N O R A G R I C A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 0 4

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Department of International

Environment and Development Studies

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Countries with institutional collaboration activities

Noragric became the Department of International Environment and Develop- ment Studies at the renamed Norwegian University of Life Sciences (Universitetet for miljø- og biovitenskap - UMB) on 1 February 2005. While this Annual Report records Noragric’s activities for 2004 when Noragric was still a centre at the former NLH, it is disseminated in 2005. We want all our contacts and partners to be aware of Noragric’s new status as well as the new name of the University: the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB).

Noragric’s vision is to:

Contribute towards equitable development, sustained well-being of women and men, and sound environmental practices through collaborative activities that gen- erate and exchange knowledge and provide education in the area of agricultural development, livelihood security and natural resource management.

Noragric’s activities include research, education and assignments, focusing particularly, but not exclusively, on developing countries and countries with economies in transition. Besides Noragric’s role as the international gateway for UMB, Noragric also acts on behalf of the Norwegian College of Veterinary Medicine (NVH) and of Norwegian Agricultural Research International (NARI), which form alliances with UMB. With more than 40 years collaboration between UMB and academic and professional institutions in Africa, Asia and South East Europe, Noragric has established a broad network of worldwide contacts.

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Reflections from Rector _________________________________ 4

Message from the Head of Department ___________________ 5

Noragric’s Professional and Academic Focus _____________ 6

Noragric Programmes __________________________________ 7

Research projects and Assignments ____________________ 10

Institutional Cooperation _______________________________ 17

Education ___________________________________________ 20

Master’s Theses in 2004 _______________________________ 23

Information dissemination and Library ___________________ 25

Financial Overview ____________________________________ 26

Who’s Who at Noragric ________________________________ 27

Acronyms ____________________________________________ 30

Photo credits: N. Bazmi (p. 22), T.A. Benjaminsen (pp. 1, 9, 12, 14), C. Bergstrøm (pp. 1, 8), I. Bryceson (p. 16), H. Guyo-Roba (p. 12), F. Johnsen (pp. 1, 7), E. Jørgensen (pp. 1, 3, 5, 24, 25, 27, 32), B. Nawab (p. 6), S. Pandey (p. 22), B. Sitaula (pp.

4, 13), H. Sparre/UMB (pp. 29, 31), F. Sundnes (pp. 15, 27).

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

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As 2004 drew to a close, the world was shocked by nature’s destructive force – the tsunami that hit the Indian Ocean region and which struck the poor hardest. This terrible tragedy not only resulted in a great loss of human life, but left many poor people without homes, the means of obtaining food and income, access to clean water and a damaged infrastructure.

Our university has both staff and students from the stricken countries. Fortunately none were personally affected but the disaster left us feeling numb and with an urge to assist in an appropriate manner. UMB will offer 5 students from the stricken countries a full Master’s scholarship at our university starting in 2005.

The world witnessed how the delicate relationship between nature and the people who are dependent on natural resources can easily be upset by nature itself, yet the cause of most environmental imbalance is still man-made. Rural development and sustainable natural resource management are unques- tionably linked but remain a challenge to strike the right bal- ance. I was privileged to travel to Nepal in November, where I was introduced to several projects and programmes contributing to rural development with Noragric involvement. These projects focus on watershed management, crop intensification, and soil- and forest conservation that are highly relevant

Refl ections from Rector

for rural development in Nepal. Some preliminary discussions were held between Noragric and Tribhuvan University about starting a new Master’s programme in ”Conflict management, peace building and development”. It will depend on the security situation in Nepal if it is feasible to start the programme in 2005. It seems, however, to be much needed in a country such as Nepal where the rural poor are particularly affected by the country’s internal conflicts. It was also clear that Nepal is facing a tough situation in maintaining several beautiful world cultural heritage sites. These represent a source of income from tourist-based livelihoods of poor people.

The year entailed substantial preparations in meeting the requirements to obtain the Norwegian university status. This was finally granted in December and announced by the Nor- wegian Minister of Education and Research, Kristin Clemet, at a festive ceremony on our campus. The Agricultural University of Norway became the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB) on 1 January 2005. And while NLH prepared itself to become a university, discussions in the University Board had begun about Noragric’s future as a university department.

This, too, was agreed at a Board meeting early in the New Year and came into force on 1 February 2005.

The new department status for Noragric and the Norwegian university status and change of name symbolize a new chap- ter for the university and for Noragric. As a department, Nora- gric will become even better integrated into the university than before. For the foreseeable future, however, no changes are to be made in Noragric’s core activities in education, research and assignments.

I wish our youngest department much success in 2005!

Knut Hove

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The year began with the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’

release of White Paper No. 35 Fighting Poverty Together – A Comprehensive Development Policy. Noteworthy is that the Norwegian parliament, after discussing this White Paper, decided to strengthen the role of the environment in development collaboration, which was warmly welcomed by Noragric.

The White Paper also puts agriculture back on the development agenda, which was subsequently confirmed in a new action plan to support agricultural development. The Minister of International Development, Hilde Frafjord Johnson, launched the action plan Fighting Poverty through Agriculture at our university on 18 May. Amongst others, it prioritises strengthening user- and property rights of natural resources by the poor and supports land reforms.

Following the launch of the action plan, Noragric and partners organised an international seminar on property rights to land and natural resources in June, addressing property rights from an institutional, political and cultural angle. In taking such a multi-dimensional approach, it became clear that the institutional approach tends to focus on transaction costs, internali- sation of externalities, design principles of institutions, and the importance of the market and institutions as rules of the game.

While the emerging political approach emphasizes power, governance, citizenship, conflicts, negotiations and fluidity, the cultural approach explores the ramifications of place and space, moral landscapes, and the construction of identity linked to land and resources. Noragric appreciates the efforts of the Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto in contributing towards property rights and the rule of law being firmly put on the international development agenda worldwide.

A really happy event occurred later in the year when the environmental activist Professor Wangari Maathai received the Nobel Peace Prize. Wangari Maathai received an honorary doctorate at NLH in 1997 upon Noragric’s recommendation.

Wangari Maathai has been at the forefront in the fight for sustainable development, democracy and human rights in Kenya and in Africa; as a biologist she has focused on the effects of deforestation, water and soil erosion, especially how this relates to rural women as primary caretakers of land and family. With Maathai receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, the con- cept of “peace” received a new dimension. The connection

between environment, resources and conflict (peace) was perhaps not so evident before she received the prize. At Nora- gric, the common view is that building peace is not something that is done only between governments or at the UN level. For the poor living in the South, natural resources are essential to survival. Poverty itself does not necessarily lead to conflict, but poverty increases as a result of conflict.

