Masse LO

Biography

Before his appointment as the Regional Programme Director of Lead Francophone Africa, Masse Lo has held a number of key functions within 'Environnement et Developpement du Tiers Monde' (ENDA TM); an international Non-Governmental Organisation with its headquarter in Dakar, Senegal.

From 1993 to 1998, he worked with ENDA TM as Research Coordinator responsible for matters related to combating desertification and arid land development. In this respect, he followed the different negotiation stages of the Convention on Desertification, and played a major role in data collection for the elaboration of the Convention proper. Amongst other tasks he searched data relating to renewable energy sources, soil degradation and their impact on human migration, etc. while at the same time securing coordination of NGO proposals for grass-roots involvement in local community management and actions against desertification. He was also Coordinator of the African and World NGOs network on Desertification (RIOD).

Masse Lo is one of the key authors of the 'Participative Methods of Action implementation against desertification'. During this same period he was involved in the follow up to the Commission on Sustainable Development and attended the Climate Change Convention. From 1983 to 1993 he was entrusted the definition of the strategies of renewable energy dissemination in rural areas within the framework of a Special Energy Project of the GTZ in Senegal.

From 1983 to 1986 he worked successively as a researcher at the Department of Geography University of Dakar and then with the Gambia River Basin Organization. During all these years he was a coordinator in Africa for several networks, such as INFORSE, (International Network on Sustainable Energy) and edited a number of region- wide bulletins such as 'Foyers Ameliores', 'la Circulaire desertification'. He has carried out several consultancies for GTZ, and some United Nations' bodies such as UNDP, UNIFEN and UNCCD.

His field work and experience at the international level have helped him develop skills and capabilities as wide and various as Energy policy, the Management of natural resources, Study and Impact assessments, International Negotiations, to name but a few.

He has a long experience in social, economic and cultural aspects of development and UNCCD implementation in Africa. He is familiar with African, Asian and OECD countries. At present he is a member of the Commission of Regional Advisers (Advisory Board for West and Central Africa) of the Centre de Recherche pour le Developpement International (CRDI).

Mr. Lo graduate studies included: Energy planning and Environment (1986), Environmental Sciences (1984) (Institute of Environmental Sciences), and Applied Geographical Sciences (1983) University of Dakar. He was a research fellow at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public an International Affairs (STEP) at Princeton University in the USA.

Avant d�۪̻tre d̩sign̩ comme Directeur r̩gional du Programme Lead Afrique Francophone, Mr Masse LO a occup̩ diff̩rentes fonctions au sein de l�۪organisation Environnement et D̩veloppement du Tiers Monde (ENDA TM), une Organisation Non Gouvernementale Internationale dont le si̬ge est �� Dakar. De 1993 en 1998 il est coordonnateur de recherches en charge des questions de lutte contre la d̩sertification et le d̩veloppement des zones arides. C�۪est �� ce titre qu�۪il a suivi les diff̩rentes phases de n̩gociation de la convention internationale de lutte contre la d̩sertification, au cours desquelles il a jou̩ un r̫le de premier plan dans la collecte de l�۪information pour l�۪̩laboration de la convention elle-m̻me, notamment pour ce qui concerne les sources d�۪̩nergie renouvelables, la d̩gradation des sols et leur impact sur les migrations de populations, et la coordination des propositions des ONG concernant les communaut̩s locales et leur participation aux actions de lutte contre la d̩sertification. Il a ̩t̩ successivement coordonnateur du r̩seau des ONG sur la d̩sertification pour l�۪Afrique et au plan international . Il est par ailleurs un des principaux acteurs de la d̩finition des m̩thodes d�۪̩laboration et de mise en ��uvre participative de lutte contre la d̩sertification. Il ̩tait impliqu̩, durant la m̻me p̩riode, dans le suivi de la Commission du D̩veloppement Durable et a pris part aux n̩gociations de la convention climat.

Entre 1986 et 1993, il avait en charge la d̩finition de strat̩gies de diffusion des technologies d�۪̩nergie renouvelables en milieu rural dans le cadre d�۪un Projet Sp̩cial Energie de la GTZ au s̩n̩gal. De 1983 �� 1986 il a ̩t̩ successivement chercheur au D̩partement G̩ographie de l�۪ Universit̩ de Dakar (S̩n̩gal) puis �� l�۪Organisation pour la Mise en Valeur du Fleuve Gambie (OMVG).

Il a ̩t̩ durant ces m̻mes ann̩es, coordonnateur pour l�۪Afrique de plusieurs r̩seaux dont INFORSE , (International Network on Sustainable Energy) et ̩diteur de plusieurs bulletins r̩gionaux tels que �� Foyers Am̩lior̩s�۪ ��, �� la Circulaire d̩sertification��, etc. Il a ̩t̩ consultant de la GTZ, ainsi qu�۪�� certaines agences sp̩cialis̩es des Nations Unies telles que le PNUD / UNSO, l�۪ UNIFEM et l�۪UNCCD

Son exp̩rience de terrain et au plan international lui ont permis de d̩velopper des comp̩tences dans divers domaines tels que les politiques de l�۪̩nergie, la gestion des ressources naturelles, les ̩tudes /̩valuations d�۪impacts, les n̩gociations internationales. M. L̫ a une solide exp̩rience des probl̬mes de d̩veloppement de l'Afrique, il est ̩galement familier des pays de l�۪OCDE. Il est pr̩sentement membre de la Commission des Conseillers R̩gionaux du Centre de Recherche pour le D̩veloppement International (CRDI) pour l�۪Afrique de l�۪Ouest et du Centre .M. LO est tititulaire d�۪un titre post-universitaire en planification Energ̩tique et Environnement (1986), d�۪un Dipl̫me sup̩rieur en Science de l�۪Environnement (1984), d�۪un DEA en G̩ographie Appliqu̩ (1983). M. L̫ a ̩galement ̩t̩ chercheur �� la Woodrow Wilson School of Public an International Affairs (STEP) �� l�۪Universit̩ de Princetown ( New Jersey , USA).

This biography was last updated on November 9, 2006