R4D Sri Lanka

PISCES Annual Report June 2008

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:19:00 GMT

Miscellaneous PISCES 2009 70 pp. Progress to date, by research and cross-cutting themes:

RT1 Technology Data, policy frameworks and capacity on Bioenergy Technologies
Technology research is still clearly at an early stage, however good progress has been made in recruiting PhD and MSc students and in conducting initial technology surveys and Bioresource assessments in Tanzania and India. Negotiations regarding access to resource studies are also advancing in Kenya and Sri Lanka.

RT2 Access and Delivery Data, policy frameworks and capacity on how bioenergy can improve energy access and livelihoods
Civil strife in Kenya in Q1 delayed progress on the bioenergy needs and opportunities survey there however this has started in India. Further, a background study on Delivery Models with strong expert inputs, a scoping study on Food Security and Bioenergy Linkages, and training in Kenya on new Bioenergy Market Mapping methods in development, have been successfully completed.

RT3 Climate and Environment Data, policy frameworks and capacity on Bioenergy Linkages with Climate and Environment
Work has started on information gathering on the various agro-ecological zones in India, field work has been initiated in 2 zones, and contacts with relevant stakeholders in the Climate and Environment sector developed. Longer term challenges in terms of Climate Modelling and LCA capacity are to be addressed with recruitment, capacity building and partnerships.

XCA Research-into-Use Research outputs taken up by policymakers in the 4 countries
PISCES Policy Working Groups have been established in Kenya and Sri Lanka with strong stakeholder involvement and Ministry-level support. Wider integration of Innovation Systems thinking and RIU case studies have not however been initiated so far.

XCB South-South-North Knowledge and Expertise is successfully exchanged between the 4 PISCES countries and international experience is capitalised on
Internal sharing of information via Sharepoint is in place but some partners do still have problems using the site. Some International Case Studies have already been initiated and further studies are currently in discussion with potential partners including FAO.

XCC Capacity Building Capacity Built within consortium and key stakeholders
Capacity building both within the consortium and with policy stakeholders has started strongly with workshops and trainings conducted in all four countries. A full list is available in Annex 6.7.

XCD Equity Equity mainstreamed in policy recommendations
An initial study of Equity and Bioenergy linkages has been completed with uptake and interest from ENERGIA. Equity issues have been incorporated in socio-economic baseline surveys.

PACE - Partnerships for Access to Community Electricity. Policy Guidelines. Ethiopia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Uganda.

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:58:00 GMT

Miscellaneous 2003 ESD Ltd., UK., Konserve Consult Ltd., Uganda, LGA Consultants, Sri Lanka, MGP Ltd., Ethiopia, SBB Ltd., Nepal, 142 pp. This document is a summmary of the experience gained during an18 month applied research programme in Ethiopia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Uganda. The ojective of the work was to determine how best to accelerate access to and increase the livelihood impacts of electrification projects in developing countries.

PISCES Policy Brief No. 3. Policies and Regulations Affecting Biomass-Related Energy Sector Development in Sri Lanka

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:48:00 GMT

Miscellaneous 2009 4 pp. The future predictions of energy demand, limitations of hydro expansion and inadequate fossil fuel supplies in Sri Lanka suggests the need for a diversity of power sources in the future. The main objective of this policy brief is to discuss the current status of the biomass energy sector of Sri Lanka and to lay a foundation for a process of further studies and consultations leading towards a well-integrated energy policy.

Scoping study into the impacts of bioenergy development on food security.

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:36:00 GMT

Miscellaneous Practical Action Consulting 2008 38 pp. This paper explores current thinking on the impacts of bioenergy on food security and investigate how this debate is framed, including underlying assumptions and limitations. In addition to scoping the international debate this study will, where possible, draw on examples from Tanzania, Kenya, India and Sri Lanka to maximise relevance to the work being undertaken by the PISCES consortium. In doing so, this study will include recommendations on areas for further study and collaboration with on-going initiatives. Finally, this paper will provide the consortium with an initial overview of approaches for integrating food security into the wider PISCES research agenda.

Solutions to rural transport problems in South East Asia

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 01:00:00 GMT

Road construction approaches developed under the DFID-funded South-East Asia Community Access Programme (SEACAP) are helping to solve problems of rural transport in South-East Asia

Final Technical Report. Small-scale farmer-managed aquaculture in engineered water systems: critical design and management approaches.

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:40:00 GMT

Miscellaneous Little, D.; Murray, F. 2002 Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Scotland, UK., 36 pp. The purpose of the project was to identify the major social and bioeconomic constraints to the introduction of aquaculture into farmer-managed irrigation systems and then to develop and promote effective approaches to aquaculture. The project focused on two areas of the Sub-Continent that suffer water stress and where aquaculture has little tradition, up-state Karnataka, India and Northwest province Sri Lanka. The project aimed to deliver an assessment of the potential for aquaculture within available farmer-managed irrigation systems through a series of situation assessment activities. This culminated in several physical systems (open wells and check dams) being identified for their potential in Raichur District, Karnataka and the small seasonal tanks that are numerous in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka. A range of research methods and tools were also identified and tested for developing appropriate aquaculture interventions. These were based on participatory approaches that sought to understand the needs of, and resources accessible to, the poor.