Just as Professor Maathai was awarded the Peace Prize, Nor- agric researchers completed the manuscript to a new book Between War and Peace: Deprivation and Livelihood Revival in Sudan and Sri Lanka that will be published in 2005. The chapters in this book show that civil wars increase vulnerability, deprivation and poverty, which in turn have serious implications for conflict resolution, peace building and development.

Protracted wars generate new grievances and conflicts related to command over resources, gender roles and human development among rural communities. The book provides evidence to support the view that conflict resolution and peace building need to be linked to the enhancement of people’s livelihood security in order to sustain peace in the long run.

Ruth Haug

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Development addresses relations and challenges such as global governance, accountability, transformation of the world economy, social movements, conflicts and peace-keeping, citizenship, rights, the role of consumers, genetic engineering, food sovereignty, etc. Within this context, Noragric focuses on three mutually supportive programmes:

• Agricultural development and livelihood security

• Biodiversity and natural resource management

• Rights, conflicts and resources

Several cross-cutting themes fall under these: policy, ecological zones (drylands, coastal zones, highlands), gender, participation, inter- and cross-disciplinarity, community development, urban/rural relations, partnership and capacity building.

RESEARCH

Research is closely linked to both the education programmes and the assignments undertaken by staff. The Research Com- mittee (RC), led by the Head of Research, initiates and co-ordi- nates research activities and integrates these with education, institutional collaboration and assignments. The Research Committee plays a facilitating and coordinating role for academic prioritisation at Noragric. RC is also responsible for the PhD programme in Development Studies.

EDUCATION

The main goal of Noragric’s Master’s and PhD programmes is to educate students with increased awareness, analyti- cal capacity and research-based knowledge in the fields of environment and development studies and to strengthen the institutional capacity of Noragric’s partners in the same fields.

Noragric’s Head of Education, supported by the Education Committee (EC), is responsible for the Bachelor’s- and Mas- ter’s programmes (the Bachelor’s programme in Development Studies will start in autumn 2005). The Master’s programmes are Management of Natural Resources and Sustainable Agri- culture/MNRSA, and Development Studies-Poverty, Environ- ment and Collective Action. Noragric also runs web-based distance learning and continuing education courses.

PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT, INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERSHIPS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Noragric plays and active role in national and international committees and networks, in advisory roles for the Norwe- gian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in institutional collaboration with partners in developing countries, and in collaboration with various national and international civil society organisations.

These activities ensure that the knowledge and experience that have been developed in collaboration between Noragric

Noragric’s Professional and Academic Focus

and its partners are put to use for the benefit of development pro cesses in developing countries and countries with economies in transition, and to shorten the loop between knowledge generation and knowledge utilisation. In 2004, these activities were coordinated by the Head of Programmes and Opera- tions.

Ecological sanitation

More than a billion people still lack access to clean water, while more than two billion live without adequate sanitation. Poor water quality, sanitation and hygiene account for almost two million deaths a year worldwide. Clearly, inadequate water supply and sanitation aggravate poverty and impede development.

Despite efforts to improve the water and sanitation situation for poor people, water-related diseases have, in fact, worsened in many areas during the last few dec- ades. The UN goal of “clean water and sanitation for all by 1990”, came and went without

bringing signifi cant improvements to the lives of poor people.

Noragric collaborates with other departments at UMB as well as partners in the South to develop and promote ecological sanitation solutions that can be implemented and managed by small communities. Emphasis is placed on low construction and maintenance costs, recycling of water and plant nutrients, and adaptation to cus- toms and religious beliefs.

Noragric has, for example, participated in the construction and monitoring of wetlands designed to treat industrial wastewater from Gadoon Amazai Industrial Estate in Pakistan. Similar wetlands are being constructed in villages to

purify wastewater from households. Ecological sanitation systems attempt to eliminate pathogens while re-using plant nutrients directly in crop production. Studies are also made to determine the potential contamination of domestic water wells by in-house pit latrines in areas where the groundwater table is fairly close to the surface.

Contact: Kjell Esser

Irrigation with untreated domestic wastewater, Pakistan.

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Scientific staff are grouped into Noragric’s three scientific programmes according to their professional areas of expertise.

The programmes are mutually supportive. Among others, the groups serve as the first screen for PhD applications; they develop strategies and plan initiatives to strengthen the scientific work in Noragric’s thematic areas; and play an advisory role for specialization areas of the Master’s programmes. The three group leaders participate in the Research Committee and regular meetings between group members and the UMB rector/pro-rector are held.

1. AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LIVELIHOOD SECURITY

This programme addresses:

• Poverty reduction, rural employment, access to markets

• Governance, national policies, civil society

• Research, education, access to new technologies

Case study under the Agricultural Development and Livelihood Security programme

The interdisciplinary and collaborative programme Food Secu- rity and Household Income for Smallholder Farmers in Tanzania:

Applied Research with Emphasis on Women (TARPII – SUA) The Food Security and Household Income programme was launched in September 2000 as a fully NORAD funded programme implemented in collaboration between Sokoine Uni- versity of Agriculture (SUA) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS) in Tanzania, with participation from Nor- wegian research institutions UMB, NVH (Norwegian School of Veterinary Science) and NCRI (Norwegian Crop Research Institute). Noragric coordinates the participation of the Norwe- gian researchers in the programme. The original programme period ended in June 2004 and an impact assessment report of the programme was presented and discussed at a stake- holder workshop in August.

The programme adopted an interdisciplinary approach cutting across boundaries between departments and institutions from the very start. Each of the 34 research teams has members from both SUA and MAFS, and more than half of the projects have participants from Norwegian research institutions. Each research team comprised of researchers with various disci- plinary backgrounds, and was designed to solve specific applied problems.

Several projects within the programme led to an increase in smallholder production. These included a project on rainwa-

ter harvesting which doubled the production of maize among the respondents, and a project on integrated management of Witch Weed (Striga spp) which resulted in five times as high sorghum production as prior to the project. Several of the projects also successfully increased the income of the contact farmers: one dealt with cassava commercialisation whereby cassava was processed for livestock feed and more than doubled the contact farmers’ cash income from cassava. A good number of respondents also reported improved food security due to an increased ability to buy food. Farmers who were trained in processing and storage of cassava chips reported that they were now able to eat during the food shortage period, thereby securing their food availability throughout the year.

Two projects specifically targeted the quality of nutrition rather than the quantity of production, income and food availability.

These projects led to an improved nutritional status of children and significant health improvements as a consequence of an improved diet.

Several projects also had a positive impact in terms of reduc- ing the farmers’ workload, especially for women. Participants in the dry season feeding project reported that the women’s workload was reduced by six hours per day in the dry season due to cattle feed being available at the farm site instead of gathering it at distant places. Also, the introduction of cassava processing machines gave substantial benefits in terms of reduced labour. While it takes 5 people to process 1,250 kg of fresh cassava manually in 2 days, working 5 hours per day (a total of 50 working hours), the same amount can be processed by one person operating a motorised processing machine in half an hour.

