Objectives

To promote sustainable livestock management and conserve ecosystems in the Northern Ukraine landscape.

Other

Note: Disbursement data provided is cumulative and covers disbursement made by the project Agency.

Target Groups

As elaborated in notes regarding beneficiary numbers following the core indicators summary table, this project will target thousands of small holders, providing new livelihood opportunities by engaging in ecosystem restoration, and cooperative activities in production of local livestock products and marketing. Direct benefits will also be gained by protected areas staff and private sector livestock enterprise employees. Project beneficiaries are listed in the Prodoc in Section 3.2 on Partnerships, Stakeholder Engagement, and Coordination (pp. 21-26), and in Annex 14 of the Prodoc, the Stakeholder Engagement Plan. The project is expected to have a minimum of 9,000 direct beneficiaries (5,000 women; 4,000 men), which will primarily be private sector small and medium enterprise livestock farmers, public sector employees, local resource users, and protected area staff in the Northern Ukraine Landscape. This will be tracked through indicator 3 of the project Strategic Results Framework, including gender disaggregated reporting. The generation of local livelihood benefits is key to the generation of the project’s GEBs. Livestock production in the Northern Ukraine landscape is directly linked to and dependent on the functioning of ecosystems across the landscape, and to the species contained therein. The project will strengthen local livelihoods by improving the sustainability of livestock production, increasing its profitability (through increased production efficiencies, and increased market access), and reducing the degradation of agricultural peatlands. The project includes multiple strategies to generate socio-economic benefits. For example, under Component I the project will work with local governments to improve integrated land use planning in 100 rural communities, which will assist local land users in identifying and developing sustainable land use approaches for specific ecosystem types. Under Output 2.2 the project will support the creation of land user cooperativces, in support of sustainable livestock production by small-holders. This activity will be focused in areas of peat soils, to support local resource users in implementing sustainable livestock production practices, which in turn catalyzes GEBs in terms of reduced land degradation, land restoration, biodiversity conservation, the maintenance of ecosystem services, and reduced GHG emissions. Under Output 2.1 the project will work with multiple stakeholders to restore hydrological regimes in degraded agricultural peatlands. This will increase the productivity of these lands, benefiting the farmers and local land users. Restoring the hydrological regime in peatlands also has major local benefits by reducing incidence of summer peat fires, which have been increasing in severity in Ukraine in recent years. Peat fires cause poor local air quality, leading to negative health effects. Under Output 2.5 the project will strengthen the capacity of agricultural extension services to provide support for sustainable livestock practices, which will be of great benefit to small holder farmers. This will also support the generation of GEBs through the further up-scaling and replication of sustainable livestock practices across the landscape. Output 2.6 is a key project output, involving the establishment of a cooperation national platform with all key levels of the livestock value chain, including livestock producers, holding companies, exporters, wholesale and retail companies. This output will help generate socio-economic benefits for all involved in the value chain, including local resource users. This part of the project is critical for generating GEBs as it will be important to establish sustainable livestock production as a viable economic opportunity in the rural Northern Ukraine landscape, to avert both land abandonment (with accompanying negative environmental repercussions), or conversion to more harmful land use practices. Project activities under Component III will strengthen the management of protected areas, and increase the conservation of biological resources, which provides multiple local socio-economic benefits. From one perspective, protected areas in rural zones are key drivers of economic development, often providing a large share of local employment via the tourism sector. For example, Shatsk National Park is frequented by thousands of visitors from around Ukraine; yet key parts of the unique Shatsk lakes ecosystem are threatened by diminishing water tables, degradation of peatlands, fires, and loss of biodiversity. In addition, securing and conserving these areas of high ecological value supports the maintenance of critical ecosystem services for local residents, including water table regulation, fire mitigation, provision of non-wood forest products, water filtration, and others. The upscaling, replication, and sustainability of the local socio-economic benefits will be driven by the project’s knowledge management and capacity development activities under Component IV.

