2000 NORAGRIC ANNUAL REPORT

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AGRICULTURAL

UNIVERSITY OF NORWAY Centre for International Environment

and Development Studies

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Established in 1986, Noragric is the Agricultural University of Nor- way’s (NLH) Centre for International Environment and Development Studies. In addition to having its own academic profi le, Noragric acts on behalf of NLH and the Norwegian College of Veterinary Medicine (NVH) and encourages cooperation with associated institutions.

Noragric is central in realising the NLH/NVH strategic emphasis on international cooperation. Its contribution to international development lies mainly in the interface between research, education (MSc and PhD programmes) and assignments. Noragric’s objective is to:

Promote equitable development and community empowerment in low- income countries and countries with an economy in transition, through generating and disseminating knowledge in the areas of sustainable agriculture, food security, natural resources management and environmental policy.

An important role of Noragric is to make the wide range of NLH and NVH competence available for Norwegian development cooperation and international agencies. Based on over 25 years of active interaction between NLH and institutions in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe, Noragric has established a broad network of worldwide contacts, including institutional cooperation with a number of academic and professional institutions throughout the world.

This is Noragric .……….……… 2 Perspectives from the Board …….….. 3 Message from the Director ….….…... 4 Our professional challenge ……….... 5 Programmes and Projects …..……… 7 Projects and Assignments …………... 11 Masters’ Theses ..……….. 16 Institutional Cooperation ………….…. 18 International Education …….….…….. 19 Information Dissemination ….….……. 22 Financial Overview …………..…….... 23 Publications ………...….….. 24 Who’s Who at Noragric .……..….…… 28 Acronyms ………....……. 30 Countries with Noragric activities .… 31

Photo credits: T.A. Benjaminsen (pp. 1, 13, 15, 16, 30), I. Bryceson (pp. 5, 16, 29), B.

Hansen/NLH (p. 32), I. Jørgensen (p.17), K.

Larsen (p. 10), A. Lund (p. 2), J. Teurlings (p.

14), G. Synnevåg (pp. 1, 9), P. Wisborg (p. 16)

Editor: Joanna Boddens-Hosang Layout: Spekter Reklamebyrå as, Ås Printer: Østfold Trykkeri as

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Stability, growth and change are inherent characteristics of healthy and dynamic organisations. To the extent such phrases reveal something essential Noragric is heading towards a promising direction. The nominal accounts for the latest years exhibit a moderate, but still continuous increase in monetary terms. More important, it indicates a well-established foundation for all of Noragric’s basic activities: education, research and assignments. During the last year several achievements within all these fi elds have contributed in general to the uplift- ing tendency.

Regarding education, Noragric’s graduate programme is now integrated into the overall system of the Agricultural Univer- sity of Norway (NLH). For the students it will extend the pos- sibilities to choose different courses and at the same time make it easier for them to take courses at both places without meeting formal obstacles. For the teaching institutions it will give enhanced opportunities for the coordination of resources and hopefully lead to a productive division of labour between the departments on campus and Noragric. Another milestone achieved resulting from many years’ ambitions was the start- ing up of the PhD-course on Development Studies. Noragric has for several years worked towards developing new teaching areas including long-distance teaching, which has led to the partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Compe- tence Centre (MFA - UKS) on an Internet-based MSc course in Development Cooperation, the MANREN course, etc. The efforts last year brought us a large step further on this new road. Development of new teaching areas is becoming an important issue in higher education and the world wide com- petition between the teaching institutions is very strong for launching the best programmes and courses. In short, it is a development that no internationally oriented teaching institution can allow itself to stay behind in. However, participation in this process also brings with it fi nancial and institutional risks.

In addition, the educational quality of these new teaching methods is a particular issue that will require further experience and review before an acceptable design of programmes and courses can be obtained.

Noragric has prioritised research and related activities for a long period. It was therefore highly welcomed when the Nor- wegian Research Council last year granted three research projects to start in 2001 and which will run for the next four years. One project looks at rural poverty and well being in countries with internal wars. It is a comparative study of processes of impoverishment, displacement and identity construction between the Hawaweer in Northern Sudan and Tamil speaking people in the North-East Province of Sri Lanka. The second project focuses on landscape change relating to policies and perceptions. It is also a comparative study, in this case between European and African environments. Lastly, the third project addresses human rights and land tenure reform

in South Africa, taking into account policy, discourses and stakeholders. When it comes to scientifi c publications Nora- gric reached a record in 2000, producing the double amount of the anticipated target for the year.

Building institutional capacity is an important aspect to increasing North-South relationships. The ultimate success of these kinds of projects will require well-prepared partners and cer- tain qualifi cations among personnel involved. Noragric has been involved in several projects comprising institution-building aspects, and is therefore pleased with the renewal of the long-standing institutional partnership with Sokoine and Makerere Universities. Institution building will, as the name indicates, require extensive inter-institutional cooperation.

Noragric is working with several departments at NLH, the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science (NVH) and other related research establishments, in order to identify interests, competence and capacities for taking part in institution building projects that require various kinds of technical qualifi cations.

Organisationally, Noragric’s management structure has moved towards a more activity-based structure. The three fi elds of activities, education, research and assignments, are now organised as three distinct yet mutually supporting ”pillars”.

Three directors were appointed as heads of these sections.

During the last year the role of Noragric’s Board versus managerial bodies at NLH was clarifi ed, which among other things implies enhanced self-determination to employ staff.

Since Noragric is operational under quite different fi nancial and organisational conditions than ordinary NLH departments, this delegation of decision-making was highly appreciated by the Board. In the future, some other issues might be included on the agenda. For the time being, Noragric is quite comfort- able with the current situation.

In every sense the Board is grateful for the good and con- structive cooperation with Noragric’s management and staff during the year 2000.

August E. Røsnes Chairman

Perspectives from the Board

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It is fi ve years since the ”old” Noragric, which was established in 1986, was merged with two other centres at our University, namely the Centre for Sustainable Development and the East European offi ce. The new institution was named Centre for International Environment and Development Stud- ies, but the well-known name Noragric was maintained. It was a daring move by our University’s Board at that time - but it was also a wise one. Roles and mandates became clearer and more focused, because the new Noragric became the main international gateway at the Agricultural University of Norway (NLH), with a clear mandate and responsibility. As staff from the three centres joined forces, the maintenance of scientifi c critical mass could be overcome, interdisciplinarity was encouraged and administration became more effi cient.

Today’s Noragric is a true melting pot. Our staff comes from 13 different nations. In addition, the students who each year enter our MSc course on Management of Natural Resources and Sustainable Agriculture come from over 10 nations as well. Differences in cultures and professional backgrounds become important assets when we address environmental issues, management of natural resources and sustainable agriculture through research and higher education, and when we apply our professional knowledge and our experience in public policy, in Norway and abroad. The interaction between research, teaching and consultancy services is crucial for us.