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Professor Cary Fowler, Head of Research at Noragric, was asked by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to assemble and chair a committee of international experts to assess the technical and political feasibility of constructing an underground Arctic Seed Depository for the international community on Svalbard. At 78 degrees North, the potential site near the village of Longyearbyen has much to offer: it is both remote and accessible; infrastructure is excellent;

and the cold temperatures would safeguard the seeds even if mechanical cooling systems needed for maintaining the ideal temperature of –18C were to fail temporarily.

The Feasibility Study Committee concluded that a facility could be constructed with heavily reinforced concrete inside a vault carved out of solid rock in the mountains near Long- yearbyen. It would essentially be built to last “forever,” and would offer credible, robust protection against natural and human-induced accidents. Operation of the facility would, according to the Committee, be simple, transparent and cheap. It would be built to house up to two million seed samples, the current estimate of the number of unique samples held in all gene banks around the world. Expressions of interest in using such a facility were received from a number of countries during the Committee’s inquiry, including Russia, the USA, Ethiopia, Iran and Japan. The Nordic Gene Bank already has its own safety duplicate collection on Svalbard and it is assumed that they would move their collection into the new facility and take over management responsibilities.

Norway vetted the idea at a meeting of the FAO Commission on Genetic Resources. Professor Fowler, representing the Study Committee, was on hand to address technical ques- The vast majority of contact farmers expressed their inten-

tion to continue using the introduced technologies after the projects come to an end since they had acquired the skills to use them and experienced their benefits. The chairperson of one farmer group confirmed that not only had all the contact farmers adopted the technology, but other farmers within the village and from other villages had also seen the benefit and adopted the technology.

It would not be reasonable to expect that all 34 projects within the programme will be a success. Still, the number of suc- cessful technologies introduced and tested during the programme period is high. Apart from the impact on farmers, it is also important to recognise the impact of the programme on Tanzanian agricultural research institutions. Through the programme researchers and their institutions have moved towards demand-driven interdisciplinary on-farm research in close contact with farmers. In the long run, this may turn out to become the most important impact of the programme.

Contact: Fred H. Johnsen

2. BIODIVERSITY AND NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

• Effects of natural and human influences on the environment

• Natural resource management in different ecosystems

• Benefit sharing, “ownership”, capacity building, access to knowledge

Case study under the Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management programme

Securing the world’s plant genetic resources on Svalbard Plant genetic resources are the biological foundation of agriculture and the raw material for all plant breeding. This genetic diversity – usually in the form of seed – is frequently stored for conservation purposes and ultimately for use in

“gene banks,” facilities in which seed can be kept in low temperature and low humidity conditions. So managed, seeds of many species will remain viable for hundreds of years.

The gene banks themselves, however, may be more vulner- able than the seeds. They are threatened by everything from budget cuts to natural disasters, to terrorism – not a pretty picture for a resource that human beings cannot live without. Enter Svalbard – the idea of providing the ultimate safety backup for the world’s plant genetic resources - an insurance policy for the worst-case scenario.

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tions from the 160-country members of the intergovernmental Commission. The Commission greeted the plan for a Svalbard Seed Depository with considerable enthusiasm and support.

It now appears that the Norwegian government is moving to formalise plans to construct the NOK 20 million facility. If construction starts in the summer of 2005, Norway could play both host and protector to the world’s most precious living resources in 2006. And beyond.

Contact: Cary Fowler

3. RIGHTS, CONFLICTS AND RESOURCES

• Rights, opportunities and access to natural resources for the poor

• Conflicts and post-conflict management

• Internally displaced people and forced migration

Case study under the Rights, Conflicts and Resources programme

Questioning carrying capacity as a management tool in South African land reform

Since 2000, Noragric and the Programme for Land and Agrar- ian Studies (PLAAS) at the School of Government, University of the Western Cape, South Africa, have been cooperating under the heading ‘Human rights and land reform in South Africa’. Most of the research in this collaboration has been carried out in Namaqualand, a semi-arid area bordering Namibia.

One of the studies examines the notion of carrying capacity as it is currently used in the implementation of land reform in Namaqualand. Carrying capacity planning within rangeland management has a central place in South Africa’s history of environmental conservation and agricultural modernisation.

During the latter part of the 20th century, especially during the 1960s and 1970s, many national agricultural policies were designed to promote the interests of white farmers on private land. Such policies used equilibrium and succession theories to determine optimal sustainable yield within a farming system based on private property, fenced camps and conservative stocking rates. Policies and research were motivated not only by the need to modernise agricultural production, but also by the perception that extensive soil and vegetation degradation was occurring as a result of ‘overgrazing’.

In South Africa today, it is still common to assume that livestock keepers need to adhere to a defi ned carrying capacity in order to conserve rangeland resources and achieve

economic development. Our research examines how carrying capacity planning is currently implemented within land reform in Namaqualand. We use a political ecology approach to link environmental issues to economic constraints, land rights, social justice and values. We concluded that carrying capacity should not be regarded as a purely technical issue, as policy-makers and extension services tend to do. This narrow technical approach is problematic for three reasons.

First, it perpetuates the colonial myth that the private ranch system is an ideal one, regardless of the diverse production goals and unequal economic opportunities that small farmers have. Second, it ignores evidence going back more than half a century that the Namaqualand range can sustain far more livestock than offi cially recommended. Third, it tends to privi- lege one particular perception of the ideal landscape at the expense of livelihoods security and poverty alleviation.

To the extent that the notion of carrying capacity is successfully promoted, it continues to impede objectives of food security, insurance, and wealth storage. It still provides a rationale for interventions aimed at regulation of stock numbers to the detriment of efforts to develop infrastructure and marketing. In Namaqualand it has helped the wealthier and powerful herd owners to justify the exclusion of the poorer ones from new commonage obtained through redistribution.

Source: Benjaminsen, T.A., R. Rohde, E. Sjaastad, P. Wisborg

& T. Lebert. (forthcoming) “Land Reform, Range Ecology, and Carrying Capacities in Namaqualand, South Africa”. Manu- script submitted for publication.

