Prize winner

Prize Finalist 2008

Organisation name

Trees, Water & People (TWP)
http://www.treeswaterpeople.org/

Testimonial

Trees, Water & People is most honored to be included on the 2008 Rio Tinto Alcan Prize for Sustainability shortlist. The training grant will enhance our capacity, enabling us to better operate our national and international programs that provide sustainable community-based solutions, benefiting both people and the planet.

Financial resources

Annual income USD$1,418,103

Geographical focus

Latin America, Haiti, North America

Issue focus

Environmental sustainability, conservation, carbon emission reduction

Key achievements

- More than 2,700,000 trees planted to reduce deforestation and sequester carbon in Latin America;
- More than 175,000 tons of carbon offset by fuel-efficient stoves to stabilize climate change (1-4.5 metric tons CO2 eq/stove/yr);
- More than 147,500 people with reduced indoor air pollution to decrease serious respiratory health issues;
- More than 29,500 fuel-efficient stoves built to conserve trees, improve health, and save money;
- 16 international tree nurseries established throughout Latin America and Haiti to produce 650,000 trees each year.

Mission

Trees, Water & People's (TWP) mission is to help communities protect, conserve and manage the natural resources upon which their long-term wellbeing depends. The preservation of local trees, wetlands, and watersheds are essential in establishing the long-term social, economic and environmental sustainability of communities. To this end, they have established programs, both domestically and internationally, that incorporate these beliefs. TWP aims to empower people around the globe, through education and opportunity, to take responsibility in improving their environment, their economic situation, and their health.

Background

TWP is an international environmental nonprofit organization located in Fort Collins, Colorado (USA), founded in 1998.

Internationally, TWP works extensively in Latin America and Haiti. Together, with local partners, they have created 16 community tree nurseries that produce 650,000 trees annually to aid in critical reforestation efforts. They have also built more than 29,500 fuel-efficient stoves that decrease the need for wood by up to 70%.

Nationally, TWP helps to improve the lives of Native American families living on the reservations of the Great Plains. They install economic solar heating systems that make use of the sun's clean energy to heat homes and save tribal families 20-30% on their annual utility costs.

Locally, TWP brings energy efficiency and renewable energy education to Northern Colorado. Their new SunMobile is an interactive educational tool that travels to schools and community events with renewable energy lessons and demonstrations.

Management

TWP's village-based development model is based on the philosophy that the best way to help those most in need is to involve them directly in the design and implementation of development programs, thereby creating local ownership and building a case for sustainability. They work with a network of local NGO partners in Latin America, Haiti, and the United States.

To measure efficiency of progress, TWP tracks the number of outputs, conducts sample surveys, has regular communication with partner NGOs to set targets and performance indicators, and regularly visits their projects to monitor progress.

Partnerships

100% Replanted is the joint effort between TWP and Your True Nature to create awareness of how daily activities are supported by trees. Through this unique program, people can calculate and offset their annual paper usage by donating to plant trees in Latin America.

After Hurricane Mitch ravaged Honduras in 1998, TWP partnered with the Honduran Association for Development (AHDESA), Aprovecho Research Center, and Rotary International to adapt fuel-efficient combustion principles to traditional cooking habits. The project purpose is to introduce improved stoves to the 3.5 million people in Honduras that still rely on traditional unhealthy, inefficient open fire cook stoves to prepare daily meals.

TWP's Nicaragua Forest Replacement Program purpose is to halt deforestation along the Pacific coastal region by creating a sustainable source of fuelwood to prevent the cutting of native forests. Together with local NGO PROLEÑA, they have established three Forest Replacement Associations (FRAs) across the Pacific coast of Nicaragua, where the majority of the country's population lives.

Impact Achieved

Honduras Fuel-Efficient Stove Project:

• 60% reduction in annual greenhouse gas production per stove;
• 50-70% less wood required enables families to use savings for food, education, healthcare, or starting a small business;
• IAP reduced by 80%, resulting decreased Acute Respiratory Infections (ARIs), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cataracts, low birth weight, miscarriage, inflamed eyes/throat, and burns.

Nicaragua Forest Replacement Program:

The impact of this program has been to provide a commercial, sustainable source of fuel wood in Nicaragua. In the case of La Paz Centro, brickmakers are now using trees from these "energy forests" instead of deforesting nature reserves.

In 2007, FUNDANIC, a foundation created with funds from the EU, purchased 440,000 of TWP's trees and donated them to local farmers. In 2008, two nurseries in La Paz Centro produced 260,000 trees for planting in deforested areas throughout the departments of Leon and Chinandega, as part of the Millennium Challenge Fund of USAID.

Contact

For further information please contact Heather Herrell, Development Director, heather@treeswaterpeople.org