100 Ideas to Save the Planet: Development Marketplace 2009
The World Bank Group’s ‘Development Marketplace’ kicks off its 9th year with a focus on climate adaptation – $4 million in small grants to be awarded to social entrepreneurs from 50 countries.
Save the Planet. That was the challenge the Development Marketplace presented to the finalists arriving in Washington to compete in the 2009 Global Development Marketplace. The challenge to these activists, NGOs, and social entrepreneurs: come up with one idea from their community that will help save the planet and its people from the effects of a changing climate.
Culled from more than 1,700 entries, these 100 proposals from 50 countries could not be more relevant - or more urgent. This ninth Global Development Marketplace competition takes place in the midst of an international debate about how to mitigate the causes and adapt to the effects of climate change. This Development Marketplace also places special focus on indigenous peoples; with thirty representatives of indigenous peoples participating as finalists in this year’s contest, coming from some of the earth’s most vulnerable ecosystems.
Winners will be announced during an award ceremony on Friday, November 13th, 2009, and will be available to talk with media about their projects immediately after the proceedings. Approximately 20 grants of $200,000 will be awarded, with support from the Global Environment Facility, the International Fund for Food and Agriculture, the Danish Foreign Affairs Ministry and The World Bank.
Finalists from Russia
Climate Change Education Is Best Hope for Siberian Grassroots Communities OBJECTIVE: To gather, systematize, and analyze the facts of climate change; to combine the materials with traditional knowledge; and to take steps toward developing adaptation plans to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change on traditional living. The project will cover Siberian indigenous areas; indigenous representatives will attend educational seminars and learn practical skills of participation in the climate process. They will also subsequently become members of an indigenous monitoring network, urging authorities and big business to make practical adaptation measures. A corresponding educational manual will be published and a website will be launched.
RATIONALE: Russian northern indigenous peoples (IP) have no rights to the territory, and they cannot plan development in their territories independently. In order to participate in making a practical climate strategy, IPs need awareness, education, and understanding of the dynamics of socioeconomic processes. They also should be engaged in constant dialogue and partnership with authorities, scientists, and big business. The project is concerned with practical development of a process to achieve this.
INNOVATION: The project aims to develop an integrated approach to addressing climate problems, involving stimulation, organization, and unification of isolated indigenous groups with academia, the government and industry. The goal is to develop a set of adaptation measures to be treated as part of a legal framework. Project achievements would contribute to international efforts to address climate-change impact and help to promote Russia as a country concerned with climate-change problems within indigenous societies. In addition, the project would integrate indigenous organizations participation into leading social groups dealing with climate change issues.
Reindeer Herders Adapt for the Viability of Their Animals and Livelihoods
OBJECTIVE: To facilitate reindeer herding under the field conditions affected by global climate change in order to eliminate its negative effects on the traditional life of the Kola Peninsulas indigenous people. The projects implementation will favorably affect 50 families in the reindeer herders community. Improvement of living conditions at remote camps needs special attention; this will make reindeer-herding more attractive for younger generations and may be a key factor in their choosing it as a career. The project also aims to foster the generational succession of herders to preserve traditional use of natural resources. The primary issues are building positive experiences and developing problem-solving solutions at different stages of the projects life cycle. The findings derived from the project will facilitate implementation of similar projects at different reindeer camps both in Murmansk Oblast and other northern areas of Russia.
RATIONALE: Climate change threatens the traditional lifestyle of the indigenous peoples of the Kola Peninsula. Shifting temperature patterns inhibit ice formation in the autumn on lakes and rivers, leading to negative impact on reindeer-herding practices, including economic loss.
INNOVATION: The use of alternative energy sources (wind turbines) at reindeer herders camps will make possible the full production cycle, from herding to slaughter, immediately at the camps. This will eliminate need to wait for ice to form on tundra water courses and the need to subject reindeer to the hardship of long trips from remote camps to the base in the Lovozero settlement. It also provides for year-round production of quality reindeer meat.
COUNTRY: Russian Federation ORGANIZATION: Centre for Support of Indigenous Peoples of the North (CSIPN) FUNDING REQUEST: $199,590
WHAT: The “2009 Global Development Marketplace: 100 Ideas to Save the Planet” WHEN: Tuesday November 10th, 2009 – Friday, November 13, 2009 Awards Ceremony: Friday November 13th, 2009 at 9:30A.M WHERE: World Bank Main Building, Atrium (1818 H Street NW, Washington, D.C.)
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