Asia, Central Asia and the European Union

Directorate-General Europeaid Development And Co-Operation European Commission

Description

Working together for a sustainable future
Development aid
Asia
Target audience: General public

Informations

• Publié par: DIRECTORATE-GENERAL-EUROPEAID-DEVELOPMENT-AND-CO-OPERATION-EUROPEAN-COMMISSION
• Nombre de lectures: 9
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

Extrait

A C si n a t , r   al Asia e and the European Union Working together for a sustainable future

EU-Asia/Central Asia Development Cooperation

EuropeAid

No progress witho peace I c a tnuow yrehsif dti sopupalitnos to progress an b tsum telbats e velio  t  i l,el w  lawicivsiursrd  pea andl – cefu ,gnf tpimra business, schooling and health services so badly that they may take many years to recover. So, after a war it is important to resettle those who had to flee, or who went away to fight, and to help them return home. The EU funds a special programme for displaced people from Nepal, Afghanistan, Myanmar/Burma, the Philippines, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, who have suffered such trauma. Other EU programmes help to remove the vestiges of war – unexploded bombs and land-mines – a real danger especially for unsuspecting children looking for something to play with. The EU funds "de-mining" projects in Laos and Cambodia, where people continue to be injured or killed by hidden forgotten land- mines, even though the wars are over.

In some parts of Asia natural and man-made disasters have caused upheavals. InACEH, a province of Indonesia, people were forced from their homes by both the tsunami and the civil war. The EU provided support in both cases and supported the peace process.

On the move P   gnylaeisnircra eple eo  a ny  lreviea, ng  no  ehtevomaM . to abandon theirrob iegnf roec d homelands, because of war, hunger and poverty,

or simply in search of a better life elsewhere. Additional upheavals are expected in the future due to environmental changes and natural disasters –

50 million people may soon be on the move

world-wide. The EU works with governments to stop the smuggling and trafficking of people, to prevent illegal immigration and to address related human rights issues. In Asia, it is mainly assisting refugees to return home and governments to improve control over their borders, such as those of Afghanistan. There, it is not only people, but narcotics that are slipping through customs control. Border control is also particularly important to the countries of Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Many children from North and North EastSRI LANKAhave been traumatised by their personal experiences of the civil war. The EU is providing counselling for children to help them, and their families, return to a normal life.

Building together T  retaw o o withple ecen a dnaad tts fildro r peospr ptod ant edivoroep rieh ning transport ssyetsm ,caecsst  ngvi al ,  col trun seideennuf oitc and sanitation, energy to keep their people warm and communication infrastructure. However, many developing countries lack well constructed roads, reliable power plants and widespread telephone networks. Badly needed bridges often do not exist. The electricity needed to power hospital buildings may be in short supply. These and other similar problems hold the countries back at a point in their development when they should be moving forward. The EU is helping to change the situation. It is working with governments to reform the way they manage the public infrastructure, to set up new systems and strategies and, in countries such as Afghanistan and those of South East Asia hit by the tsunami, it still provides a lot of assistance for re-building hospitals, roads, schools and other vital infrastructure.

The tminasu did not just destroy houses and roads when it hit Sri Lanka, it also damaged the mangrove swamps along the coastline that used to help protect the land from rough seas. EU funds were used by local people to RE-PLANT THE  TREESand help the natural environment return to how it had been before the waves struck.

The tsunami needed an emergency response and a long-term strategy

n astating tsunami O n Ocean he Indiaacsuni gd peipr tssroac eDec2  6 200mber dev4, a havoc and destruction. Some 200,000 people were killed, countless coastal villages and holiday resorts levelled to the ground and roads and railways destroyed. The EU, in coordination with other donors, reacted immediately, sending out emergency help and supplies. Once the extent of the damage became known, the huge task began of clearing up the debris and rebuilding the towns and rural areas struck by the disaster. This long-term job started with planning the use of the land as governments took the opportunity to build back their communities and infrastructure. The international community – the EU, countries and international organisations – responded with unprecedented financial support and joined forces to help in the reconstruction.

The EU is aware of the importance of helping the governments of developing countries to minimise such widespread damage in the event of future natural disasters. It is already putting more resources towards sea-defence projects, using satellite images and early warning systems that can quickly relay advance information on imminent disasters. Looking ahead such planning will become ever more vital as global warming results in rising sea levels and extreme climate conditions.  

