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Regional editions of evidence for policy are written by regional partners and feature research and development policy recommendations directed at local audiences.
Regional Edition South Asia No. 5
Transformative land reform in South Asia
 Land is a vital asset in South Asian agrarian societies, as it determines the overall socio-economic, political, and cultural status of individuals and families, as well as their power relations. Landlessness, poverty, marginalisation, social exclusion, discrimination, and inequality are largely linked to the skewed distribution of land. Though efforts have been made to solve these issues through reforms, their focus has been too narrow. This edition of evidence for policy argues for a holistic policy of transformative land reform that reduces pressure on this limited resource while balancing economic efficiency and social equity.
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Regional Edition South Asia No. 4
Addressing issues and concerns of Internally Displaced Persons in Nepal
 The plight of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) is a major global challenge. In 2010, 27.5 million people in 54 countries were displaced by conflict alone. In Nepal, an estimated 250,000 people were displaced by the recent Maoist conflict. To date, interventions for IDPs largely obey the “basic needs” framework of humanitarian agencies. But this often overlooks the heterogeneity of IDPs and the actual support they require. This issue of evidence for policy illustrates the need for more suitable interventions that reflect local contexts and consider IDPs’ livelihoods from a broader socio-economic and political perspective.
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Regional Edition South Asia No. 3
Community-based and peace-sensitive tourism: fulfilling Nepal’s potential
 Nepal is growing in popularity as a tourist destination due to its rich cultural heritage and natural attractions. Tourism has tremendous potential to promote economic growth and alleviate poverty in Nepal, especially if it is community based. This policy brief explains the advantages of building a tourism industry from the ground up, involving and educating local communities to ensure they benefit and to prevent conflicts or harm to the natural environment. A new trekking route collaboratively developed by researchers, the private sector, and local people is presented that could provide the basis for a Nepalese tourism code of conduct.
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Regional Edition South Asia No. 2
Mediated policy dialogues to address conflict over natural resource governance
 Mistrust and conflict between government departments and local stakeholders form a major barrier to effective natural resource governance in South Asia. In Pakistan, mistrust between forest officials and forest users has led to tension in joint forest management programmes. In Nepal, differing perspectives on land reform among political parties, the state, and local people have stymied progress. In both countries, state agencies are often viewed as opposing people’s rights. This policy brief highlights how mediated dialogues, facilitated by an independent group such as researchers, can develop and strengthen mutual trust and collaboration between stakeholders, and eventually lessen or solve conflicts over natural resources.
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Regional Edition South Asia No. 1
Nepal's peace process and challenges ahead
 Nepal is facing tremendous challenges in post-conflict times. Studies by the Nepal Research Group – a loose network of research organisations including the South Asia Coordination Office of the NCCR North-South – have found that important tasks outlined in Nepal's 2006 Comprehensive Peace Agreement have not been implemented. Most pressing is the need to create a new constitution by May 2011. This policy brief describes the reasons behind the difficulties and the ingredients necessary for the peace process to succeed.
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Regional Edition East Africa No. 1
Overcoming bottlenecks in water management in the Pangani Basin
 Managing water resources in the Pangani Basin in northern Tanzania in a coordinated, effective, and equitable way is vital both for the livelihood strategies of the communities living in the basin and for Tanzania’s economic growth. But the competing interests of multiple stakeholders and disharmony between customary and statutory regulations increase the likelihood of conflicts over water use. This issue of evidence for policy recommends creation of water user associations as a means of harmonising customary and statutory regulations and reconciling interests among different stakeholders at the grassroots level.
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Regional Edition Caribbean and Central America No. 1
Balancing coastal development, marine conservation, and people’s livelihoods
 Environmental degradation and overexploitation of marine resources pose serious threats to Costa Rica’s coastal communities, especially those that depend on artisanal fishing. But in one community, a local cooperative has launched a policy initiative known as Marine Areas for Responsible Fishery. Its aim is to protect coastal resources by establishing responsible fishing regulations together with the main stakeholders. This Spanish-language policy brief describes the process and the challenges of creating responsible fishing areas, and recommends ways of supporting environmentally sensitive and socially inclusive policies.
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Regional Edition Central Asia No. 2
It’s time to control brucellosis in Central Asia
 Brucellosis, a livestock disease that is transmissible to humans, has resurfaced as a major health risk in Central Asia since the end of the socialist period. The question arises as to whether brucellosis can be controlled given the current financial, technical, and political constraints in the region. Drawing on relevant epidemiological and economic studies, this issue of evidence for policy confirms the viability of effectively controlling and, eventually, eliminating brucellosis in the region. It carefully outlines a strategy that will work, given sufficient political will and modest investments in local knowledge and technology.
