Environmental and natural resources policy and training

Activities will be in the areas of research, information dissemination, policy dialogue, institutional strengthening, and human resources development. Two kinds of research will be supported. (1) State-of-the-art, multidisciplinary research will be undertaken in priority areas where policy impinges on environmental quality and natural resource use. Initially, considerable attention will be given to synthesizing research and field experience of other institutions and A.I.D. projects, and to producing and disseminating guidelines and other materials based on these syntheses for use by A.I.D and host country practitioners, policymakers, and researchers. (2) The project will also support applied in-country research, upon request, in areas of economic policy/ENR interaction of major concern to host countries and A.I.D. missions. Research findings and improved analytical methods will be disseminated through publications, newsletters, workshops, networking, etc. The project will, upon request, support the policy dialogue efforts of A.I.D. missions; such support may include assistance in identifying and analyzing key economic/ENR issues, transfer of analytical methods, training, or TA. Also upon request, the project will support strengthening of host country institutions that play a major role in influencing, analyzing, or formulating economic policies which have important ENR impacts. Finally, the project will develop short courses on "economic policy and the environment", and "environmental policy and regulation", and will also conduct workshops for host country policymakers and NGO"s which include subject matter from these courses, as well as other courses as needed. Longer term (including degree) training may be provided in conjunction with institutional strengthening.