SYDNEY, Australia, Feb. 21 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- A watershed forest preservation initiative on the Solomon Islands and a reservoir watershed project in China have won leading global reinsurer Swiss Re's 2008 International ReSource Award for Sustainable Watershed Management. The two awarded projects will share prize money of more than USD 150,000.
Over 400 insurance professionals were in attendance as representatives of the Solomon Islands winners, Lauru Land Conference of Tribal Communities (LLCTC), received their prize from Russell Higginbotham, Swiss Re's Managing Director and Head of Australia & New Zealand. Receiving the award of USD 75,000 were Lauru Land Conference Coordinator Mr Jimmy Kereseka, LLCTC President Reverend Leslie Boseto, the Hon. Billy Takubala, Minister of Natural Resources for Choiseul Province, and Mr Willie Atu of the Nature Conservancy Solomon Islands Programme.
The winning project, "Voices and Choices for the Chivoko Community", distinguished itself by actively involving key stakeholder groups and creating strong emotional ties and local support. The award was presented at the Swiss Re Knowledge Fair, a key knowledge transfer for the Australian insurance industry.
Mr Higginbotham described the annual Award as "an expression of Swiss Re's global commitment to supporting the planning, evaluation and implementation of water-related projects with the aim of promoting awareness and encouraging the efficient use of this precious resource."
Solomon Islands: Watershed forest preservation
The winning project is "Voices and Choices for the Chivoko Community", was submitted by the Lauru Land Conference of Tribal Communities (LLCTC), an associated body registered in the Solomon Islands whose work has received national recognition. The project's goal is to secure the 8,000 ha of Chivoko watershed forests and place them legally beyond the reach of industrial logging ventures.
To achieve that goal, LLCTC will draw on national expertise to produce a collaborative watershed management plan that provides a pathway for sustainable forest development practices.
China: Reservoir watershed project
The Mountain Institute leading the project by the title of "Participatory Community Watershed Management for Ensuring Safe and Clean Water Supply for Shangri-la Town, Yuan, China" is a non-profit organisation dedicated to conservation, community development and cultural preservation in various mountain ranges of the world. The wining project aims to ensure clean and safe water supply for Shangri-la Town by facilitating multi-stakeholder collaboration in a dynamic reservoir watershed model.
The project's main output will be to establish a watershed management plan and a committee with community and stakeholder representatives, to implement improved management practices and adopt relevant management regulations, and to establish regulations for watershed management and community natural resource management.
International ReSource Award for Sustainable Watershed Management
The Swiss Re Award was established in 2002, to develop effective frameworks and best practices in water and watershed management.
Focusing on developing and emerging market countries, the Award invites participation by NGOs, private, scientific or public institutions, and projects must be implemented in non-OECD countries.
The Award, an internationally recognised prize for leadership in implementing the principles of sustainability in watershed management, is worth USD150,000 in total and is granted to one or more projects selected by an international jury.
With more than 600 project submissions since its inception, the ReSource Award has established itself as an international programme in sustainable watershed management.
The 2008 Award received 102 project submissions, including 37 from the Asia Pacific region. The 10 highest ranked were selected by a jury committee to provide a full proposal.
In view of the very positive assessment of the two best-placed projects, the jurors decided to split the prize money among the winners from China and the Solomon Islands.
Notes to editors
Swiss Re is the world's leading and most diversified global reinsurer. The company operates through offices in more than 25 countries. Founded in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1863, Swiss Re offers financial services products that enable risk-taking essential to enterprise and progress. The company's traditional reinsurance products and related services for property and casualty, as well as the life and health business are complemented by insurance-based corporate finance solutions and supplementary services for comprehensive risk management. Swiss Re is rated "AA-" by Standard & Poor's, "Aa2" by Moody's and "A+" by A.M. Best.
For Photos of the ReSource Award, please contact asia@swissre.com.
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