Exploring the links between Globalisation and poverty in South Asia. Final Report.

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:04:00 GMT

Miscellaneous J. Round and J. Whalley 2002 16 pp. This report draws together experiences and findings from a series of papers executed under a DFID project on Globalisation and Poverty in South Asia. The project participants had earlier been involved in an IDRC (Ottawa) initiative (Microeconomic Analysis of Structural Adjustment Programmes - MIMAP) of capacity building and technical assistance to a series of countries, and each extended and enlarged their work in this follow-on capacity building project. Each took two issues and used numerical modelling methods to attempt to isolate the significance of globalisation/poverty linkages in their own country. This report both summarises and itemises this activity.

This project was based on the hypothesis that despite current unease, the precise links between globalisation and poverty and how they operate remained surprisingly poorly researched. This is, in part, because there are a number of different possible channels of impact, and they are under-explored in the literature. It is also because analytical linkages are at issue which cannot be easily analysed qualitatively; some formal numerical simulation analysis is needed. This project aimed to explore how these channels of impact operate, what their quantitative significance is, and how plausible alternative analytical structures which generate poverty are, and bring these findings to the policy communities in participating countries.

The Pearl of Great Price: achieving equitable access to primary and secondary education and enhancing learning in Sri Lanka.

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:11:00 GMT

Miscellaneous H. Aturupane 2009 CREATE Pathways to Access, Research Monograph No. 29, ISBN 0-901881-29-5, 67 pp. Also 21-page powerpoint presentation. This monograph is a revised version of the Second Annual CREATE lecture organized by the Institute of Education, London and held at the London International Development Centre on November 18th 2008. [The original powerpoint presentation of the lecture is also attached].

The paper commences by analysing the historical evolution of the Sri Lankan education system. The analysis pays special attention to the political and economic dimensions of public education policy, the sustained long-term commitment of governments to investment in human capital, and the creation of the conditions needed for the successful development of the education system.

The paper then discusses the policy framework for general education in Sri Lanka in relation to the CREATE zones of exclusion. Sri Lanka has a combination of demand-side policies and supply-side polices that serve to attract and retain children in school through most of CREATEs zones. The most important policies, on both the demand side and the supply side, are identified. The role and importance of other supplementary policies are also discussed, particularly in relation to the education of children from marginalized groups and poor families.

The paper next discusses the performance of the Sri Lankan education system in terms of equity of access to general education and the quality of education. The country is shown to have performed well in relation to several dimensions of equity. In particular, the education attainment levels of girls, and of children from poor families, are impressive when compared to other developing and middle-income countries. In addition, the quality of education, measured both in terms of the overall learning environment and the cognitive achievement levels of students, has been rising over time.

The paper then proceeds to discuss the main future educational challenges facing the country. These are shown to be mainly in the areas of education management and service delivery. The governments policy framework, the Education Sector Development Framework and Programme (ESDFP), is outlined next. The ESDFP has four key themes: (a) promoting equitable access to primary and secondary education; (b) improving education quality; (c) enhancing the economic efficiency and equity of resource allocation; and (d) strengthening governance and service delivery. The paper describes the initiatives and strategies under each of these themes to address the challenges faced by the country, and to develop the education system to the next level of performance.

The paper concludes by drawing lessons from the Sri Lankan experience for other countries. There are several helpful and useful policy lessons from Sri Lanka for other countries. The CREATE framework provides a powerful conceptual model for the analysis and development of policies to promote equitable access to primary and basic education.

DF85. Applications of selected research outputs for the Mitigation and Management of Crisis and Recovery Operations.

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:18:00 GMT

Miscellaneous D. Salter 2009 Presented at the International Recovery Forum 2009 Building Back Better and Greener, 26 - 27 January 2009, Kobe, Japan. 24 pp. (paper) + 42 pp. (powerpoint) SEACAP is a poverty-targeted rural transport initiative. It is aimed at improving the sustainable access of poor people in rural communities to health, education, employment and trade opportunities, with projects currently in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos PDR. SEACAP provides funding for applied research to solve rural access problems, disseminating information about the research outcomes to stakeholders, and supporting the mainstreaming of the solutions. SEACAP research is not specifically directed towards crisis and recovery operations. However, the principles of a local resource approach readily span both development and crisis engineering applications. This paper draws together four short technical notes. The technical notes are derived from the outputs of SEACAP and the UNOPS Community Access Programme in Sri Lanka. These outputs have direct application for mitigating and managing crisis and recovery operations. The subjects covered herein include:

i. Experience and techniques for risk and hazard assessment for managing mountain slope instability;

ii. Bio-engineering for road embankment and mountain slope erosion protection and stabilisation;

iii. The use of tsunami debris as material for constructing rural roads; and,

iv. The development of standards and specifications that allow engineers to construct roads with available materials

Programme for the Enhancement of Research Information - PERii - 2008 Annual Report and Country Coordinators Reports

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:43:00 GMT

Miscellaneous 2009 INASP, Oxford, UK, 15 + 51 pp.

