars)
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