Contact: Tor Arve Benjaminsen

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Research projects and Assignments

Grouped according to the three Noragric programmes

1. AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LIVELIHOOD SECURITY

Enhancing food production and nature management, Debub University

Funded by: NUFU Period: 2002-2006

Noragric contact: Trygve Berg

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

Funded by: NORAD Period: 2000-2004

Noragric contact: Fred H. Johnsen

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

Funded by: NORAD Period: Phase II, 2002-2005 Noragric contact: Ingrid Nyborg

The role of higher education and capacity building for poverty reduction

Noragric contact: Frik Sundstøl

Lungwena health, nutrition and agricultural multidisciplinary project, Malawi

Funded by: NUFU Period: 2003-2006

Noragric contact: Frik Sundstøl

Improving performance of Bunda College to contribute to development in Malawi

Noragric contact: Frik Sundstøl Health and nutrition in Goundara, Mali Funded by: Normisjon

Period: 2004

Noragric contact: Jens Aune

Rural development & carbon sequestration Funded by: NFR

Period: 2002-2004

Team Leader: Solveig Glomsrød (Statistics Norway)

SEED SECURITY

On 2 March, Assistant Minister for Development Cooperation, Olav Kjørven, opened a two-day workshop on Seed Security at UMB. The workshop was organised by Noragric in collaboration with CARE-Norway.

Over a number of years considerable amounts of money have been committed to seed aid for communities that have been affected by major natural or man-made disasters. Aid from Norway and several other donors has been used, but most often without adequate prior needs assessment and without sufficient understanding of existing seed supply systems and coping mechanisms. A research project supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, involving CARE-Norway, USAID, CIAT (International Center for Tropical Agriculture), Catholic Relief Service and Noragric, has studied a number of cases of seed relief. The objective was to learn how to link disaster relief to development and avoid creating dependence and the chronic seed distribution that has resulted in several cases.

The research included cases from Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda and Zimbabwe representing countries with seed security problems caused by drought, civil strife, flood, plant disease, and a distorted political economy.

The workshop heard findings and results from all these case studies and worked on possible generalisations and policy recommendations.

While different disasters in different societies may require spe- cially adapted responses, a general finding is that an absolute lack of seeds is rare. Even after the worst of disasters local seeds usually exist and can be mobilised and redistributed through various mechanisms. Chronic seed stress is most often due to poverty and should be addressed as a poverty challenge rather than through seed distribution.

Students of the Master’s programme in Development Stud- ies participated in the workshop. Two of these later became involved in further research on approaches to link seed assistance to development as a topic for their Master’s thesis.

Contact: Trygve Berg

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Agent-based simulation of sustainable resource use in agriculture and forestry

Funded by: Center for Development Research (ZEF), Bonn Period: 2004

Evaluation of ADDAC and FADCANIC projects, Nicaragua Funded by: NORAD

Period: June – December 2004 Noragric contact: Ivar Jørgensen

IPM seminar in collaboration with NARI and CATIE Funded by: NORAD

Period: May-December 2004 Noragric contact: Ivar Jørgensen

Technical advisory services to the CGIAR (Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research)

Funded by: Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Period: ongoing

Noragric contact: Ruth Haug

Competence transfer, institutional contact and cooperation between university faculties of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine in South Eastern Europe

Funded by: Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Period: 2002-2005

Noragric contact: Mensur Vegara

Pilot Project “Institutional collaboration between academic institutions in Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine in Norway and Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia & Mon- tenegro”

Noragric contact: Mensur Vegara

Rehabilitation of agriculture & agricultural education in Kosovo

Noragric contact: Lars Sjøflot

Follow-up evaluation of “Agroventure Ukraina”

project, Ukraine

Noragric contact: Lars Sjøflot

2. Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management Evaluation of DFID’s Ten Renewable Natural Resources Programme

Funded by: DFID

Period: October 2004 - June 2005 Noragric contact: Trygve Berg

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

Funded by: FAO Period: 2002-2005

Noragric contact: Ingrid Nyborg LINKS project – Phase III Funded by: FAO

Period: August - December 2004 Noragric contact: Ingrid Nyborg

African Centre for Technology Studies: Desk study review Funded by: SIDA

Period: 2004

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

Period: ongoing

Noragric contact: Cary Fowler

Feasibility study on Arctic Seed Depository on Svalbard Funded by: Norwegian Ministries of Foreign Affairs and of Agriculture

Period: June 2004

Teaching at Nyabyeya Forestry College, Makerere University, Uganda

Noragric contact: Stein Moe Consultant: Peter Hoebeke

Evaluation of Environment Programme, Botswana Funded by: NORAD

Period: August - December 2004 Noragric contact: Ivar Jørgensen

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THE GEF INDIGENOUS VEGETATION PROJECT (IVP) (2004-2006)

The GEF-IVP is a regional as well as national project dealing with the rehabilitation of degraded rangelands across six sites that has been implemented since 2001 in Botswana, Kenya and Mali through collaboration between the governments of these countries and with support of UNEP, UNDP and UNOPS. The project combines community-based indigenous knowledge aimed at rehabilitating degraded biodiversity of indigenous vegetation and strengthening management of the arid zones of the three African countries. A major goal of the project is to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experiences between three comparable but different situations and develop models that can be transferred elsewhere in Africa. Noragric coordinates the comparative regional research and training part of the project in a joint collaboration with the University of Oslo.

NORAD contributed funding for the regional comparative research and training programme. The project funded 12 students, four from each country, to take a two-year Mas- ter’s degree in Natural Resource Management at Noragric (2004-2006). The students will also take an autumn semes- ter course in Rural Development, project planning and field methods at Egerton University in Kenya (August-Septem- ber 2005) through institutional collaboration. Noragric’s professor Gufu Oba coordinates the implementation of the comparative regional research and training activities. The student research is expected to contribute to the implementation of the GEF regional comparative research in the three countries.

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN THE IMPLE- MENTATION OF THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT CONVENTIONS AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION (2004-2006)

Under this project, Noragric is involved in establishing networks between researchers in Norway, Kenya and Ethiopia to develop and test a new framework for inte- grating local pastoral communities into assessments and monitoring of the implementation of the Global Environ- ment Conventions on biological diversity and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The overall goal of this research project is to analyze inter- linkages between different conventions, land degradation, biodiversity loss and rural poverty. The project has a strong focus on the integration of local communities into monitoring the implementations of the conventions that contribute to poverty reduction at the community level.

The project has funded two PhD students: Hassan Guyo Roba is looking at “Integration of scientific and herder knowledge for land use impact assessments in Northern Kenya” and Boku Tache Dida deals with “Understanding poverty among Boorana Oromo pastoralists in southern Ethiopia. Global perspectives and local realities”.

