Purpose. The purpose of the Sector Environmental Guidelines is to support environmentally sound design and management (ESDM) of common USAID sectoral development activities by providing concise, plain-language information regarding:
- the typical, potential adverse impacts of activities in these sectors;
- how to prevent or otherwise mitigate these impacts, both in the form of general activity design guidance and specific design, construction and operating measures;
- how to minimize vulnerability of activities to climate change; and
- more detailed resources for further exploration of these issues.
Environmental Compliance Applications. USAID’s mandatory life-of-project environmental procedures require that the potential adverse impacts of USAID-funded and managed activities be assessed prior to implementation via the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process defined by 22 CFR 216 (Reg. 216). They also require that the environmental management/mitigation measures (“conditions”) identified by this process be written into award documents, implemented over life of project, and monitored for compliance and sufficiency.
The procedures are USAID’s principal mechanism to assure ESDM of USAID-funded activities—and thus to protect environmental resources, ecosystems, and the health and livelihoods of beneficiaries and other groups. They strengthen development outcomes and help safeguard the good name and reputation of USAID.
The Sector Environmental Guidelines directly support environmental compliance by providing: information essential to assessing the potential impacts of activities, and to the identification and detailed design of appropriate mitigation and monitoring measures.
However, the Sector Environmental Guidelines are not specific to USAID’s environmental procedures. They are generally written, and are intended to support ESDM of these activities by all actors, regardless of the specific environmental requirements, regulations, or processes that apply, if any.
Some of the sector guidelines are available in Spanish. Please visit the GEMS Spanish page for information.
Agriculture |
CBNRM |
Construction |
Dryland Agriculture |
|---|---|---|---|
Ecotourism |
Energy |
Forestry |
Healthcare Waste
|
Housing |
Integrated Pest Management |
Livestock |
Mining |
Rural Roads |
Safer Use Pesticides |
Schools |
Small Healthcare Facilities |
Solid Waste |
Water and Sanitation |
Wild Caught Fisheries and Aquaculture |
Environmental Compliance Factsheets
|
|---|
- Introduction - MSEs & the Environment (AFR 2006) PDF (84 KB)
- Mechanisms for MSEs to Control Environmental Impact (AFR 2006) PDF (53 KB)
- Institutionalizing Environmental Capacity (AFR 2006) PDF (165 KB)
- Sub-Sector Specific CP Briefings (AFR 2006) PDF (474 KB)
- Resources (AFR 2006) PDF (35 KB)
- Annexes (AFR 2006) PDF (35 KB)
Brick and Tile Production |
Food Processing |
Leather Processing |
Metal Finishing |
|---|---|---|---|
Wet Textile Operations |
Wood Processing |
|
Region-Specific Guidelines Superseded.TheSector Environmental Guidelines replace the following region-specific guidance: (1) Environmental Guidelines for Small Scale Activities in Africa; (2) Environmental Guidelines for Development Activities in Latin America and the Caribbean; and (3) Asia/Middle East: Sectoral Environmental Guidelines. With the exception of some more recent Africa sectors, all were developed over 1999–2004.
Development Process & Limitations. In developing the Sector Environmental Guidelines, regional-specific content in these predecessor guidelines has been retained. Statistics have been updated, and references verified and some new references added. However, except as marked, the Sector Environmental Guidelines are not the result of a comprehensive technical update.
Further, The Guidelines are not a substitute for detailed sources of technical information or design manuals. Users are expected to refer to the accompanying list of references for additional information.
Comments and corrections. Each sector of these guidelines is a work in progress. Comments, corrections, and suggested additions are welcome. Email: gems@cadmusgroup.com.