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International Land, Water, and Environment |
Arctic Military Environmental Cooperation International Track I facilitation of environmental and nuclear weapons related issues. In November of 1996, the Ministries of Defense of Russian and Norway, and US Department of Defense signed a Declaration on Arctic Military Environmental Cooperation (AMEWC). This declaration recognized that "some aspects of military activities, in particular radioactive and chemical contamination issues, may have negative impacts on the Arctic environment," and emphasized the "vital importance of cooperation between military organizations to prevent and solve environmental problems in the Arctic." Turning such declarations into agreed upon projects, priorities, and strategies, however, presents a major challenge involving concerns about national security, legal and financial limitations, and competing national interests. In July of 1998, CDR planned and facilitated a Track I meeting of experts in environmental affairs from the Norwegian and Russian Ministries of Defense and the US Departments of Defense, State, Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency. The purpose of this meeting was to overcome barriers and provide a strategic basis for cooperation on military-related environmental projects in the Arctic. At this weeklong meeting, the group negotiated and agreed to joint documents (prepared simultaneously in Russian and English) about key problems, areas for cooperation, potential projects, and procedures for developing new projects to help protect the Arctic Environment. These documents were developed to guide the work of the AMEC project in the years to come. Okavango River Basin Commission (OKACOM) - Angola, Botswana and Namibia - the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and the U.S. State Department. CDR Partners Christopher Moore and Mary Margaret Goltenconducted a situation assessment of issues and interests related to the management of the Okavango River, the third largest river in southern Africa. Unlike most rivers, the Okavango does not flow into another river or an ocean. After flowing from Angola through Namibia, it empties into the Okavango Delta, a world-class wetland that is the home of diverse species of flora and fauna, and a significant ecotourism resource for Botswana and the region.
Upon completion of the situation assessment, CDR designed and facilitated an international workshop for the commissioners and staff from each of the three countries on "Effective Transboundary River Management". Management of the Okavango River involves meeting the water interests of Angola for agriculture and possibly mining; Namibia for hydropower and municipal water; and Botswana for ecological sustainability, ecotourism, and agriculture. A number of follow-up activities are projected with OKACOM and other African river basin commissions.
Proposed Bujagali (Uganda) Hydroelectric Project. This proposed $500 million dam project of the AES Corporation (an international power company) on the Nile River in Uganda near Kampala would be funded partially by the International Finance Corporation. The World Bank would assist Uganda in making power from the project available within the county. The project is highly controversial because of potential environmental, social, and economic impacts. A recent World Commission on Dams Report [link to report web site] establishes criteria potentially relevant to the Bujagali Hydroelectric Project. In June 2000, following release of a draft environmental impact assessment by AES, A CDR partner and a colleague from the Morasco Newton Group convened and facilitated the first of three public input processes in Washington, D.C. for international NGOs and other interested parties. After the final EIA was released in April 2001 by the IFC, CDR and the principal from the Centre for Conflict Resolution (CECORE) in Uganda, one of our partner organizations, convened and facilitated a public input process in Uganda. Approximately 195 people attended the meeting. The session was conducted in Luganda (one of many local languages) and English. IFC and World Bank staff also attended. On July 17 and 18, 2001 the third public process was held in Washington, D.C., after which the IFC and World Bank staffs made recommendations about support for the project to their Boards of Directors.
Indonesian Center for Environmental Law, Conflict Management Workshops Jakarta and Semarang, Indonesia. CDR and its international partner delivered two workshops in Indonesia on environmental mediation and conflict resolution. The workshop was organized by the Indonesian Centre for Environmental Law in cooperation with the Diponegoro University in Semarang and the law school at the University of Indonesia. That workshop included law faculty from universities throughout Indonesia and focused on development and delivery of curricula regarding Alternative Dispute Resolution.
Indonesian Ministry for the Environment and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) (GMBH). In response to the Indonesian Ministry for Environment's interest in building mediation capacity to resolve environmental disputes, CDR Associates and its Indonesian partner, the Indonesian Center for Environmental Law (ICEL), conducted a series of Executive Seminars on Appropriate Dispute Resolution (ADR) for senior governmental, non-governmental organization, and business leaders. In addition to these programs, CDR and ICEL also conducted two forty-hour Environmental Mediation Process seminars at national and provincial levels. Approximately 180 people were trained in both the executive and skill-based programs. Follow-up has resulted in the establishment of a national committee to explore how appropriate dispute resolution technologies can be introduced at both national and provincial levels, and agency drafting of rules and regulations for its use.
LEAD International (Canada, Japan, Mexico, Pakistan, Thailand and Zimbabwe) - Conflict Management and Sustainable Development. CDR has designed and conducted multiple three-day advanced seminars on conflict management and development for 600 Associates from this international environmental leadership organization. Participants were leaders from the private, public and NGO sectors from 14 countries in Africa, Asia, Western and Eastern Europe, and Latin America. The programs have focused on the application of collaborative conflict management approaches and procedures to development disputes, often involving water.
