Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs)

Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) are at the heart of a new anti-poverty framework announced by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 1999. They are intended to ensure that debt relief provided under the enhanced Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, and concessional loans from the international financial institutions, help to reduce poverty in the poorest, most indebted Southern countries

IUCN's Forest Conservation Programme is working to help build an economic case as to how forest conservation and sustainable management can make tangible contributions to the needs and livelihood strategies of the rural poor and bridge the gap that currently exists between poverty reduction strategies and national forest programmes.

At present the role of forests in poverty reduction strategies tends to be superficial. This is partly due to a disconnect between the analytical approaches of natural resource use and poverty assessments. Furthermore, national forest programmes seldom establish strong links with poverty reduction strategy processes.

Addressing poverty and forests leads into a suite of governance issues, including access and tenure rights. If forests are to fulfill their potential in making tangible contributions towards poor people's livelihoods then poor people must be able to access, use and control the resource.

To know more about IUCN's field visit to Shinyanga, Tanzania, click here.

Mainstreaming environment into PRSPs in Africa

IUCN EARO is working with Ugandan and Kenyan Authorities on mainstreaming the environment into national economic and development planning, as well as greening the next versions of the PRSPs.

Download a policy brief highlighting the findings of the Second Directors of Conservation Meeting held in February 2002 to discuss "Natural Resources Valuation and Accounting in National Planning and Development in East Africa" (802 KB).