Issue 21
July 2006
The Mountain Partnership Newsletter
'Peak to Peak' is an opportunity to keep you up-to-date with the latest news, activities and events related to the Mountain Partnership. This monthly newsletter, prepared by the Mountain Partnership Secretariat, is sent by e-mail to all members and other interested partners and can be read on-line at www.mountainpartnership.org. Help us share news, information and features with members by sending a message to: info@mountainpartnership.org.
Membership
We welcome Migrations & Développement as a new member of the Mountain Partnership in the ‘Major Group’ category. Migrations & Développement is an NGO created in 1986 by a group of factory migrant workers in the southern French Alps who together raised funds to support the development of their village in Morocco. The organization has now grown to a network of some 400 local associations in five mountainous areas of the country, working with various financial partners to strengthen local development through the promotion of mountain products and services, such as saffron production, craftmaking and rural tourism.
(Contact: Nadia Bentaleb, Director General, Migrations et Développement; E-mail: nadia.bentaleb@migdev.org; Web site: www.migdev.org/index)
As of July 2006, there are 137 members of the Mountain Partnership: 47 countries, 14 intergovernmental organizations and 76 major group organizations.
Update on Partnership Activities
Ecotourism in the Andes
Ecotourism is responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and sustains the well-being of local people. It is a particularly valuable tool in developing countries for protecting ecologically sensitive areas and species, as well as providing sustainable economic help for often impoverished communities. Mountain Partnership member, the Consortium for Sustainable Development in the Andes Ecoregion (CONDESAN), has recently been coordinating feasibility studies on the potential of ecotourism as a means to improve the livelihoods of mountain communities in four Andean countries -- Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. The work, conducted in the context of the Andean Initiative of the Mountain Partnership, has entailed assessing the potential for ecotourism in these countries, exploring the activities necessary to exploit such potential and identifying key actors. An e-consultation is now planned to run between 1-20 August to allow stakeholders to further share information and exchange experiences in ecotourism initiatives that have made a significant difference to the lives and livelihood opportunities of rural populations in the Andes. This on-line dialogue (in English and Spanish) is being organized by InfoAndina, the information network of CONDESAN which also acts as the Latin American node of the Mountain Forum. For further information, visit the CONDESAN Web site or contact Miguel Saravia, InfoAndina Coordinator at: infoandina@mtnforum.org.
Microfinance
The forthcoming e-consultation on ecotourism in the Andes is of particular relevance for many of those members of the Partnership who are part of the informal Microfinance Interest Group. Some recent debate on the Microfinance section of ‘Discussion on-Line’ has focussed on the topic of microfinance and tourism. Read their views and insights in the postings here.
Building an Andean Agenda in the Mountain Partnership
A preparatory meeting of leading members of the Andes Initiative of the Mountain Partnership took place at the International Potato Center (CIP) (Lima, Peru, 27-28 June), thanks to the commitment of the Peruvian authorities and CONDESAN-InfoAndina. The participants, representing countries and NGOs, agreed to organize the first global meeting of the members of this Initiative during 2007 and started drafting a preliminary agenda. Argentina kindly offered to host such an event. Next steps include concrete discussions and pre-identification of priority areas for action, in order to be able to move into the operational phase immediately after the meeting in 2007. For further information, contact Miguel Saravia, InfoAndina Coordinator at: infoandina@mtnforum.org.
Cooperation in biodiversity use between the Andes and Himalaya
The Mountain Partnership e-consultation on 'Mountain to Mountain Cooperation: Sustainable Use of Biodiversity, including Genetic Resources in the Andes and Himalaya’ (12- 30 June) has concluded. The on-line debate generated a valuable exchange of ideas, experiences and lessons learnt in the management of two critical mountain regions of the world, and helped to strengthen existing alliances to conserve and manage biodiversity now and in the future. The e-consultation was managed by the Mountain Forum Secretariat, in association with the Mountain Partnership Secretariat, the Himal-Andes Initiative, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the Asia-Pacific Mountain Network (the Asia-Pacific regional node of the Mountain Forum) and InfoAndina (the Latin American regional node of the Mountain Forum). Tell us what you thought of the e-conference and help us continue to improve our communication and information services and support to members, by filling in the simple on-line evaluation form.
New on the Mountain Partnership
Web site
Water in mountains Discussion on-line
The forthcoming International Congress, “ ‘Water in Mountains’ - Integrated Management of High Watersheds” (Megève, France, 20-22 September 2006) aims to provide support to mountain areas in implementing integrated sustainable water resources management (IWRM) policies. But dialogue on many of the topics is already underway on the Mountain Partnership Web site. The European Observatory of Mountain Forests (EOMF), in collaboration with the Mountain Partnership Secretariat, has created 'Water in Mountains Discussion On-Line’ on the Mountain Partnership Web site as an informal discussion space for those who will not be able to attend the Congress (and as well those who will) to enrich the organizational process, contribute to the overall objective and, more specifically, tackle the Congress’ focus areas.
The ‘Water in Mountains Discussion On-Line’ is easy to use. In fact, anyone with adequate access to a computer for e-mail and Web surfing can use this new tool. Users are invited to post comments in English, French or Spanish and the volunteer moderators for each topic in the ‘Water in Mountains Discussion on-line’ will provide summaries of the postings in these languages, as appropriate, on a regular basis. Access the ‘Water In Mountains Discussion On-Line’ here.
News highlights from around the world
Georgia establishes new national park in the Caucasus Mountains
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has approved the creation of a new national park in the Caucasus Mountains. The new Mtirala National Park, covering 15,806 ha, will protect a unique ecosystem of forests and wildlife in Georgia’s eastern part of the Black Sea Basin in the west Lesser Caucasus mountain range. These ecosystems are a rich storehouse of biodiversity with numerous important species, incuding lynx and brown bear, as well as the golden eagle, black vulture and falcon. ‘Although the natural integrity of this protected site is largely intact, some areas are threatened by overgrazing, fuelwood collection, and is potentially at risk from agricultural expansion and uncontrolled land use development,’ said Nuzgar Zazanashvili, Conservation Director of WWF's Caucasus Programme. WWF, who provided technical assistance in drafting the government bill that established the Mtirala National Park, is also working with local and regional authorities to develop a management plan that will include sustainable conservation measures that are compatible with other land uses. As well as its conservation importance, the Mtirala National Park offers good opportunities for ecotourism and environmental education and a wide range of recreational opportunities in some of the zoned areas. For further information, contact Malkhaz Dzneladze, Policy Officer, WWF Caucasus Programme Office at: : mdzneladze@wwfcaucasus.ge.
Request for Proposals from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to reduce inequities and improve lives around the world. In developing countries, in particular, the Foundation focuses on improving health, reducing extreme poverty, and increasing access to technology in public libraries. The Foundation has recently issued a request for concept notes from qualified organizations interested in linking smallholder farmers more effectively to markets that will increase sustainable productivity. Through this request, entitled ‘Raising Income of Smallholder Farmers in the Developing World by Building Efficient and Equitable Markets’, the Foundation seeks to identify five to 15 ideas that could be developed into proposals, to which it could commit a total of US $30 million over the next year in three- to five-year grants. It has chosen Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia to focus these efforts. The Mountain Partnership Secretariat encourages interested members to actively participate in this Gates Foundation request for proposals and to pool their collective expertise, experiences and relationships to work together in preparing concept notes for the potential funding of activities in this area of focus in mountain regions. We would like to assure members that the Secretariat is ready to provide assistance and advice in identifying and building alliances within the Partnership for the preparation of relevant concept notes for the Foundation. Please note that the concept notes will be accepted in English only and the deadline for submissions is 31 July 2006. For further information about this request for proposals and to download the full request for concept notes and the narrative guidelines, visit the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Web site.
Small mountain community web portal takes shape
Mountain Culture at The Banff Centre, a Mountain Partnership member, is building on its experience with hosting the North American Mountain Forum, by launching a pilot web portal serving several small mountain communities near Banff, in the Canadian province of Alberta. Called the Bow Valley Mountain Forum, the portal offers direct links to practical road, weather and trail reports, as well as local news and volunteer opportunities. It also lists current community initiatives -- such as community planning and visioning processes -- then explains how residents and visitors can participate. The most popular feature on the Bow Valley Mountain Forum Web site, however, is the comprehensive community calendar and the accompanying Bow Valley Update that keeps e-mail subscribers updated twice a month with the latest events and activities in their local communities. In the near future, Mountain Culture will work with the towns of Banff and Canmore, Alberta to place their popular community directories online. It will also be developing an online directory of conservation organizations working in the Bow Valley to give local residents and visitors a birds-eye view of local conservation issues. Finally, they hope to soon launch a community encyclopaedia -- based on the popular ‘wiki-pedia’ concept.
The Bow Valley Mountain Forum -- made possible by Parks Canada and The Calgary Foundation -- sets itself apart from other community web sites by allowing site users to post information themselves, much like a large community bulletin board. After registering for free, anyone can use a simple form to add an event to the calendar, post a community initiative, or share resources with other users. The site can be built by the people who use it -- a very important part of any local web portal. At press time, the new portal has more than 100 local registered users and is growing by the week. Over coming months, Mountain Culture will be meeting with local organizations to provide informal workshops about how to use the Bow Valley Mountain Forum, and help organizations publicize their upcoming events and activities.
Anyone can be a member of the Bow Valley Mountain Forum -- check it out at: www.bowvalleymountainforum.org.
This item was contributed by Amy Krause, Node Manager of the North American Mountain Forum. She can be contacted at: Amy_Krause@banffcentre.ca.
Pandas gain world heritage status
A mountain sanctuary in China, home to a third of the world's giant pandas, has been designated a World Heritage site. The region in Sichuan province, with an area of more than 9,000 sq km can now qualify for aid to help manage and protect the pandas. Giant pandas are one of the world's most endangered species: indeed only about 1,600 remain in the wild, with another 180 living in captivity. Gaining world heritage status means the Chinese authorities are obliged to protect the bamboo-covered mountainous area. The move was welcomed by Chinese conservationists. ‘To protect an animal is not just putting it living in the zoo, but keeping it alive in its home,’ Lu Zhi, a panda specialist at Peking University told China's official Xinhua news agency. The mountain sanctuary is also home to other endangered animals such as the red panda, the snow leopard and the clouded leopard. (Source: BBC News on-line, 12 July 2006)
Dean's Beans coffee fights global warming
Hot coffee can help cool the planet. This is the idea behind the new coffee and concept, NoCO2, launched by Mountain Partnership member, Dean’s Beans. The company has been working with partners for some time to calculate the total carbon load generated by a pound of coffee, from growing, harvesting and processing, to shipping the roasting, shipping to consumers and brewing the coffee at home. The company found not only that seventeen pounds of coffee generated about fifty pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere but also that one hardwood in the ‘Tropics of Coffee’ sequesters about fifty pounds of CO2 annually. As a result, Dean’s Beans has now devised a programme to plant one tree in Pangoa Cooperative in Peru for every 17 pounds of NoCO2 Peruvian coffee consumed by customers. Says Dean Cycon, CEO of Dean’s Beans, ‘This is not a joke or a clever, meaningless marketing ploy. It is a real attempt to take our responsibility seriously, and help consumers take theirs seriously as well.’ The project has started with the Ashaninkas indigenous farmers of Pangoa, whose land was denuded by illegal logging in the 1980s. The farmers have chosen the tornillo species, which grows about fifty feet tall over time and provides shade, critical migratory bird habitat, and when properly managed provides ‘social security’ in the form of a harvestable forest product for future generations. To read more about NoCO2 and Dean’s Beans work around the world, visit DeansZine.
Potato Park could be secondary centre of origin of the potato
Many members who attended the 2nd Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership (Cusco, Peru, October 2004) will remember a field visit to the Potato Park -- one of the few conservation initiatives in the world where the local people themselves are managing and protecting local genetic resources and traditional knowledge about their health, food and agriculture. In recent months, the International Potato Center (CIP) has returned 246 virus-free varieties of native potatoes to Potato Park. The potatoes are already in full production and yielding 30 percent more than potatoes that have not been cleaned of viruses. At the same time, CIP scientists are also working with Park authorities to study the estimated 600 native potatoes of the Park, which could be a minor centre of origin of the tuber. This current collaboration with CIP guarantees that the indigenous knowledge, ancestral technologies and intellectual property rights related to the Park's varieties remain under local control. Some Quechua communities in the area had been struggling for land tenure for years until the Quechua-Aymara Association for Sustainable Communities (ANDES) brought them together in this conservation project. Most of the potato production in the Park is for self-consumption, although a small part is exchanged for other products through a bartering system that does not involve money. However, CIP, together with ANDES, is now promoting a project to identify market niches at the national and international level, which will add value to native potatoes being sold there and so generate new income for the Park’s local people. Read more on the CIP Web site here.
Past Events
New resolution for climate protection in Alpine regions. CIPRA Annual Symposium (Bad Hindelang, Germany, 18 -20 May)
The annual symposium of the International Commission for the Protection of the Alps (CIPRA), a Mountain Partnership member, focussed on the growing threat to Alpine regions posed by natural hazards and the impact of climate change on Alpine tourism. The event featured presentations of best practice examples of strategies aimed at adapting to climate change in such areas of natural hazards and tourism as well as CO2 reduction. A key outcome of the event was the adoption by the CIPRA General Assembly of a resolution on "Climate Protection and Climate Change Adaptation Strategies". The CIPRA Resolution calls upon the European Union, the bodies of the Alpine Convention, the Alpine states and all governmental and non-governmental authorities to intensify their climate protection efforts and to draw up sustainable strategies for dealing with the growing repercussions of climate change. To download the CIPRA Resolution as a PDF, visit : www.cipra.org/e/ (English).
Child Policy in Uttaranchal.
(Dehradun, Uttaranchal, India, 18-21 May 2006)
The Mountain Children’s Forum (MCF), an organization of mountain children from the 13 districts of the state of Uttaranchal, India helps young people to improve their lives by giving them a voice and a role in the development of their communities. As part of its fourth anniversary celebrations, MCF recently brought together more than 20 organizations and 135 children from rural villages around Uttaranchal to discuss the needs of children and to set out suggestions for the formulation for a Child’s Policy for the state. At the workshop, the children formed small discussion groups to talk about the issues they wanted to see addressed and then presented their conclusions to the rest of the delegates, answering questions, and defending their suggestions. The children then presented the visiting state government representatives with their policy recommendations, which were within context of the four major ‘Rights of the Child’, namely: The Right to an Identity, The Right to Safety, The Right to Development, and The Right to Participation. Read the recommendations of the Mountain Children’s Forum and view the photos at: www.mymountains.org/workshops/.
Women in Afghanistan. World Population Day
(11 July, worldwide)
Young people’s rights and their role as equal partners in development were the focus of this year’s World Population Day -- a global event held annually on 11 July toraiseawareness of global population and overpopulation issues. As the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Thoraya Obaid, remarked on 11 July: ‘All over the world, young people want to be heard and involved. They possess the ideas, determination and energy to accelerate effective action to reduce poverty and inequality’.
UNFPA, lead coordinating agency for the World Population Day, chose the occasion to highlight the plight of girls and young women in the remote Badakhshan region of Afghanistan. The harsh environment of Badakhshan in the Pamir mountains boasts the highest maternal mortality rate in the world. For every 100,000 babies born, 6,500 women will lose their lives. Here a woman faces almost 600 times the risk of dying in childbirth than do her counterparts living in North America. Of the thousands of infants left motherless, 75 per cent will perish either during, or soon after, delivery. Healthcare workers maintain this crisis has as much to do with the low social and nutritional status of its victims as it does with the remote and rugged terrain and lack of infrastructure. UNFPA is working towards alleviating the suffering and offering better opportunities for girls and young women in Badakhshan. Since 2003, the organization has been raising better awareness of health issues, training healthcare personnel in emergency obstetric care and educating local leaders, women and their families about family planning and adequate pre- and antenatal care. Read the feature, ‘Dying to Give Life: Maternal Mortality in Afghanistan’
(in English).
Future Events
‘Montagnes territoires d’inventions’ (Courmayeur, Italy, 1-31 August 2006)
Mountain Partnership member, Fondazione Courmayeur (or the ‘Courmayeur Foundation’), is organizing an exhibition entitled ‘Montagnes territoires d’inventions’, in collaboration with the Municipality of Courmayeur and the Architecture School in Grenoble, France. The exhibit documents the new role that mountains are playing in Europe today and their progressive transition during the last century to tourist and recreational destinations. The exhibit also highlights that the prevailing architecture of mountain buildings in the region has also changed: much European architecture in mountain areas is now mainly based on traditional styles, such as the so-called ‘New-Tyrolean’ or the ‘Austrian-Californian’. For further information, visit the Web site of the Fondazione Courmayeur.
International Disaster Reduction Conference
(27 August-1 September 2006, Davos, Switzerland)
Risk governance and risk management requires multidisciplinary expertise, a sound understanding of how different types of risk interact, a comprehensive strategy to cope with different risks and well-trained professionals. The International Disaster Reduction Conference, hosted by the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, is set to encourage the exchange of ideas, practical experience and research in a broad range of risks including those relating to pandemics and endemics, terrorism, climate change, and natural hazards. Although the event is aimed at academics, policy makers and practitioners in the field of risk management, the Conference organizers have made an interactive conference programme available from the official Conference site which will enable the public to view the details of each session, including the abstracts and speakers. Visit the official Conference Web site.
Microfinance training course (Asia Pacific Training Centre, Sydney, Australia 11-22 September 2006)
The International Development Law Organization (IDLO) is an intergovernmental non-profit organization that works to strengthen the rule of law and good governance in developing and transition countries. IDLO, with the support of the Omidyar Network, will shortly deliver a two-week microfinance training course, ‘Microfinance: Building Inclusive Financial Sectors & Supportive Legal and Regulatory Frameworks (as a Tool to Achieve Poverty Reduction)’ to examine legal, regulatory and transactional aspects of small and micro-credit, with a focus on the Asia Pacific region. The course is primarily designed for lawyers and advisors from relevant government ministries and public authorities, financial and banking regulators, financial and microfinance institutions, financial consumer groups, civil society organizations, and think-tanks. Participants are to be drawn from countries of the Asia-Pacific region. Applicants can be sponsored to cover the cost of course tuition and living expenses, but will bear the responsibility for their travel costs to and from Sydney. For course details and applications, visit the IDLO Web site or write to aptcidlo@idlo.int. The deadline for applications is 28 July 2006.
Fifth European Mountain Convention: ‘Cohesion for growth -- mountains as natural ingredients for Europe's competitiveness’ (Portugal, Chavez. 14-16 September 2006)
The European Mountain Conventions, an initiative of the Mountain Partnership member, EUROMONTANA, involve the whole European mountain community and stakeholders including national, regional and local decision-makers and authorities, development agencies, agriculture and environmental organizations, research institutes and mountain associations, as well as those international organizations and European institutions involved with mountains. This year’s European Mountain Convention in Portugal, organized by EUROMONTANA and the European Association of Mountain Territories, makes the case for territorial cohesion as a contributor to European development. Mountain areas have a specific contribution to make to the European population in terms of public goods that also drive the economy and comparative advantages that can contribute to growth. And mountain areas are also calling on other European border areas, other extreme rural areas and islands to come together in defence of the founding pillar of European integration -- cohesion. This fifth Convention marks the 10th anniversary of the official founding of EUROMONTANA, whose mission is to promote living mountains, integrated and sustainable development and quality of life in mountain areas. For further information on EUROMONTANA and the Fifth European Mountain Convention, visit the Web site.
‘The Water Balance of the Alps --- What do we need to protect the water resources of the Alps?’ (Innsbruck, Austria, 28-29 September 2006)
The Alps are often termed the ‘Water Towers of Europe’, a function that has to be considered from the ecological, the economic, and the social aspect. Water is the basis for life, but is also a source of considerable threat. Sustainable water management of the Alps has to consider both the specific challenges of mountain regions and their responsibility for the lowlands. Rapid climate change, as well as social changes, such as the liberalization of the energy market and the privatization of public services, call for an integrative approach to develop new concepts and perspectives. The EU-Water Framework Directive is a valuable instrument for the protection of aquatic ecosystems at a larger scale. The question remains, however, whether we need a more specific instrument for the Alps since Article 2 II e) of the Alpine Convention obliges the Contracting Parties of the Alpine Convention to undertake measures towards a sustainable management of water resources. The international conference ‘The Water Balance of the Alps’, organized by the Austrian Presidency (2005-2006) of the Alpine Convention and the University of Innsbruck (Research Platform Alpine Space), in joint cooperation with Mountain Partnership member, the International Scientific Committee on Research in the Alps (ISCAR), aims to provide policy-makers and institutions with a list of themes that need to be addressed in order to safeguard or to improve the ecological status of rivers, lakes and wetlands of the Alps and to guarantee a sustainable use of alpine water resources for future generations. Read more about the Conference here.
This notice was contributed by Thomas Scheurer of ISCAR. ISCAR represents the scientific community as the official observer of the Alpine Convention, promotes information exchange and facilitates networking and cooperation between Alpine organizations and institutions. For further information, visit the ISCAR Web site or contact Thomas Scheurer at: scheurer@scnat.ch.
Publications
UN. 2006 Millennium Development Goals Report
Meeting at the United Nations at the dawn of the new Millennium, leaders from virtually all countries agreed to a set of eight ambitious Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to achieve lasting development. How are we progressing? The report presents the latest assessment on how far we have come, and how far we have to go in reaching the goals, in each of the world’s regions. With less than a decade left to meet the MDG targets, the UN says that there are ‘staggering’ obstacles to succeeding and conditions in many poor countries are actually worsening. The report finds that while global incidence of extreme poverty has declined, some 140 million more people have entered that category in sub-Saharan Africa. More people are also going hungry in the region, which has seen only modest improvements in child mortality and maternity rates in the past six years. However, the report notes some improvement in access to primary education and other areas. Read the report here.
The Millennium Development Goals 2006 Progress Chart shows current progress up to June 2006, drawing on the latest information from all countries of the world and from the UN family of operational agencies. Access the Progress Chart here.
UNEP. The Creative Gallery on Sustainability Communications
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has launched the first international online database of corporate and public advertising campaigns specifically dedicated to sustainability issues and classified by sustainability themes, from ecodesign and leisure to lands, soils, forests and mountains. The ‘Creative Gallery on Sustainability Communications’ highlights ads that use various themes, tones, types of media and strategies. Some reflect companies' public commitment towards social and environmental issues. Others feature awareness campaigns from public authorities. Some aim to favour the purchase of green products and services, others strive to change citizens' or consumers' attitudes. By gathering these campaigns from all around the world, UNEP wishes to inspire and foster more and better communication on sustainability issues from all stakeholders involved in the promotion of sustainable development. The Creative Gallery is also designed to aid and promote the area of research, education and information relating to the marketing, advertising and communication business. Access the ‘Creative Gallery on Sustainability Communications’
CDE. Soils on the global agenda
Export Promotion of Organic Products from Africa (EPOPA) programme aims to give African smallholder farmers a better livelihood through developing local and international organic markets. Created by the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida), EPOPA works with farmers and exporters in Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia and is setting up domestic certification bodies, providing training to a wider public, and linking up with national networks so as to provide a solid basis for the organic sectors in these countries. Read the first issue of the EPOPA newsletter for features on its projects, partners and forthcoming activities
Web site
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), a Mountain Partnership member, works to promote the development of an economically and environmentally sound mountain ecosystem and to improve the living standards of mountain populations, especially in the Hindu-Kush Himalayas. As such, ICIMOD acts as a multi-disciplinary documentation centre, a focal point for training and applied research activities and a consultative centre in scientific and technical matters. ICIMOD’s new, expanded Web site offers new content and useful features such as on-line registration for its publications mailing list. The new site is a work-in-progress, but comments and suggestions are welcome. Visit the ICIMOD Web site.
Call for case studies
ILRI. Innovations In Livestock And Water Development -- Call for case studies from riparian countries of the Nile River Basin
The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), in collaboration with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF), invites individuals and organizations located in any of the ten riparian countries of the Nile River Basin (Burundi, D.R. Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda) to submit short case studies describing traditional or contemporary innovations in technology, community and household practices, and policy, that result in better management of water and livestock resources. The call is for studies that capture innovations and ‘bright spot’ studies demonstrating water-livestock management innovations that people are using now and those that have been in use for a long time. For further information, visit the ILRI Web site.