Climate Change in Latin America - European Commission

Italy
Actions financed by Italy
Ongoing cooperation projects in the field of
environment in Latin America and the Caribbean
(Information updated November 2009)
El Salvador (Guatemala and Nicaragua) – "Italy-
Central America University network for the analysis
and evaluation of natural danger". Approved in
October 2008, upon proposal by the Faculty of
geology of the University of Palermo. Total value
€ 1,694,580, of which € 987,380 (58.3% of the total)
provided by the Directorate General for Development
Cooperation of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Goal: assistance in land management, taking into
account the particular environmental vulnerability of
the Central American region.
Bolivia – Voluntary contribution to FAO (€ 738,000) for
the programme "Rehabilitation from natural disasters
2006/2007 and prevention of similar future disasters
in Bolivia", with a special regard to floods. Approved
in July 2007.
Brazil – "Technical training on possible alternatives
to the use of fire in the process of sustainable
development of the Amazonian Region". Total value
€ 990,000. Nearly completed. Goal: helping fight the
fires that many times during the year destroy hectares
of the Amazonian forest; the project is implemented in
agricultural areas, inhabited by dwellers from favelas
of North-Eastern Brazil, in most cases deprived of the
necessary agricultural knowledge/skills to keep the
land productive. The methodology used throughout
the implementation of the project, given the good
results so far achieved, was particularly appreciated
by the Brazilian Government and by the Minister of
Agriculture, the institutional and technical counterpart
of the Italian implementing Authority (the Directorate
General for development cooperation of the MFA).
A third phase of the project has been financed for
600,000 euro with a view of involving other countries
in the Amazonian Region like Bolivia. A project in
Bolivia is expected to be approved in 2010.
Brazil – "Preservation and valorisation of the phytogenetic
resources of the species of agro-food and
industrial relevance" (biodiversity programme). Total
value: € 4.3 millions. Nearly completed. Implemented
by Istituto Agronomico per l'Oltremare (IAO). Goal:
protecting food safety of the beneficiary population
through the safeguard and sustainable utilization of
Brazilian biodiversity, of which the local communities
hold the main responsibility.
Ecuador - Environmental multi-bilateral programme
for the safeguard of Galapagos Islands. Total value:
€ 2.2 million, implemented by UNDP for 1,149,000
USD. By the end of the first year of activity, it was
decided to continue through direct management by
the IDC. The new phase is currently being started.
Caribbean Islands – Contribution to UNDP for
the "Fight against poverty through the reduction
of environmental vulnerability of the Caribbean
populations". Approved in September 2008. The
initiative stems from the United Nations 2008/2011
regional strategy for small islands of the Caribbean.
Goal: enhancing, by 2010, the regional capacity to
manage environmental hazard. The project consists of
two components: one implemented by the Italian Civil
protection Authority and the other by UNDP. So far, only
the first phase of the UNDP component of the project,
related to civil protection and research activities, was
financed by the Development Cooperation Authority,
for an amount of € 3.5 millions.
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