Structure of the Department of Sustainable Development

The Department is organized by thematic (technical) overlay:

	Water Management
	Renewable Energy
	Natural Hazards, Climate Change Adaptation and Land Use Planning
	Sound Chemicals Management and Environmental Health
	Biodiversity and Payment for Ecosystem Services
	Environmental Law, Policy and Trade

This organization offers three distinct advantages:

	It has facilitated the Department's gaining in-depth knowledge of the countries and sub-regions (institutions, people, problems, sources of financial support, etc.) This substantive base has assisted the DSD in developing a competitive edge to other agencies such as in the UN system while maintaining the confidence of the Department's counterparts. The DSD is a known entity and has continuity in the view of the countries. This level of knowledge would be very difficult to develop and maintain on a hemispheric basis.
	It has facilitated coordinated action at both the national and sub-regional level that has helped build the Department's technical reputation and generate external resources.
	It allows the DSD to adapt to new thematic mandates as defined by the political bodies of the OAS without the need to change the Department's established regional/team approach.

This page was last updated on Thursday November 06, 2008.