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06:59
New Caledonia - Protecting coral reefs
With 20% of the ocean coral reefs already destroyed, almost all of the world’s lagoons are now endangered. Coral reefs are particularly sensitive to global warming, overfishing and pollution but, in New Caledonia, they are also threatened by industrial waste from a local nickel-mining complex.To conserve the coral reefs’ exceptional biodiversity and develop the economic and environmental services they provide to local populations, the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the French Global Environment Facility (FGEF) are participating in the Coral Reef Initiatives for the South Pacific (CRISP), a regional programme for the protection and sustainable management of Pacific coral reefs.
05:47
Conflicts prevention in Chad
Conflict between sedentary farmers and nomadic pastoralists lies at the heart of economic and social issues in Chad. The pastoralists from the arid North have traditionally migrated southwards with their herds into more fertile farmland areas. Yet, population growth and the resulting pressures on land have heightened conflict between the farmers and pastoralists.The Agence française de développement (AFD) has been supporting pastoral water projects in Chad for nearly fifteen years. One such project is Almy al Afia (Water for Peace), located in the centre of the country and partnered by specialised operators such as Iram-Antea. By creating water points and negotiating transhumance corridors, it has successfully opened up new pasturelands and helped to delay the herds’ arrival in the farming areas. The result has been a marked fall-off of conflict in the traditional zones of confrontation.
07:05
China - Fighting global warming
In 2009, China, which now ranks as the world’s second economic power, may well have overtaken the United States to become the top emitter of greenhouse gases, accounting for a fifth of global emissions. As such, it is now facing the challenge of combining economic growth with safeguarding the environment. In recent years, the international community and France have mobilised to support the Chinese government’s action to combat global warming. Following a bilateral Sino-French agreement, technological co-operation between local governments, research centres, NGOs and businesses has been strengthened. The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the French Global Environment Facility (FGEF) are supporting the Chinese authorities in setting up energy-efficiency programmes and developing renewable energies.
07:00
Madagascar - Agroecology
Absorbing 80% of the labour force, agriculture is the mainstay of the Malagasy economy. Today, however, this sector is in peril. Deforestation, unsustainable farming methods, low productivity and insecure land tenure are all fuelling diminishing soil yields and threatening the island’s food security.To check this land degradation, the Agence française de développement (AFD) is developing, with support from CIRAD, the use of agroecological techniques with Malagasy farmers. This approach involves protecting the soil with a green cover crop, as a way of avoiding ploughing and restricting the use of fertilisers. This helps to restore soil fertility, limit watershed erosion and reduce CO2 emissions.Developing agroecology is a long-haul undertaking. The key to its success is multi-pronged approach: bolster training schemes, secure land tenure and ensure farmers have access to credit.
08:04
Tunisia: Supporting private sector
In Tunisia, as in many emerging countries, private sector support is playing an increasingly important role in the economy. To be effective, it needs not only a business-friendly environment but also access to tailored financial resources. The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and its private sector arm, Proparco, have been operating in Tunisia since 1992 to encourage private sector development: support for a state-of-the-art clinic specialising in cancer treatment, financing for the pharmaceutical industry in view of marketing generic drugs, support for a renewable energy company… Creating new jobs and fiscal revenue for the government, companies provide social services such as health and education. As a wellspring of innovation and new management methods, they are also pivotal to environmental and social concerns.
06:14
Gabon - Sustainable forest management
Each year, 13 million hectares of forest are destroyed across the planet. Although conserving this exceptional biodiversity is now an urgent priority, exploiting wood resources is also vitally important for many local populations whose livelihood depends on the forest. Sustainable management of these spaces by combining protection and exploitation seems to offer the best solution. With 85% of its territory covered by forests, Gabon adopted a new forestry code in 2001. The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) supports the large-scale concessions that are sustainably managing and exploiting the forest. This approach has also been extended to the country’s small-scale operators.
