This Paper is a contribution
from the East African Sustainability Watch Network (comprising Tanzania
Coalition for Sustainable Development with secretariat in Mwanza; Sustainable
Environmental Development Watch Network based in Kisumu, Kenya; and Uganda Coalition
for Sustainable Development based in Kampala, Uganda) to the UNDG Consultation:
Participatory Monitoring and Accountability which is co facilitated by UNICEF,
UN Women and UNDP with support from Governments of Canada, Peru and Republic of
Korea
The East African
Sustainability Watch (EA SusWatch)
Network is implementing the LVEMP II Civil Society (CS) Watch Project which is
a three-year monitoring project of the East African Sustainability Watch (EA
SusWatch) Network (November 2011 – October 2014). The Project’s overall goal is
to contribute to the promotion of sustainable environmental and natural
resources management in the Lake Victoria Basin, with a short-term goal to
register 100% realization of the execution of Component 3 of the Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project’s Adaptable Program Lending 1 (APL1) in terms
of: community involvement and appreciation of Sustainable Land Management (SLM)
sub projects.
LVEMPII CS Watch Project has
three immediate objectives: to periodically assess and document community
beneficiary experience, capacity, knowledge and level of adoption of
sustainable land management (SLM) practices under LVEMP II, in selected areas
in River Nyando (Kenya), River Simiyu (Tanzania) and River Katonga (Uganda)
arising from the Community-Driven Development sub-projects that aim at reducing
non-point sources of pollution into Lake Victoria so as to influence project
implementation; to influence the operationalization of East African Community
Climatic Change Policy (EACCCP) provisions by LVEMP II, Lake Victoria Basin
Commission, Lake Victoria Fisheries Organisation and other regional
institutions and interventions starting with assessing compliance of the key
sectors of water supply and sanitation; agriculture and food security and rural
energy supply; to further develop the EA SusWatch Network’s institutional
capacity as a regional CSO network enabling environmental and natural resources
– related collective quality monitoring and watchdog roles for LVEMP II and
other interventions in the Lake Victoria Basin.
This paper provides the
rationale of the LVEMPII CS Watch Project, livelihood challenges (related to
land-use, population growth and fisheries sector) in the Lake Victoria basin
that supports one of the densest rural populations in the world. The Paper
provides monitoring and accountability opportunities created under this
Project; Key activities implemented, level of engagement of EA SusWatch Network
with LVEMPII implementers and actors; lessons learnt and recommendations for
the Post-2015 Agenda; what has not worked and planned follow up intervention
areas.
The paper emphasizes the
importance of putting people first while promoting learning and knowledge
sharing among all actors alongside the usual ‘Progress Reports’