Interdisciplinary research and fi eld activities are prerequisites for maintenance of our competence and for a better understanding of cross-cutting development issues in a world which gets more and more internationalised, but where the gaps between rich and poor people also get wider. Research allows us to provide better teaching and student supervision. And research supports our professional insight when we do con- sultancies for our many clients. At the same time, experience from assignments provides ideas for new research projects, and supports our teaching and student supervision.

Noragric’s Board Chairman, professor August Røsnes, has highlighted some of our achievements in his address ”Per- spectives from the Board”. I want, therefore, only to mention a few items that I think Noragric should be particularly proud of. There has been an impressive growth in our research activities, as proven by our many publications in refereed jour- nals and elsewhere. Our activities in Eastern Europe have increased far beyond what we had hoped for. An increasing number of visitors to Norway from institutions overseas who want to meet with us to discuss opportunities for cooperation prove that we are recognised on the international agenda. We are appreciated by very many clients and partners in Norway and abroad, which allows for new partnerships in consultan- cies and assignments. We are approached by highly qualifi ed researchers from abroad who want to form partnerships for research cooperation, and who want to work at Noragric.

Noragric must be a ”doer” in serving developing countries and countries with transitional economies. Consequently, there are no academic ivory towers at Noragric. As an institution devoted to multi- and interdisciplinary research and action, we recognise the importance of the highly qualifi ed and very experienced staff at our University’s institutes, and at our many partner institutions in Norway and abroad. We do not want to duplicate their professional competence, but to make optimal use of it whenever possible. There are two ways to approach a possible assignment. One - and perhaps the most common one - is to keep quiet about such opportunities, in fear that some other institution will compete for the assignment. The other, and much more fruitful approach, is to com- pose teams of the best people available, regardless of where they come from. When we are approached by NORAD, or the MFA, or by any other agency, we are proud that our good networks frequently allow us to refer the clients to other institutions and persons who may provide better advice and insight than ourselves on particular topics. The clients will then soon understand and appreciate that Noragric fi rst and foremost is interested in the client’s needs and in the quality of the prod- uct. That again builds confi dence and strengthens credibility, which in the long run benefi ts everybody.

There are, however, some serious challenges ahead, and I want to mention a few of them. The MNRSA programme has been running since 1986 and is widely recognised now. But we must make that programme available to more Norwegian students. We need to diversify our education activities, e.g.

through distant learning programmes and through new course programmes in cooperation with our partner institutions in the South. Although we have established very good relationships with several international institutions, such as the World Bank and parts of the UN-system, we need to diversify that even further. We must explore opportunities for cooperation with the private sector. Agriculture and environmental issues receive a lot of lip service in the international development cooperation debate today. But the actual support has been dwindling over the last years, and there is every reason to be concerned about the future. As a professional institution devoted to development, and particularly to issues related to poverty, democracy and human rights, we at Noragric intend to fi ght this trend vigorously, now and in the future.

Thor S. Larsen Director

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Our professional challenge

How to assist poor people to enhance their livelihoods in a sustainable way is one of the greatest challenges we are facing in the world today. The majority of poor people in developing countries live in rural areas and rely on natural resources for their livelihoods. Focusing on rural development, improved natural resource management and strategies to make agriculture more productive are critically important if poverty is to be reduced. The overall rationale for Noragric’s activities in research, education and assignments is to contribute towards equitable development and community empowerment in accordance with its objective.

The majority of poor people in the South are smallholders and pastoralists. Their livelihoods depend to a large extent on the natural resource base that, accordingly, is of vital importance in seeking to reduce poverty and contribute towards development. During recent decades, debates have drawn attention to the linkages between poverty and environmental degradation. This often-contested relationship plays a central role in environment and development studies. To study this relationship, one needs to analyse the physical changes in the resource base over time as well as the local management of the resources. However, local management is also part of the national and international political economy. National legisla- tion and policies, international commodity prices and terms of trade, the framing of global environmental problems and their attached policies all represent structural frameworks and constraints within which local managers operate. Hence, the international and national level should also be taken into account when studying agricultural development and community based natural resource management.

RESEARCH

Research is the main foundation for Noragric’s development as an academic institution and is of crucial importance for both the education programmes and the assignments undertaken by staff. The Research Committee and the Director of Research are responsible for augmenting research capacity at Noragric, initiating and co-ordinating research activities and integrating research with education and assignments. The Research Committee is also responsible for the PhD programme in Development Studies. Most research activities at Noragric are made possible through institutional collaboration with partner institutions in southern and eastern countries (see Institutional Cooperation section).

Noragric research programmes and projects focus on the following themes:

• Primary industries development and sustainable use of natural resources

• Biodiversity and genetic resources

• Rural poverty and rights to resources

• Conﬂ icts, change and natural resources

These four themes are addressed in different ecological zones (drylands, highlands and coastal zones) applying interdisciplinary and problem oriented approaches. They all feed in to rural development deﬁ ned as processes of change in rural areas contributing to an expansion of people’s capabilities and improvements in well being, equity and sustainability. In commissioned studies and assignments the majority also falls within this professional range.

ASSIGNMENTS

Noragric is an active partner for NORAD and a number of other national and international institutions in implementing, evaluating, planning, reviewing and assessing development programmes, projects, technical reports and project docu- ments. Noragric also takes part in various international processes, meetings, workshops, expert boards and panels as part of our professional work for various clients. Our role as one of the seven environmental assistance centres (Fag- senter - see page 6) to NORAD and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has developed further during 2000, since the formal signing of a new agreement in January 2000.

The involvement of Noragric and other University staff in assignments is an important part of the Noragric philosophy of striking a balance between research and academic approaches on the one hand and real-life problem solving on the other.

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A part of our mission is to make a difference in improving livelihoods for people in developing countries and countries in Eastern Europe. Our contributions to actual ongoing development projects and processes help shorten the loop between knowledge and action.

The most important fundament for Noragric’s success in remaining attractive for assisting NORAD and other institutions through various assignments is the experience and expertise developed through research and education programmes. Noragric makes use of the expertise of not only its own staff, but also of the staff of the NLH departments, independent research institutions located on the campus in Ås, the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science in Oslo, and other associated institutions in Norway. When compos- ing teams of experts for a specifi c project, we also involve regional or domestic experts whenever possible, frequently from our partner universities and partner institutions in the South.

EDUCATION

Since the Rio Earth summit (1992) a new international consen- sus has emerged concerning the critical role played by education in achieving sustainable development. An agreement was reached between developed and developing countries that education is ”critical for promoting sustainable development and increasing the capacity of the people to address environment and development issues”.

Noragric, as part of the Agricultural University of Norway, has emphasized the importance of higher education and has developed its experience particularly in international education programmes at university level since the start. The overall objective of Noragric’s international education programme is to develop and implement training of students to contribute to increased awareness and competence in the fi elds of sustainable agriculture and food security, natural resource management and community development.

