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Pilot and Demonstration Activities
Education for Sustainable River and Water Conservation

Basic Information

Proponent Daniele Ponzi, Pacific Regional Department
Region Melanesia
Country Solomon Islands and Vanuatu
Cost Estimate $50,000
Partners Live and Learn
Type Public Awareness
Category Basin Management
Approval Date 7 August 2003
Status Completed

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Background and Rationale

Rivers and freshwater resources in the Western Pacific are under constant pressure from conflict, logging, mining, large-scale tourism, soil erosion, and sedimentation. This has severe impact on many communities living adjacent to non-terrestrial environments.

Often, policy has had to protect the water resources due to lack of community ownership, empowerment and participation, and missing dialogue between government officials and the communities themselves.

The Live & Learn Environmental Education group is committed to developing water-education approaches that have the capacity to challenge the many threats facing water resources. They have had considerable experience in the Pacific with a community development methodology that delivered impressive results in fostering positive community action, social cohesion, and a collective sense of responsibility as regards environmental issues.

This activity will enable Live and Learn to work with poor communities in Vanuatu and Solomon Islands to further explore the educational methodologies that have the capacity to create changes to water management at a local community level. They plan to use water quality monitoring as a community entry issue.

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Objectives

  • Develop an innovative education/learning process to increase community/youth participation, mobilization for sustainable water management, and poverty reduction

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Expected Results

Some Qualitative Results

  1. Increased capacity for target communities to mobilize action towards sustainable river and water environments.
  2. Heightened awareness of environmental problems affecting the river and water environments and the true (social and cultural) causes to these problems.
  3. Increased capacity for young people to participate in decision-making processes for sustainable water development and management.
  4. Increased dialogue between government officials and communities concerning sustainable development and use of the river and water environments.
  5. Assessment of multiplication of benefits to other communities through a Sustainable Training Network similar to the River Care Schools Network by Live & Learn Fiji
  6. Influence curriculum development and training in target areas.

Some Quantitative Results

  1. Training and education of 8 communities and 16 schools in action-based tools and community mobilization for sustainable development and conservation of river and water environments.
  2. Dissemination of project results, tools and methodology on specially designed website.

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Measurable Performance Indicators

The performance and effectiveness will be determined through qualitative indicators from internal evaluation that will be done through interviews and focus group discussions. The internal evaluation will focus on four key areas:

a) The Process

Some issues: How well did the Learning Circle/Water Quality Monitoring function? Were they open to men, women, and youth? Could the community achieve their objectives? Did the process complement/compromise cultural contexts? Were the principles of open participation reflected through the Learning Circles?

b) Outcomes

Some issues: Did the community participants come away with a greater understanding of sustainable water management at a community and national level? What actions did the Learning Circles lead to in relation to inter-ethnic dialogue? What actions did the Learning Circles lead to in relation to dialogue between community members and government departments? How were young people empowered to advocate for community action to reduce poverty? What networks were established? Did the Learning Circles produce written material? Did the Learning Circles strengthen the capacity of participants to engage in public debate?

c) Participant Profiles

Some issues: Who participated? What were the age and gender profiles of the participants? Was the project most effective in urban or rural areas? What was the level and quality of participation from chiefs and church leaders?

d) Applicability to Other Areas

Some issues: Are the Learning Circles applicable to other community issues? How can target communities engage in multiplying the program benefit? How applicable are the learning methodology to other areas of the Asia/Pacific region?

Performance indicators from external evaluation

  • Assessment of whether the project maintains its relevance to the water development needs of the communities involved and the project aims
  • Effectiveness in achieving the aims of the project
  • Efficiency of expenditure of ADB funding
  • Impact on women and young people’s participation in decision making processes and capacity to advocate sustainable water management
  • Likelihood of the learning models will to be sustained through integration into existing community processes on governance
  • Applicability to other areas in the Asia/Pacific region

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Scope for Replication in Other DMCs

Potential for replicability is high, even outside of the Pacific, and this potential is being explored within ADB for the Tonle Sap environmental management project in Cambodia.

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