Building Impact and Partnerships in South Asia#impactasia

9-10 March 2016, New Delhi

Jyotiraj PatraRegional Evidence Advisor- South Asia

Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation (ESPA)

• An international and interdisciplinary research programme jointly funded by UK’s DFID, NERC and ESRC. (2010-2017)

• Aims to deliver high-quality, cutting-edge research that will improve understanding of the way ecosystems function, the services they provide and their relationship with the political economy and sustainable growth.

• Vision: ESPA’s excellent research is turned into impact that results in significant improvements to the lives of poor people.

The ESPA Research Community

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Why Impact?

Source: http://www.nature.com/news/science-must-prepare-for-impact-1.18459

Research Needs

• Understanding + Addressing the Research needs• Promoting the use of and demand for research evidence

ESPA Research Impact

• ESPA research in top 20 Global Impact of UK Research*• The Mikoko Pamoja (mangroves together) project in Kenya

*http://www.ukcds.org.uk/the-global-impact-of-uk-research

Community-led planting of >10,000mangrove trees

Trained of 46 African scientists on mangrove restoration and management

One of world’s first mangrove carbon credit project

Contributed to Kenya’sMangrove Action Plan

Provided support to 3000 people in the region for building schools, water pumps and funds for children's education

Facilitated the creation of Community Forest Association

Helped to set up the charity The Association for Coastal Ecosystem Services (ACES)

Helped establish the East African Forum for Payments for Ecosystem Services

Swahili Seas Research on mangrove regeneration (2010-2013, Prof Marx Huxham, Edinburgh Napier University)

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Chennai Floods (2015): A Case in Point

• One of the fastest growing metropolis in India• A massive/unprecedented flood in Nov/Dec 2015• Loss and damage: 269 human lives + $3 billion (Aon Benfield) • One of the underlying risks: Loss of urban wetlands + Damage in

the watersheds in and around the city• Pallikaranai Marshland and Flood Mitigation: Research evidence

exists but little integration of this in to urban planning

The Impact Workshop

– Launch of the revised and new ESPA Impact Strategy– Learn from others’ experiences (What works + What Doesn’t)– Link them to individual research project’s impact pathways– Leverage the above to amplify research impact in South Asia

and beyond

New PARTNERSHIP

Workshop Structure

Day-I• Addresses: Welcome + Keynote• Panel Discussions: Moderated +

Interactive

• Focus on exchange and learning

Panel-I (WHAT?)Understanding Research Impact

Panel-II (HOW, WHO, WHEN, WHY?)Research Impact: Experiences and Insights

Day-II• 4 ESPA projects sharing their

research + impact pathways with other stakeholders

• Collective exercise to identify key activities/opportunities to maximize impact

• Plenary: Specific + Doable Impact Agenda

#impactasia@espadirectorate

Way Forward

• Impact : A Collective Endeavour + Context-specific• ESPA Directorate:

– Facilitate thematic partnerships, Research Visibility (ESPA blogs, various international/national/regional forums, Social Media)

– Fund: ESPA Synthesis Call (2016), ROF (ongoing)• REAs:

– Interface with key stakeholders (Ministries, Research Funders/Programmes) + Regional Digest (Snapshot of key opportunities + Evidence needs)

– Promote the research (Public Lecture, Media Briefings, Meeting with Policy Makers/Parliamentary Standing Committees, Private Sector)

Specific Examples

• The South Asia Water Initiative (SAWI), managed by the World Bank, (funded by UK, Norway, Australia)

• The UK Water Partnership• BCURE in South Asia (DFID funded- led by Harvard University)• Urban Climate Change Resilience Trust Fund (UCCRTF)-

Managed by ADB• Asian Ministerial Conference on DRR (AMCDRR, New Delhi,

November 2016)• ACCCRN• 100 Resilient Cities