Contact: Gufu Oba

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Review of Environment Programme, Tanzania Funded by: NORAD

Period: September - December 2004 Noragric contact: Ian Bryceson

Reindeer and sheep: research project on optimal dual species management

Funded by: University of Oslo Period: 2003-2006

Noragric contact: Stein Moe

GEF indigenous vegetation project (IVP) Funded by: GEF

Period: 2004-2006

Noragric contact: Gufu Oba

Community participation in the implementation of the Global Environment Conventions and poverty alleviation

Funded by: NFR Period: 2004-2006

Noragric contact: Gufu Oba Coastal aquaculture systems Funded by: NFR

Period: 2002-2004

Noragric contact: Ian Bryceson GRID-Arendal technical support Funded by: UNEP

Noragric contact: Thor Larsen

Upper Watershed Management project, Sri Lanka

Funded by: Asian Development Bank/ Ministry of Forestry and Environment (Sri Lanka)

Period: 1998-2004

Noragric contact: Ivar Jørgensen Project Leader: S. Larsen (Statskog)

Sustainable management of natural resources in watersheds, Nepal

Period: 2003-2007 Funded by: NUFU

Noragric contact: Bishal Sitaula

Agricultural intensification impacts on soil, water, socio- economic development, Nepal

Noragric contact: Bishal Sitaula

Community Biodiversity Development and Conservation (CBDC) Programme

Funded by: NORAD, SIDA (Sweden), IDRC (Canada), DGIS (the Netherlands)

Period: 2001-2004

3. RIGHTS, CONFLICTS AND RESOURCES

Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) and poverty reduction - Phase II

Noragric contact: Ingrid Nyborg

Appraisal of the de Soto programme, Tanzania

Funded by: Royal Norwegian Embassy, Dar es Salaam Period: June-July 2004

Contact: Tor Arve Benjaminsen

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Human rights and governance in South Africa’s land reform Funded by: NORAD, through the Institute of Human Rights, University of Oslo

Period: 1999-2004

Noragric contact: Tor Arve Benjaminsen

Support to human rights and governance in South Africa’s land and agrarian reform

Funded by: University of Oslo; PLAAS Period: 2001-2004

Noragric contact: Tor Arve Benjaminsen CO–GOVERN

Funded by: European Commission Period: 2002-2005

Noragric contact: Tor Arve Benjaminsen

Land reform and poverty in Namaqualand, South Africa Funded by: NFR

Period: 2003-2005

Noragric contact: Espen Sjaastad

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-ongoing

Noragric contact: Bishal Sitaula PhD course in Development Studies Funded by: Norwegian Research Council Period: 2000-2006

Cooperation between NLH and Eastern University of Sri Lanka – Preparatory phase

Funded by: Royal Norwegian Embassy, Colombo Period: 2003-2004

Noragric contact: N. Shanmugaratnam

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

Period: 2000-2004

Land tenure and natural resource management in Sudan Funded by: Norwegian Peoples Aid

Period: 2004

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BETWEEN WAR AND PEACE: DEPRIVATION AND LIVELIHOOD REVIVAL IN SUDAN AND SRI LANKA

Noragric’s research project on “Poverty and human well- being in countries with armed conflict” was completed in December 2004. Funded by the Norwegian Research Council (NFR), this project involved several empirical studies in Sudan and Sri Lanka, two countries affected by protracted internal wars. These studies are part of an anthology titled Between War and Peace: Deprivation and Livelihood Revival in Sudan and Sri Lanka to be published in 2005. The collection also includes contributions from researchers who were not part of the project.

The studies contribute to knowledge on different aspects of the relations between armed conflict, poverty, development and peacebuilding. They deal with communities and livelihoods in diverse settings in the two countries. As a collection they offer an opportunity to see not only the differences between Sudan and Sri Lanka but also the diversity and complexity of the issues. The studies cover a wide range of local contexts in war and non-war zones, in which people strive to make a living, adapt their livelihoods to various constraints and construct group identities, to the larger and globally linked issues of conflict resolution and development.

The studies indicate that the link between poverty and the origins of armed conflict is not necessarily direct, although many of the ongoing intra-state wars are taking place in low and middle-income countries. However, when an internal war becomes protracted, its impact on the people in terms of human security, livelihoods and freedoms assumes serious proportions. Large sections of people are affected by vulnerability, deprivation and poverty and this has serious implications for conflict resolution, peace building and development. The studies show that people’s perceptions of their states of being are based on the security/insecurity they experience in terms of their livelihoods, personal safety and basic freedoms.

The general conclusions may be summed up as follows:

protracted wars generate new grievances and conflicts related to command over resources, gender roles and human development among rural communities. The emer- gence of these grievances and conflicts at different levels has impacted on the main conflict that became militarised.

The impact of war on people’s livelihoods and well-being

is spatially and socially uneven, weighing more heavily on women and children with the latter losing opportunities for long-term human development. Lack of assets, health problems and wartime restrictions on physical mobility are major contributors to households’ vulnerability to livelihood failure.

The studies provide evidence to support the view that conflict resolution and peace building need to be linked to the enhancement of people’s livelihood security in order to sustain peace in the long run.

The forthcoming book has eleven chapters including an introduction that provides a comparative analysis of the main issues. The contributors are N. Shanmugaratnam (Noragric), Leif Manger (University of Bergen), Ruth Haug (Noragric), Kjersti Larsen (University of Oslo/Noragric), Kristian Stokke (University of Oslo), Amalie H. Tofte (Norwe- gian Embassy, Vietnam), Frode Sundnes (Noragric), Soosai Anandan (University of Jaffna) and Lise Grung (Norwegian People’s Aid).

Contact: N. Shanmugaratnam, project leader and editor

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Since the publication of his book, ”The Mystery of Capital,” in 2000, the Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto and his Insti- tute of Liberty and Democracy (ILD) have received widespread attention from scholars and politicians for their ideas on how to fight poverty. Their assertion, in brief, is that poor people in poor countries are excluded from important economic opportunities because they do not possess formal property rights to their assets. While the commonly held assumption that poor people do not possess assets – such as land and buildings – is wrong, the poor are unable to put these to productive use because their capital is “dead.” In order to convert these assets to “live” capital, rights must be formalised and integrated into unified systems and registers. This will in time generate benefits such as access to credit through the use of assets as collateral, enhanced accountability and trust, improved networking and communication, asset divisibility and fungibility, and protection of asset transactions.

There is little doubt that the potential gains from formalising poor people’s assets are huge. The benefits of possessing formal rights are borne out by the enormous value increases that attend the titling of land in areas engulfed by expanding urban centres. In an ideal world, rights could be formalised at low cost with no side effects in terms of conflicts and asset redistribution. While the potential gains may be large, however, so are the potential costs. In 2004, Noragric reviewed an ILD proposal to initiate a formalisation programme in Tanzania.

The costs of formalising all Tanzanian property may reach several billions of dollars. In addition, formalisation may run into a multitude of problems related, for example, to legal pluralism, generation of land conflicts, and appropriation of property by elites prior to the formalisation process. A major issue is therefore the speed at which massive formalisation can progress while still addressing these problems.

