In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Piloting Integrated Processes and Approaches to Facilitate National Reporting to Rio Conventions (FNR_Rio) 4 th Project Steering Committee Meeting Presented by Abdul Rasheed “Rasoul” National Project Assistant of the FNR_Rio Project Islamic Republic of Afghanistan 16 Nov 2013 Nairobi, Republic of Kenya

Presentation Overview 1- National Implementation 2- Afghanistan’ Experience 3- Challenges & Needs 4- Conclusions

National Implementation An overview of the enhanced national systems and arrangements for data and information collection and analysis for national reporting to the FNR_Rio Conventions. The main governmental and non-governmental organizations that establish new environmental committees to conduct trainings and workshops which are described as follows:

Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) MAIL is the focal point of the UNCCD. Recently, it has established the following committees:  Establish of 124 community, forestry committees in 13 provinces of Afghanistan.  Establish of 36 community, committees on rangeland management in Afghanistan, the mentioned committees help the government to facilitate a process of institutional strengthening at the local level.

National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) NEPA has experienced in some Conventions and as well as it is the focal point for the following Conventions & Protocols:  CBD Convention  UNFCCC Convention  Ozone Treaties  Technical Secretariat for Water-related Issues (Montreal Protocol)  Convention on Migratory Species

NEPA Established OR Member of the Following Committees  Inter-ministerial board for pollution control  Climate change committee  High level executive group on environmental issues  Norm and standard committee on environmental information issues  National committee on environmental impact assessment  Environmental monitoring and assessment committee  Environmental advisory council at provincial level  Environmental advisory council at district level  Supreme council for water management  Natural disaster mitigation committee

Afghanistan’ Experience NEPA Awareness Raising Program NEPA has initiated an intensive capacity building program at national level, raising awareness of communities about the conservation and rehabilitation of the environment. The most relevant directorate to UNFCCC is the directorate of the climate change, this directorate has been newly established. The main tasks of that directorate are presented as below:  Plan for preparation, development of budget proposal, supervision of the related affairs  Implementation of UNFCCC  Data collection regarding flood and drought  Research on social vulnerability  Research on forest and rangeland and their effects on climate change

National Study Teams for Preparation of Initial National Communication (INC) of Afghanistan The study teams address the following aspects for INC: 1- Vulnerability and adaptation to climate change 2- Measures to mitigate climate change 3- National greenhouse gas inventory 4- Technology transfer, research and systematic observation 5- Education, Training and Public Awareness (ETPA), Capacity Building (CB) and Information and Networking (INFNET) 6- National situation and integration of national communication

Local & International Agencies and NGOs There are several agencies and NGOs that carry out small OR medium size projects throughout the country, their key activities are as follows:  Implement environmental management program  Sustainable land management  Implement biodiversity projects  Wildlife conservation program  Natural resource management

FNR_Rio Project Trainings, Workshops & Meetings from 2010 to 2012 in Afghanistan Afghanistan’s national team had held many capacity building program (trainings, workshops and meetings) for raising awareness on the CBD, UNCCD and UNFCCC Conventions which was took place in different provinces of Afghanistan during three years period of the FNR_Rio project as follows: NEPA in 2010 NEPA in 2011

Kabul Education College in 2011 Balkh Province of Afghanistan in 2011 Herat Province of Afghanistan in 2011 NEPA in 2012 Ministry of Women’s Affairs in 2012

Testing of the joint reporting format Testing of the joint reporting format, this reporting format of the CBD, UNCCD and UNFCCC were taken in to consideration. The biodiversity reports provided by some government institution, agencies and NGOs which they used testing of the joint reporting format. In addition the theme of sustainable land management was identified as the key concept of relevance to all three Conventions and a joint reporting section was constructed that to bring together the overlapping elements of the three existing reporting formats and on the basis of these approaches a joint reporting format.

Challenges & Needs Challenges in testing of the joint reporting format: All three Conventions require some specific information that is not relevant to each other. For example the CBD’s information in all ecosystem types, the UNFCCC’s information on greenhouse gas emission and the UNCCD’s information on land degradation are completely different. Even when the same information is needed to all three Conventions, than the level of data would have a various aspects to fulfill the information that needs Conventions. Non access to data, limit resources, unavailability of central storage mechanism, and absence of biodiversity information system, lack of administrative and technical capacity maintain and it is difficult to develop of the joint reporting format.

Feasibility of the Joint Reporting to the Rio Conventions in Afghanistan In Afghanistan there are not any specific arrangements for the implementation of the Rio Conventions. Some objectives of the Conventions are implemented by MAIL and some of that objectives done by NEPA which always ended in duplication, overlaps and insufficiency. If the situation progresses like this, the joint reporting to the Rio Conventions would not be feasible in Afghanistan. if makes it feasible and to have more integrated institutional arrangements for joint reporting, the establishment of a special committee with a separate scientific team (focal point) which is responsible for preparation of national reports to the Rio Conventions is highly needed.

Conclusion Strengthen and collaboration for implementation of reporting among the national focal points to the Rio Conventions and as well between focal points, and relevant agencies which involved for implementation of reporting to the different Conventions. Develop and coordinating for integrated and approach for collection and management of data information is required for implementation and reporting to the three FNR_Rio Conventions.

Key Recommendations for the future of National Reporting to the Rio Conventions in Afghanistan  Create an arrangements between national focal point and institutions which is responsible for implementation of the FNR_Rio Conventions.  Improve capacity at national level for standardized data collection analysis, storage and dissemination for reporting to the FNR_Rio Conventions.  Enhance capacity of those institutions which is responsible for national reporting and convention implementation.  Establish a permanent committee to coordinate the activities regarding national reporting and convention implementation.  Promote the availability of data and information which is related for preparation of national reporting.  Create a framework for improving and access to knowledge and information.

THANKS FROM YOUR PATIENCE! Abdul Rasheed “Rasoul” National Project Assistant of the FNR_Rio Project Islamic Republic of Afghanistan