1. Building Impact and Partnerships in South Asia
#impactasia
9-10 March 2016, New Delhi
Jyotiraj Patra
Regional Evidence Advisor- South Asia

2. Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation (ESPA)
An international and interdisciplinary research programme jointly funded by UK’s DFID, NERC and ESRC. ( )
Aims to deliver high-quality, cutting-edge research that will improve understanding of the way ecosystems function, the services they provide and their relationship with the political economy and sustainable growth.
Vision: ESPA’s excellent research is turned into impact that results in significant improvements to the lives of poor people.

3. The ESPA Research Community33 53 19

4. Why Impact?
Source:

5. Research Needs Understanding + Addressing the Research needs
Promoting the use of and demand for research evidence

6. Swahili Seas Research on mangrove regeneration
( , Prof Marx Huxham, Edinburgh Napier University) ,
ESPA Research Impact
ESPA research in top 20 Global Impact of UK Research*
The Mikoko Pamoja (mangroves together) project in Kenya
One of world’s first mangrove carbon credit project
Trained of 46 African scientists on mangrove restoration and management
Community-led planting of >10,000
mangrove trees
Helped to set up the charity
The Association for Coastal
Ecosystem Services (ACES)
Contributed to Kenya’s
Mangrove Action Plan
Provided support to 3000 people in the region for building schools, water pumps and funds for children's education
Helped establish the East African Forum for Payments for Ecosystem Services
Facilitated the creation of
Community Forest Association *

7. Chennai Floods (2015): A Case in Point
One of the fastest growing metropolis in India
A massive/unprecedented flood in Nov/Dec 2015
Loss and damage: 269 human lives + $3 billion (Aon Benfield)
One of the underlying risks: Loss of urban wetlands + Damage in the watersheds in and around the city
Pallikaranai Marshland and Flood Mitigation: Research evidence exists but little integration of this in to urban planning

8. The Impact Workshop Launch of the revised and new ESPA Impact Strategy
Learn from others’ experiences (What works + What Doesn’t)
Link them to individual research project’s impact pathways
Leverage the above to amplify research impact in South Asia and beyond
New PARTNERSHIP

9. Panel-II (HOW, WHO, WHEN, WHY?)
Workshop Structure
Day-I
Addresses: Welcome + Keynote
Panel Discussions: Moderated + Interactive
Focus on exchange and learning
Day-II
4 ESPA projects sharing their research + impact pathways with other stakeholders
Collective exercise to identify key activities/opportunities to maximize impact
Plenary: Specific + Doable Impact Agenda
Panel-I (WHAT?)
Understanding Research Impact
Panel-II (HOW, WHO, WHEN, WHY?)
Research Impact: Experiences and Insights

10. #impactasia
@espadirectorate

11. Way Forward Impact : A Collective Endeavour + Context-specific
ESPA Directorate:
Facilitate thematic partnerships, Research Visibility (ESPA blogs, various international/national/regional forums, Social Media)
Fund: ESPA Synthesis Call (2016), ROF (ongoing)
REAs:
Interface with key stakeholders (Ministries, Research Funders/Programmes) + Regional Digest (Snapshot of key opportunities + Evidence needs)
Promote the research (Public Lecture, Media Briefings, Meeting with Policy Makers/Parliamentary Standing Committees, Private Sector)

12. Specific Examples
The South Asia Water Initiative (SAWI), managed by the World Bank, (funded by UK, Norway, Australia)
The UK Water Partnership
BCURE in South Asia (DFID funded- led by Harvard University)
Urban Climate Change Resilience Trust Fund (UCCRTF)- Managed by ADB
Asian Ministerial Conference on DRR (AMCDRR, New Delhi, November 2016)
ACCCRN
100 Resilient Cities