Conservation Union launches poverty reduction initiative

Sept. 15, 2005

Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - World Conservation Union (IUCN) has launched the Conservation for Poverty Reduction Initiative to secure and improve livelihoods through the improved management of ecosystems in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

In a news release received here Thursday, the Geneva-based organisation estimated the initiative would cost US$300 million.

"The Conservation for Poverty Reduction Initiative makes poverty reduction and livelihood security a key objective of conservation action.

"This global partnership for local action and policy change will allow poor rural communities to directly benefit from the goods and services of healthy ecosystems," the release quoted Achim Steiner, the IUCN director-general, as saying.

Around 70% of the world's poorest people live in rural areas, and depend heavily on natural resources for food, fodder, fuel and medicines. In some cases, such as medicines and fuel wood, their dependence reaches 100 percent.

Yet, Steiner said, such people often lack security of tenure and access to the lands, resources and markets that they depend on.

Any effort to tackle poverty therefore requires addressing the rights of the poor, promoting adoption and implementation of policies that improve gender and social equity, and encouraging better governance of natural resources.

"The representatives of local and indigenous communities are key partners. There is no need to obscure it. Poverty is about access and rights, and the poor stay poor because they do not have rights.

"One of our goals is to help them get and claim their rights to use and manage the natural resources they use and live with," said Steiner.

The Initiative started with 20 projects that focus on poverty reduction, implemented in cooperation with a vast range of members and partners in 20 countries of Asia, Latin America and Africa, has an investment of US$25 million per year.

The plans are to include new partners and projects to expand and upscale the initiative to reach more poor rural communities.

In the end, the IUCN aims to invest a total of US$300 million worldwide to make a difference to the livelihoods of 50 million rural poor.

The Conservation for Poverty Reduction Initiative was launched in New York on Wednesday at a high-level event of the Poverty-Environment Partnership at the ongoing UN summit.