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ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
REGIONAL SPOTLIGHTS
International Waters – Results Globally and Promoting Sustainability in the Pacific Small Island Developing States 1
Recently, UNDP’s GEF International Waters portfolio covers 15 lake and river basins, 11 large marine ecosystems, 12 Strategic
Action Programmes and 5 regional and international legal agreements adopted. These include the Global Convention on Ship
Ballast Water, and the West Pacific Fisheries, Caspian Sea, and Lake Tanganyika Conventions.
The Western Pacific large marine ecosystem covers 38.5 million square kilometres and is home to 14 Small Island Developing
States (SIDS)s. The region hosts the most extensive and biologically diverse reefs in the world, the world’s largest tuna fishery,
and an array of globally threatened species.
Recognizing their dependence on these fragile resources, in 1997 the Pacific SIDS, through the UNDP-GEF Pacific SIDS
International Waters Programme, participate in a regional initiative to produce a Strategic Action Programme. The $12 million
GEF financed project with $20 million in co-financing has two main components – oceanic fisheries management and integrated
coastal and watershed management. The project had a major success in June 2004 with the ratification of the Convention on
the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific, the first regional treaty
based on the 1994 UN Fish Stocks Agreement.
The second component of the project, set to conclude in December 2006, is addressing the root causes underlying the unsustainable
use of coastal resources, the ongoing degradation of freshwater resources and poor waste management. The project
supports changes in institutions, policies and legislation at the municipal, state and national government levels and is investing
considerable effort in communications, particularly community education and awareness raising.
WATER
Energy for Poverty Reduction 2
Efforts by countries in the Asia-Pacific region to meet the MDGs, especially the goal of halving the number of poor, will be
impaired unless adequate attention is paid to the crucial role energy services play in the development process, particularly in
relation to the economic, environmental and social well-being of the poor. Realizing this fact, and working with the UNDP/GEF,
the Regional Energy Programme for Poverty Reduction primarily focuses on enhancing equitable access to appropriate, reliable
and affordable energy services to reduce human and income poverty, keeping in line with the overarching goals of UNDP in
supporting countries in their efforts to achieve the MDGs and meeting the challenges of energy for sustainable human
development.
The programme aims to contribute towards the achievement of MDGs, through broad-based interventions such as improving
access to energy services; promoting efficient use of energy; and increasing access to financing for sustainable energy. The
three strategic services of policy advocacy; capacity development and knowledge management are key to translating proposed
thematic interventions to mainstream energy into developmental agenda for poverty reduction and vice-versa.
So far, studies have been underway to better understand the impacts of rising oil prices on the poor as well as increasing investments
for alternative energy services in Asia and the Pacific region. A major focus will be to prepare the Regional Human
Development Report (RHDR) on Energy and Poverty, which acts as a tool for policy advocacy.The programme intends to complement
ongoing capacity development efforts of the GEF, regional programmes, and global initiatives including national projects.
The establishment of a virtual knowledge centre will be to effectively consolidate the learning of the past through analysis of
lessons learned and review of existing policy studies and to address the specific need of the various stakeholders in energy sector.
The overall efforts would have a gender focus facilitating greater involvement of women in management of energy systems
ENERGY
and mainstreaming energy into their areas of operation.
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