P r i v a t – D o z e n t   D r   D r   h a b i l.   M a n f r e d   W.   B u c h

A Professor for Geography, Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development Studies, Mr Buch’s experience in planning and implementing sustainable development projects spans over more than 20 years. Being among the pioneers of regional and nationwide Sustainable Development Strategies in full compliance with the EC Strategy for Sustainable Development, he offers a unique combination of an in-depth academic education and professional background in all aspects of Sustainable Development with extensive managerial experience in leading and motivating multi-cultural sustainable development project teams, as well as programme coordination and negotiation with high level government officials, private sector business and the society in large.

In 2000 Mr Buch has successfully managed the first project in Bavaria/Germany on drafting a Regional Development Concept based on the principles of sustainable regional development for the EU Leader+ programme in collaboration with district authorities in south-eastern Bavaria and ensuring broad participation from the civil society. From his positions in Germany he has detailed knowledge of the EU approach to Sustainable Development. Mentioned assignment together with earlier missions to Eastern Africa (Kenya and Tanzania) in the early 1980ies have also given him thorough experience in the practical application of EU Project Cycle Management, the use of Logical Framework Approach and various other participatory tools. In addition he has proven his skills as networker, facilitator of workshops and seminars and his ability to collaborate with various stakeholders in the government, the private sector and civil society.

One of the latest highlight of his consulting services on Sustainable Development is earmarked by Mr Buch’s assignment as Team Leader and Sustainable Development Specialist of the Swedish Sida funded project preparing the National Strategy for Sustainable Development in the Republic of Macedonia in south-eastern Europe (2006-2008). Based on various projects Mr Buch was involved in and led by him since 2001 as well as supported by pilot ‘flag ship’ projects drafted and regional & local alliances and partnerships initiated by him, the National Strategy for Sustainable Development today is not only one of many other policy documents in Macedonia, but became the starting point of a change process in terms of a new way of thinking and working by fully utilizing the potentials of the country – the vision of ‘Sustainable Development Macedonia’, for which Mr Buch is well respected as the ‘mastermind’ in Macedonia.

Mr Buch as a widely traveled Geographer and Climate & Environmental Change Senior Expert as well as Project Team Leader by professional experience ensures integrated risk management perspectives to be translated into economic spatial planning and development policies.

Mr Buch has worked over a period of 12 years in Namibia as Team Leader of complex projects on sustainable management of natural resources, integrated land use planning & land registration, disaster prevention & landscape-ecological risk assessment and climatic change, providing information and building capacity for national policy and programming. Starting as early as 1989, he managed various projects from concept through to operation in Etosha National Park and adjacent rural areas of Northern Namibia by creating public and political awareness on the ecological implications of climatic change ‘on the ground’, mobilized financial resources to strengthen the role of the Etosha Ecological Institute as the leading institution of the Ministry of Environment & Tourism on land managing issues, there established a laboratory for soil and water analysis, and facilitated various high level negotiations on additional investments, such as a NOAA satellite receiving station based in Okaukuejo. All this during the 1990ies led to the design of a highly complex ‘Landscape-Ecological Risk Information System’ (LERIS^®), a GIS based early warning system assisting to prevent desertification, to strengthen capacity to encourage the establishment of community led conservation and management initiatives and to path the way towards sustainable land use in a highly vulnerable semi-arid environment.

Based on his personal commitment to Sustainable Development along with his academic background, Mr Buch has demonstrated strong leadership throughout his assignments.

He is used to cross-cutting approaches towards sustainable development at academic level with hands on project implementation, which provides him an excellent ability in analyzing and implementing multi-sectoral approaches by combining environmental and natural resource management with economic and social issues. As team leader has an extensive record of mobilizing projects in terms of office & IT infrastructure, personal recruitment, coordinating and managing PMU staff and monitor individual PMU members performance in liaison with the contacting authority, as well as of mobilizing financial resources in coordination with ongoing related programmes and preparing annual programme estimates reflecting planned activities. Mr Buch’s assignments in different projects supported by various donors ensure the technical management of the programme in complete conformity with the donors’ rules and regulations, which refers in particular to budgeting, the preparation of technical specifications, terms of reference, tender dossiers and the design and implementation of a Monitoring & Evaluation system.

He has excellent communication, moderation and writing skills to facilitate regular monitoring meetings of the Programme Monitoring Committee (PMC), to coordinate the preparation of documentation and logistical arrangements for the Programme Steering Committee (PSC) Meetings as well as to coordinate the preparation of documentation and logistical arrangements for other programme supported meetings and workshops. With his team leader position in Macedonia he acted as Secretary to the PSC, which was constituted by the all Ministers of the Republic of Macedonia and chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister. Again in Macedonia, Mr Buch developed and implemented the project’s communication strategy, ensuring the visibility of the process leading towards the preparation of the National Strategy for Sustainable Development among the regional and national partners and the civil society in large.

Priv.-Doz. Dr Dr habil. Manfred W. Buch
Download Curriculum Vitae