NatuReS’ Vision: Preserving Natural Resources
The Natural Resources Stewardship Programme (NatuReS) enables private-public-civil society partnerships for the sustainable use and management of natural resources and for a socio-ecological transformation to support a sustainable economic development. The programme’s vision is a world where all stakeholders collaborate effectively to sustainably utilise and manage the planet’s natural resources for inclusive and resilient economic development.
How NatuReS supports the management of Natural Resources
With its proven expertise, tools and approaches, NatuReS empowers stakeholders to collaborate in mitigating risks and realising opportunities. This inclusive approach that includes all groups of society (including women and marginalized groups) supports a more socially and environmentally sustainable development, whilst also strengthening participatory governance.
Stewardship is about taking care of something that we do not own.
Natural resource stewardship is defined as “a use of natural resources that is socially and culturally equitable, environmentally sustainable, and economically beneficial”. To achieve this, public, private and civil society actors work together in an inclusive process to develop solutions for joint challenges.
NatuReS implementation focus are economic zones or areas with extreme resource use pressure, including zones with water and soil scarcity and/or very resource-intensive production processes (value chains). These economic areas can be any part of a city or rural area with a significant concentration of economic activity. Examples are:
Examples of NatuReS´ areas of activity to enhance Natural Resource Stewardship.
Who is Behind NatuReS
NatuReS is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) – a trusted partner within the international community of natural resource stewardship practitioners.
The programme is currently active in Ethiopia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia
Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals
NatuReS partnerships are aligned to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and engage in several activities that contribute to key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Enabling and empowering women to participate in decision-making processes (UN Sustainable Development Goal 5)
Enabling the efficient management and security of water for businesses, communities and governments (UN Sustainable Development Goal 6)
Including marginalized groups of society in decision making process, fostering a Just Transition process where no one is left behind (UN Sustainbale Development Goal 10)
Ensuring the availability of the world’s economic- and life-sustaining natural resources for future generations (UN Sustainable Development Goal 12)
Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems (UN Sustainable Development Goal 15)
Realising the potential of collaboration between the private sector, governments and civil society to address natural resource risks (UN Sustainable Development Goal 17)
Strategic Partners
Since 2014, NatuReS (formerly IWaSP) is a strategic partner of the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS). As a programme we support the advancing of global standards of stewardship, and we seek to ensure alignment wherever possible. We further promote these principles in our partnerships, as well as in our advisory work on water resource efficiency in companies and economic zones.
Alliance for Water Stewardship
The Alliance for Water Stewardship is a global collaboration of businesses, NGOs and the public sector. Its members adopt and promote the International Water Stewardship Standard. This framework, also known as AWS Standard, encourages and rewards the sustainable use of water resources. Participants work collaboratively to understand and address water challenges, risks and opportunities within a catchment context.
NatuReS’ Monitoring and Evaluation System
NatuReS has developed a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system in order to capture and report on the activities implemented and the results achieved. It focuses on higher level results of impact, outcome and outputs.
The system’s well formulated monitoring plan details the programme objectives and key performance indicators. Additionally, its monitoring and evaluation team has a Regional Coordinator and Monitoring and Evaluation Advisors in each country. With these measures, NatuReS has been able to successfully translate the programme objectives into intervention planning and daily programme operations.
Furthermore, continuous monitoring mechanisms and biannual reporting effectively capture, analyse and report results to the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), our donors and partners. Evaluations have consistently served as a mirror from which the innovative programme derives lessons that have helped refine the programme’s strategy over the years.
Targets
Together with its donors, NatuReS has set 13 ambitious targets. Their purpose is to measure the programme’s contribution to its overarching goal: economic growth through natural resource stewardship. The targets are divided into two groups: Outcome targets aim to reduce social and economic risks due to natural resources shortages in the programme areas. Output targets contribute to the outcome targets. The achievement of the targets is measured through key performance indicators (KPIs).
Outcome: Stewardship multi-stakeholder partnerships are established as an instrument of consensus-building processes on Just Transition in selected economic zones with extreme resource use pressure in Ethiopia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia
Module Objective Indicator 1: In 8 economic zones with extreme resource use pressure, stewardship multi-stakeholder partnerships have each implemented 3 jointly agreed measures for social-ecological transformations as part of their partnership action plan, of which at least 8 measures for the protection, sustainable management or restoration of ecosystems.
Target: 24 measures in 8 economic zones, of which at least 8 measures for the protection, sustainable management or restoration of ecosystems
Module Objective Indicator 2: Stewardship multi-stakeholder partnership approaches according to the NatuReS approach were replicated in 4 economic zones with extreme resource use pressure.
