International aid development: from emergency to sustainability – 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development

Dr. Rajiv Shah, administrator for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in an op-ed entitled “From Relief to Resilience,” encourages the use of creativity, resourcefulness, and generosity when dealing with long-term, sustainable solutions to aid development – similar to the approach taken during emergencies such as drought and flood relief.

Leading into this month’s United Nations Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sustainable Development, the UN and DevEx (an organization founded in 2000 to serve the development industry) have collaborated to provide Rio+Solutions: Real Problems, Rio Solutions, a high visibility campaign to present global ideas from disaster relief and recovery experts.

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) from June 20-22, 2012, aims to bring people together to brainstorm solutions to reduce poverty, ensure social equity, and protect the environment (http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/index.html). The UNCSD, Rio+20, also marks the 20^th anniversary of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environmental Development held in Rio de Janeiro, and the 10^th anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa. The themes for this year’s conference include: (1) green economy in the context of sustainable development poverty eradication; and (2) the institutional framework for sustainable development. Rio+20 will highlight seven priority areas: decent jobs, energy, sustainable cities, food security and sustainable agriculture, water, oceans, and disaster readiness.

The UN defines sustainable development as the guiding principle for long-term global development consisting of three pillars: economic development, social development, and environmental protection.

To kick-off the Rio+Solutions: Real Problems, Rio Solutions campaign, on June 4 DevEx published Rajiv Shah’s op-ed, co-written with Nancy Lindborg, USAID’s assistant administrator of democracy, conflict, and humanitarian affairs (www.devex.com). Shah writes that the American Government has spent more than $5 billion over the last decade in humanitarian assistance for countries in the Horn of Africa alone – in response to the drought crisis in Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Somalia. He advocates the use of early warning systems, such as satellite technology as well as on-the-ground reporting, to predict impending natural disasters and identify communities at greatest risk. He also advocates expanding donor focus from emergency relief to resilience – i.e. responding after emergencies to preparing communities in advance and helping them prevail afterwards. To further this approach, USAID met with African leaders and international donor partners in Nairobi, Kenya, in April to establish the Global Alliance for Action for Drought Resilience and Growth.

Shah promotes better integration of relief and development work. This includes supporting livestock. “By vaccinating livestock, improving herd quality, and insuring pastoralists against loss, we can prevent communities from losing their herds every time a drought strikes,” he states. Water conservation and improved seeds for drought-resistant plants are also key areas to improve sustainability, in addition to health and nutrition. He maintains that “a clear focus on improving nutrition is at the heart of our shift from food aid to food assistance, even as we continue to meet immediate needs,” Shah states. “Through targeting those most vulnerable, strengthening nutrition and using market-sensitive, cash-based programs that access locally available goods, USAID is working to ensure that our humanitarian response builds … resilience.”

Emergency disaster relief will always be a necessity to prevent immediate loss of life and to stabilize the current situation. However, I believe that a move toward sustainability, while combining the issues mentioned by Rajiv Shah – such as sustainable agriculture, water conservation, health, and nutrition – must also take a holistic approach. This includes mentoring, training, skills transfer programs, and education, particularly for women and girls – and youth, that lead to long-term vocational skills, management and leadership development, and above all income-generation for continual livelihoods and lifestyle improvement. Dignity for all is important for motivation and participation within communities, where an inclusive agenda compliments all programming – from relief to sustainable development.