Objectives

Globally significant biodiversity outside protected areas are conserved and the flow of ecosystem services for sustainable livelihoods improved in the Eastern Hills of Nepal.

Other

Note: Disbursement data provided is cumulative and covers disbursement made by the project Agency.

Target Groups

10. BenefitsThe project will contribute to the following outcomes of the GEF:· BD-1-1 - Mainstream biodiversity across sectors as well as landscapes and seascapes through biodiversity mainstreaming in priority sectors; and·LD-1-3 - Maintain or improve flows of ecosystem services, including sustaining livelihoods of forest-dependent people through Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) through efforts targeted at policy and planning, knowledge generation and management and strengthening conservation-based livelihoods opportunities.Project intervention will help provincial government in improved land use planning at landscape level covering 3575 sq.km. area. In addition, all 34 local levels will have their land use plan ready which further guides them in judicial allocation of public finances for ecosystem restoration, degraded land rehabilitation and natural resource-based community enterprise development.Project support to the establishment and operation of knowledge management portal at province and federal level with access to data, information, maps and best practices ensures that budget allocation and implementation of land use plan follows informed decision making.Targeted CFUGs and households will benefit from incentive mechanisms that will strengthen community resilience to shocks and stresses, such as the COVID-19, through a) Improved food security resulting from sustainable and resilient production of agricultural and livestock products, and b) Enhanced livelihoods through participation in income generating activities based on increased and sustainable flows of ecosystem goods and services.Livelihood enhancement of targeted communities is one of the important aspects of the project intervention. Under this, support will be provided to 10 biodiversity enhancing pro-poor business services that will focus poorer section of community members and help 1000 entrepreneurs benefit from sustainable value chain intervention.As indicated in the project’s theory of change, implementation of biodiversity-sensitive landscape policies and land use plans will enhance stakeholder capacity to manage natural resources in a sustainable manner. In the long run, this contributes to ecosystem restoration, biodiversity conservation and achieving land degradation neutrality. Resilient ecosystems will help ensure a sustained flow of ecosystem services and contribute to improved livelihoods of forest-dependent communities.At project area level, landscape policy and land use plans supported by a knowledge management system, community-based ecosystem restoration and land management initiatives will demonstrate environmental and socio-economic benefits on the ground and facilitate scaling up. Economic benefits generated through the promotion of product- and service-based value chains engaging women, poorer sections of the community and private sector will incentivize communities to adopt biodiversity conservation friendly forestry and farming practices beyond the project duration.At province and national level, governments will benefit from enabling policy environment for integrated land management based on land use plans. In addition, enhanced capacities of the governments to manage data and information system for effective planning will have positive impact in other sectors as well for biodiversity conservation and sustainable land management.Through these changes at local, provincial, and national level, the project will contribute to achieve global environmental benefits in mainstreaming biodiversity and forest landscape restoration generating socio-economic benefits that strengthens resilience of communities to impacts of COVID-19.Specifically, the project supports the following (through component one and two):· Field level reaffirmation of newly enacted policies and legal frameworks and their implications for enhancing capacity for sustainable management of forests, lands, and biodiversity.· The application of new policies and regulations under the new governance structure will enable government institutions to identify policy practice gaps which will eventually facilitate policy reform and help to improve effectiveness on the ground.· An analysis of existing policies and regulations in relation to institutional capacity, and resource need (human and financial) for effective policy implementation.· Enable all three spheres of government to readjust institutional arrangements and make them compatible with the provisions of current policies and regulations.