Following a brief description of the PERii goal, purpose and outputs, the work conducted in the following areas, listing the key achievements for 2008, is described: Country partnerships and coordination; ICT Training; Information delivery: access to international research; Publishing support; and Library development. The final parts of the report cover the INASP management and coordination, progress against Log Frame OVIs; and work plans for 2009.

Appendix 1 consists of the Country Coordinators Reports for Bangladesh, Bolivia, Cuba, Ethiopia, Ghana, Honduras, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Nepal, Pakistan, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe. After a brief introduction, each report covers management and funding in 2008, activities in 2008, achievements and challenges, sustainability, and an overview of plans for 2009.

Development of an integrated pest management strategy for eggplant fruit and shoot borer in South Asia.

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:38:00 GMT

Miscellaneous S. N. Alam, M. A. Rashi, F. M. A. Rouf, R. C. Jhala, J. R. Patel, S. Satpathy, T. M. Shivalingaswami, S. Rai, I. Wahundeniya, A. Cork, C. Ammaranan and N. S. Talekar. 2003 Shanhua, Taiwan: AVRDC The World Vegetable Center. Technical Bulletin no. 28. AVRDC Publication no. 03-548. ISBN 92-9058-126-3, 56 pp. Eggplant, Solanum melongena L., a versatile vegetable, is one of the three most popular and economically important vegetables among small-scale farmers and lowincome consumers of South Asia, especially during hot-wet summers when other vegetables are in short supply. During the past two decades this crop has been increasingly ravaged by an insect, eggplant fruit and shoot borer (EFSB), Leucinodes orbonalis (Guenée), the larvae of which bore inside eggplant fruit. Farmers have resorted to frequent sprays of pesticides to kill the larva before it enters the fruit. Such extensive use of pesticides cuts into profitability of eggplant production, makes eggplant more expensive to consumers, poses health hazards, and causes environmental pollution and resource degradation.

A regional collaborative research and development project, funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom, was undertaken in Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka to develop a sustainable IPM strategy and validate its utility in pilot project studies on farmers' fields. Research results indicated that prompt cutting and removal of pest-damaged shoots reduces pest damage to fruit if such practice is coupled with other community-wide means to reduce immigration of pest adults into the area. This latter point reinforces the need for a community-based approach where all farmers practice sanitation and destroy other sources of EFSB, such as old eggplant stubble stored in the field or near dwellings.

This report contains chapters detailing: Biology and Nature of Damage of EFSB; Mechanical Control; Host-plant Resistance; Biological Control; Sex Pheromone; Socio-economics of Eggplant Protection in Bangladesh; and Pilot Project Demonstration and Promotion of IPM.

Connecting Researchers, Journalists and Activists to Change Policy

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:00:00 GMT

Collaboration between researchers, journalists and activists developed through Panos Londons Relay Programme in the Northeast Indian state of Assam can create positive relationships and ultimately contribute to real policy change

What can be done to beat urban poverty?

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 01:00:00 GMT

DFID-funded research by Practical Action has improved understanding of the impact of different approaches to urban poverty reduction through research and sharing the experiences of Southern-based NGOs

SecureWater: Building sustainable livelihoods for the poor into demand responsive approaches. Inception phase.

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:58:00 GMT

Completed This research project will bring together two development approaches in order to achieve more sustainable poverty elimination through water supply improvements. A sustainable livelihoods (SL) framework (see http://www.odi.org.uk/ rpeg/srls/html) - to understand the nature of poverty at a household level and best practices for its elimination - will be used to inform and assist in the move towards more demand-responsive approaches (DRA) in water supply development. A need for better understanding of the water-poverty links has been highlighted in recent years in the increasing focus on poverty elimination amongst many ESAs and national governments. The challenge is to build a better understanding into the work of all participants involved in water supply development. Of particular importance is how to assist in the development of water for productive purposes at a household level, a key to which is understanding how and where water is used as part of natural capital in the livelihood strategies of poor households, thus understanding demand properly in order to respond to it. Understanding this micro-level use of water entails achieving a holistic understanding mirrored at a higher level by the recent global emphasis on integrated water resources development at the basin level. Hitherto, water supply has been closely linked to the achievement of health benefits through its integration with sanitation and hygiene promotion. Whilst the importance of this integrated approach is acknowledged, its limitations in terms of addressing broader water-livelihoods linkages in understanding at household-level are recognised. Significant issues surrounding sanitation and livelihoods will be a subsidiary focus of this research. To increase understanding anong interveners in the water sector of water livelihoods links, enhancing their capacity to eliminate poverty in demand responsive approaches. A concept paper, incorporating literature review.