Our international education experienced challenges and changes in 2000. The new organisational model was implemented with education as one of Noragric’s three pillars (research and assignments being the others). Gry Synnevåg was appointed as new Director of Education. Expansion of the existing MSc programme, regionalisation, ensurance of interdisciplinarity and academic quality, integration of the programme into the NLH structure, networking, development of an Internet based teaching module, development of a new MSc programme in Rural Development, participation in the Change in the Tropics project with EARTH University and Salzburg Seminar, and the establishment of the International Student Offi ce (ISO) were some of the main tasks. See further on pages 20-21.

The Environmental Assistance Centre agreement In 1999 NORAD and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) decided to establish centres for environmental assistance to developing countries (fagsenter) with seven external partners. The contract with NLH/Noragric was signed in January 2000. The main purpose of these centres is to develop and make available professional expertise outside NORAD and MFA to be used in environment related development projects. Noragric was selected as the centre for assistance related to:

• sustainable production systems (forestry, animal husbandry, agriculture and aquaculture)

• sustainable use and management of genetic resources relevant to agriculture

• food security and livelihood improvement with special emphasis on drylands

• institutional development and management of natural resources, with a focus on local participation, community empowerment and land tenure.

Other institutions in Norway include the Ministry of Envi- ronment and its operational directorates (the Directorate for Nature Management, the Directorate for Cultural Her- itage, the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority and the Norwegian Mapping Authority) as well as the Norwegian Institute for Marine Research (Havforskningsinstituttet).

All centres were specifi cally selected to undertake respon- sibilities within their relevant areas of competence.

The agreement includes an obligation to develop networks to relevant institutions at the national and international level, to follow international processes and to liaise with international and multilateral institutions. NLH/Noragric is also responsible for linking up with other institutions outside the University and to make use of the best available expertise for each assignment. This expertise is being sought from all relevant institutions on the University campus in Ås and from other institutions in the country.

For NORAD this agreement allows for a system of ”one stop shopping”, where one address will be suffi cient sup- plying expertise in a wide range of topics and from a wide range of institutions. The volume of assignments undertaken for NORAD as a result of this agreement amounts to about NOK 3.4 million, of which some 60% was chan- nelled to partner institutes outside Noragric.

Noragric contact: Ivar Jørgensen

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Programmes and Projects

(ongoing or completed in 2000)

Noragric’s focal areas form the basis for the research programmes, projects and assignments and are brought together under two main headings: Sustainable Agriculture, Food &

Livelihood Security and Natural Resource Management &

Community Development. These main headings are sub- divided into the four themes mentioned on page 5. Relevant research projects and selected assignments are listed in the following section.

1. PRIMARY INDUSTRIES DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABLE USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES

» Issues addressed:

• How sustainable use of natural resources can be enhanced to contribute towards improvements in men and women’s livelihoods and well-being;

• How agricultural and rural non-farm growth (e.g. small enterprises) contributes to community development and poverty reduction;

• What role different policies and institutions play in the management of natural resources and community empowerment including the gender dimension;

• How agricultural production can be increased while at the same time improving the food security situation of the poor;

• How dryland farming challenges should be addressed in relation to rangeland management, animal rearing, crop production and water management;

• How good policies and practices of integrated coastal zone management can be enhanced;

• What kind of integrated plant nutrient management approaches are appropriate to enhance the livelihoods of poor men and women farmers;

• How to facilitate effective and environment friendly management of watersheds;

• The effects of land use change on carbon sequestration;

• The impact of global climate change on grazing land;

• How the traditional soapberry Endod can be used to control schistosomiasis (bilharzia).

High Altitude Integrated Natural Resource Management Programme, Northern Pakistan

In 1997, a fi ve-year collaborative research programme was initiated between Noragric/NLH and the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) of Baltistan, in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. The main aim of the programme is to gain insight into pasture and forest resources and their role in farmers’ livelihood systems.

Integrated resource management is not a new concept at AKRSP, but one that is continually being redefi ned as the complexity of the mountain environment becomes apparent. AKRSP, an NGO established in 1982 and supported by a consortium of donors and the government of Pakistan, initiated an extensive rural development programme throughout Northern Pakistan. It became clear early on that rural development in the Northern Areas was very dependent on the sustainable use of natural resources but that these resources, particularly the forests, were being threatened by the changing economic and political situation in the area. Huge areas of forest disappeared at the hands of timber contrac- tors despite bans on the felling of trees. At the same time demand for fi rewood in the urban areas increased.

To save the natural vegetation from further degradation and to provide an alternative source of energy to fulfi l the subsistence needs of the local population, AKRSP initiated a special Forestry Programme funded primarily by NORAD in 1987. The programme provides an oppor- tunity for a dialogue with the village organisations to determine their wishes, creating interest for playing a positive and fruitful role in conservation and tree plant- ing, thereby enhancing the resource base. Through this programme, the local communities have demonstrated that they can manage forestry resources communally, and local communities are both consulted and included in formulation of policy and management guidelines for use and conservation. The current research collaboration between Noragric/NLH and AKRSP builds on this experience of community development and resource management through an integrated approach where forests are seen as one of the many components of women and men’s resource-based livelihoods. Now in its fi nal stages, the programme is emphasizing that the knowledge generated from this research, and the capacity built through local participation in the research, will be used in developing management and conservation strategies in AKRSP and government, initially at project sites, but eventually in other areas of the Himalayas as well.

Noragric contact: Ingrid Nyborg

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2. BIODIVERSITY AND GENETIC RESOURCES

» Issues in the fi eld of agro-biodiversity focused on:

• How to improve on-farm conservation and use of local plant genetic resources to enhance food and livelihood security of poor farmers;

• How to secure access to suffi cient quantities of high quality seed of both local and improved material particularly in situations of confl ict or natural disasters;

• Why and in what way are local knowledge and gender important factors in improving the maintenance and use of agro-biodiversity;

• How to ensure the legal framework as stated in the Con- vention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Agenda 21, the International Undertaking, and the Global Plan of Action works for local communities e.g. regarding access and benefi t sharing;

• Why governments can’t make policy: the case of plant genetic resources in the international arena.

» Issues in the fi eld of biodiversity and the management of natural resources focused on:

• The impacts of grazing on biodiversity of rangelands in Africa;

• The indigenous drought coping strategies of pastoralists in northern Kenya;

• Addressing the increased pressure on coastal resources;

• The role of traditional knowledge systems in the management of coastal resources;

• The environmental and social impacts of shrimp-farming;

• Facilitating management systems conducive to sustainable use of wildlife resources by local communities;

• The kind of wildlife property regimes that exist and how they interface with society;

• The integration of biodiversity and environment aspects in development projects.

Wild animals as property: yours, mine or ours?

Many countries legally claim ownership, or at least sover- eignty, over the wild animals within their borders. During the past few decades this claim has been strengthened through international agreements to protect biodiversity generally, and endangered species specifi cally. This study considers property regimes of large migratory animals both to gain a better understanding of issues relevant to wildlife management at its interface with society, and to further develop property theory. It suggests that it is the special characteristics of these animals as property, as well as the instability and inconsistencies within and between wildlife property regimes and the apportioning of the consequent benefi ts that lie behind many of the diffi culties of its management as a resource. The study focuses on two migrating animals, reindeer and wolves.