The Norwegian government recently decided to finance the first two stages of the ILD programme in Tanzania, which involves a survey of existing assets and legal systems and the

design of formalisation policies and mechanisms. The Nor- wegian government has so far organised three seminars with and about de Soto and his ideas, the first in collaboration with Noragric in 2002. In addition, the Norwegian Ministry of For- eign Affairs has further cemented its dedication to de Soto’s ideas by proposing an international, high-level Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor. While government leaders in many transitional and developing economies – among them Tanzania – have also embraced the ILD model, signify- ing real political commitment and recipient responsibility, the real test of these ideas will come when they engage with the complex and dynamic realities that exist on the ground, particularly in rural areas.

Contact: Espen Sjaastad

HERNANDO DE SOTO AND THE FORMALISATION OF PROPERTY RIGHTS IN THE SOUTH

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Noragric has agreements with more than 30 partners in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. Most of these are with universities; some are with civil society organisations, research foundations and public institutions. The programmes include joint research and education activities as well as support to institutional development. Contacts with university partners in the South, NGOs (both in the South and North), ministries and others, also contributes towards linking UMB with the international society.

The major institutional collaboration programmes for Noragric/

UMB active in 2004 are linked to the universities and institutions listed below.

Africa:

Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania Makerere University, Uganda

Programme for Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS), South Africa

University of Malawi/Bunda College of Agriculture, Malawi Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Botswana University of Dar es Salaam, Institute of Marine Sciences, Tanzania

Debub University, Ethiopia

The International Centre for Research on Agro-Forestry (ICRAF), Kenya

Asia:

Tribhuvan University, Institute of Forestry, Pokhara, Nepal Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP), Northern Ter- ritory in Pakistan

South Eastern Europe:

Faculties of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine, University of Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Faculties of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

Institute of Biotechnology, University of Montenegro, Serbia and Montenegro

Faculty of Agriculture, University of Mostar, Bosnia & Herze- govina

Faculty of Agriculture, University ”Dzemal Bijedic” of Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Serbia and Mon- tenegro

Faculty of Agriculture, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Croatia

Faculty of Agriculture, University of S. Cyril and Methodius of Skopje, Macedonia

Faculties of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Banja Luka, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

Faculty of Agriculture, University of Prishtina, Kosovo Agricultural University of Tirana, Albania

Multi-country:

REST, Relief Society of Tigray, Sadguru, a Gujarat-based NGO, Ethiopia/India

Triangular Institutional Cooperation between Ethiopia, India and Norway

Peacecorps (NORAD-funded VSD – volunteers for sustainable development - programme)

NETWORKING AND ALLIANCES

These include:

• Drylands Coordination Group (DCG): Noragric hosted the secretariat in 2004 of the NGO-driven forum that exchanges practical experience and knowledge on food security and natural resource management in the drylands of Africa. www.drylands-group.org

• Environmental Assistance Centre: Noragric is one of seven centres with an advisory function for NORAD and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Under the agreement, Noragric cooperates mostly with the Ministry of the Envi- ronment, the Directorate for Nature Management, and the Institute of Marine Research. http://environment.norad.no

• NARI institutes (Norwegian Agricultural Research International): cooperation with the Norwegian Institute of

Land Inventory-NIJOS; the Norwegian Centre for Soil and Environmental Research-Jordforsk; the Norwegian Crop Research Institute-Planteforsk; and the Norwegian Forest Research Institute-Skogforsk has further developed during 2004 under the agreement of cooperation signed between UMB and NARI in 2002. www.nari.no

• NODE partnership (Norwegian Consortium for Develop- ment and Environment): collaboratation with the Norwe- gian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) and the Chr.

Michelsen Institute (CMI). www.node.org

• The Norwegian College of Veterinary Medicine (NVH): collaboration in some current programmes as well as developed proposals and networking for future programmes.

www.veths.no

• UNEP Grid-Arendal: ongoing cooperation including scientific advisory services and exchange of expertise in distance learning. www.grida.no

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RETHINKING SOIL FERTILITY MANAGEMENT IN THE SAHEL

The results of a four-year research project on Integrated Plant Nutrition Management (IPNM) in Mali conducted under the umbrella of the Drylands Coordination Group (DCG) led to the recommendation to reconsider soil fertility management in drylands. This research was undertaken in collaboration with the Institute d’Economie Rural in Mali and with CARE as the main NGO partner in the DCG. It was previously believed that the use of fertilisers was not economically feasible in a Sahelian environment, but our research shows that the profitability of fertiliser use is highly dependent on the application method and the quantity used. The most appropriate method consists of mixing seeds and fertiliser in equal quantities and sowing this mixture in the planting hole. As a result, the sorghum and millet yield increased by 42 and 55% percent respectively. The method appeals to farmers because of the low labour requirements, low financial risk and limited funds needed.

Composting and enriching compost with rock phos- phate has been introduced in gardening. In particular, female farmers have benefi ted from this technology. Com- posting is most appropriate in gardens because it is diffi cult to produce compost in suffi cient quantities for the millet fi eld and the transport costs for the compost would be too high.

Other IPNM methods introduced through the project have been the zai method for water conservation (a hole in the ground for collecting rainwater) and urea treatment of straw to improve fodder quality.

Many farmers have started to use these methods in central Mali. Scaling up has been achieved through farmer- to-farmer visits, fi eld days, regional workshops and radio-dif- fusion. Village committees on IPNM have been established and a regional IPNM committee is functioning in Macina.

These committees organise visits to the demonstration sites, collect the demand for and organise the purchase of fertiliser. Many villages have already contacted the NGOs involved in the project, expressing their interest in joining.

The collaboration between researchers and the NGOs has been vital for the success of this project. The IPNM methods used in this project have now become an integrated part of many new projects initiated by the NGOs in central Mali. These technologies are expected to spread further in the years to come.

Contact: Jens Aune

COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE EASTERN UNI- VERSITY, SRI LANKA, AND NORAGRIC/UMB

CENSARM (the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture and Resource Management), Eastern University, Sri Lanka (EUSL) and Noragric/UMB reached a formal agreement in 2003 to col- laborate in areas of common interest related to research and capacity building.

The two institutions have cooperated since 1994 when a project was initiated at the invitation of NORAD. In the past, NORAD has supported academic capacity building at EUSL.

Noragric has also carried out assignments for NORAD related to the Batticaloa lagoon, rehabilitation of irrigation systems and the Batticaloa Integrated Relief and Rehabilitation Programme (BIRRP).

