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The most successful solutions result from the
input and insight of many different people. ESSA's International
Development team offers a collaborative systems approach to the
challenges of environmental protection and management — an
approach that carefully considers the complex environmental and
social dimensions of
issues, and takes into account the valuable insight of local knowledge.
Over the past 22 years, we have built a portfolio of over 300 highly
successful international projects, developing in our professional
staff strong cross-cultural skills and the ability to work effectively
in a wide variety of circumstances. Our international projects have
taken us to over 30 countries around the world, with a particular
focus on the regions of Southeast
Asia, Central and East
Asia, and Latin America
and the Caribbean.
Our environmental expertise and analytical tools
lay the groundwork for all of our projects. We understand the complexities
of environmental management and conservation, and have developed
an in-depth knowledge of the best practices used worldwide to address
these issues. Our team has considerable experience conducting
environmental impact assessments in developing countries, especially
those funded by Official Donor Assistance. We have also developed
innovative applications to support environmental
assessment and environmental information
management. These tools, combined with our respected abilities
in ecosystem modelling and analysis,
enable us to incisively describe the environmental challenges at
hand and suggest possible solutions. Additionally, because we are
dedicated to developing self-reliance in environmental protection
and management at the local and institutional levels, the benefits
of our projects extend far into the future.
As important as it is, however, technical expertise
is only the beginning. Experience has shown that organizational
capacity is a prerequisite for effective environmental programs.
Without it, valuable time and resources are wasted on programming
that is doomed to failure. ESSA works with environmental institutions
as they grow and change, facilitating the development of organizational
capacity at every level, from policy
analysis and development to dealing with financial sustainability,
human resource planning, and achieving optimum benefit from advanced
technological tools.
Effective environmental management requires working
closely with local communities and agencies to create solutions
informed by local knowledge and practices. Our approach, which incorporates
facilitated workshops, a wide
variety of training practices,
and participatory methods — is a collaborative process of problem-solving
based on mutual respect. Fostering self-reliance, we transfer technology
and knowledge to the project's beneficiaries so that they can achieve
their environmental goals.
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