Winners of the International ReSource Award for Sustainable Watershed Management 2003

We are delighted to be able to announce the winners of the ReSource Awards for 2003.

By the end of August 2003 a total of 67 projects from all over the world had been submitted to Swiss Re. 37 of these fulfilled the formal and content requirements for entry and were assessed and ranked on the basis of defined criteria in a preliminary phase by a team of experts supervised by the jury committee. Seven of these projects were nominated for the ReSource Award 2003 and, in a second phase, objectively and independently assessed by a jury composed of international water experts. Then, in a third round, the jurors finally selected two winners from the seven nominated projects. The following two winning projects will be finalised and implemented with the financial support of Swiss Re:

The first prize valued at USD 75,000 goes to: "The A'Vuong Watershed Project: Sustainable Stewardship of the A'Vuong Watershed by the Indigenous Ka Tu community, Central Vietnam", submitted by the Vietnam Office of WWF Indochina
The runner-up prize of USD 20,000 goes to the project: "Vetiver for Sustainable Watershed Management in the Dabie Mountains of China: Demonstration, Training, and Extension", submitted by China Vetiver Network, China People's Republic
For the record: The 2003 ReSource Award leaves USD 5000 unaccounted for. This amount will be credited to next year’s prize money (which gives a total of USD 105000 to be awarded in 2004).

Swiss Re would like to congratulate all those who are responsible for, and participated in, these two projects!

First Prize of USD 75,000: The A’Vuong Watershed Project: Sustainable Stewardship of the A’Vuong Watershed by the Indigenous Ka Tu community, Central Vietnam

The picture shows the A’Vuong river and its surrounding region that is famous for its rich freshwater and forest biodiversity. Its population mainly comprises members of the indigenous Ka Tu community. Water from the A'Vuong watershed feeds into the Thu Bon River, a key resource for approximately one million people living in Quang Nam Province.

Background

People in the mountainous Quang Nam Province (central Vietnam) are highly dependent on natural resources for their survival. Hunger and poverty have taken their toll on the region, leading to overexploitation of forestal areas and water resources. The result is an increasing number of seasonal droughts, flooding and erosion.

Description of project

The winner of the 2003 ReSource Award is a partnership between the WWF Indochina Programme and the Quang Nam Forest Protection Department. The project was launched in February 2004 and will run until February 2006. Its main aim is to ensure the sustainable management of the region's forest and rivers by the indigenous population. In doing so, equal consideration will be given to economic, social and ecological factors.

Evaluation

The project stands out on account of its innovative and comprehensive methodology: by allocating land rights to the local communities, it delegates responsibility for conserving the natural resources to those directly affected. At the same time, specific training measures foster awareness at all levels and create incentive-based mechanisms.

Swiss Re is highly supportive of the project's pioneering nature. Recognised organisations worked together to plan the project in detail. Its alliance with the Central Truong Son Initiative gives it a provincial reach, thereby providing the impetus for replication measures in other regions.

Executive summary of "The A’Vuong Watershed Project, Vietnam"
Presentation " The A'Vuong Watershed" by Nguyen Thi Dao, WWF Indochina
Speech by Thai Truyen, Vice-Director of the Department of Forest Protection of Quang Nam province, Vietnam

The project leaders (third from the left: Nguyen Thi Dao, WWF Indochina; to her right: Thai Truyen, Forest Protection Department) in Quang Nam Province presenting the prize awarded to them on 5 April by Executive Board member Walter Anderau at the Centre for Global Dialogue in Rüschlikon.

Runner-up prize of USD 20,000: Vetiver for Sustainable Watershed Management in the Dabie Mountains of China: Demonstration, Training, and Extension

The picture shows how vetiver grass is used for terrace protection in the Dabie Mountains of China. This is a simple and cost-effective measure of reducing water and soil erosion.

Background

The Dabie mountains stretch from 90–1,700 metres above sea level across an area of almost 100,000 square kilometres. This region is one of the poorest and most underdeveloped in China.

The livelihood of a large part of the local population is dependent on the availability of water and fertile soil. However, population pressure, old-fashioned farming methods and planning errors have led to the overexploitation of the available natural resources. The result is a decline in soil fertility caused by water and soil erosion, which in turn fills the river beds and reservoirs with large sediment deposits.

Description of project

The 2003 ReSource Award runner-up project was submitted by the China Vetiver Network. The project will run from March 2004 to February 2005. Its aim is to reduce water and soil erosion, conserve natural resources and improve local farmers' income.

Evaluation

The project seeks to foster sustainable management of the fragile natural resources in the Dabie mountains using simple and cost-effective measures. Farmers will receive instruction in how to cultivate a combination of crops and vetiver in easily accessible locations across this huge region. Approximately 1000 people will be trained in different aspects of resource conservation and in new farming methods. They will subsequently act as know-how carriers and transfer what they have learned to those living in the most remote areas of the region.

Armed with these new farming methods and vetiver planting techniques, local farmers will not only be able to improve their modest incomes, but will also play a major role in reducing water surface flow and soil erosion in their community. By doing so they will make a significant contribution to safeguarding their own existence.

Executive summary of the "Vetiver in the Dabie Mountains" project
Presentation - Vetiver - project, China

Get an impression on the ReSource Award ceremony in Rüschlikon honouring the 2003 winners

Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey praised the project's integral approach:

"The land reform supported by Swiss Re encourages people to make their own contribution to improving their livelihood, while delegating more responsibility for the environment to those directly affected. This serves the interests both of the people concerned and the environment."

More about the ReSource Award:

ReSource Award for Sustainable Watershed Management