Project description

Title: Combating Desertification in the Caribbean/Central America
Commissioned by: Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ)
Country: Dominican Republic, Haiti, Honduras
Overall term: 2003 to 2009

Context

The denaturing of arable land in arid, semi-arid and dry subhumid areas is the result of  inappropriate use of natural resources. This can be exacerbated by climate and climatic changes.

In Central America and the Caribbean, desertification leads to reduced agricultural yields, increased poverty among the population, and conflicts over land and migration. In this light, the governments of the countries concerned have made it their objective to implement the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). This convention constitutes a new strategic framework for sustainable natural resource management and combating poverty. Multisectoral cooperation and regionally coordinated development planning become key components of forward-looking sustainable development.

As a signatory to the convention and host country of the UNCCD Secretariat, Germany supports the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Honduras in their implementation of the UNCCD through the GTZ project Combating Desertification in the Caribbean/Central America.

Objective

The Dominican Republic, Haiti and Honduras are prepared for coordinated implementation of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.

Approach

The partner countries are supported in elaborating and implementing national action programmes to combat desertification. These programmes will be linked as far as possible to national strategies for sustainability and poverty reduction. 

Regional sharing of experience and know-how is promoted in South-South cooperation among developing countries; here a key role is played by transborder inter-institutional cooperation based on treaties and agreements. The countries involved benefit mutually from the various lessons learned and initiatives launched, which also results in more efficient use of the funds available.

The broadest possible participation of various institutions and population groups at both the national and the local levels guarantees the acceptance and sustainability of the measures envisioned. The National Action Programmes are planned and conducted participatively, based on the bottom-up principle.
Concurrent with these structure-building policy measures, training sessions are held on monitoring and evaluation in the context of the UNCCD implementation. This is also to contribute to significant awareness-raising among those responsible.

The relevant organisations in the partner countries (ministries, NGOs, etc.) are enabled to adequately fulfil their roles, functions and responsibilities in the implementation of the UNCCD Convention. 

Additionally, in areas affected by desertification, concrete model measures will be taken for sustainable use of natural resources and for improving the living standards of the population. This includes campaigns to raise awareness of the causes and results of desertification and further education on themes such as soil conservation. The lessons learned will be used in national policy advising and replicated in other regions.  
The project is being implemented in cooperation with the German Development Service (DED) and in continuous collaboration with other GTZ and DED programmes and projects in the participating countries. There is close cooperation with regional and international organisations (the Global Mechanism, UNDP, the UNCCD Secretariat and Canadian Development Cooperation).

Results achieved so far

For the Dominican region bordering Haiti, an inter-institutional working group (Grupo Técnico Inter-Institucional) has been established, which is a national coordination body steering implementation of the convention in the Dominican Republic. It consists of representatives of both governmental and non-governmental institutions and of organisations for bilateral and multilateral  cooperation. 

In Honduras, too, a similar coordinating body has been formed to implement the convention. A special success in Honduras is the close linkage of the National Action Programme with the National Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP).