Role of Funding Agencies

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WOMEN AND THE ENVIRONMENT CONFERENCE
CONTRIBUTION OF BIODIVERSITY TO POVERTY
ERADICATION 6-8 MARCH 2005

• Role of Funding Agencies
• Vuyo Mahlati,
• PhD Candidate
• University of Stellenbosch, South Africa

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• Collective action for the conservation and
  sustainable use of biodiversity for sustainable
  livelihoods

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Challenges and Constraints

• Policy Coherence and Effective Implementation
• Resource access and ownership
• Structural marginalization (powerlessness and
  status of women)
• Poverty and Disease
• Globalization Opportunities and Vulnerability
• Environmental Literacy and Productive Skills
• Survival Trap (Vicious cycle effect)

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The Plight of Rural Women

• Women and girls in rural areas have multiple
  burden of
• Generating income from outside the home,
• Care giving in the home, especially for children,
  older people, and families members who are sick,
  disabled or have mental health problems
• Nutrition and Food Security for entire family
  (and neighbourhood)
• Water Provision and Sanitation
• Sustainable supply of resources

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Funding as a Catalyst

• Government (National/Provincial/Local)
• Development Finance Agencies
• Donor Agencies
• Private Institutions/Initiatives
• Community Schemes (Stokvels, Social/Burial Clubs)

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TWO ECONOMIES OF SOUTH AFRICA TODAY

• Regulatory Environment well developed and state
  supported
• Legal instruments well developed and are fully
  accessed by the institutions
• Institutions/agencies serve primarily the
  well-off and employed
• Skills and HRD training Clear career tracks from
  secondary school to management
• Resource base massive available resources with
  substantial backing from the state
• Business culture promoted by private sector

100
Corporate Sector
UPPER CLASS Mainly White Males
Standard Bank First National Bank ABSA Nedbank Etc
.
IDC DBSA Landbank Khula Etc.
92 ltR8000p.m.
lt100 Empl.
Medium
MIDDLE CLASS All Races
78 ltR3500p.m.
74 ltR2500p.m.
LOWER MIDDLE CLASS Mainly Black
Small
Mainly Urban
COMMERCIAL BANKING COVERAGE
PARASTATAL COVERAGE
Turnover R150000 lt10 Employees

• Regulatory Environment Hardly exists
• Legal instruments Poorly developed and inhibits
  development of CBOs and NGOs
• Institutions/agencies Almost non-existent
• Skills and HRD training No career opportunities
• Resource base Very poor and almost no state
  backing
• Business culture Non-existent and ignored by
  private sector

48 ltR800p.m.
Micro
POOR LOWER CLASS Mainly African
Deregulated Commercial Lending Industry
35 ltR400p.m.
UNBANKED
Mainly Rural
NGO Financial Initiatives
Survivalists
No Employees
14 No income
POOREST OF THE POOR Mainly African Female
Social Grants
Social Responsibility
0
SourceWDB
Financial Services
Business Communities
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Supporting Innovative Models Towards Sustainable
Development

• Enabling Policy, Legal Framework Formulation and
  Implementation
• Participatory Planning, Ongoing Monitoring and
  Learning (Conservation/Natural Resource
  Management/Land Use Planning)
• Harmonizing Indigenous and Modern Conservation
  Approaches
• Biodiversity and Sustainable Agriculture

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Supporting Innovative Models Towards Sustainable
Development

• Leadership and Governance (Civil Society,
  Government and Private Sector Partnerships)
• Sustainable Economic Ventures (Harmonizing
  Economic and Conservation)
• Research and Development
• Knowledge Development and Management
• Information and Communication Technology

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Proposed Approach for Collective Action towards
Poverty Reduction Integrated system of
sustainable processes
Social Capital Building on individual inherent
skills and community systems, structures
assets
Processes leading to effective women participation
Processes leading to sustainable management use
of natural resources
Processes leading to increased economic
opportunities
The community ecosystem
Environmental Capital Harmonizing socio-economic
needs and opportunities for sustainable
livelihoods with conservation for sustainability
Economic Capital Link Comparative Competitive
advantage with Resource Access Value Chain
based Capabilities. Leverage Collective action
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Funding Approaches

• Capacity of CBOs/NGOs to facilitate and Manage
  Sustainable development
• Catalytic role in leveraging government and
  private sector partnerships
• Community self-organization
• Supporting Women Leadership Initiatives