Natural Resources Management
1. Water Resource management ( watershed conservation and water harvesting technologies )
Today, most countries are placing unprecedented pressure on water resources. The global population is growing fast, and estimates show that with current practices, the world will face a 40% shortfall between forecast demand and available supply of water by 2030. Furthermore, chronic water scarcity, hydrological uncertainty, and extreme weather events (floods and droughts) are perceived as some of the biggest threats to global prosperity and stability. Acknowledgment of the role that water scarcity and drought are playing in aggravating fragility and water use and allocation conflict is increasing.
ERMIS Africa is positioned to influence individuals, communities, industrial facilities, urban establishments, regions and countries in developing approaches to sustainable water conservation and management approaches.We collaborate in planning, developing, distributing and managing the optimum use of water resources.
ERMIS also takes initiatives to enhance watershed management collaboratively with Governments, Communities, investors, and various stakeholders. Watersheds drains rain water into one location such as a stream, lake, or wetland. These water bodies supply our drinking water, water for agriculture and manufacturing, offer opportunities for recreation and provide habitat to numerous plants and animals. Unfortunately various forms of pollution, including runoff and erosion, can interfere with the health of the watershed. We note that it is important to protect the quality of our watersheds.
- Catchment Management Plans & Strategies
- Rain Water Harvesting
- Ground Water Recharge (including artificial)
- Drip Irrigation.
- Sewage Water Treatment
- Conjunctive uses
- Aquifer storage and recovery
- Desalination
- Atmospheric Water Capture
2. Forest Resource Management
Life it its diverse form cannot thrive without forests, and more so, forests in their rich biodiversity. That is why we have developed various measures to sustain their existence. ERMIS Africa appreciates that through Sustainable Forest Management approaches, society must concomitantly maintain forest biodiversity, productivity, regeneration capacity, and vitality, as well as forests' potential to fulfill a wide range of functions and services.
Sustainable forest management offers holistic approaches to ensure forest activities deliver social, environmental and economic benefits, balance competing needs and maintain and enhance forest functions now and in the future. We have within ourselves nurtured the understanding that the application of good forest practices often leads to the protection of ecosystem functions, thereby maintaining a sustainable forest ecosystem. We have the proper techniques and understanding on how to enhance the various types of forests collaboratively with stakeholders through development of Forest Management Plans.
We develop forest management plans outlining strategic vision and commitments to protect multiple forest values in areas under management and assess the current state of the forest in the area. The plan applies to detail the desired future state of forest values in the area.
A forest management plan defines the planned forestry activities (e.g. inventory, yield calculation, harvesting, silviculture, protection and monitoring), specifying objectives, actions and control arrangements in a forest area.
3. Landscape Management
At government level there are different scales of governance that influence land use and landscape management, from the international agreements to their implementation at the local level. In practice, countries follow these international agreements, but apply their policy instruments at the national level. In turn, countries dictate decisions on regional or provincial levels and design regional management plans to support municipalities and rural communities. In many cases, management practices locally framed and implemented will potentially have the strongest impact on ecosystems and the services they supply. While multi-functionality is often defined as a management aim at the landscape level, policies on multi functionality have to be formulated at all scales of the decision-making process to achieve a coherent strategy.
Sustainable forest management offers holistic approaches to ensure forest activities deliver social, environmental and economic benefits, balance competing needs and maintain and enhance forest functions now and in the future. We have within ourselves nurtured the understanding that the application of good forest practices often leads to the protection of ecosystem functions, thereby maintaining a sustainable forest ecosystem. We have the proper techniques and understanding on how to enhance the various types of forests collaboratively with stakeholders through development of Forest Management Plans.
We develop Forest Management Plans outlining strategic vision and commitments to protect multiple forest values in areas under management and assess the current state of the forest in the area. The plan applies to detail the desired future state of forest values in the area.
Landscape management is the care of land to ensure that landscapes can fulfil needs and aspirations in an effective and sustainable manner for present and future communities of users. Landscape management is influenced by a network of administrative bodies, institutional arrangements, individuals and stakeholder groups on different scales of governance (MEA, 2005; Nagendra and Ostrom, 2012). ERMIS Africa bears good expertise in Landscape Management, and also supports the principle of stakeholder involvement to manage landscapes effectively.
As ERMIS works in the context of landscape management, we ensure that Chartered Members of the Landscape Institute assess the characteristics, history and potential of sites and landscapes and understand the needs of their owners, managers and users. They ensure that landscapes can be effectively maintained and managed over time, preparing management plans and strategies, advising on new developments, designs and plans, and providing management based solutions to site issues.
A forest management plan defines the planned forestry activities (e.g. inventory, yield calculation, harvesting, silviculture, protection and monitoring), specifying objectives, actions and control arrangements in a forest area.
Our management activities include:
- conducting and coordinating site assessments advising on management and maintenance considerations in respect of new designs and proposals
- preparing and implementing management plans
- preparing site specific restoration schemes and other management based solutions to site issues
- preparing area strategy and policy documents for long term landscape management
- coordinating and conducting community engagement and consultation with users/owners/managers other stakeholders
- resource and budget assessment and planning including the preparation of cost estimates
- managing, coordinating and contributing to detailed assessments and studies including:
- environmental impact assessment
- landscape and visual impact assessment
- landscape audits
- advising on compliance with relevant policy, legislation, good practice and relevant standards
- tender preparation and administration, and contract supervision
- preparation of maintenance schedules
- managing projects and contracts
- contributing to public inquiries and acting as an expert witness
PAST FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN
