Environment Needs Assessment Tool

This tool has been developed to assess national needs with regard to achieveing the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. It focuses on mapping resource needs.

Quantitative

The United Nations Millennium Development Goals methodology use 2005 as a basline, and 2015 asa target year. The needs assessment focuses on the amount of resources needed to achieve the targets by this year, taking into acocunt the current situation.

The methodology looks at four areas:

1. Reducing exposure to environmental health impacts
2. Improving Livehoods (including ecosystem services)
3. Reduced Vulnerability through Improved Capacity and Investments for Disaster Management and Climate Adaptation
4. Governance, institutions, capacity and systemic issues (not already covered)

It looks at these areas in terms of existing interventions and input targets, as well as resource needs detailed. 

The United Nations Millennium Development Goals seek to reduce poverty by half by 2015. Several indicators look specifically at poverty and gender related issues with regard to governance and environment.

1. Mass media campaigns
2. Community based awareness programs
3. School-based Awareness Programs
4. Policy-makers awareness programs
5. Parliamentarians awareness programs
6. Development and implementation of environmental educational curricula at the elementary, secondary and post secondary levels

1. Transparency in allocation of natural resource rights
2. Disclosure of government receipts and tax revenues from natural resources

1. Mainstream poverty environment issues in to planning process and economic decision making
2. Increased support for focal points in other ministries, especially on Environment-Development linkages
3. Increased pro-poor environmental enforcement (laws and regulations)
4. Develop integrated impact assessment (Eg. SEA) combining environmental, social and economic concerns
5. Introduce environmental fiscal reforms (EFR)
6. Introduce payments for ecosystem services (PES)

1. Support for capacity building for Non government organisations (NGOs)
2. Funds for innovative NGO pilot projects
3. Support engagement of grassroots community based organisations (CBOs)

1. Support for clean technology by private sector
2. Promote ISO 14000 and other environmental standards

The assessment is very actionable in detailing exact resource needs.

The assessment is not complimentary but focuses primarily on mapping outstanding inputs needed to chieve particular output. It does not include outcome indicators, nor de-feacto indicaotrs, such as an assessment of the degree and quality to which current interventions are working.