The reindeer study traces the changing conceptualisa- tion of reindeer over time, both among the indigenous Saami people and within the broader Norwegian society.

In addition to the economic and judicial changes often focused upon in relation to property theory, the study focuses on social, technological and ecological changes that have created opportunities and constraints for the involved stakeholders. The study on wolves in a local Norwegian community contrasts with that of reindeer.

Local rights deciding on resource use have been limited through national sanctions of the wolves’ ”right” to exist locally. The study raises the question of what types of rights are extended by proximity to resources. While the procedure leading up to the decision to allow wolves to exist in the local area was arguably representative and as such just, the consequences of its imposition raise questions of fairness. This study looks at the continued existence of wildlife internationally through a discussion on equity and justice.

Noragric contact: Cassandra Bergstrøm

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3. RURAL POVERTY AND RIGHTS TO RESOURCES

» Issues in the fi eld of rural poverty and rights to resources focused on:

• The relationship between poverty and environmental degradation;

• How to operationalise the concept of right-based development with focus on the right to food and to natural resources;

• The consequences of land reforms on local people (men and women);

• How men and women negotiate control and access to resources under changing contexts;

• How perceptions on property rights, institutions and policies impact forest management and cover;

• The effects of rural credit programmes.

Human rights and governance in South Africa’s land reform

This collaborative project is carried out together with the Programme for Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS) at the University of Western Cape (UWC), Cape Town, South Africa. The thematic focus is on human rights and governance in South Africa’s land and agrarian reform.

Overall objectives are: (a) to develop a better understanding of key issues in South Africa’s land and agrarian reform, in both South Africa and in Norway; (b) to provide institutional support to capacity building efforts at PLAAS; (c) to enable exchange visits to enhance research capacity and facilitate collaboration in research and training; (d) to provide research and study grants to two PhD students for research on agrarian reform in South Africa. T.A. Benjaminsen participated in the research on the consequences of land reform for com- munal livestock farmers in Namaqualand in the Northern Cape Province together with PLAAS and the National Botanical Institute. Two PLAAS researchers, P. Ndabula and W. Ellis, participated in the PhD course in Develop- ment Studies held at Noragric. Programme co-ordinator S. Grimstad organised a one-week fi eld trip in Norway in September 2000 around the theme of ’Management of the commons in Norway’. Participants included core researchers at PLAAS and Noragric as well as some key resource persons from other departments at NLH.

An in-depth report on the status of land and agrarian reform was produced by S. Turner (PLAAS) and H.

Ibsen (Noragric) and was presented at a seminar in Pre- toria.

Noragric contacts: T.A. Benjaminsen/Sidsel Grimstad

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4. CONFLICT, POVERTY AND NATURAL RESOURCES

» Issues in the ﬁ eld of conﬂ ict, poverty and natural resources focused on:

• What happens when men and women become internally displaced, forced migrants in their home country;

• How to address the forced migrants right to return as well as their right to stay;

• The ecological and social status of forced migrants along the coast of Mozambique;

• How people perceive a secure livelihood and how they conceptualise poverty, wealth, well-being and deprivation in conﬂ ict situations;

• The relationship between national conﬂ icts and the local rural poverty level and how poverty issues in conﬂ ict situations should be addressed.

Forced migration of civil war victims in Africa and Asia: Resource conﬂ icts, dilemmas of return and long-term development

The project’s aim is to investigate connections between forced migration, dilemmas of return and the importance of understanding the link between the management of natural resources and the social, political and economic processes among and between refugee communities. The focus on resource management was signifi cant because in low-income countries problems related to forced migration are usually those of land distribution, environmental degradation, population growth and food security. These are all problems that may easily initiate new confl icts. Field- work was carried out in countries that experience or have experienced civil war. In Africa, fi eldwork was conducted in Sudan and Mozambique; in Asia, fi eldwork was conducted in Sri Lanka. The data collected shows that the term ”environmental refugee” is too one-dimensional and does not cover the meaning of the refugee processes. In order for environmental problems that lead to forced migration to be better understood, these should be discussed in the con- text of socio-political circumstances. It is often assumed that forced migration leads to resource based confl icts between migrants and people living in areas where migrants settle. This research has uncovered situations where forced migrants establish their own economic niches. As a result, the local population does not perceive the presence of migrants as a threat. Rather, in time migrants become soci- ally and economically integrated within the larger community. With regard to processes of return it has become clear that return cannot be conceptualised as returning home, i.e. returning to the same place. In situations where forced migration has taken place, a return means a con- striction of a society based on previous as well as present experiences and knowledge. The research clearly reveals problems related to the assumption that it is better for migrants to return home or to be repatriated. The right to stay is equally important as the right to return.

Noragric contact: Kjersti Larsen

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1. PRIMARY INDUSTRIES DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABLE USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Research projects

Sustainable schistomiasis control using Endod, Ethiopia Funded by: NFR

Period: 1996-2001

Noragric contact: Kjell Esser

Combating nutrient depletion in Ethiopia Funded by: CGIAR/ICRAF

Period: 1998-2002

Noragric contact: Jens B. Aune

Policy incentives for agricultural development Funded by: EU

Period: 1998-2001

Noragric contact: Jens B. Aune

Research in dryland areas: incl. Integrated Plant Nutrient Management (IPNM) in Mali

Funded by: NORAD Period: 1998-2001

Noragric contact: Grete Benjaminsen Farming systems development in Ethiopia Funded by: NUFU

Period: 1988-2000

Noragric contact: Trygve Berg

Food security and household income for small-holder farmers in Tanzania (TARP)

Noragric contact: Fred H. Johnsen Perceptions of landscape change Funded by: NFR

Period: 2001-2004

Noragric contact: Tor Arve Benjaminsen

Identifying success factors and limitations related to female entrepreneurship in Norway and Estonia

Funded by: NFR Period: 1997-2003

Noragric contact: Aud Marit Esbensen

Effects of land use change on carbon sequestration in the acid upland agro-ecosystem of the Philippines

Funded by: State Education Loan Fund/ICRAF/Noragric Period: 1999-2003

Noragric contact: Shushan Ghirmi Woldu

Effects of integrated nutrient management on crop production and soil organic matter, central Ethiopian highlands Funded by: State Education Loan Fund/ICRAF

Projects and Assignments

Period: 2000-2004

Noragric contact: Balesh Tulema Bune

High altitude integrated natural resource management programme, Pakistan (AKRSP)

Selected Assignments

Food production, agriculture and society, Latvia Funded by: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Noragric contact: Lars Sjøfl ot Farmer innovators in land husbandry Workshop in Mekelle University, Ethiopia Funded by: NORAD

Noragric contact: Gry Synnevåg

Review of the Zula programme in Eritrea Funded by: Norwegian Church Aid Noragric contact: Fred H. Johnsen

