COVID-19 has wreaked havoc across Africa both in terms of health and the economy. Many economic development plans are being created by governments and private entities to re-build the same type of systems that provided the opportunity for a pandemic to flourish. Through training, information and networking on impact assessment techniques, this project will build the expertise in ten local leaders to respond to community needs and foster sustainable development.
COVID-19 has had devastating effects in Africa, and the best short-term response is to provide health care and food aid. This is not the time to move forward with potentially unwise and unsustainable infrastructure projects which will burden the continent's people for generations. Rather than increasing climate change or disrupting communities, African decision makers must be given the tools to support economic stimulus efforts which prioritize sustainable and socially equitable development.
IAIA will provide training to ten African leaders to develop their skills in sustainability using three different approaches. Five participants will attend the Online Symposium: Our Interconnected World: Impact Assessment, Health, and the Environment. Five participants will go through the online Foundations of Impact Assessment Course. All ten will receive electronic access to Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal Journal, and networking with impact assessment professionals worldwide.
Building and rebuilding Africa post-COVID-19 in a sustainable fashion will reduce the potential for future pandemics. Listening to traditional knowledge and engaging affected communities are keys to wiser decisions. As one African leader said of the program: "It is a good combination of theory, guidelines, and experience from the senior EIA professionals in the videos. The course presents the EIA project cycle in a clear, logical manner, which is easy to follow." Ugandan participant
This project has provided additional documentation in a DOCX file (projdoc.docx).