In 2003, EUSL and Noragric addressed the urgent need for research on the reconstruction and development challenges of the war-torn northeastern region of Sri Lanka. After a series of consultations, a joint proposal was fi nalised on cooperation and confl ict in rebuilding the war-torn communities and their livelihoods in Batticaloa District in early 2004. An underlying theme of this proposal is the important link between people’s livelihood security and peace building. The devastation caused by the December tsunami has compounded the challenges and compelled us to act with a deeper sense of urgency. Indeed, our joint proposal has acquired greater signifi cance and we need to expand its scope to include some of the more urgent issues resulting from the tsunami in the east of the country. It is now evident that the tsunami waves not only swept through the entire coastal belt in the east, ruining the livelihoods of fi shing communities, but also caused serious damage to land-based livelihoods in the interior areas up to 2 km from the shore.

I take this opportunity to thank my colleagues at Noragric/

UMB on behalf of the Eastern University, Sri Lanka, for the con- structive and friendly cooperation we enjoy. I sincerely hope that our joint proposal will be met favourably by the Norwegian government.

Professor S. Raveendranath, Vice Chancellor Eastern University, Sri Lanka

Noragric contact: N. Shanmugaratnam

COLLABORATION BETWEEN MAKERERE UNIVERSITY AND NORAGRIC/UMB

Makerere University and Noragric have worked together in implementing the regionalisation process of the MNRSA programme, which has been hosted by Makerere University under the MAK-NORAD project since 2002. The third semes- ter of the MNRSA and the Master’s programme in Develop- ment Studies has been partially funded by Makerere.

The objectives of the regionalisation process include improving the MNRSA programme through the introduction

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of more applied and practical courses that relate to natural resource management and rural development in a real setting; developing close collaboration between the North-South universities and research institutions; enhancing institutional collaboration linked to the MNRSA programme; and promoting capacity building at partner institutions in the South.

Over the past three years, the programme has hosted 67 students from 16 countries (Botswana, Canada, Eritrea, Ire- land, Ethiopia, Ghana, Macedonia, Malawi, Norway, Somalia, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia) and facilitated the exchange of ideas between students/staff at Makerere and Noragric. Due to the participatory and practical nature of the courses, students had an opportunity to interact directly with rural communities.

Benefi ts to Makerere University under this collaboration include the opportunity for staff to exchange ideas and experiences/challenges related to developing international courses, and for students to be exposed to international courses under the MNRSA and DS programmes. Six additional computers were made available to students through the programme’s contribution to the computer facilities at the Faculty of Forestry and Nature Conservation.

Some NGOs, farmer groups and research institutions have also benefi ted through this collaboration. For example, AFRICARE, the research institution where students carried out residential fi eldwork, appreciated the concerns, criticisms and achievements expressed by the farmers that were presented in the students’ reports.

Since a similar programme is offered at Tribhuvan University in Nepal, Makerere sees the standardisation and concretisation of the evaluation criteria as one of the challenges for the three partner institutions (Noragric, Tribhuvan and Makerere). An even larger challenge is securing funds to continue conduct- ing this programme in the South, given the widespread budget cuts in funding and academic institutions worldwide.

Dr. Gorettie Nabanoga Makerere University, Uganda Contact at Noragric: Faye Benedict

COLLABORATION BETWEEN SUA AND NORAGRIC/UMB

The collaboration between Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB) has been in effect for 30 years. The day-to-day coordination of the agreement is in the hands of Noragric/UMB and the Directorate of Research and Postgraduate Studies (DRPGS) at SUA. Funds to support collaborative activities are, for the time being, set aside from the two Norwegian government supported projects at SUA, namely TARP II–SUA project and the FOCAL programme.

The TARP II-SUA project is described under the sec- tion Noragric Programmes. Noragric’s Director visited SUA in August 2004 to participate in a Stakeholders Workshop aimed at assessing the impact of TARP II – SUA Project.

Collaborative activities within the FOCAL programme in 2004 included UMB participation in curriculum development in the fi elds of organic farming, entrepreneurship, and management of natural resources for sustainable agriculture (MNRSA).

Noragric/UMB’s activities included, among others, assistance in revising SUA’s Corporate Strategic Plan, a visit to Norway by SUA’s Deputy Vice Chancellor to study the Norwegian semes- ter system, and the visit of SUA researchers to UMB and the Norwegian School of Veterinary Sciences (NVH) for writing joint research proposals.

The Second Annual meeting of the SUA/UMB/NVH Steering Committee was held at SUA on 29 November. The meeting was attended by the Pro-Rectors of UMB and NVH, as well as the SUA and UMB coordinators and student representatives from all three institutions. The 5th TARPII-SUA Annual Meeting was held on 30 November and was also attended by the UMB and NVH delegation. Both meetings noted and acknowledged the proposed merging of the two Norwegian funded programmes at SUA. The meetings also noted the new Norwegian support strategy to higher education and research in Tanzania and the matter of the Norwegian Embassy outsourcing some of its management activities to the Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Higher Education (SIU). These new develop- ments may infl uence the setting for the future cooperation between SUA and UMB.

Two challenges facing the collaboration are lack of time by staff to attend collaborative activities and lack of funds to support academic student exchange programmes. The Steer- ing Committee realizes these challenges and efforts are being made to fi nd solutions.

SUA’s ambition is to be a leading university in agricultural sciences in East Africa. No university can achieve such high standards without extensive international cooperation, and UMB is by far SUA’s most important partner university in Europe.

But also, UMB researchers wanting to apply their sciences to tropical and development contexts depend on cooperation with highly qualifi ed researchers in the South. The partnership between SUA and UMB therefore gives mutual benefi ts and both partners therefore hope that the collaboration will continue to prosper in the future.

Contact at Sokoine University of Agriculture:

Director of Research and Postgraduate Studies, Prof. Willbard S. Abeli.

Contact at Noragric: Fred H. Johnsen

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Education

Topic/Student Supervisor Funding source

Bush encroachment as a process of landscape change in the Borana rangelands of Southern Ethiopia: Ecological and management assessments.

Ayana Angassa Abdeta

Gufu Oba State Educational Loan

Fund/NUFU Forest change in Baltistan region in Northern Areas of Pakistan: Perceptions,

property rights and policies. Jawad Ali

Tor Arve Benjaminsen/

Ingrid Nyborg

State Educational Loan Fund/AKRSP

Claiming reindeer in Norway: Toward a theory of the dynamics of regime forma- tion and change. Cassandra Bergstrøm

Cary Fowler/ Tom Burns Norwegian University of Life Sciences

Impacts of agricultural intensification on socio-economic conditions and implications for soil and water quality in Kavre district, Nepal. Bed Mani Dahal

Bishal Sitaula/ Ingrid Nyborg

NORAD Environment and poverty linkages and local perceptions of poverty and poverty

alleviations among Boorana pastoralists in Southern Ethiopia. Boku Tache Dida

Espen Sjaastad/ Leif O.

