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UNEP environmental atlas
Uganda: Atlas of our Changing Environment.
The Uganda atlas was launched
in June 2009 in Kampala during a large national event attended by ministers and other high level
authorities. Uganda and its environmental agency, NEMA, acknowledged the support provided by Norway
through GRID-Arendal in developing their capacities to produce this atlas themselves. Through the
capacity building assistance provided, NEMA could now serve as mentor and supervisor for the next
environmental atlas that will be produced by a neighbouring country. UNEP has appreciated the work of
GRID-Arendal in Africa though the “side-effect” that the head of GRID-Arendal’s Africa Programme had
been recruited to UNEP to lead the African work at UNEP/DEWA.
The financial stability resulting as a consequence of the Framework Agreement enabled GA to become
more focused on agreed upon areas of competence and on its primary mission to support UNEP. It
helped significantly to raise additional funds for projects within UNEP’s PoW and reduced the
dependence of GA to look in an opportunistic way for projects and clients outside the fields of core
interests of UNEP.
Ability for more strategic planning resulted also in the effect that GA could make concrete steps by the
end of 2009 to re-structure its organisation to more closely reflect UNEP’s 6 thematic areas. As of 2010,
GA’s organisation will be structured in different teams, each ‘falling’ under one of UNEP’s thematic areas.
Besides empowerment, keeping focus and coordination will enhance a closer alignment with UNEP’s
work programme and activities.
11. Impact assessment
The UNEP Shelf Programme had the largest impact in terms of numbers of developing countries
benefiting from GA’s assistance. Providing data and technical assistance to those States preparing their
proposals to define the outer limits of their continental shelf had a notable impact: all 56 countries GA
supported with various degrees of capacity building and technical services have met the deadline of May
13, 2009, to deliver their submissions or preliminary information to the Commission on the Limits of the
Continental Shelf (CLCS
).
This first important achievement and the further services to countries with
extended deadlines will have made and will continue to make a major impact: The newly established
outer limits of the continental shelf will radically transform the world map.
An overview of information about the historic development of UNCLOS, the process of extending the
continental shelf and where every State stands with its submission is available as part of the following GA
publication:
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