As a board member for the last six years, I am aware that ACORD has had to spend much of its energies on internal issues. So although I work for a policy research institute in the field of sustainable development, the International Institute for International Development (IIED), there has been little or no linkage between IIED and ACORD.

IIED has several research programmes and many publications that may be of interest to ACORD staff and programmes. It works in collaboration with NGO, university and other civil society partners across the world, as well as with governments and the private sector. The Dryland Programme works in dryland Africa with a focus in Francophone West Africa. It publishes Haramata, a drylands bulletin in French and English, together with a set of issues papers. Subscriptions (free) and contributions from ACORD staff are welcome. Haramata serves over 4000 individuals and organisations.

The Dryland Programme is currently working on land rights and land tenure for the poor, together with groups such as JAM in Mali and RECONCILE in Kenya. IIED has an office in Dakar led by Bara Gueye.

The Climate Change Programme takes as its starting point the fact that whatever the global community agrees to do, there will be an increase in global warming over the next few decades. It is focusing on adaptation to climate change and is working with EDNA on a Senegal case study of relevance across the Sahel.

The Sustainable Agriculture and Livelihoods Programme (SARLS) is at the centre of this work on participatory methodologies. It was the pioneer, with IDS, of PRA/MARP and now PLA (Participatory Learning Approaches). It publishes PLA Notes, a round-up of participatory experiences around the world. It is currently working on developing Citizens' Juries to empower local people to give their verdict on prospective development plans. This has proved an influential tool (e.g. Indian farmers verdict on GMOs).

Current research areas include work on local food systems, agrobiodiversity and livelihoods; gender, markets and livelihoods in the context of globalisation (Mozambique case study); rural-urban interactions and trade policy and poverty.

While the above programmes may be the closest to ACORD's past works, other IIED programmes have potential synergies for the future.

The Environment Economics Programme is working on how the poor can benefit from environmental markets (carbon sinks, eco-tourism, watershed payments). At the macro-economic policy level, it researches finance and investment in sustainable development.

The Human Settlements Programme works on the urban and the green/brown agendas. It publishes Environment and Urbanisation (the latest issue is on globalisation), largely authored by Southern researchers. The programme has strong links with civil society movements in cities, including Puerto Alegre (Brazil) the home of the World Social Forum. It is working on rural-urban linkages; environmental health and water issues.

The Forestry and Land Use Programme works on forests and livelihoods and building good forest governance. In Africa, it works mainly in SADC countries: Mozambique, Malawi, South Africa. Many of the lessons learned in the sectors, particularly around governance community management onatural resources, organisational tactics and influencing the global forest debate.

Please contact IIED for further details of its programmes.