Environmental monitoring, evaluation, and mitigation plans : a review of the experiences in four African countries

This study assesses the EMEMPs in four countries -- Ghana, Malawi, Uganda, and Madagascar -- in terms of their ability to achieve their objectives, as well as regarding additional criteria such as whether they foster institutional development in host countries, are linked to other USAID activities, and are compatible with sustainable development. The review suggests the following useful strategies for the future. (1) Income growth should be linked to environmental sustainability at the project level and monitoring frameworks defined accordingly. (2) EMEMP designers should determine whether a causal link can be established between project activities and environmental change. Where it can, all recommendations for monitoring, choices of indicators, choice of baseline data, timeframe, and design of research activities should be justified clearly in terms of how they establish that link. (3) EMEMP designers and Africa Bureau environmental staff should develop a research agenda focused on investigating the empirical links between policy reform and environmental change and developing biologically sustainable agricultural practices. (4) EMEMP designers who use secondary data should contact the producers of these data to ensure that they will meet USAID"s needs. (5) Designers should work closely with natural resource management project managers to assess the technical feasibility of sharing data. A 6-page bibliography is appended.