Manger

The Research Council of Norway

Perceptions of landscape, environment and land reform among stock farmers. A case study from Namaqualand, South Africa. Eirin Hongslo

Tor Arve Benjaminsen Norwegian University of Life Sciences

Land tenure, common property resources and local participation in tourism development (Mozambique). Hanne Haaland

Kjersti Larsen The Research Council of Norway

Market and non-market incentives for in situ conservation in a centre of diversity:

the case of durum wheat landraces from Eastern Shewa, Ethiopia.

Bayush Tsegaye

Trygve Berg/ Bekele Sheferaw

State Educational Loan Fund /Inst. of Biodiversity Conservation and Research of Ethiopia

Changing property rights and the indigenous communities: Land and livelihoods in Highland Kerala (India). Darley Jose Kjosavik

N. Shanmugaratnam Other sources Management of agricultural biodiversity – Third world farmers’ experience with

change and their coping strategies (India). Frøydis Kvaløy

Trygve Berg/ Randi Kaarhus

Impact of agricultural research: a study of on-farm development effects of agricultural research in Eastern and Southern Highland Zones of Tanzania in the period 1980-1990. Dismas Mwaseba

Fred H. Johnsen/ Randi Kaarhus

State Educational Loan Fund/TARP II

Farmers first: Participatory knowledge generation in Ecuador.

Elisabeth Molteberg

Randi Kaarhus The Research Council of Norway

Technical and social adaptation of natural systems for sanitation and wastewater treatment in North West Frontier Province, Pakistan. Bahadar Nawab

Kjell Esser/Ingrid Nyborg/

Petter Jenssen

State Educational Loan Fund Forest based carbon sequestration: Contribution of the private, public and civil

societies to poverty alleviation and management of forest resources in Uganda.

Charlotte Nakakaawa

Pål Vedeld/Jens Aune State Educational Loan Fund/ Makerere University

PHD PROGRAMME IN DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

Noragric offers a PhD programme in Development Studies that is closely linked to the three overlapping scientific programmes, Agricultural development and livelihood security;

Biodiversity and natural resource management; and Rights, conflicts and resources. The programme places particular emphasis on Development Studies in relation to agriculture and the environment. It follows UMB’s criteria and requirements for PhD studies and is undertaken in collaboration with other university departments.

In 2004, Noragric welcomed eight new PhD students: Bed Mani Dahal (Kathmandu University, Nepal), Krishna Raj Tiwari (Tribhuvan University, Nepal), Ayele Tessema (Debub Uni- versity, Ethiopia), Charlotte Nakakaawa (Makerere University, Uganda), Boku Tache Dida (SOS Sahel International), Eirin Hongslo (Norway), Hassan Guyo Roba (National Museums of Kenya) and Abebe Seifu Welde Tsadik (Wondo Genet College of Forestry, Uganda).

OVERVIEW OF DOCTORAL STUDENTS AT NORAGRIC IN 2004

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On-farm conservation and use of local crop diversity: Adaptations of rice and taro landraces in different crop ecosystems in Nepal. Deepak Kumar Rijal

Trygve Berg/ Åsmund Bjørnstad

State Educational Loan Fund/IPGRI

Integration of ecological and indigenous knowledge assessments of long term environmental changes in and around settlements in two arid and sub humid rangeland sites in Northern Kenya. Hassan Guyo Roba

Gufu Oba The Research Council of

Norway Politics, property rights and production in Arsi and East Shewa Zones, Ethiopia

(1941-2004). Hussein Jemma Sheymo

Tor A. Benjaminsen/

Espen Sjaastad/S. Pau- sewang

Addis Abeba University

Conflict management over contested forest resources: The case of Munesa Sha- hemene Forest Industry Enterprise, Ethiopia. Abebe Seifu Welde Tsadik

Pål Vedeld Agricultural University of Sweden

Effects of integrated nutrient management on crop production and soil fertility in the Central Ethiopian highlands. Balesh Tulema Bune

Jens Aune/Fred H.

Johnsen

State Educational Loan Fund/ICRAF

Sustainable soil conservation and land management options in Pokhera Kola Watershed Middle Mountain of Central Nepal. Krishna Raj Tiwari

Bishal Sitaula/ Ingrid Nyborg

NUFU Household livelihood adaptation in a high population density area in Ethiopia: The

case of Wolaita Zone. Ayele Tessema Jufare

N. Shanmugaratnam NORAD Transgressing economic boundaries: Gender, commodification and social

change in Zanzibar. Hege Wallevik

Kjersti Larsen/ Ian Bry- ceson

Human rights and land tenure reform in South Africa: a case study of policy, discourse and stakeholders. Poul Wisborg

Tor Arve Benjaminsen The Research Council of Norway

Effects of land use change on carbon sequestration in the acid upland agroeco- system of the Philippines. Shushan Ghirmai Woldu

Jens Aune/Gufu Oba State Educational Loan Fund

MASTER’S PROGRAMMES

Noragric has two Master’s programmes: Management of Nat- ural Resources and Sustainable Agriculture (MNRSA), and Development Studies (DS). The number of applications to both programmes was approximately 650 in 2004 while the number accepted was 58. Of these, 24 received stipends:

nine from NORAD, 12 through the Global Environmental Facil- ity (GEF), and three quota stipends. Both programmes offer the opportunity to complete 15 ECTS in Rural Development and Project Management at Makerere University in Uganda or Tribhuvan University in Nepal, and the vast majority of students avail themselves of this opportunity. Indeed, the experiences from these collaborative efforts have been so positive that a possible expansion of the role of the partner institutions should be considered.

The MNRSA programme

Almost 500 candidates from more than 50 countries have graduated from the MNRSA programme since its start in 1986. The programme combines natural and social science perspectives and aims to provide candidates with a holistic understanding of environmental and agricultural issues and problems in the South. Many former students now work as managers in public agencies or NGOs, but a significant number of graduates have pursued academic careers.

In 2004, 28 students joined the MNRSA programme, 25 from overseas. 31 students completed the first year of studies and began fieldwork for their theses, while 19 students graduated. There were no significant changes to the programme structure, but an increasing number of MNRSA students chose to complete optional courses from the DS portfolio.

The DS programme

The DS programme started in 2002, with the first students graduating in 2004. The programme has four different concentrations: conflict and development; rural development economics; environmental technology and waste management; and genetic resources and biodiversity. The first and fourth of these are offered by Noragric. The Department of Economics and Resource Management offers the second, while the Department of Mathematical Sciences and Tech- nology offers the third. Core courses include Development Studies, Research Methods, Political Ecology, and Scientific Writing.

In 2004, 30 students joined the DS programme, 14 from overseas. Seventeen students completed the first year of studies and began fieldwork for their theses, while 9 students graduated. Within the concentrations offered by Noragric, new courses in 2004 involved Conflict and Development and