Food on the table m wo andless in Cambodia to find F ways forrnative cn,et  os suetanetla org wirkinhe lth t ar fllhig inlphe ni srem the Philippines produce more from their land, the EU helps secure an adequate food supply for people in developing countries. Instead of responding to food shortages by giving food aid, the EU now puts more emphasis on helping governments prevent such situations by equipping people with the knowledge and skills to increase their farmland produce and to work the land in ways that preserve its quality not only as a source of food, but also as a wildlife habitat.

In many countries, people are moving from rural areas into the towns in search of a better life. Half of the 2.7 million inhabitants of vast and landlocked Mongolia lives in country areas. Many are nomadic herders who move their families and herds from one place to another in search of grazing and water for the herd animals. However, life is becoming increasingly dif f icult for thousands of herder families who have lost all their livestock in severe winters and droughts during recent years. The EU is helping the government encourage farmers to stay on the land and is working with theVETERINARY  SERVICES to improve the health of the livestock so that it can withstand the harsh weather conditions. In western Mongolia, 3,000 herders were taught to control animal diseases and had their animals vaccinated and treated for parasites. Dairies for cheese production have been set up to help the herders diversify their produce and income.

Climate  change –    the challenge D lovee utintrib   con y be samrteiocnuep d g the most to environmental pollution and to greenhouse gases, but it is the fragile, developing countries which are suffering most as a result of climate change, because they lack the resources to protect themselves. It is now vital that these countries obtain the knowledge, technology and capabilities to deal with the problems. The EU is promoting a more sustainable use of the environment throughout its programmes and provides aid to partner countries to help them to adapt to the natural upheavals caused by our changing climate.

 

At one time in the past, the lands in Haryana State, India, would provide all that the people needed – food, timber, fuel wood. Then, as the population grew, people began to take too much from the forest and farmlands without giving them enough time to regenerate and replenish - the trees began to disappear, the soil deteriorated and the land began to turn to desert. As usual, the poor suffered most. Thus the HARYANA COMMUNITY FORESTRY PROJECT fromwas set up with funds the EU to help over 330 villages benefit more efficiently from the trees and water and to look after their farms and common lands more sustainably. They planted trees and vegetables, improved the soil, produced more cattle fodder, built dams and developed small businesses using forest products to generate income.

Businessand the envi nment hand in h d T e tn fti gnireniess usinch o– muioatrntel na M layais,at eh P  f countries like enod aisb sib gilihiinpp oesInr  r beimtufib aet ehrfmots ooresainful r S mall businesses provide many jobs in Asia. At the same time, they can markets for flooring, furniture and building. The forest is fast disappearing, not also cause much pollution by using least because much of the wood used comes from illegal logging and "conflict old-fashioned equipment. By buying their timber" – wood cut and sold illegally to fund arms and pay soldiers. products, consumers too are unwittingly pro The EU is supporting several large projects to help manage forests more  pollution. TheSWITCH-ASIA PROGRAMMEis providing €90 million to sustainably, to help enforce forest law, and to promote fair trading practices –  help businesses clean up their technologies and to help consumers use letting both business and the trees grow sustainably, side-by-side.  their purchasing power to protect the environment.

Empowering  women I nglad Ban the table, htm ne .vEnea  t n tet no uaeqwil   hseemowra nfo e women and children often do not get their fair share of food and as a consequence over half of them is malnourished. Many also have to contend with violent husbands and exploitation. The very poor see no way out of their poverty. The EU is funding the Bangladesh Food Security for the Ultra-Poor Programme to help remedy the situation, focusing mainly on helping women. It promotes new ideas for growing food and preparing meals, giving them new skills and confidence to improve their lives.

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Health issues S exual health is not always easy to talk about for young people in Asia – but how else can they improve their understanding and knowledge about safe sex, contraception and how their bodies work? In seven Asian countries, an EU-funded project was set up with the youth, their families, and religious and community leaders to encourage a more open discussion on the sensitive issues. Consequently, the young people were able to make more informed decisions about their lives and their sexual health. In Cambodia, for example, around 9.6 million people tuned into the radio for otherwise 'difficult-to-get' information. The project even worked with the media to put an end to false and misleading information that was advertising. Football matches and special helped convey the messages. There was 'soap-opera', which depicted the issues s sexual behaviour and health.

Higher education A lthough the EU sees primary education as something to be worked upon within particular countries, higher education is an issue that is best dealt with across the regions, throughout Asia and Central Asia. Mobility is important to students and researchers alike, so they can best learn and teach, no matter which country they come from. The EU Asia-Link Programme funded seven Higher Education Fairs in Asia between 2006 and 2008. 175 EU-Asia partnership projects between universities were set up - with contributions of €73 million. Erasmus Mundus External Cooperation Window funds Asian students and researchers in Europe.