· Support Local levels to identify the elements necessary for effective local policy and law formulation, including data needs, decision support systems and knowledge management (the exclusive power of local level), that are based on the real needs and aspiration of the people.Component 3 focuses on the implementation of community-based conservation and sustainable production, management and restoration practices at community and household level which strengthens biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of forest landscapes.Project interventions that focus on biodiversity enhancing activities by involving poorer sections of society in livelihood improvement opportunities through value chains and market linkages will help to sustainably increase incomes. The Project has accorded high priority to support women, poor and marginalized groups in value chains.Components 1 and 2 lay the foundation to creating an enabling environment at policy and programme level and Component 3 makes investment in enterprise promotion. These interventions together help to derive environmental as well as socioeconomic benefits by ensuring productive employment and decent work at local level.Decent Rural EmploymentIn rural Nepal, decent work is predominantly associated with livelihoods based on agriculture, livestock, and forests.Decent work can be considered to include “opportunities for work that is productive and delivers a fair income, security in the workplace and social protection for families, better prospects for personal development and social integration, freedom for people to express their concerns, organize and participate in the decisions that affect their lives and equality of opportunity and treatment for all women and men.”[1] The project has a strong focus on improving rural livelihoods through community forestry and agriculture by generating and distributing livelihood benefits through commercial activity and linking smallholders to financial institutions and markets which will incentivize local communities to manage forests and other natural resources sustainably and improve community-level resilience.Table 12 provides a summary of how the project will support decent rural employment, based on the four pillars described in FAO’s guidance material.[2]Table 12 Project Support to Decent Rural EmploymentPrioritized Groups- Small-scale farm and forest producers, including contributing family workers.- Small-scale processors and aggregators of farm and forest products- Women and youth within the above categories- Specific vulnerable groups (e.g., land poor and landless people, disabled people, elderly people, and single-adult households)Pillar 1: Employment-creation and enterprise-development- Participatory analyses with vulnerable groups on specific rural employment issues related to farms and forests.- Consider the impact of technology options on the number and quality of jobs created.- Ensure that relevant groups within the targeted rural areas are involved effectively in consultations.- Women and men small-scale farm and forest producers supported in accessing fair markets and sustainable value chains.- Women and men small-scale farm and forest producers and supported in accessing training, financial services, and other productive assets, with priority to rural businesses owned by women and youth.- Provide Market Analysis and Development training on how to develop viable market options for forest and farm products.- Implement training for government agencies and project partners to enable them to undertake participatory approaches with local target communities and CFUGsPillar 2: Social protection- Asses, document and disseminate institutional innovations and good practices of organized collective action, including through CFUGs, with strong impacts on social protectionPillar 3: Standards and rights at work- Socially responsible agricultural and forest production supported, specifically to reduce gender and age-based discrimination.- Promote compliance with national labour legislation in the rural areas.- Address the constraints of women, youth, and other specific groups workers in getting organized, notably through community forestryPillar 4: Governance and social dialogue- Promote the inclusive participation of local people, particularly women.- Support local communities in strengthening democratic organizations and networks of producers and workers, particularly in the informal food and forest economy.- Build capacity of Province and Local Levels to empower forest and farm producers to organize into legalized associations and women to undertake leading positions.- Undertake knowledge exchange events to refine and endorse the most promising approaches for climate-resilient forest and agricultural landscape management.[1] https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/decent-work/lang--en/index.htm[2] FAO, 2010. Rural Employment, Guidance Material #1: Guidance on How to Address Decent Rural Employment in FAO Country Activities (2nd ed.). http://www.fao.org/3/i1937e/i1937e.pdf

