UNDP – Environment & Energy Group

Contact: Philip Dobie
Tel: +254 20 762 2057
Email: pdobie@undp.org
Website: (http://www.undp.org/energyandenvironment/)

UNDP's work on Energy and Environment is focused on six priority areas:

Frameworks and strategies for sustainable development

UNDP seeks to develop country capacity to manage the environment and natural resources; integrate environmental and energy dimensions into poverty reduction strategies and national development frameworks; and strengthen the role of communities and of women in promoting sustainable development.

Effective water governance

UNDP supports the sustainable use of marine, coastal and freshwater resources and improved access to water supply and sanitation services. This requires the appropriate local, national and regional water governance frameworks, and application of integrated water resources management approaches. UNDP also promotes cooperation in trans-boundary waters management.

Access to sustainable energy services

UNDP supports energy activities to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development objectives at the local, national and global levels. Our work is focused on strengthening national policy frameworks to support energy for poverty reduction; promoting energy services to support growth and equity with specific focus on the situation of women; promoting clean energy technologies to mitigate climate change; and increasing access to investment financing for sustainable energy, including through the Clean Development Mechanism. Activities in these areas complement and help integrate Global Environment Facility (GEF) programmes in the field of climate change and support sustainable livelihoods.

Sustainable land management to combat desertification and land degradation

Land degradation is one of the major causes of rural poverty, as well as one of its effects. UNDP works to break this cycle and reduce poverty through sustainable land management and by maintaining land-based ecosystem integrity, particularly in drylands where the poorest, most vulnerable and marginalized people live. UNDP assists countries and communities in land governance, drought preparedness, reform of land tenure and promotion of innovative and alternative sustainable land practices and livelihoods. Special emphasis is given here to the situation of rural women. UNDP supports institutional and systemic capacity building to address desertification and land degradation of rural poverty reduction, through local, national and global multi-stakeholder dialogue and action. UNDP promotes the mainstreaming and integration of major environmental conventions to reduce land degradation, help land users adapt to climate change, and maintain services through ecosystem integrity.

Conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity

Through a close integration of GEF and core activities, UNDP helps countries and communities maintain and benefit from the biodiversity and ecosystem services that underpin human welfare and economic development, and provide the poor with food security, fuel, shelter, medicines and livelihoods – as well as clean water, disease control, and reduced vulnerability to natural disasters. UNDP supports the sustainable management of agriculture, fisheries, forests and energy, and a pro-poor approach to conservation and protected areas, biotechnology and the development of viable, new markets for ecosystem services.

National/sectoral policy and planning to control emissions of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) and persistent organic pollutants (POPs)

The Montreal Protocol and GEF programmes of UNDP support governments as they develop and strengthen national and sectoral strategies for the sustained reduction and elimination of ODS and POPs. Enterprises are assisted in maintaining their economic competitiveness through provision of best available alternative technologies and opportunities for capacity development.