An inception report, incorporating research methodology framework, collaborative arrangements and dissemination plan.

Five case studies on water and livelihoods, and one on sanitation and livelihoods in an urban context, in versions adapted for different capacity building contexts.

Sustainable livelihoods-based tools developed for decision-support, monitoring and demand assessment tools to contribute to pro-poor sectoral decision making.

Forum established for institutional collaboration to develop sustainable financing mechanisms and appropriate technological choice for poor communities.

Dissemination of research findings, tools, training materials, through broadcast video, electronic media, journals oriented to interveners as well as to the research community.

South East Asia Community Access Programme (SEACAP)

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 08:29:00 GMT

Completed

Sustainable and affordable rural access is a necessary precondition for expanding social and economic opportunities for rural women and men, thereby enhancing pro-poor growth and poverty alleviation efforts.

SEACAP was a poverty-targeted transport initiative within the Global Transport Knowledge Partnership (gTKP) framework. It was aimed at improving the sustainable access of people in rural communities to health, education, employment and trade opportunities, with projects in Cambodia, Laos PDR, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.

SEACAP provided funding for applied research to solve rural access problems. It communicated information about the research outcomes to stakeholders, and supported the mainstreaming of the solutions.

The programme identified and supported the uptake of low cost, proven solutions for rural access. Focused on the needs of poor women and men, it aimed to maximise the use of LOCAL resources, including labour, materials, enterprise and most ingenuity.

Goal: Livelihoods of poor and vulnerable peoples in SE Asia improved sustainably.

Purpose: Sustainable access to health, education and trade for rural communities, creating pro-poor growth

The overall relationship between improved rural access and reduced rural poverty is well established. The main contribution that SEACAP has made is improving the sustainability of investments in rural transport.

SEACAP did not select target communities. It worked through other programmes that were investing in rural transport infrastructure. Reports from these programmes indicate that the investments were reducing poverty in the targeted communities.

The impact of SEACAP on poverty reduction efforts will increase with time as the approaches developed are increasingly rolled out.

SEACAP contributed to the sustainability of rural access in all three target countries. This was done by influencing the stakeholders to use appropriate technologies and assisting with the development of key building blocks such as policy, strategy, standards and specifications. The SEACAP supported policies and strategies in Vietnam and Cambodia are leading to enhanced local participation nationwide.

*Best practice on road technology mainstreamed in SE Asia.
*Evidence of effect of appropriate rural road technology disseminated.
*Sustainable ownership mechanisms for construction and maintenance of local road systems.
*Knowledge and research capacity in SEA improved and key knowledge disseminated and adopted.
*Status of improving access to basic infrastructure for the poor in Cambodia reviewed and further work proposed.

The Project was completed on 30/06/2009.

The Project Completion Report made the following comments:

SEACAP has improved knowledge about what constitutes good practice in the construction of rural access. However, this information still needs to be more fully disseminated amongst all those involved in funding, planning and implementing rural transport in SEA to provide a sustainable basis for lasting strategic change.

SEACAP has made progress at the level of formulating improved practice, standards and specifications. But "mainstreaming" of this framework into influencing investment decisions is a long way from complete and deserves continued support. Considerable risks remain that this knowledge is not absorbed and that outputs such as standards and specifications can still be ignored by practitioners on the ground - through ignorance or perverse incentives - thereby continuing inefficiencies in the choice of rural road technologies.

SEACAP has made a considerable body of relevant knowledge on rural road construction and maintenance accessible. This has been achieved through a combination of original research based on existing knowledge and good practice. These outcomes of research have been disseminated through a great variety of mechanisms, to the academic world in the region, to government and to development partners. However, as yet this has not been "mainstreamed" to the extent that had been the original intention. It is therefore too early to state that SEACAP has contributed to improving access to health, education and trade.

No baseline measurements on poverty were made under SEACAP. Beneficiary target communities were not defined in the Project Document. But SEACAP has contributed significantly to the level of knowledge about cost effective rural road construction technologies in SEA. This knowledge has been distributed widely amongst decision makers and practitioners.

Considerable progress achieved with the formulation of policy, standards and specifications representing the outcome of SEACAP-funded research. Some of these accepted into law or decree.

The outcomes of SEACAP research have been disseminated through numerous appropriate channels, including (a) academic world in SEA; (b) relevant government departments controlling rural infrastructure at central and provincial level; and (c) donor community.

Rural Transport Strategy in Viet Nam, and "Inter Ministerial and Program cooperation for Rural Transport Development. Road Law and Rural Road Policy in Cambodia re-formulated and approved at technical level; suitable for adoption by Cabinet. Road policy in Lao PDR already in place.

