INVESTIGADORES
ABRAHAM Elena Maria
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Role of Information Circulation Systems (ICS) in the Processes to Combat Desertification. The Case of Latin American and the Caribbean
Autor/es:
TORRES, L; E.M. ABRAHAM Y A. SAEZ
Lugar:
Winhoeck - Ondangwa, Namibia
Reunión:
Workshop; International Seminar of Role of Information Circulation Systems in Scientific and Practical Approaches to Combat Desertification; 2006
Institución organizadora:
Nucleo di Ricerca sulla Desertificazione
Resumen:
The present work is part of a series of wider and more ambitious studies, the common element of which is being integrated within a same research project: the project “Active Exchange of Experience on Indicators and Development of Perspectives in the Context of the UNCCD – AID-CCD”. The main goal of this study is “to favour the exchange of information and experiences among the main institutions involved in the implementation of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in all the regional annexes”. Within this goal, the project intends to make progress in the analysis, discussion and exchange of two thematic lines, collecting in turn information referring to all annexes integrated into the Convention to Combat Desertification and Drought. The thematic lines referred to are: 1- Local and Regional Desertification Indicators in a Global Perspective 2- Role of Information Circulation Systems in the scientific and practical approach to combat desertification In May 2005, the first thematic axis motivated the holding of an international thematic seminar in Beijing, China. The second axis of analysis will be the reason for holding, in April 2006, a second international thematic seminar in Namibia. This seminar attempts to address institutional, not technological, challenges affecting information circulation within and among all levels. Now, if on the one hand the project acknowledges the vital importance that the stages of experience exchange acquire, on the other hand it also warns of the need to broaden and deepen the knowledge of the realities that each of the annexes presents, a stage without which the subsequent exchange stages would not be secured. In this context, and in order to serve as one of the base documents for the discussion to be held at this second international thematic seminar, the present study seeks to broaden knowledge about the “role of information circulation systems (ICS) in scientific and practical approaches to combat desertification in Latin American and the Caribbean”.  The study assumes the need to analyse this thematic axis, at least on three of the action levels recognized by the UNCCD: the regional, sub-regional and, finally, the national level. As for the mode of development of the present study, it must be mentioned that analysing the role of ICS in LAC has posed some methodological difficulties worthy of consideration. In the first place, it is to be highlighted that the amount of available information is high, particularly for regional levels, although profoundly disordered and disperse. At this level, major efforts have been made to have access to the great amount of available data, and to afterwards lay them out in a clear scheme. In relation to sub-regional levels, it must be pointed out that the flow of information is significantly lower. The existence of networks, information systems and systems for circulation of the information has not been previously documented for the region, so a systematic tracking of available information had to be done, mostly through the Internet and by consulting key informants. However, the information voids observed and the lack of response of several key informants makes the risk of having omitted existing databases or systems important. The methodology followed on this point does not discard however the possibility that existing databases or systems may have been omitted. Finally, with respect to national levels, the problems mentioned for sub-regional levels get worse to an extreme point. In this respect the present study reports on those systems likely to be accessed, but risks of omission, for this particular case, are high. In addition to a systematic search for information available on the Internet, intensive use has been made of two data sources. Firstly, an enquiry carried out during the information survey, which gave origin to the study “Use of Indicators in the NAPs Relevant Activities In Annex III” (Abraham; Torres; Gutiérrez Espeleta and Febles: 2005) included within the same AID CCD project. Although this enquiry was primarily directed to survey aspects related to the use of B&I in the annex, it indirectly tackled the second thematic axis, namely the “role of information circulation systems (ICS) in annex IV. In this sense, a second review of the enquiry material available was conducted, and those data were reinterpreted to meet the objectives of the present study. Secondly, and according to the difficulties found regarding information availability at some levels of analysis (mainly sub-regional, national and local), a request for information was made to key informants working in the annex. Nevertheless, the percentage of responses obtained was low (30%) and unbalanced from the territorial standpoint. While some informants provided valuable information, for instance about the Chaco and Hispaniola Sub-regional Programmes, or about the ICS in Argentina and Chile, the representatives of other SAPs or countries failed to make any contributions. Yet, it must be recognized that even though achievement of the study goals was hindered by this situation, this is in itself an indicator of the status of some NAPs and SAPs, and therefore constitutes a datum of inestimable value that ought to be interpreted. Beyond the abovementioned difficulties, and once the data survey process is concluded in January 2006, an interesting flow of information has been achieved which, aside from the gaps likely to be closed over time, allows to grasp a current image of the situation in the annex.  Concerning the way in which work is organized, the first section includes an analysis of the regional or supranational level as related to ICS in LAC. Although emphasis is put on analysing those systems directly linked to the desertification issue, some others having –indirectly- an analogous direction have also been incorporated. Thus, the cases of some agencies that have displayed a potentiating action, both in the process to combat desertification and in the creation and nurturing of ICS, are included.  These, among others, are the cases of FAO, UNEP and UNDP. This section includes the analysis of the: “International Network of Non-governmental Organizations” that works actively in the annex (RIOD-LAC). In the second section the sub-regional level is analysed, as well as each of the SAPs existing in the region: SAPs for Great American Chaco, American Puna, Caribbean, Hispaniola and Mesoamerica. The third section includes an analysis of the national level with the information available, and a brief report on some successful experiences at local level. Towards the end, and already in the conclusions, some considerations are given on the situation of LAC in relation to this issue.