Helping children stay in school B enazir Akhtar and Aseem Mohammad, both barely 12, live in a slum in Jaipur city, India. The school they attend is run by the local community andNGOs with EU help. The aim is to give poor children a chance to have a good education. The pr oject allows extremely poor families to understand the value of keeping their children at school instead of taking them out of the classroom to earn whatever income they can.

 

 

(Non-Governmental Organisations)  it-   nt     w

   

 

Clean energy C f  oe thas hne oanih lat anlirel ilst si hcihw  ths inomieeconni grgwose tafts u aoplltuni,gn targely on coal –  resource which contributes to many environmental and h problems due to the emissions of toxic compounds durin combustion. The EU has been developing technologies f are in B

Health, education, water – affecting poverty

Governing for the benefit of all

ia has emerged as a significant economic power. e country, however, is still home to millions of people on around €1/day, who have no access to adequate , health services or schooling. The EU has developed tnerships with two of the less privileged states to help rove the situation. Chhattisgarh, the EU is improving health and ucation by working with tribal people, who still ake their living from the forests. In dry Rajasthan, here rain and ground water are in short supply, the partnership cooperates with villagers to make sure there is an efficient water system providing them with good quality drinking water.

You don't have to shout to be heard he views are not sought in the T  Tofs odhourboghpac eht ,tnekhsan iebrnau  e f p o     g l e a l t p i o fo nuoy Uzbekistan. EU support helped to set up a project to increase the participation of young people in decision making at all levels, enabling the community to recognise the contribution of the younger population. Young Environment Leaders were chosen in schools and through social events. They formed a training team and established ways to put forward their ideas. This was an important project, enabling young people to take their democratic voice seriously and help them be heard.

G r th o e s   s ti   n N y a   t K i i o n n g a d l o H m a o p f p   i B n h e u s t s  nae i n s we   e h t e    t bd,lestne g aoemtnlepod ve l of India and the Tibet region of the Himalayas. Whereas other countries aim to maximise theirGrossNationalProduct Bhutan follows its own original philosophy and focuses development efforts on balancing nature conservation with the need to use the environment sustainably, maintaining and promoting its culture, conservation of the natural environment and fair and democratic governance. The EU assists the country in achieving some of its plans by supporting a project designed to improve the quality and efficiency of the agriculture sector, and to put farmers in closer touch with traders and exporters.

It's everybody's business...

ross National Produc oo s an serv ces pro uce n a country n one year

… because we all live on the same planet, 600 million Asian children under the age of our actions affect other people. What we buy 18 lack access to either food, safe drinking in one country affects a producer in another, water, health or shelter and Asia has more than when the environment is destroyed in one area,  twice as many severely deprived children as or when conflict arises, watch how rapidly sub-Saharan Africa. The EU has made "poverty others are affected. eradication" the goal of all its development There are 6.6 billion of us living in the world in  cooperation work. It has allocated 2008, and we all need food, homes, schools  €5.014 billion for Asia for development and clinics. As we are inter-dependent we  purposes and €690 million for Central Asia for need to take joint responsibility not only for  the seven years from 2007 to 2013 – to work looking after the natural environment, but also  with governments, non-governmental and for ensuring everyone enjoys their basic human  international organisations in partnership to rights – food, shelter, education, work and  help reduce poverty and provide everyone with freedom. the basics to have a decent life. Five of the most densely populated countries in the world are in Asia: China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS    MDG   In 2000, the international community spoke on globalisation – people and nations have become increasingly interconnected and interdependent, but not everyone has benefited from the changes. For some, life has worsened. A Declaration was signed by 189 countries which said all nations should share responsibility for managing economic and social development worldwide. The countries agreed to target eight Millennium Development Goals – the "MDGs" – and put renewed effort and resources into making sure these targets would be reached by 2015: 1  Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger 2  Achieve universal primary education 3  Promote gender equality and empower women 4  child mortality Reduce 5 Improve maternal health 6  Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases 7  Ensure environmental sustainability 8  a global partnership for development Develop The European Union – the European Commission plus the 27 Member States – has taken the goals and uses them to guide its own development policy. The point of EU development cooperation is to eradicate poverty, to work towards the MDGs and to promote democracy, good governance and respect for human rights. EuropeAid is responsible for implementation of aid financed through the EU budget. For more information go to: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/

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