Mid-term review of aquaculture education and research project, Vietnam

Funded by: NORAD

Noragric contact: Ian Bryceson

Upper watershed management project, Sri Lanka Funded by: Asia Development Bank

Period: 1998-2003

Forest sector study in Bosnia-Herzegovina Funded by: The World Bank

Partner Institution: Norwegian Forestry Group Noragric contact: Mensur Vegara

Mid term review of a rural development project, Timbuktu, Mali

Funded by: CARE

Noragric contact: Tor Arve Benjaminsen

Spatial environmental planning in Himachal Pradesh, India Local Partner: Town and Country Planning Department, Shimla, HP

Funded by: NORAD

Project Leader: August Røsnes, Dept. of Landscape Plan- ning, NLH

Background studies on agriculture and natural resource management in Uganda and Malawi

Funded by: NORAD

Noragric contact: Sidsel Grimstad

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Agriculture-based business development. A study of options and resources in Norwegian development policies

Funded by: NORAD

Representing Norway in the International Forest Advisers Group

Funded by: NORAD

Environmental report for a private company on agricultural investment in Paraguay

Funded by: Fresco Norway AS Team Leader: Einar Høystad Noragric contact: Henning Svads

Integrated Plant Nutrient Management in Mali Study in collaboration with the DCG in Mali Funded by: NORAD/DCG

Team Leader: Jens B. Aune

Extension packages in the drylands of Ethiopia Study in collaboration with the DCG in Ethiopia Funded by: NORAD/DCG

Team Leader: Jens B. Aune

2. BIODIVERSITY AND GENETIC RESOURCES

Research projects

Gender, biodiversity and local knowledge systems (LiNKS) for food security in Southern Africa (Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Mozambique).

Funded by: FAO

Period: 1996-2001 (phase I) Noragric contact: Gry Synnevåg

Policy research on genetic resources globally Funded by: IPGRI/CGIAR/Noragric

Noragric contact: Cary Fowler

Seed security: Supply and management practices of local and improved seeds in Mali

Funded by: NORAD (DCG) Period: 1999-2000

Noragric contact: Gry Synnevåg

Management of agricultural biodiversity - Third world farmers’ experience with change and their coping strategies Funded by: NFR

Period: 1999-2003

Noragric contact: Frøydis Kvaløy

Market and non-market incentives for in situ conservation of agro-biodiversity in a centre of biodiversity, Ethiopia

Funded by: State Education Loan Fund, Ethiopia (Biodiversity Conservation and Development Institute) and Noragric Period: 2000-2004

Noragric contact: Bayush Tsegaye

Comparative value of crop varieties adapted to varying ecosystems in Nepal

Funded by: State Education Loan Fund/IPGRI Period: 2000-2004

Noragric contact: Deepak Kumar Riijal Research projects

Biodiversity, eco-system management and coping strategies among pastoralists in Africa

Funded by: Noragric Noragric contact: Gufu Oba

Marine biodiversity (Jakarta mandate) cooperation with IUCN and East African coastal institutions

Funded by: NORAD and IUCN Period: 1999-2003

Marine and coastal ecology and natural resource management, Tanzania and Mozambique

Funded by: NUFU

Wild animals as property: yours, mine or ours?

Funded by: NLH Period: 1997-2002

Noragric contact: Cassandra Bergstrøm

Selected assignments

Review of the environment sector programme, Tanzania Funded by: NORAD

Team Leader: Kjell Havnevik, SLU Noragric contact: Ivar Jørgensen

Programme review of NORAD-funded environmental programmes in India

Funded by: NORAD

Noragric contact: N. Shanmugaratnam

Environment review of the Orissa programme, India Funded by: NORAD

Noragric Contact: N. Shanmugaratnam

Thematic evaluation of biodiversity in World Bank projects Funded by: World Bank

Noragric Contact: Thor Larsen

Environmental assessment in East Timor Funded by: UNDP/UNOPS

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Gender, biodiversity and local knowledge systems (LiNKS) for food security in Southern Africa (Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Mozambique)

Under the FAO project, LinKS, which focuses on gender, biodiversity and local knowledge in Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Mozambique, Noragric was asked to visit the Xai- Xai region in Mozambique, which was the worst hit area fl ooded in 2000, to identify the imminent need for seed restoration. ”Seed restoration” is the reconstruction of local seed supply systems after natural or man-made disasters. The need for this was fi rst recognised by the international community when FAO gave it attention and priority in the ”Global Plan of Action on Plant Genetic Resources” (1996). A report describing the pre-fl ood seed supply system, the destruction and disruptions caused by the fl ood, offers an outline and a recovery and re-development plan (Trygve Berg, Fernando Dava and Judite Mchlanga: Post-disaster rehabilitation and seed restoration in fl ood affected areas of the Xai-Xai District, Mozambique; published by FAO; http://www.fao.org/

sd/2001/PE0302a).

Noragric contact: Trygve Berg/Gry Synnevåg

3. RURAL POVERTY AND RIGHTS TO RESOURCES

Research projects

Human rights and governance in South Africa’s land reform Funded by: NORAD

Period: 1999-2004

Noragric contact: Tor Arve Benjaminsen/Sidsel Grimstad Triangular institutional co-operation between Ethiopia, India and Norway: Fostering South-South links in the management of natural resources in semi-arid areas (including CPR study)

Funding by: NORAD Period: 1997-on-going

Noragric contact: Poul Wisborg

Economic analysis of reciprocity and agricultural markets in Africa

Noragric contact: Espen Sjaastad

Visions of equity: On the environment and sustainable development assistance in Norway

Funded by: NFR Period 1998-2000

Noragric contacts: Hilde Ibsen/Ruth Haug

Yours today, mine tomorrow? Women and men’s negotiations over resources in Baltistan

Funded by: NFR, Noragric and AKRSP Period: 1996-2001

Forest change: Property rights perceptions and policies in the Baltistan region, Pakistan

Funded by: State Education Loan Fund and AKRSP Period: 2000-2004

Noragric contact: Jawad Ali.

Farmers first: Participatory knowledge generation in Ecua- dor

Noragric contact: Elisabeth Molteberg

Human rights and land tenure reform in South Africa: a case study of policy, discourse and stakeholders Funded by: NFR and NORAD

Period: 2000-2004

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Selected assignments

Representing Norway in the Consultative Group for Interna- tional Agricultural Research (CGIAR)

Funding agent: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Noragric contact: Ruth Haug

National Smallholder Association, Malawi: appraisal report Funding Agent: NORAD

Team leader: Per Dæhlen, SNV Noragric Contact: Henning Svads

Final review of CARUNA, a rural credit programme in Nica- ragua

Funding Agent: NORAD

Team Leader: Roberto Garcia, Department of Economics and Social Sciences

Savings and credit programmes, NGOs and national legisla- tion in Mali (Study and follow-up workshop in collaboration with the DCG in Mali)

Team Leader: Papa Aly Ndior Noragric contact: Grete Benjaminsen

A comparative study of common pool resource (CPR) management with respect to forest and natural regeneration in Ethiopia and India (1998-2000) This study is done in collaboration with the Relief Soci- ety of Tigray, Mekelle University, the N.M. Sadguru Water and Development Foundation Institute of Rural Management, Anand.

