Community health monitoring pilot project
In early 2007, the Rotterdam Secretariat supported 2 pilot projects in Togo and Tanzania to promote collaboration between NGOs and Designated National Authorities (DNA) in community-based monitoring of health impacts of pesticides. The NGOs and DNAs worked together to develop joint monitoring strategies to be implemented later in 2007. <more>

Training of trainers
Training of trainers (ToT) in ecological monitoring of pesticide impacts was completed in Tanzania (27 Aug – 7 Sep 06), Ethiopia (13-24 Sep 06), Senegal (26 Jan-10 Feb 07) and Benin (19 Feb – 4 Mar 07). The ToT aims to train personnel from African NGOs/government departments in methodologies for monitoring pesticide impacts in tropical habitats, and on training others appropriately on these methods.

Participants gained an understanding of the issues in establishing and running a valid ecotoxicological monitoring programme, and the principles behind the range of simple field methods which can be used in monitoring the non-target effects of pesticides. During the sessions, participants discussed the (locally available) specific additional expertise required for monitoring (for example in West Africa, the training was provided in collaboration with CERES Locustox). Such local expertise will be important for follow up projects in 2007 to build capacity within local communities and other organisations in carrying out a field-based pesticide ecotoxicological monitoring.

   

Mulit-stakeholder meetings
Annual meetings were held in Senegal and Tanzania which gave representatives from government, regional bodies, and NGOs the opportunity to discuss the status of implementation of the conventions and how Pesticides & Poverty could best provide support. Each year, the discussions built on the previous year, and key results include the identification of discrepancies between Senegalese legistation and regional CILSS regulations, which was then addressed by the project in a study proposing updates to the national legislation to bring it in line.

Partners also compiled and updated ‘stakeholder maps’ for the chemical conventions in each country.

See multi-stakeholders.html for more information.