USAID AFRICA BUREAU Environment and Natural Resource Management Team HIV/AIDS and Environment/Conservation Sector Activities Intro: DCM, USAID/AFR - ENRM team Greetings.   I have been asked to briefly review the activities supported by the ENRM team of the USAID/Africa bureau related to HIV/AIDS and the Environment. The Enviro team is involved in supporting a number of activities including Jane Dwasi's work, and Peter Freeman's research both of which will be presented at this meeting. USAID also supports a number of integrated Environment and HIV/AIDS activities at the mission level, which I think representatives from the Missions are better placed to discuss. I will not describe those in any detail, but will focus on the activities of the ENRM team within the Africa Bureau based in WDC.

Multi-Sectoral HIV/AIDS and development meeting Does NRM and conservation community have a comparative advantage in dealing with HIV/AIDS epidemic? We recently participated in multisectoral HIV/AIDS and development meeting. Our office had the opportunity to attend a meeting hosted by the USAID AIDS team that focused on multi-sectoral approaches to the HIV/AIDS crisis. Nancy Gelman, Kara Page who have been active in organizing this meeting were present, and were members of the NRM working group. I thought it important to share one of the key questions raised at the meeting. Much discussion has focused on the negative impacts of HIV/AIDS on the environment, conservation and NRM. Rather than focus on the negative we flipped the issue and thought that the NRM community should focus on the Positive impacts that the NRM community can have on the HIV/AIDS crisis. Not just focus on impact of AIDs on NRM and conservation sector, but look at impact of NRM and conservation on HIV/AIDS. Raised the question "Does NRM and conservation community have a comparative advantage in dealing with HIV/AIDS epidemic?".

NRM sector advantages CBNRM efforts strengthen communities NR as source of food and medicine NRM long time interest in land tenure CBNRM activities serve “hard-to-reach” populations Think so: CBNRM efforts strengthen communities, as such help mitigate neg. impacts of epidemic CBNRM effort $ often reinvested in communities (health clinics, schools etc…) NR important to providing food and medicine to affected communities, therefore the management of NR has a huge impact on HIV/AIDS NRM long interested in issues of local access to resources and land tenure which is a critical issue as it relates to HIV/AIDS widows and orphans CBNRM efforts in rural and isolated locations reach “hard to reach populations” “traditionally underserved populations” who might not otherwise have access to HIV/AIDS prevention and mitigation efforts These examples suggest that the NRM community has a important proactive – not just reactive- role to take in the fight against HIV/AIDS The following are examples of small steps that the Africa bureau has taken We hope this conference will generate ideas for more activities

HIV/AIDS Brief and Toolkit Toolkits for Ministries Provide a methodology for understanding impact of HIV/AIDS on sectors associated with the ministry Identify opportunities for ministries to integrate prevention and mitigation into policies and programs  Briefs for Sectoral Planners and Managers Describe impact of HIV/AIDS on sector Suggest responses  Brief and Toolkits in general: AID has recognized the fact that HIV/AIDS is a development crisis, negatively impacting all sectors of development. B and TK created in response   Toolkits: documents for ministries – provides a methodology for understanding how AIDS is impacting the sectors associated with their ministry, and identifying opportunities for ministries to integrate HIV/AIDS prevention and mitigation into their sectoral policies and programs Briefs: documents for sectoral planners and managers – describe how AIDS is impacting their sector, and what they can do in response B and TK for a variety of sectors. I have full copies of them here, happy to show to anyone who is interested.

CBNRM Toolkit 4-step process to understand the impact of HIV/AIDS on the ministry, and identify opportunities for action. Impact of HIV/AIDS on society and environment Internal impact of HIV/AIDS on the ministry External impact of HIV/AIDS on the ministry Options for identifying a response  Assist Ministries in taking action on HIV/AIDS Offers a 4 step process to help understand the impact of AIDS on the ministry, and the identify opportunities for action. Each step consists of a series of questions that help the Ministry explore First: the impact of HIV/AIDS on society and environment Second: the internal impact of HIV/AIDS on the ministry How aids might affect employees etc… Third: the external impact of HIV/AIDS on the ministry How it might affect communities where ministry works Lastly: Potential options for identifying a response Range from creating a supportive environment within ministry, to incorporating HIV/AIDS education into CBNRM programs By walking through the 4 steps and asking themselves series of questions, the Ministry should be able to better understand the impact of AIDS on their ministry and identify a response to the epidemic.

CBNRM Brief Helps CBNRM professionals assess the impact of HIV/AIDS on their project area Provides an “action checklist”: Documenting the impact of HIV/AIDS Attending workshops on HIV/AIDS Sharing information with communities Incorporating mitigation strategies into programs Incorporating HIV/AIDS assessment into ER process CBNRM professionals Looks at how HIV infected populations impact the environment The brief offers a series of questions for CBNRM professionals to ask, which help them assess the impact of AIDS on their project area. Offers a “action checklist” of proactive steps they can take ranging from Documenting the impact of HIV/AIDS Attending workshops on HIV/AIDS Sharing info with communities Incorporating mitigation strategies into CBNRM programs Incorporating AIDS assessment into enviro review process

CBNRM Brief and Toolkit http://www.frameweb.org/TechnicalInformation/ topicsectorA.html#aids I brought copies for distribution. Also worth noting that both are avail on FRAME WEBSITE: http://www.frameweb.org/TechnicalInformation/topicsectorA.html#aids Because of popularity of CBNRM brief and toolkit the Africa Bureau has become interested in developing yet another

Environmental Review Brief and Toolkit Recognizing that HIV/AIDS not only has a negative impact on development, but development activities also have the potential to negatively impact the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Still in planning phase Goal: produce a toolkit for ministries, similar to the CBNRM one produce brief for environmental review professionals Brief: Focuses on recognizing that AIDS not only has a negative impact on development, but that development activities also have the potential to negatively impact the AIDS epidemic. ER professionals review all development projects for potential negative impacts on the environment and human health. There has been some debate in the ER community about this – some saying that HIV/AIDs is not a an environmental concern. But other interpret the ER process differently. Citing cases where ERs looked at a projects potential to increase the spread of malaria as a hazard. In considering this broader definition it is clear that environmental review professionals are in a unique position to do something! By reviewing all new projects for their potential impact on the crisis, ER has the potential to have a huge impact on the crisis.

Environmental Review Brief Propose incorporating HIV/AIDS concerns into the ER process. Provide a process for assessing if a project has the potential to negatively impact the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and incorporate those steps directly into the ER process If the process discovers that a project has the potential to exacerbate the HIV/AIDS crisis, Brief will propose mitigation options.  Proposes incorporating AIDS concerns into the environmental review process. Hopes to Provide and simple process for assessing if a project has the potential to negatively impact the AIDS epidemic, and incorporate those steps directly into the review process If the process discovers that a project has the potential to exacerbate the AIDS crisis, the brief proposes options for mitigation.   Goal to produce a useful tool that the professionals can use in the field. Had some difficulties to date Still in the development process so any ideas you have would be greatly appreciated. Those are the activities we have undertaken and plan to undertake – we have the strong feeling that much more can be done.

Consider the NRM and conservation community’s comparative advantage in dealing with HIV/AIDS epidemic. Clear to us that we need to develop strong tools within the NRM approach which can contribute to the fight against aids. So again, I repeat the original question – this time as a statement - in hopes that this conference might provide an opportunity for thinking about the contributions that the conservation and NRM community can make to the epidemic

THANKS Denise Mortimer USAID Africa Bureau 1325 G St. NW Wash DC 202-219-0250 Dmortimer@afr-sd.org