The villages reviewed in the study show that people in Gujarat and Tigray have engaged in community-based rehabilitation of important environmental resources. The greening of the Tigray countryside during the 1990s is impressive, likewise the demonstrations of biological diversity and productivity of some Joint Forest Man- agement (JFM) sites in Gujarat. Narratives of repairing community-environment relations through joint efforts apply to both local people and external observers. Area enclosures in Tigray are integrated in a regional level governance system that gives scale and continuity.

However, the policy framework is dynamic and evolving.

Villagers use the interventions to obtain investments and employment opportunities, but also to challenge their limited utilisation rights, in some cases pushing for privatisation of resources. In Gujarat, villagers use the central JFM policy to fi ght for more equal shares in forest produce. Formalising rights of local communities is a way to address inequalities whether rooted in traditional hierarchies or emerging out of mainstream development. The effects of the investments rely on institutional arrangements that enable people, including poorer households, to negotiate rights to resources and benefi ts such as grass, fi rewood and honey production. It is important to go from benefi t sharing to power sharing and to actively use area enclosures and JFM in rural development strategies. While the conventional CPR theory has proposed useful guidelines, in Tigray and Gujarat the re-construction of village institutions and the rights to land is a dynamic process of people struggling for power, clearer rights and improved relations with authorities based on the recognised auton- omy of their organisations and institutions.

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4. CONFLICT, POVERTY AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Research projects

Forced migration of civil war victims in Africa and Asia:

Resource conflicts, dilemmas of return and long-term development

Noragric contact: Kjersti Larsen

Rural poverty in conflict situations in Sudan and Sri Lanka Funded by: NFR

Period: 2000-2004

Noragric contact: N. Shanmugaratnam Selected assignments

National hydropower plan study, Vietnam Funded by: SIDA and NORAD

Lead fi rm in Norway: Norplan A/S Noragric contact: Kjell Esser

Resolution of resource conflicts in Ethiopia Workshop in collaboration with the DCG in Ethiopia Team Leader: Kåre Lund

Noragric contact: Grete Benjaminsen

Collaboration with Norwegian NGOs in

”The Drylands Coordination Group”

Since 1998, Noragric has collaborated with several Norwegian NGOs in the Drylands Coordination Group (DCG). The DCG is a forum for cooperation that pro- motes the quality assurance of development projects dealing with food security and natural resource management in the drylands of Africa. In 2000, the participating Norwegian NGOs were: ADRA-Norge, CARE-Norge, Norwegian Church Aid, Norwegian People’s Aid, the Strømme Foundation and the Development Fund.

Noragric provides the NORAD-funded DCG with a sec- retariat and functions as a facilitating and implementing body for the group. Through a supporting technical advisory role, Noragric also contributes to enhancing the technical competence and capacity within the DCG.

Moreover, Noragric plays a catalyst role to ensure networking, information dissemination and synergy between members and partners.

DCG’s annual activity plan is implemented in Mali, Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea, and is divided into the following categories:

• technical advisory support to individual projects

• workshops on topics of common interest

• research and study assignments

• information and networking activities

One of DCG’s objectives is to contribute to the fulfi lment of Norwegian obligations to the United Nations Con- vention to Combat Desertifi cation (CCD). The group seeks to relate its activities to this convention and to the national action programmes for implementation. This makes the coordination effort of the DCG unique and can be seen as an important contribution and support to the follow-up of the CCD.

During the past two years DCG networks have been established in Mali, Ethiopia and Eritrea. These national networks consist of local branches or partners of the Norwegian members, which jointly develop activities that could contribute to achieving the DCG’s objectives.

These networks bring the coordination of dryland activities closer to the partners and enhance the network with a variety of institutions involved in managing the drylands of Africa. For further information see: http://

www.drylands-group.org

Noragric contact: Grete Benjaminsen

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Problems and prospects of smallholder dairying. A case study in Manikganj District, Bangladesh.

Md. Zakir Hossain Akanda Supervisor: Arve Lund

”To till or not to till ”- zero tillage in the central highlands of Madagascar.

Manfred Franz Arlt Supervisor: Jens Aune

Access to forest and sustainability of livelihoods. A case study of Bara Dis- trict, Nepal.

Usha Aryal Dahal

Supervisor: N. Shanmugaratnam

Intensification and responses of smallholder farmers to productivity decline in the northeastern Ethiopian highlands.

A case study from the Tehulederie Dis- trict.

Fenta Gugsa Asfaw Supervisor: Jens B. Aune

Resource use in crop-livestock farming systems and its implication on household food security of smallholder farmers: A case from the Dodola District, Bale Zone, Ethiopia.

Matewos Tera Bussa Supervisor: Jens B. Aune

Socio-economic and political aspects of environmental degradation: stakeholder analysis. A case study from Entoto Area, Ethiopia.

Sileshi Dejene Asnake

Supervisor: N. Shanmugaratnam

Sustainable water development? A case study assessing the role of external and internal institutions and water rights, and their influence in the process of provision and management of drinking water schemes to a rural community in Nepal.

Anne Grethe Gislerud

Supervisor: Cassandra Bergstrøm

Forest degradation/Regeneration in the hills of Nepal. A study at watershed level.

Naba Raj Gurung

Supervisor: Prof. Sankhayan Prem Lall

Evaluation of conventional and alternative tomato diseases and insect pest management strategies as an approach to Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

A case study from the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia.

Getachew Ayana Hordofa Supervisor: Trygve Berg

Small-scale irrigation and household food security. A case study of the Doni Irrigation Project in Central Ethiopia.

Fuad Adem Illo

Supervisor: Ragnar Øygard

Gender, household organisation and women’s and men’s access to and control of natural resources in Kartike, Nepal.

Kathrine Ivsett Johnsen Supervisor: Kjersti Larsen

Charcoal consumption, its socio-economic and environmental impacts: A case study from Dar es Salaam, Tanza- nia.

George Revocatus Kafumu Supervisor: Fred H. Johnsen

Are the women and poor better off? A study on their access to resources and participation in decision making in community forestry management in Nepal. A case study from Dolakha (mid-hill) district of Nepal.

Manohara Khadka Supervisor: Ingrid Nyborg

Diversity and dynamics of tree species and their sustainability in rural farmland.

A case study from the Chitwan District, Central Tera, Nepal.

Deepak Kumar Kharal Supervisor: Trygve Berg

Household vulnerability and risk management by Boran pastoralists in South- ern Ethiopia.

Deed Jaldessa Kontoma Supervisor: T.A. Benjaminsen

Impact of land encroachment on upper watersheds in Sri Lanka (a case study of the Uma Oya watershed).

Chandra Seneviratne Kottagoda Gedara Supervisor: N. Shanmugaratnam

Bio-economic modelling and management of wildlife resources. Case study of the impala population in and around the Chobe National Park of Northern Botswana and a description of the institutional background and framework surrounding the management of impala and other wildlife.