Objectives

Promoting sustainable food systems, restoring degraded ecosystems, and reducing deforestation in the Motagua River Watershed (MRW)

Other

Note: Disbursement data provided is cumulative and covers disbursement made by the project Agency.

Target Groups

122. The socioeconomic benefits to be delivered by the project at the national level consist of enhancing capacity of staff from public institutions (e.g., MARN, CONAP, INAB, MAGA, and Segeplán) for promoting sustainable production, biodiversity conservation, SLM, mitigation and adaptation to the impacts of climate change on land use planning, and for production-conservation conflicts, among other topics. At the local level, local governments and palm oil, coffee, and agroforestry producers, as well as small-scale producers of corn, beans, fruit trees, and other crops with high nutritional value and medium-scale cattle ranchers, will also participate in this training. In total, training activities will benefit 7,865 people, including women and indigenous peoples. The project will also strengthen local planning processes and governance for implementing ILM systems; this will include developing/updating and implementing five (5) micro-watershed management plans, six (6) PDM-OTs and PEI-POM-POAs at the municipal level, the operational strengthening of departmental, municipal, and community councils, and of governance associations of the MRW and micro-watersheds for implementing ILM systems. The project will strengthen and promote the diversification of coffee farming as a sustainable food production system, improving shaded areas through improved forest cover practices and fruit trees that will ensure the continuity of the coffee crop as an agroforestry system free from deforestation. This will benefit 1,502 coffee producers, including those most vulnerable to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through an inclusive technical assistance program for palm oil, the project will benefit eight (8) producers covering 16,879 ha of palm oil plantations, to strengthen their socio-environmental responsibility and promote new sustainable food production systems in the direct areas of influence of the these plantations, thereby benefiting 2,000 small farmers. In addition, an inclusive production program to address production activities identified as causing deforestation and environmental degradation, primarily subsistence crops and cattle ranching, will result in sustainable food production systems with a focus on integrated landscape management that will benefit an additional 225 farmers. The project will also make available national forest cash incentives such as PINPEP and PROBOSQUE and other financial mechanisms (i.e., government, private, municipal, etc.) that will promote the conservation and restoration of natural habitats. These incentives are expected to benefit 3,344 small- and medium-scale producers and to contribute to the delivery of global environmental benefits such as enhanced habitat for biodiversity, restoration of degraded lands, and mitigation of climate change. In total, the project will directly benefit 12,966 people (40% women and 60% men).123. The expected economic benefits the project will generate include cash incentives to producers through the PINPEP and PROBOSQUE programs. The PINPEP program is directed to beneficiaries and landholders who lack legal ownership titles in the municipalities that are prioritized according to their levels of poverty. This program covers agroforestry activities, forest plantations (only native species will be used in this project), and forest management activities to reverse the processes of deforestation, reduce vulnerability to extreme weather events, mitigate or adapt to the effects of climate change, and reduce the level of extreme poverty in the country. Projects usually receive payments during 6 to 10 years. On average the PINPEP program has paid the following: a) Incentive amount for managing natural forests for protection purposes per year for 10 years: a) from 0.1 to 5 ha: $370 per ha; b) over 5 ha: $1,853.84 for the first 5 ha + $95.10 per additional ha; and b) Incentive amount for managing natural forests for production purposes (plantations with native species and agroforestry) per year for 10 years: a) from 0.1 to 5 ha: $396.86 per ha; b) over 5 ha: $1,984.28 for the first 5 ha + $110.78 per additional ha.[19] 124. The PROBOSQUE program provides cash incentives for managing natural forests to protect and provide environmental services, establishing and maintaining agroforestry systems, managing natural forests with production aims, and restoring degraded forest lands, among other things. The program is directed to a wide group of stakeholders such as municipalities, CSOs, cooperatives, individuals, and indigenous communities. Payments through the PROBOSQUE program for the restoration of degraded forestlands have averaged $225.54 per ha.[20] At least this level of payments (economic benefits) is expected through the project for those producers that will make use of these incentive programs. In addition, producers will benefit from commercial sales agreements established between national and international buyers of coffee and national producers for the development of sustainable value chains in the prioritized landscape of the MRW. Finally, coffee growers may benefit from the certification (premiums); benefits from coffee certified as sustainable will depend on market conditions.125. Other project benefits include improved water supply for producers and other stakeholders through the implementation of a pilot scheme for the compensation for water ecosystem services. Finally, through knowledge management activities and products, the project will benefit multiple stakeholders nationally by increasing awareness about mainstreaming biodiversity in production landscapes, SLM, climate change mitigation, and sustainable production; this will be key for replication and scaling-up of successful experiences in other production landscapes and watersheds. [19] Source: http://portal.inab.gob.gt/index.php/component/content/article/112-servicios/183-pinpep?Itemid=437 [20] Custodio De Leo´n, L. M. 2017. Boleti´n Estadi´stico 1998-2017. Departamento de Incentivos Forestales. INAB Guatemala.