Considerable interaction with main development partners involved in road sector in all three project countries. However, adoption of technologies agreed by Government at strategy or specification level not necessarily followed by all donor funded programmes.

Training delivered down to local (district and commune) level in road construction and maintenance techniques. Funding presents main risk.

SEACAP has interacted considerably with local research institutions, and has increased or improved the profile of applied research in road construction issues. However, with present availability of skills and priorities for spending, it is not likely that a SEACAP-style research programme would continue without external funding, management and encouragement.

SC 2 (Transport Mainstreaming Partnership for Cambodia) reviewed many aspects of rural transport.

Methods of Economic and Environmental Assessment of the on-site Impacts of Soil Erosion and Conservation - A Case Study of Smallholder Agriculture in Sri Lanka

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:34:00 GMT

Completed Smallholder hillside agricultural production systems are extremely vulnerable to soil erosion and land degradation. Yet, especially in South and South East Asia, they offer some of the greatest potential for increasing production and developing sustainable land use. Donor and government funded interventions have met with only patchy success in realising this potential (Hudson 1993). For interventins promoting soil conservation to achieve greater success it is necessary for economic analysis to incorporate the perspectives of farmers and for it to relect the rationally of farmers for engaging in soil conservation. The development of cost-effective methods of needs assessment that can be used to identify development opportunities and problems and enable the packaging and promotion of economically viable land, soil and water management techniques. Biophysical techniques and socio-economic methodologies for the assessment of soil erosion and conservation have been developed, tested, validated and applied to two target countries - Sri Lanka and Bolivia. The key lessons learned from this project are that biophysical assessment techniques for rapid assessments of erosion are widely applicable in hillside environments. Field-based techniques were found to have important practical advantages. "Investment appraisal" was found to be a useful and accessible means of assessing the economic viability of a conservation technology, with potential applicability to other soil and land resource management issues. A systems analysis framework for examining soil erosion and conservation in the context of the household.

Guide to data sources from which information can be obtained rapidly on the biophysical effects of erosion and conservation.

Comparative assessment of different approaches for the economic analysis of soil erosion and conservation, to include recommendations of measures that may be adopted in order to incorporate the perspective of smallholder farmers.

The findings of the project tested and evaluated in another environment.

Dissemination of the findings of the project. A systems analysis framework for examining soil erosion and conservation in the context of the household was developed. A review of methodologies for economic analysis of soil erosion and conservation was published. For the first time, a clear distinction was drawn between ,resource-value, approaches (ie: valuation of the depletion of nutrients and/or other measures of soil quality by erosion) and ,production-value, approaches (ie: loss/gain in yield with erosion/conservation).

A guide to data sources was developed from which information can be obtained rapidly on the biophysical effects of erosion and conservation. Variables and indicators for biophysical and economic assessments were also developed, for field use by developing country professionals.

Different approaches for the economic analysis of soil erosion and conservation were comparatively assessed to include recommendations of measures that may be adopted in order to incorporate the perspective of smallholder farmers. Following from the comparative evaluation, a recommended ,investment appraisal, approach has been developed, tested validated using developing country professionals.

The findings of the project were then tested and evaluated in another environment. Two training workshops in Sri Lanka and Bolivia and a separate follow-up study were undertaken. The assessment methods developed by the project largely show the rationality of both practices, and the conditions under which farmers choose one practice or the other.

Making sense of sustainable agriculture

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 15:44:00 GMT

Current Agricultural development policy must simultaneously improve smallholder productivity and address long-term environmental concerns. Much of the recent interest in sustainable agriculture focuses on technologies that feature low external input strategies. These rely on local resources, particularly knowledge and labour; encourage adapting solutions to individual farm conditions; and promote a vision of farm stewardship. This type of technical change draws upon, and seeks to strengthen, farm communities' human capital (skills, knowledge) and social capital (communication, organisation, participation).

Despite broad interest in these strategies, there are few empirical studies that assess the progress and outcomes of this type of initiative. The proposed research will examine three instances of the successful introduction of low external input agriculture: the adoption of integrated pest management in rice in Sri Lanka, the development of soil conservation techniques in Honduras, and the catchment approach to soil and water conservation in Kenya.

The research focuses on examining differential response to, and subsequent development of, introduced low external input technologies. The research will focus on two sets of questions. The first set involves a retrospective understanding of how differences in farmers' human and social capital assets affect their capacities to utilise low external input agriculture. A second set of questions is prospective in nature and is made possible by the focus on projects whose major activities are now complete. The study will seek evidence on the degree to which the initiatives have contributed to strengthening farmer assets, allowing further adaptation and change beyond the initial project. The objective of the research is to provide a policy-relevant analysis of the prospects and challenges for knowledge- and management-intensive technological change for smallholder agriculture. To examine the introduction of pest management in rice in Sri Lanka, development of soil conservation techniques in Honduras and the catchment approach to soil and water conservation in Kenya. The research will focus on examining differential response to, and subsequent development of, sustainable agriculture. An analysis of the factors determining differential uptake of three types of low external input agriculture and the identification of policies, strategies and conditions conducive to strengthening human and social capital in support of appropriate technology development and adoption.