Kingsley Mokaedi Leu

Supervisors: Olvar Bergland, Rich Ready

Targeting the food insecure households in rural areas. A case study in Hai Dis- trict, Northern Tanzania.

Jacob Robert Mushi Mankinga Supervisor: Fred H. Johnsen

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Assessment of stakeholders’ participation in forest conservation programmes:

A case of the Kilimanjaro catchment forest management project, Tanzania.

Stephen Wingiasa Mariki Supervisor: Fred H. Johnsen

Resource use and access conflicts. The case of Rwenzori Mountain National Park and the surrounding communities, Western Uganda.

Ngelese Johnson Mbogha Supervisor: T.A. Benjaminsen

Water pollution and people’s awareness at Hatcliffe Extension, Harare,

Zimbabwe.

Soneni Eulodia Mpofu

Supervisor: T.A. Benjaminsen, Kjell Esser

The socio-economic importance and indigenous management of woody per- ennials in Mpigi District, Uganda. A case from the Nangabo and Kira sub- counties.

Sarah Mujabi Mujuzi Supervisor: Adelaida Semesi

Agricultural intensification process on smallholder farms in Uganda. A case from the Mukono District.

Stephen Mabira Mukasa Supervisor: Jens B. Aune

Opportunities and constraints of croco- dile ranching in Tanzania. A case study from the Kaole, Mamba and Tumaini ranches.

Charles Justin Mulokozi Supervisor: Adelaida Semesi

Deforestation in Zimbabwe (case study from the Chikomba District).

Simon Mutonhori

Supervisor: T.A. Benjaminsen

Assessing and comparing success of four community based organisations managing natural resources in Northern Botswana.

Elsie Tolani Mvimi Supervisor: Ståle Navrud

The profitability of deforestation. A survey of some private natural forest owners in the Mpigi District, Uganda.

Justine Namaalwa Supervisor: Ole Hofstad

Coastal aquaculture: searching for sustainable management strategies. Case studies in North and North Central Viet- nam.

Tran Van Nhuong Supervisor: Ian Bryceson

Farmer-to-farmer extension in the Andes of Ecuador.

Ida Kristin Normann Supervisor: Ruth Haug

Ecological and socio-economic effects of petroleum spills in fresh water systems: A case study of four rivers affected by oil spills in Zambia.

Moses Amos Nyirenda Supervisor: Adelaida Semesi

Wood products marketing in Nepal:

through public agency or private agency?

Bishwa Nath Oli

Supervisor: Ragnar Øygard

Interventions, sustainability and community forestry. A case study of the Nepal Resources Management Project in the Melewar Community Forest User’s Group, Dhading District, Nepal.

Ganga Parajuli

Supervisor: Ingrid Nyborg

An assessment of resource management competence of major irrigation systems in Sri Lanka: A study of bureaucracy-community interface in the Redibendi-ela scheme.

Mudiyanselage Priyantha Ratnayake Supervisor: N. Shanmugaratnam

Status of tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) and livestock depredation in the Royal Sukhlaphanta Wildlife Reserve, Nepal.

Uba Raj Regmi Supervisor: Per Wegge

Assessment of the contribution of agriculture, non-agricultural activities and indigenous woodlands towards household food security. A case study of smallholder farmers in the Mafunganye village of Zvishavane District,

Zimbabwe.

Takella Shoko

Supervisor: Fred H. Johnsen

Rural conservation of forest biodiversity. A case study from Khyber Valley, Upper Hunza, Gilgit District, Northern Areas, Pakistan.

Ikram Khurukdz Ullah Khan Supervisor: Trygve Berg

The role of irrigation in improving food security and alleviation of poverty in northwestern Ethiopia. A case of traditional irrigation in the Lobokemkem Dis- trict.

Adarn Mulugeta Wale Supervisor: Bekele Shiferaw

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Cooperation with institutions in developing countries is an important part of Noragric’s efforts to support sustainable development in our partner countries. We have institutional agreements with more than 20 partners in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. Most of these are with universities, and some are with NGO’s, research foundations and public institutions. The level of activity varies over time, and also varies according to the success in obtaining funding for joint programmes. The sources of funding are a.o. NORAD, the Research Council of Norway, multilateral institutions etc. The programmes of cooperation include joint research activities, support to education and training as well as support to institutional development. In several of the programmes, support to PhD education is included. The general purpose of most of the agreements is capacity development, knowledge generation and institutional improvements. Some of the active agreements in 2000 have been with:

• Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania.

New fi ve-year programme started in 2000, involving Nora- gric and some departments of NLH and NVH.

• Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.

New fi ve-year cooperation phase; follows a close cooperation dating back to 1969.

• Programme for Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS) in South Africa. Joint project on land reform commenced in 2000.

• Forestry Commission of Zimbabwe.

Institutional development programme (closed down in May 2000 as a result of withdrawal of Norwegian funding to development projects in Zimbabwe).

• Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP), Northern Territory in Pakistan. Implementation of joint research and development activities.

• Bunda College of Agriculture, Malawi.

Curriculum development and teaching in social forestry involving long-term Noragric staff.

• Department of Wildlife, Botswana.

Implementation of joint research, education and institutional strengthening programme through the BONIC programme.

• Town and Country Planning Department in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India.

Combination of training and development of land use plans in two urban districts.

• EARTH University, Costa Rica.

Partnership with EARTH, Salzburg Seminar and Noragric in the Sustainability, Education and the Management of Change in the Tropics project.

• Triangular Institutional Cooperation between Ethiopia, India and Norway.

Management of forest commons; supporting South-South links in the management of natural resources in semi-arid areas.

• Asmara University, College of Agriculture and Aquatic Studies (CAAS), Eritrea. Eritrean PhD students currently fi nalising their theses at NLH.

• Mekelle University and Debub University (previously Awassa College of Agriculture), Ethiopia.

Students are pursuing their PhD degrees at various NLH departments; funding of infrastructure investments and research.

• The International Centre for Research on Agro-Forestry (ICRAF), Ethiopia.

Joint project on Combating Nutrient Depletion.

• IUCN-The World Conservation Union.

Joint projects on biodiversity management in coastal zones, wetlands and mountain ecosystems in collaboration with NODE partners.

