 |
Environment and development in coastal regions and in small islands |
 |
|
Environment and development in coastal regions and in small islands |
|
 |
Extract
from 165 EX/29 Addendum page 41
PARIS, 13 September 2002
Item 8.4 of the
provisional agenda
Financial
Report and Audited Financial Statements of UNESCO for the period ended 31
December 2001 and report by the external auditor
Case
1: Jakarta Bay Project
Jakarta
Bay Project – within the platform on Environment and Development in
Coastal Regions and Small Islands (CSI)
This
project illustrates good management of diverse activities including constructive
Headquarters and field cooperation. It is part of an innovative attempt to deal
with widespread issues that transcend national borders, and it involves the
Natural Sciences, Social and Human Sciences, Culture, Education and
Communication Sectors of UNESCO, as well as many other agencies.
The
Jakarta Bay project in Indonesia is a long-term attempt to deal with the effects
of Jakarta’s rapid urban growth on the sensitive coastal marine environment.
It began, for UNESCO, with studies and workshops over 15 years ago. Jakarta’s
population is now estimated to be about 20 million, making it the seventh
largest urban agglomeration in the world. Its expansion has caused massive
problems in waste management, flooding and land subsidence, unsustainable
coastal resources exploitation, and serious pollution and other problems.
Particularly affected are thousands living on 30 of the more than 100 islands in
shallow Jakarta Bay.
This
project, which is large in scope but not in budget, has been going on for at
least 4 years and is continuing. The budget in 1998-99 was $94,500 and in
2000-01 it was $133,350 (including regular programme, participation programme
and associated funds, but excluding contributions in kind).
More
than half this money came from outside the Natural Sciences Sector.
At
the time of our field visit in March 2000, activities in the Jakarta Bay Project
included 5 community development sites, 3 recycling centres including several
markets, schools, community learning centres, and 27 study sites. Natural
Sciences Sector plays a planning and catalyst role, in particular commissioning
scientific research and planning studies, arranging cooperation with local
government, non-governmental organizations and other organizations, and
launching and assessing pilot projects. In addition to scientific work, these
activities involve education, direct community action and communication, and
studies aimed at respecting local culture, all of which involve consultation
with other sectors of UNESCO.
UNESCO’s
activities are based on plans for the next 5 years, which in turn are based on
considerable research, expert consultation, and discussions with government
officials and other partners and stakeholders. The local staff appears to have
good rapport with all parties concerned including Headquarters staff. There is
constructive communication particularly with the chief of CSI at Headquarters
who has extensive field experience, and visits field sites frequently. When the
budget was cut unexpectedly in the latter part of 1999, the chief took
innovative steps to keep the project going and morale high.
Regular
detailed reports of activities are posted on the CSI
web site and reported in the C/3 and in the budget status reports to
Headquarters and the Board. While tangible results or outcomes are difficult to
determine, there are indications of progress in expanding the pilot projects and
support for wise coastal practices. For example, a model
for waste management at traditional markets was set up and implemented at
pilot sites, reducing daily organic waste by 40 per cent. Waste is now
considered a resource for complementary livelihoods through recycling,
composting and production of medicinal plants from compost. This composting
activity and others have consequently reduced the waste load on the waters of
Jakarta Bay.
An
evaluation of CSI in 2001 covered the
Jakarta Bay Project as well as other successes and failures to date. It
commented favourably on CSI’s catalytic and coordination role within UNESCO,
but the terms of reference did not include an evaluation of the effectiveness of
its communications or address UNESCO’s comparative advantage in dealing with
other donor agencies such as United
Nations Development Programme and United
Nations Environment Programme.
