ANSAB selected as a finalist for Most Innovative Development Project (MIDP) award from 180 submissions around the world
Kathmandu, Nepal – Asia Network for sustainable Agriculture and Bioresources (ANSAB) has recently been selected as one of the three finalists for the Most Innovative Development Project (MIDP), award through a global competition organized by Global Development Network (GDN), for the year 2008. After rigorous proposal and onsite evaluation, ANSAB’s “Biodiversity Conservation through a Community – based Enterprise Approach” made it to the final round surpassing proposals from Africa, Asia, Middle East, Latin America, Caribbean, Pacific Islands, Europe and Central Asia.
The major objective of the “Biodiversity Conservation through a Community- based Enterprise Approach” is to improve the resource management skills of local communities; to integrate villager’s subsistence and commercial needs with biodiversity conservation; to assess policy reforms; to pilot forest management certification; and to implement economic interventions through value chain analysis in rural areas of Nepal.
After the initial in-house assessment, 10 proposals were selected for first round of evaluation where thorough site visits and observation were made by an external evaluator. This evaluation process further shortlisted 5 proposals, which again went through intensive onsite inspection, evaluation, and observation by an external agency, resulting in announcement of three finalists including ANSAB. An eminent panel of judges will select the winner at GDN’s forthcoming Global Development Conference in Kuwait, February 3-5, 2009.
ANSAB is the first Nepali organization, to make it to the finals of the Most Innovative Development Projects (MIDP) award so far. The winner of this ward shall be selected, after presenting the projects’ approach and objective in the Tenth Annual Global Development Conference to be held in Kuwait City in February 3-5, 2009. Among the two other finalists one is from South Africa and the other from Ecuador.
“I am very impressed by the kind of work ANSAB is doing on the ground” says Bill Carmichael, the Senior Consultant and on site evaluator of GDN project who visited community based enterprises in Dolakha District. “People should actually help themselves to come out of their own problems and that is what the people and local communities of this district are doing to overcome the poverty and enhance their livelihood by their own efforts” says Bill.
“Thanks to all the donors, supporters, partners, rural communities, government agencies and other stakeholders, dedicated and talented staff” says Dr Bhishma Subedi, Executive Director of ANSAB, “without their mutual support and active participation, we wouldn’t be able to transform the natural resource management and business practices to benefit poor and conservation of biodiversity” says Subedi. He further adds “balanced value chain of natural products is generating sustained income and employment to rural poor and community stewardship of forests has reversed the deforestation and degradation enhancing the stock for ecosystem services and this inspires us to be even more committed to biodiversity conservation and economic development through enterprise oriented solutions”
About ANSAB:
Established in 1992, ANSAB is an independent, not-for-profit, non-governmental organization with its headquarters based in Kathmandu, Nepal. It works toward ensuring rich biodiversity and prosperous communities in the South Asia region and has facilitated communities to use sustainable resource management practices and maximize the benefits of local enterprises to raise living standard of local communities.
About GDN:
The Global Development Network (GDN) is a leading international organization working in collaboration with eleven regional partners. Founded in 1997, GDN is now headquartered in New Delhi, with supporting offices in Cairo and Washington. GDN is home to a multidisciplinary group of academics, researchers, and policy-makers, all working toward the common goals of bridging the gap between research and policy.