NODE

Some assignments offered to Noragric are done in partnership with two Norwegian institutes: the Chr. Michel- sen Institute (CMI, Bergen) and the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA, Trondheim). Noragric joined forces with these institutes in 1995 to form the Norwegian Consortium for Development and Environment (NODE), offering advisory services in a broad range of social and ecological disciplines. In 2000, NODE continued with project preparations for three IUCN regional programmes (see above). The programmes, funded by NORAD, are a collaboration effort between IUCN, local and Norwe- gian institutions, organised through NODE. Also in 2000, NODE carried out the World Bank funded project ”World Bank performance in biodiversity conservation and sustainable use: Findings from an evaluation of selected World Bank supported projects”. The UNOPS funded project ”Assessing environmental needs and priorities in East Timor” started in 2000. This interdisciplinary project outlines the major environmental issues facing East Timor today and identifi es the main priorities that may need to be addressed by East Timorese authorities, civil society and supported by the donor community. For further information on NODE, see: http://www.node.org

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The PhD programme in Development Studies

Noragric offers a PhD programme in Development Studies with a focus on its four main themes: sustainable agriculture, food & livelihood security, natural resource management and community development. The PhD programme follows the general criteria and requirements defi ned by the Agricultural University of Norway (NLH) and is undertaken in collaboration with the University departments. Noragric runs a twelve credit course in Development Studies divided into four sec-

International Education

tions: Development Theory; Science Approaches and Devel- opment Theory; Methodological Perspectives; and Bridge to Biology. The course was conducted during the Autumn 2000 and had 12 participants. The Norwegian Research Council funds the course component of the programme. Noragric had 10-12 PhD students during 2000, about half from developing countries funded by the Norwegian State Education Loan Fund (Lånekassa), and half from Norway funded by NFR and one funded by NLH.

Overview of Noragric’s doctoral students in 2000, dissertation topics and funding sources

Country Topic/Student Funding source Year

Ecuador Farmers fi rst: Participatory knowledge The Research Council of Norway 1997-2002 generation in Ecuador/Elisabeth Molteberg

Ethiopia Market and non-market incentives for in situ Noragric/Ethiopia/ 2000-2004 conservation of agro-biodiversity in a centre of State Education Loan Fund

biodiversity/Bayush Tsegaye

Ethiopia Effects of integrated nutrient management on crop ICRAF/State Education Loan Fund 2000-2004 production and soil organic matter in the Central

Ethiopian highlands/Balesh Tulema Bune

India Management of agricultural biodiversity - The Research Council of Norway 2000-2004 Third world farmer’s experience with change and

their coping strategies/Frøydis Kvaløy

Nepal Comparative value of crop varieties adapted to IPGRI/State Education Loan Fund 2000-2004 varying ecosystems/Deepak Kumar Rijal

Norway/ Wild animals as property; yours, mine or ours?/ NLH

Global Cassandra Bergstrøm 1997-2002

Norway/ Identifying success factors and limitations related The Research Council of Norway 1998-2003 Estonia to female entrepreneurship in Norway and Estonia/

Aud Marit Esbensen

Pakistan Yours today, mine tomorrow? Women and men’s The Research Council of Norway 1996-2001 negotiations over resources in Baltistan/Ingrid Nyborg

Pakistan Forest change: Property rights perceptions and AKRSP/State Education Loan Fund 2000-2004 policies in the Baltistan region/Jawad Ali

Philippines Effects on land use change on carbon sequestration ICRAF/State Education Loan Fund 1999-2003 in the acid upland agroecosystem of the Philippines/

Shushan Ghirmi Woldu

South Africa Human rights and land tenure reform in South Africa: The Research Council of Norway/ 2000-2004 a case study of policy, discourse and stakeholders/ NORAD/PLAAS

Poul Wisborg

Mozam- Tourism and resource confl icts/Hanne Haaland The Research Council of Norway/NINA 2001-2005 bique

Burkina Organising farmers in Burkina Faso: A study The Research Council of Norway 1999-2002 Faso of the Naam movement/Øyvind Hansen

Philippines PhD assisting supervision in the fi eld of biodiversity The Research Council of Norway/FNI 1999-2002 and genetic resources/Regine Andersen

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The MSc programme

Since 1986, Noragric has been running a two-year MSc programme entitled Management of Natural Resources and Sus- tainable Agriculture. The programme recruits students from Norwegian partner countries in the South, mainly from Africa, Asia, and some from Eastern Europe.

The objectives of the programme are to:

• Offer an interdisciplinary approach to planning and management of agriculture and natural resources in developing countries;

• Raise professional capacities of planners, managers, NGO staff and teachers from developing countries involved in integrated resource management;

• Equip participants with relevant analytical techniques and tools for direct implementation.

The programme focuses on the challenges linked to the concept of sustainable development as an interdisciplinary fi eld of study.

The MSc programme faced considerable changes in 2000.

The following courses were approved by the Academic Pro- gramme Board and will be added to the existing courses from 2001:

• Project Management

• Exercises in Field Research Methods

• Rural Development

• Political Ecology

• Seminar on Management of Natural Resources and Sus- tainable Development

To secure interdisciplinarity and the academic quality of the programme, Dr. Gufu Oba was appointed academic coordi- nator for the MNRSA programme. A review of student eval- uations of the programme was undertaken and a proposal to improve the interdisciplinarity of the programme was prepared.

The MNRSA programme was externally evaluated and received a favourable assessment by the team. They did rec- ommend, however, that the programme should be better integrated into the NLH structure.

Regionalisation of the MNRSA programme

Noragric has over the years developed close collaboration with universities and research institutions in the South. To enhance institutional collaboration linked to the MNRSA programme and to ensure capacity building at partner institutions in the South, Noragric has decided to outsource parts of the programme.

As a fi rst step, this involves joint planning and implementation of the programme’s third semester at two partner universities in the South. From 2002 students will take three courses at the partner universities and undertake fi eld research in the respective countries. Depending on funding, students might also undertake the fi eld research in their home countries.

In 1999/2000 several universities were visited to explore pos- sibilities for institutional collaboration and to extend the MSc programme to two partner universities in Africa and Asia.

Noragric’s assessment of these institutions identifi ed Make- rere University, Uganda, and Tribhuvan University (Institute of Forestry), Nepal, as suitable potential collaborative partners for the MSc programme. Working groups were formed at both institutions and budgets and work plans were outlined and discussed.

The objectives of the MNRSA collaboration are to:

• Jointly develop research-based course curricula to address key issues related to the sustainable management of natural resources and sustainable agriculture;

• Implement the jointly developed curricula for the programme through integration of teaching and research at collaborating institutions supported by Noragric;

• Develop distant learning capacity at collaborating institutions;

• Develop capacity in interdisciplinary approaches to planning and management of natural resources;

• Promote collaborating institutions as regional centres for teaching and training of natural resource management.

Networking through former students

Noragric has formalized cooperation with 13 academic institutions in the South besides the close working relationship it has with other institutions. Former MNRSA students are instru- mental for the expansion and maintenance of our networks due to their association with relevant institutions in their home countries. They can assist Noragric with fi rst hand information and insight into their countries’ political priorities and assist with information about development opportunities and constraints. They are therefore encouraged to participate in joint research, education and assignments whenever opportunities arise.

Noragric has formalized and facilitated dialogue and cooperation with its former MSc students through three network secretariats: one in Tanzania, one in Ethiopia and one in Nepal.

Information about access to these networks can be obtained via the Education programme at Noragric.

2000 NORAGRIC ANNUAL REPORT

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Contents

Perspectives from the Board

Our professional challenge

Programmes and Projects

(ongoing or completed in 2000)

Projects and Assignments

International Education