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Regional Edition Central Asia No. 1
Carbon finance and dryland afforestation
 This regional policy brief examines the pros and cons of dryland afforestation projects and the carbon-finance schemes designed to encourage them. Co-authors Henri Rueff and Inam-ur-Rahim describe what sorts of tree-planting projects are desirable and ways of enabling small-scale farmers to participate and profit via carbon finance and other incentives. Their policy recommendations draw on case studies from Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Israel.
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Regional Edition Southeast Asia No. 2
Safe use of wastewater in agriculture and aquaculture
 Agriculture and aquaculture in Vietnam often use wastewater, particularly in urban or peri-urban areas. Wastewater provides moisture and nutrients for crops and fish, and its use generates employment for poor communities. But wastewater also poses many health risks due to the pathogens (bacteria, viruses, and parasites) and chemicals it contains. These may harm people directly through contact or when they consume contaminated products. This issue of evidence for policy explores how wastewater can be used safely and beneficially.
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Regional Edition Southeast Asia No. 1
Sustainable sanitation in urban centres in Southeast Asia
 Several cities in Southeast Asia have installed centralised sewerage systems but most lack the funds to operate and maintain them properly. As a result, untreated or poorly treated wastewater finds its way into nearby water bodies. This policy brief describes the advantages of decentralised wastewater solutions, highlighting two technologies that are well suited to Southeast Asia: “anaerobic baffled reactors” and “constructed wetlands”. Linked together in a chain, these technologies are affordable, effectively remove pollutants from wastewater, and can even offer aesthetic values for communities.
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Regional Edition West Africa No. 1
Including nutrition helps tuberculosis patients stick to treatment
 The prevalence of TB in Mauritania is twice that of the rest of the world. TB affects the most active population segment – those ages 15 to 54 – and thus has devastating consequences for human productivity. Even if treatment costs are covered, many TB patients quit treatment regimens due to high indirect costs, such as those related to travel to health centres or new nutritional requirements. They are often poorly informed about the risks of quitting treatment, such as development of drug resistance. This French-language policy brief indicates that patients are more likely to stick to treatment when they are well informed and nutrition is integrated in their regimen.
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Regional Edition South America No. 2
Secondary school and poverty: Strategies for inclusive education
 This Spanish-language policy brief explores strategies to enhance secondary school enrolment in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Dropping out of school is strongly linked with poverty. Improving families’ living conditions and ending youth labor are crucial to increasing secondary school enrolment. Strategies such as the “Asignación Universal por Hijo” – a sum of money given to parents for each child in secondary school – have also proven to be efficient. But NCCR North-South research conducted in the Reconquista Area in Buenos Aires also showed that the education provided in secondary schools often does not match youths’ needs. The policy brief recommends improving infrastructure in schools as well as using languages and teaching methods that are better adapted to local youths’ realities.
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Regional Edition South America No. 1
Resilience to natural disasters: saving lives and properties
 Rural and urban communities in Bolivia face multiple natural disaster risks. This first regional policy brief draws attention to La Paz, a city in need of better risk management. It examines how risk management can be improved by focussing on people's resilience and linking individuals, households, and neighbourhood associations with urban policies.
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Regional Edition Horn of Africa No. 3
Transboundary waters and conflict transformation in northeastern Africa
 Rising populations and the need for economic development in the Nile Basin have increased demand for water for drinking, irrigation, sanitation, and hydropower. The growing demand for water is further accentuated by climate change and rising aridity. The Nile Basin states share a common interest in the sustainable use, management, and protection of the finite water that flows down the river. They are seeking ways to reach an agreement on how to manage the shared waters. This policy brief identifies the key issues that have so far contributed to lack of such an agreement.
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Regional Edition Horn of Africa No. 2
Understanding new sources of conflicts in the lowlands of Ethiopia
 Violent conflicts in lowland areas in Ethiopia often involve pastoralists and agro-pastoralists – people who must migrate in search of grazing land and water for their livestock. Violence in these areas has often been linked to previous government efforts to restrict the movement of these migrant groups. However, new factors have emerged that are contributing to area conflicts, such as expansion of farms, unbalanced representation of groups in local administration, and misuse of the principles of decentralisation. This policy brief examines these factors and suggests policy options to reduce the extent and the effects of the violence.
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Regional Edition Horn of Africa No. 1
Improving ecosystem services for food security in Ethiopia
 Ethiopia’s Highlands, once endowed with rich natural resources, are now heavily degraded following several thousand years of agricultural use. This policy brief focuses on ways of restoring and sustainably using Ethiopia’s natural resources, in order to ensure food security and key ecosystem services on behalf of the population. The researchers discuss the impact of recent soil and water conservation measures, the importance of biodiversity, the potential for better water management, and the need for more research on the local effects of global change.
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