Policy Innovation Systems for Clean Energy Security (PISCES)

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 16:43:00 GMT

Current

The idea behind PISCES is that the security of livelihoods is contingent upon the interdependence of energy, water and food security - and that Bioenergy is the pivotal issue at the intersection of these three factors. Millions still rely on bioenergy in the form of wood for basic energy services, often depleting forestry resources, contributing to the deterioration of watersheds, and promoting desertification. There is also increasing global interest and activity in the growing of energy crops to act as modern biofuels, stimulated by increasing prices, tightening access to fossil oil supplies, and the impact of climate change requiring mitigation and adaptation to these changes.

While increased cultivation of energy crops could provide increased energy access for the poor, without appropriate policies in place it could also pass them by. At the macro-level, bioenergy could increase global energy supplies without increasing carbon emissions; at the local level it could absorb vital water supplies and fertile land needed to cultivate food. Tradeoffs are inevitable for an increase in bioenergy provision and need to be understood and appropriately regulated and incentivised in policy if the promise of bioenergy is to be realised in meeting the energy security needs of the poor, without compromising their already limited access to water and food security.

The goal of this project are threefold; one is to contribute to widely transferable knowledge and understanding of bioenergy, two to show demonstrable policy change in the target countries of the project; and three maximize the contribution of bioenergy to clean energy access and livelihoods. PISCES is 5-year RCP running from 2007 to 2012 with the lead institution being African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) and lead partners includes University of Dar es Salaam, Practical Action, University of Edinburgh, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) and University of Edinburgh. The project is implemented in India, Kenya, Sri Lanka and Tanzania.

The purpose of this project is to increase available knowledge and understanding of policy relevant trade-offs between energy, food and water security for livelihoods in relation to bioenergy.

Objectives:
Development of policy relevant frameworks on bioenergy supported by comprehensive data, analysis and stakeholder participation.

Sustainable pilot projects running action inquiry research and demonstrations operating in three countries.

Research outcomes are taken up in policy, regulations, standards and practice in each country.

PISCES Policy Working Groups (PWGs) have been established with encouraging engagement in Kenya and Sri Lanka. In Kenya PISCES is actively involved the national initiatives to develop the national strategy paper for both biodiesel and bioethanol. The impact on policies is not yet clear and the process has yet to get well underway in Tanzania and India.

PISCES RPC expert working groups have been established. Policy makers and practitioners have engaged with the groups.

Research is under way into small-scale gasification and ethanol microdistillation technologies & delivery models. PISCES is a member of the National Biodiesel Research Working Group, Natinal Biodiesel Committee and Bioethanol Strategy Working Group. Research outcomes are taken up in policy, regulations, standards and practice in each country.

PISCES has produced two policy briefs which are in their last stage of publication.

A number of training courses have been conducted to build capacity of lead partners and collaborators. Training courses have been conducted on topics such as Research in to Use and Market Mapping Approach.

A number of PhDs and Masters students training are going on both at Edinburgh and University of Dar es Salaam.

Bioenergy resources, needs and environmental impacts surveys have been completed in India.

Through a collaborative initiative with the FAO, PISCES have conducted Bioenergy and Livelihoods Case Studies in 12 countries covering South America, South East Asia and African countries.

PISCES team have future in several National and International Bioenergy Conferences.

DFID-funded bio-energy programme launched

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 01:00:00 GMT

A research project on affordable energy for the poor has been launched in Africa

Small Farmer Seed Supply: Reforming regulatory frameworks for testing, release and dissemination

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Completed In many developing countries, new seeds produced by breeders are subject to lengthy and expensive screening to ensure that they conform to official criteria for release. This process, frequently based on N. American or European models, is governed by a complex set of national legislation, scientific guidelines, norms and standard practices termed here regulatory framework . There are some justifications for these approaches, including the need for standard testing procedures, for evidence that new varieties will perform well under a range of conditions, for systematic data on which to base extension recommendations, and for a standard set of criteria against which such data can be obtained. However, in the light of growing awareness of low-income farmers' capacity to identify and select genetic material to suit the diverse agro-ecological and socio-economic niches in which they seek livelihoods, such advantages may be outweighed by the fact that such costly testing procedures severely restrict the basket of choices that scientists can offer to farmers and systematically bias the characteristics of released varieties towards the needs of better-off farmers. To provide guidelines, principles and options on seed regulatory reform to policy makers and donors involved in the formulation of national seed policy. The issues that the project addressed involve significant changes in national seed policy, experimentation with new organisational forms of variety selection and seed production, and fundamental institutional reorientation. This type of change will not take place overnight. There is a need for sustained discussion and debate within particular countries in order to stimulate new initiatives. The efforts that project personnel have undertaken in India, in both formal and informal meetings, provide an example of the type of activity that is required to promote seed regulatory reform. It is important to emphasise that seed regulatory reform will not be brought about by a series of sweeping changes in national laws,but rather by sustained and committed debate and comprehensive acknowledgement of the interests of all stakeholders in national seed systems. The structure of these debates and discussions will vary from country to country, but project experience and documentation will form a valuable basis for any seed policy analysis. The documentation and the dialogue initiated by the project can be expected to play a signfiicant role in future policy debates. The project provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date review of issues related to seed regulatory reform available anywhere. The project documents clearly outline the problems that national seed regulatory systems must address, describe realistic options, and provide guidance on the implications of any particular regulatory choice. Country papers outlining strenghts and weaknesses of regulatory frameworks.

