Helping business and organisations plan and prosper in relation to the challenge of climate change (Global)
We are actively involved with companies, NGOs, regional development agencies and various levels in government sin the development of climate and biodiversity friendly enterprise. We recently completed a scoping study called “Carbon Action Yorkshire” for Leeds University as part of their contract with Yorkshire Forward.
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Sustainable procurement (Global)
The global experience and contacts of BioDiversity International Ltd have been used in a number of sustainable procurement projects. We recently completed a study for the Environment Agency on issues, opportunities and procedures for the procurement of timber for river and marine applications.
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Development of Monitoring Systems linked to biodiversity and performance assessment. (Global)
We are actively involved in the use of GIS in establishing area prioritisation for biodiversity conservation and poverty elimination. This involves a number of innovative approaches that can be used by citizens, governments and donor agencies.
We are also involved in the development of performance assessment systems to assist in improving project impact, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability. A key part of this work is to identify how institutional memory and communication can be improved so that any lessons learned can incorporated and relayed to all partners in development. We are currently assisting a consortium in the results based monitoring of a portfolio of projects of total value in excess of one billion euro in all sectors in all Asian countries for the European Commission. |
Monitoring of an
EC forest restoration and poverty elimination
project linked to environmental stewardship
in Bangladesh |
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Developing Country Environmental Profiles for
the European Commission
The European Commission in Asia required guidelines or criteria for “mainstreaming” environmental concerns in priority development areas. The approach chosen was to develop a country environmental profile, highlighting the major issues and opportunities. We have assisted MWH Global Ltd in the preparation of part of this work by developing a report on Sri Lanka with special emphasis on post tsunami development. |
Stakeholder interviews
lead to new ideas for environmental development
in post-tsunami Sri Lanka
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"Mainstreaming"
environment in the work of Plan International
Plan International is one of the world’s largest child sponsorship charities working in most countries in the developing world with an annual budget of over 270 million dollars. Biodiversity International Ltd was contracted to assess the efficacy of using an environmental sustainability principle and to identify how the organisation could use improved environmental awareness to improve the impact and sustainability of its operations. |
Environmental health
education achieved through puppet shows in Ecuador
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Watershed
development linked to forest restoration (Laos
PDR)
The company has been involved in innovative approaches to the reduction of poverty in bio-diverse and ethnically complex areas. The work has involved participatory biodiversity assessment and novel approaches in the valuation of forests and trees in watersheds. Simple techniques using remote sensing technology have helped in the delineation of biodiversity hot spots and defining a “spatial strategy” for poverty elimination. |
Sorting of medicinal
forest orchids in Laos. Propagation of orchid
from seed could be a forest friendly technology
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Organisational
development linked to sustainable rural livelihood
approaches (India)
We have successfully completed a major EC project helping to build the capacity of BAIF, a major established Indian NGO specialising in poverty alleviation. The 30 million euro EC project endeavoured to transfer technologies to 33000 poor families in selected districts in the states of Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. The main aim of the technical assistance was to advise and train staff, so that they could assist communities to develop sustainable rural livelihoods through the formation of producer and other relevant groups. Key issues linked to governance were health, natural resources (livestock, sericulture, forestry, agroforestry, cropping systems, watersheds etc) and education.
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Technical assistance
and organisational development of BAIF, one
of India's largest agricultural NGOs |
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Forest
friendly rural development (Vietnam)
We provided technical assistance as a sub contractor to Halcrow Rural Management Ltd. The World Bank funded project involved capacity building of MARD and commune based organisations in five provinces. The project’s focus was forest management and rural development in relation to key biodiversity reserves and protected areas. The work involved substantial buffer zone livelihood development, policy reform and Institutional strengthening. |
Basket making in
Vietnam. An ideal village industry
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Tree
and forest linked rural industry and development
(Europe)
Agroforestry is an innovative, systematic approach to land use, which recognises that trees and shrubs can play a central role in sustaining and enhancing the distinctive environment, economy and social fabric of Europe for the benefit of all. Agroforestry deals with a far greater range of economic species, products, potential users, and planting arrangements than current European forestry. An understanding of how trees or shrubs interact with their environment (crops, animals, soils etc) is a pre-requisite for the design of viable agroforestry systems. The company is centrally involved in the development of economically viable agroforestry systems. These include the use of multipurpose trees in bioenergy, animal production, orchard and arable settings. Key species include walnut, hazel, ash, poplar, and fruit trees. We have given policy advice to a number of agencies and have contributed to two major publications:
Hislop M and Claridge J. 2000,
Agroforestry in the UK. Bulletin 122,
Forestry Commission Edinburgh xii + 136 pages
Gordon, A. M. and Newman, S M. 1997
Temperate Agroforestry.
CAB International, UK pp269, ISBN 0 85199 147 |
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