Target: 4 economic zones
Module objective indicator 3: NatuReS’ stewardship multi-stakeholder partnership approach has been incorporated into 6 sub-national, national or international guidelines for formats of participation.
Target: 6 sub-national, national or international guidelines
Module objective indicator 4: In 8 Partnership Action Plans, the needs and rights of women and marginalised groups for a Just Transition were explicitly considered.
Target: 8 Partnership Action Plans
Output 1: The institutional, human and financial prerequisites for the functioning of stewardship multi-actor partnerships are met in economic zones with extreme resource use pressures.
Output indicator 1.1: 10 Stewardship multi-stakeholder partnerships in economic zones with extreme resource use pressure have agreed on a partnership action plan to implement socio-ecological transformation measures.
Target: 10 Stewardship multi-stakeholder partnerships
Output indicator 1.2: 8 Stewardship multi-stakeholder partnerships have allocated human and financial resources to fulfil their core tasks over a period of 2 years.
Target: 8 Stewardship multi-stakeholder partnerships
Output 2: Human and technical capacities for resource efficiency in selected economic zones with extreme resource use pressure are improved.
Output indicator 2.1: 200 participants of site-specific trainings on resource efficiency under extreme resource use pressure successfully passed the final test.
Target: 200 participants
Output indicator 2.2: In 4 economic zones with extreme resource use, water and wastewater data are digitally recorded annually.
Target: 4 eonomic zones
Output 3: Knowledge transfer for the institutionalisation of stewardship multi-stakeholder partnerships is intensified.
Output indicator 3.1: A total of 11 networking meetings/regional dialogues on SMSP in Just Transition have taken place in 4 countries.
Target: 4 countries, 11 networking meetings/ regional dialogues
Output indicator 3.2: In 4 countries, approaches of stewardship multistakeholder partnership processes are anchored in training/formation concepts in one educational institution each.
Target: 4 countries, 1 educational institution each
Output 4: Knowledge about the roles, rights and needs of women and marginalised groups in Just Transition processes is increased.
Output indicator 4.1: Out of 200 participants in training modules on the roles, rights and needs of women and marginalised groups in Just Transition processes, 50% demonstrated how they applied their newly acquired knowledge in SMSP by showcasing examples.
Target: 100 (50% of 200) participants
The Natural Resources Risk and Action Framework (NRAF): NatuReS’ Guide to Sustainable Partnerships
NatuReS’ work relies on the effectiveness of its private-public-civil society partnerships. The idea is that those relying on the same natural resources can only address risks through collaboration. By working together and finding mutually beneficial solutions, partnerships lead to sustainable economic growth. This secures the use of natural resources for generations to come.
A five-step guide for sustainable partnerships
The NRAF guides from the creation to the execution of sustainable partnerships.
NatuReS developed the Natural Resources Risk and Action Framework (NRAF) to tackle shared environmental risks together with stakeholders from affected businesses, communities, and governments.
Arranged in five steps, the NRAF guides stewardship practitioners through
1) Preparing,
2) Assessing,
3) Committing,
4) Acting and
5) Scaling/Exiting
a partnership.
The Natural Resources Risk and Action Framework User Manual
Click on the picture to access the Natural Resources Risk and Action Framework (NRAF) User Manual
Further Information
Download this factsheet for further information.
Or take this free, self-paced online training on stewardship and the Natural Resources Risk and Action Framework to learn more about how to bring together stakeholders from across sectors to jointly tackle risks emerging from the scarcity or endangerment of natural resources:
The training is available on atingi, a free digital learning platform commissioned and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by GIZ.
Building on a Legacy of Stewardship Success
NatuReS is the second phase of a successful initiative, continuing the work of its predecessor programmes, NatuReS I (2019-2023) and the International Water Stewardship Programme (IWaSP, 2013-2019). Together, these programmes have supported over 45 partnerships globally, leveraging their successes to drive sustainable natural resource management.
NatuReS I (2019-2023) was co-financed by the European Union and implemented partnerships in several countries, including Uganda. While the Uganda component is no longer active, an overview of past partnerships implemented in Uganda can be found here.
The foundation of these efforts lies in the accomplishments of IWaSP, which reached over 2.7 million people through 38 partnerships with more than 180 partners worldwide. The programme leveraged EUR 15 million in private sector investments and partnered with over 70 companies, including prominent international brands such as Coca-Cola, SABMiller/AB InBev, Marks & Spencer, Heineken, Kinyara Sugar, and Olam, as well as leading companies in the respective project countries.
Lessons learned from the various stewardship partnerships under IWaSP are documented here, alongside the IWaSP final annual report (2018-2019) for further insights.