Methods for statistical and economic analysis of breeding data.

Concise guidelines for the management of regulatory reform.

Workshop proceedings.

India workshop. The project produced the most comprehensive and in-depth review of the conduct of national seed regulation available. It identified a set of problems that affect the management of variety testing, variety regulation, and seed quality conrtol; and produced a review of experience and guidelines for future action regarding options for regulatory reform.

Variation in rice tungro viruses

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Completed Rice tungro virus disease (RTVD) is the most important virus disease of rice in South and South East Asia. Information on the variability of the two viruses responsible is required if conventional and biotechnology-based approaches to RTVD control are to be deployed successfully. Virus isolates were obtained from eight countries of South and South East Asia. Differences were detected between some isolates of rice tungro spherical virus (RTSV) by cross hybridisation of PCR fragments of the three coat protein genes. Cross hybridisation of genomic clones of rice tungro bacilliform virus (RTBV) distinguished between isolates from ASEAN countries and those from the Indian sub-continent in which there was a deletion of ca. 60 nucleotides. The difference was exploited in developing a PCR-based test to differentiate between the two groups. The wider objective of this project is to develop methods for identifying and distinguishing viruses and their strains for use in plant breeding and plant protection programmes
to provide information for the introduction of non-conventional crop resistance.
The immediate objectives are
To obtain information on which strains of tungro can be deliminated by assessing strain variation of both RIBV and RISV at the viral genome level
to make diagnostic tools available to plant pathologists and agricultural advisors. There appear to be two major geographic variants (strains) of RTBV, one from the Indian subcontinent and the other from South East Asia. This finding has considerable implications on the epidemiology of the virus. Recent experiments also indicated that there might be variation within each of these strains. There is also variation in RTSV in the region of the genome encoding the coat protein this showed both in cross hybridisation of cDNAs and in serological analysis. The variation does not show such a clear geographical relationship as does that of RTBV indicating differences in the epidemiology of the two viruses. Characterise isolates of RTBV from S and SE Asian countries where rice tungro disease is prevalent.

Examine the variation of RTBV from different geographical locations within S and SE Asia.

Develop tests to differentiate strains of RTBV for use in less developed countries.

Determine whether RTBV has a mealybug vector in addition to the known leafhopper vectors. Isolates of rice tungro viruses have been obtained from The Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh and India. Testing various perennial Oryza spp. for susceptibility to the tungro viruses and suitability for long term maintenance of the isolates have been performed. Oryza rufipogon is showing promise in this respect.

Initial analysis of rice cv TN1 indicates that the Delhi isolate gives more severe symptoms then the type isolate from the Philippines and the Bangladesh isolate less severe symptoms still.

Mapping and sequence data on the two viruses were needed for genome comparisions. Sequence of the whole genome of the type isolate of RBTV has been completed and comprises 8002 base pairs. The sequence also gives a complete restriction endonuclease map and the subcloning involved provides an extensive collection of clones of the viral DNA.

Clones and subclones of RBTV have been tested for their use in detecting virus in dot blots of crude sap from infected and healthy rice. Clones and subclones of RTBV will detect RBTV infections of rice but there is a minor problem of a a slight response from healthy rice. This will hopefully be overcome by using different subclones as probes.

Biological characterisation of the pathogenic forms of the burrowing nematode, Radopholus similis, on perennial and other crops from different regions of the world

