Live & Learn Environmental Education
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| Live & Learn Environmental Education | |
|---|---|
| Name | Live & Learn Environmental Education |
| Type | Non-governmental organization |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Founder | Maude Barlow |
| Headquarters | Suva, Fiji |
| Area served | Asia-Pacific, Africa, Pacific Islands |
| Focus | Environmental conservation, sustainable development, climate resilience |
Live & Learn Environmental Education is an international non-governmental organization focused on community-based sustainability and environmental conservation programming with emphasis on water, sanitation, climate resilience, and biodiversity. Operating primarily in the Asia-Pacific and parts of Africa and the Pacific Islands, the organization partners with local communities, regional institutions, and donors to implement capacity-building, advocacy, and livelihood projects. It engages with a network of multilateral agencies, philanthropic foundations, and academic institutions to scale community-led solutions and measure outcomes.
Overview
Live & Learn operates at the intersection of community development and international policy, linking grassroots action to forums such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the World Health Organization. Its programmatic focus spans water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), climate change adaptation, sustainable agriculture, and biodiversity conservation, aligning with targets from the Sustainable Development Goals and contributing to reporting for the Green Climate Fund and Adaptation Fund. The organization collaborates with regional bodies including the Pacific Islands Forum and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations partners, and engages with research partners from universities such as the University of the South Pacific and the Australian National University.
History and Founding
Founded in the early 2000s amid growing international attention to integrated development, the organization emerged alongside contemporaries like Conservation International, World Wide Fund for Nature, and CARE International. Early supporters and interlocutors included representatives from the Asian Development Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, and national ministries from countries such as Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu. Over time it expanded operations in response to major events and frameworks including the Kyoto Protocol era climate agenda, the lead-up to the Paris Agreement, and regional disaster responses following cyclones and Indian Ocean tsunami-era recovery efforts.
Programs and Initiatives
Programs combine community training, technical assistance, and advocacy. Key thematic initiatives mirror international priorities such as integrated water resource management and climate-smart agriculture, and partner with entities like the Global Environment Facility and the World Bank on project design. Project types include community WASH projects working with national health ministries in Indonesia, integrated coastal management with local councils in Solomon Islands, agroforestry and permaculture training aligned with practices promoted by Food and Agriculture Organization missions, and biodiversity stewardship linked to protected-area management frameworks used by IUCN. Education and youth engagement programs connect school curricula to frameworks promoted by UNICEF and local education authorities, while disaster risk reduction activities coordinate with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
Geographic Reach and Partnerships
Live & Learn’s footprint covers multiple countries across the Asia-Pacific and parts of East Africa and the Indian Ocean basin. Country programs have operated in places such as Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Philippines, Kenya, and Tanzania. Strategic partnerships include collaborations with regional NGOs like Helvetas and Practical Action, international agencies such as the United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID) and USAID, and philanthropic partners comparable to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. It also engages corporate partners in sustainability initiatives modeled after collaborations seen with companies like Unilever and Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat-facilitated private sector platforms.
Organizational Structure and Governance
The organization maintains a central secretariat supported by country offices and program teams, overseen by a board of directors and executive leadership comparable to governance structures in NGOs like Oxfam and Save the Children. It adheres to accountability norms promoted by networks such as the International Non-Governmental Organisations Accountability Charter and standards promoted by the Global Reporting Initiative. Operational governance includes program monitoring units, finance and compliance teams, and thematic technical advisors who liaise with regional research partners including the Asian Development Bank Institute.
Funding and Financial Sustainability
Funding streams are diversified across grant funding, project contracts, philanthropic donations, and competitive calls such as those from the Green Climate Fund and the Global Environment Facility. Competitive proposals frequently reference methodologies and indicator frameworks used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the OECD’s aid effectiveness guidance. Financial oversight follows donor requirements similar to those of European Commission development instruments and multilateral lenders like the World Bank, while sustaining smaller community-driven revenue-generation models and social enterprise pilots inspired by initiatives supported by the International Finance Corporation.
Impact, Evaluation, and Recognition
Impact measurement uses mixed methods, combining community surveys, participatory monitoring, and quantitative indicators aligned with Sustainable Development Goals reporting and evaluation frameworks used by UNDP and OECD. Evaluations have documented outcomes in improved household WASH access, strengthened community disaster preparedness comparable to benchmarks used by UNISDR, and biodiversity outcomes in partner landscapes echoing targets from the Convention on Biological Diversity. The organization and its staff have been recognized in regional forums and award platforms akin to honors given by the Asia-Pacific Adaptation Network and national environmental awards in partner countries.