1. Mainstreaming the Environment Across DFID’s Work
John Warburton
Senior Environment Adviser, DFID China

2. Contents What is environmental mainstreaming?
DFID’s approach, particularly in regards to:
Public sector governance
Assets for the poor
Quality of economic growth
Environmental opportunities in other sectors
How is this captured in our screening procedures?
Sustainability appraisal in action in Yunnan (YEDP presentation)

3. Defining Environmental Mainstreaming
Integrating environmental sustainability (wherever appropriate) into development policy, planning and programmes for long term poverty eradication.

4. Is this important from the perspective of poor people?
Livelihoods
poor people tend to be most dependent upon the environment and the direct use of natural resources
Health
poor people suffer most when water, land, and the air are polluted. Environmental risk factors are a major source of health problems
Vulnerability
the poor are often exposed to environmental hazards and environment-related conflict and are least capable of coping when they occur

5. Policy and Institutional Options
Key principles for DFID’s approach
Poor people as part of the solution rather than part of the problem
Environmental quality of growth is important
Environmental management cannot be separated from other development issues
Themes identified -
Improve Governance
Enhance assets of the poor
Improve the quality of growth
Identify environmental linkages in all sectors
Use environmental screening as an opportunity to “look for good”, not simply to “do no harm”

6. Governance
E.g. Integrate Poverty-Environment into Development frameworks, and develop incentives for environment to be seen as a cross-departmental issue
Poor People’s control of assets
E.g. Strengthen resource rights of the poor and enhance capacity to manage assets
Quality of Growth
E.g. Understand environmental drivers of growth…and drivers of degradation, and address environmental market failures

7. Environmental opportunities with other sectoral programmes
Health, e.g. environmental health;
Education, e.g. environmental education promoted in curricula;
Trade, privatisation, financial services, e.g. build capacity for environmental due diligence;
Rural development, e.g. promote sustainable use of resources; improve spatial planning
Infrastructure provision, e.g. “climate proofing”, capacity building in EIA

8. DFID’s environmental screening procedures…
…attempt to capture this approach
It is mandatory to screen all DFID interventions over £1 million for environmental issues
Screening should still be undertaken for projects below £1 million where there are potential environmental impacts

9. DFID’s Environment Guide
DFID’s Environment Guide provides advice on:
The importance of the environment to the poor
Step-by-step guide to completing a screening note
Checklists, arranged by development theme, of opportunities and risks
Advice on screening across sectors
Sources of further information

10. The Guide Online

11. Environment Guide online www. dfid. gov
Environment Guide online
In case of problems with HTML version

12. Web Version Easy to navigate Examples Checklists Step-by-step guide Further sources of information

14. Making it real
Sustainability appraisal in Yunnan Province – putting the themes just outlined into practice….