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Completed The burrowing nematode, Radopholus similis, is a major pathogen of many crops in the developing countries. Biotypes have been identified in isolates from citrus and banana in the Americas improving the efficacy and application of quarantine and control measures. 37 different isolates from 12 different crops and 16 different countries are maintained in culture. In vitro culturing of the nematode has been refined and isolates of the nematode have been analysed by comparison of total protein patterns. Comparison of RAPD-PCR RAPD profiles using eighteen different primers resulted in a total of 167 scorable DNA bands. Classical morphological studies identified differences between some of the isolates. Good collaboration was established with Dr N. Gnanapragasam. Tea Research Institute, Sri Lanka, Dr Ika Mustika, RISMC, Bogor, Indonesia and Dr J.L. Sarah, CIRAD-FLHOR, Montpellier. The wider objective of the project is to identify and characterise the relative importance of different pathogenic isolates of Radopholus similis
To obtain information for developing practicable quarantine measures and appropriate recommendations for improving crop yields in different cropping systems.
The immediate objective is the culture and characterisation of nematode isolates provided by collaborators. Assess host preferences of isolates showing marked differences. These findings have great relevance to the control of R.similis and to the taxonomy and phylogeny of the genus Radopholus. The presence in the same area of R.similis populations that differ genomically and biologically have important implications for management strategies aiming to control R.similis. In particular, it shows that a more thorough evaluation is needed of the biodiversity present in different burrowing nematode populations related to diverse pathogenicity and host ranges of these populations. The use of RAPD markers as a diagnostic tool can be of great help in the assessment of samples from areas that are infested with burrowing nematodes. Recommend cropping sequences or rotations to be used in relation to different isolates. Provide information on different pathogenic isolates for use by quarantine services. The establishment and maintenance of large populations of over 40 different isolates of R. similis by in vitro culture has played a major part in the success of the project. A proportion of the isolates analysed by molecular techniques (glycoprotein patterns and DNA fragments obtained using RAPD-PCR) were found to be genetically divergent and could be arranged in different putative groups. One isolate originally identified as R. similis was markedly divergent and shown also to be morphologically different. All other isolates were morphologically similar. Comparative pathogenicity tests on banana also demonstrated significant differences in parasitism abd root pathogenicity tests on banana also demonstrated significant differences in parasitism and root damage between nematode isolates.

Host range studies were completed and showed significant differences between 18 isolates of R. similis. Seven isolates did not reproduce or cause damage to black pepper, whereas banana roots were parasitised by all except one isolate originally on ginger from Fiji.

Initial attempts to fins pathogenicity related RAPD markers were not successful in the final stages of this project but could be identified by further work.

Fuel efficient wood fired furnace systems

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Completed Considerable quantities of fuelwood are used in developing countries by small-to medium-scale industry. The use of more efficient wood-burning furnaces could significantly reduce the demand for fuelwood and help reduce the estimated annual global loss of forest, estimated at 11 million hectares. The specific and technical aims of the project are:
To improve operation and design of wood-fired furnaces for use in small to medium scale process operations
To improve fuel efficiency in the use of biomass in process operation
To improve sustainable harvesting of woodfuels and the efficient use of forestry and biomass residues for fuel application. Survey of commercial wood-fired furnaces. Design study made of improved wood-fired air heater, prototype modelled and detailed drawings made.

In 1992 prototype wood-fired heater was constructed, installed and commissioned

experimental trials nearly completed.

Overseas collaborators identified and visit made to Sri Lanka to test traditional air heaters and collect techno-economic data.

Various publications produced and distributed.

Rice leaf-folder rearing for pheromone studies

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Completed The objectives of the project are to establish a culture of pure Cnaphalocrocis medinalis at Cardiff and to provide sufficient insects to NRI to make possible completion of the pheromone identification work. This will avoid both the problems previously encountered of mixed species and transport difficulties. Populations of the rice leaf-folders, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis and Marasmia patnalis, and the rice stem borers, Sciropophaga incertulus and S.inotata, were imported and cultured at the School of Pure and Applied Biology, University of Wales, Cardiff. The aim of the contract was to provide live adults of sufficient quality and numbers to the Insect Chemistry Department at NRI for pheromone investigation. Cultures were maintained under conditions of the M.A.F.F. licence PHF 118/58A(31) held by Professor M.F. Claridge using facilities and expertise developed from previous rice research contracts. The large quantity of mature rice required for this operation was produced at the department's Cleppa Park Field Station in the greenhouses developed and adapted for rice production.

Observation of the life cycle and modification of culturing methods were carried out for each species in order to maintain successive generations and to provide surplus insects.

As with other lepidopteran cultures, the main area of difficulty centred around the survival, mating and oviposition of female moths. This was a problem particularly with leaf-folder, M.patnalis.

Literature on culturing Scripophaga inotata suggests repeated collection of eggs from the field for each generation because of the occurence of a diapause in the final larval stage. This was overcome in Cardiff by providing plant material of the same age during the late stages of larval development. Each species required careful monitoring of the age and quality of the plants in relation to the numbers and age of larvae in each cage. Insects were dispatched by datapost to NRI as pupae, still in stems or leaves, a few days before their expected emergence.

Mitigating diffuse agricultural pollution

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 01:00:00 GMT

Investigating the impacts of diffuse agricultural pollution on water quality and on livelihoods in intensively irrigated tropical and sub-tropical areas

Performance benchmarking your irrigation services

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 01:00:00 GMT

Benchmarking procedures are promoted to improve the management of agricultural water services

Promoting Composting as a Business for the Urban Poor

Tue, 11 Apr 2006 01:00:00 GMT

An environmentally-friendly way to deal with waste...