DSU news  
 

Sustainability Advice Programme
 

For Dutch embassies and DGIS departments
 

Newsletter nr 3, July 2014

 

Limited DSU capacity during the summer holidays

Between July 20th and August 9th, the capacity of the DSU is temporarily reduced due to staff holidays. Please consider submitting requests either before or after that period to avoid delays. Please contact the DSU secretary Vanda Fortes for more information.

 
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Regional climate change workshop and programme screenings

In March, the DSU supported DME in facilitating a workshop on climate change for Dutch Embassies in Sub-Saharan Africa. Following the workshop, DME’s WRI-seconded expert Kadi Warner together with the DSU and its partners CDI and NWP facilitated screening workshops for individual embassies. The workshops provided input for estimating the contribution of the embassy’s programmes to Dutch targets with regard to climate change adaptation and mitigation (Rio markers), as well as indicating opportunities for operating more climate-smart. The workshops were well received, and resulted in requests for similar screenings of DGIS’s centrally funded water and food security programmes.

 
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Recent advisory reports

The DSU has recently issued various advisory reports on climate and sustainable development.

  • For the World Bank’s Inga Basse Chute and Mid Size Hydropower Development project, DGIS requested the DSU to assess the accuracy of information underlying decision-making. Based on critical feedback from the DSU, DGIS submitted questions to the World Bank that will be taken into account in the project.
  • For the Quality at Entry (Q@E) of the Horn of Africa Climate Change Partnership Programme, the DSU advised among other things to pay more attention to gender and to clarify the linkages with government. These comments were taken into account by DGIS.
  • A third request concerned the Securing Water for Food: a Grand Challenge for Development programme, for which the DSU has carried out an environmental check of 39 ‘Securing Water for Food’ proposals. 

More information...

 
  Integrating Gender Equality in Climate-Smart Development

Interactive tool ‘Integrating Gender Equality in Climate-Smart Development’

Upon DGIS’s request, the DSU has published a reference guide to support DGIS staff in integrating gender equality in programmes related to climate change. As an interactive PDF, the guide is innovative and easy-to-navigate. It identifies entry points for gender integration in the DGIS policy cycle, but is equally relevant for other policy cycles. It also contains fact sheets on gender and climate change dynamics for five target sectors: water, food security, energy, natural resources, and disaster risk reduction. For each of these it recommends best practices and useful resources and tools.

More information...

 
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New gender resource facility

From July 2013 until July 2014, Saskia Ivens has supported the DSU with her vast knowledge on various gender issues and the integration of gender in climate and sustainable development requests. As of July 2014, a new gender resource facility has been established at the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT). KIT and the DSU will join forces whenever this is demanded by the nature of the activity. More news about this facility in the next issue.

 
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Presence of DSU staff at DME/DGIS offices in The Hague

Since April 2014, a DSU technical secretary is present at DME in the Hague for one day per 2-3 weeks. We are available for questions and quick advice, and may participate in meetings upon request. These visits are aimed at further integration of DSU and DME cooperation and to make the DSU more approachable for DME/DGIS staff.

More information...

 

 

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