05:58
Senegal - Water and sanitation
Hann Bay sports the world’s second largest beach after Rio and was once the pride of Dakar’s residents. Yet, today it is severely polluted by discharges from cargo vessels at sea and by industrial waste and untreated wastewater. However, local resident and business associations are beginning to mobilise, while the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) has chosen to fund an extensive industrial depollution programme… a pioneering step in Senegal.Although almost all urban residents now have access to drinking water, a third of Senegalese still have no access to sanitation services. Senegal has begun to tackle the problem by setting up its Water and Sanitation Millennium Program (Pepam). The aim is to reach the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.
06:34
Mauritania - Insurance at the service of maternal health
Each year in Mauritania, for 120,000 births, about 800 women die from pregnancy or childbirth complications for want of medical care, most often because treatment is too costly. In 2002, to make healthcare more affordable, the Mauritanian government set up a scheme for health insurance against obstetrical risks. This was done with technical and financial support from the French cooperation, then from the Agence Française de Développement (AFD). With a unit cost of €17, it enables women to give birth in good conditions, without putting a strain on their budgets.
05:54
South Africa : Addo Elephant National Park
Addo Elephant National Park is located in Eastern Cape, one of South Africa’s poorest provinces. From mountain to the sea, this national park alone harbours five of the seven ecozones of the country. FGEF (French Global Environment Facility) and AFD (Agence Française de Développement) support SANParks and the South African government in order to protect this exceptional biodiversity and to foster the socio-economic development of local communities.
06:04
Haïti Combating HIVAIDS and providing healthcare
In Haiti AFD is supporting efforts made by NGOs and public authorities to provide healthcare and combat HIV/AIDS and maternal and perinatal mortality. Since 2004 AFD has been supporting the Haitian NGO Zanmi la Santé which took up the challenge of introducing antiretrovirals in rural areas.
06:32
Cambodia : AFD conducts its first carbon neutral operation
Agence Française de Développement is strongly committed to combating climate change and, in line with its social responsibility policy, has pledged to become carbon neutral for the period 2008-2012. Its first operation to purchase carbon credits was conducted in October 2008 and has financed a project to combat deforestation in Cambodia
07:00
Delegated Water Management in Kenya
In Kenya, the Nyalenda informal settlement, with its 60 000 inhabitants, stretches out in the very heart of Kisumu, the country’s third largest city. The Kiwasco water utility relies on communities to distribute drinking water in this disadvantaged neighborhood.Kiwasco, with financial support and technical expertise from Agence Française de Développement, promotes an original partnership model among populations: delegated management. Water distribution is delegated to entities (NGOs, associations, private individuals or commercial companies) that are integrated into the community: the Master Operator. Its role: to develop and market a mini water distribution network.
05:15
Prey Nup Cambodia building against the tides
Prey Nup is where Marguerite Duras spent part of her childhood. In her novel "Dam against the Pacific" she describes her mother's relentless struggle against the ocean tides that destroyed the rice crops. Prey Nup is also where AFD rehabilitated an ancient dike between 1998 and 2008 and built around thirty structures to hold back those very same tides. AFD also initiated the formation of a farmers' association to manage this infrastructure. In a country marked by collectivism and the Khmer Rouge genocide, this social construction is truly original.
05:56
Corporate social and environmental responsibility in Turkey
Acteur majeur situé au carrefour de l’Europe et de l’Asie, la Turquie connaît depuis 2000 une croissance moyenne de 7% par an. Dans le cadre du rapprochement vers de standards européens, l’Agence Française de Développement (AFD) a ouvert des lignes de crédit auprès des banques turques pour aider les PME qui s’engagent dans une démarche volontaire de Responsabilité sociale et environnementale
06:19
Ifrane cedar forest in Morocco
Morocco’s forests are suffering from overexploitation which means production capacities are reduced, there are effects on the key role they play in regulating the water regime and the extremely rich biodiversity heritage is under threat.For further description : http://www.afd.fr/jahia/Jahia/site/afd/lang/en/pid/1226
05:14
Durban and sustainable energy in South Africa
South Africa causes 50% of greenhouse gas emissions on the African continent. It is now implementing a sustainable development policy in line with the Kyoto Protocol. Agence Française de Développement, has granted a loan to Durban municipality for a methane recovery and electricity generation project. The saved greenhouse gas emissions are sold on the world carbon market.
