General

Following more than fifty years of conflict between Government forces and Non-State Armed Groups (NSAGs), the country has finally reached a historic peace agreement. In this context, Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) becomes central to the implementation of the peace process in order to facilitate improved security conditions, land restitution, IDP return, illicit crop substitution and sustainable rural socioeconomic development. This project has been developped against this background and in line with the Dutch Government policy on Security and Rule of Law (SRoL) in fragile states and its goal to improve human security. Cauca and Valle del Cauca are of particular interest due to their social vulnerability; they are home to the greatest Afro-Colombian and indigenous populations in the country which have been particularly affected over the last 50 years of conflict, suffering from weak land ownership rights, higher than average poverty rates and limited access to socio-economic facilities. Together, the four municipalities contain eight indigenous reservations and as a result, they have been included on the list of 44 municipalities selected for immediate post-conflict rapid response intervention in DAICMA’s (the national HMA authority) Strategic Plan for 2016 - 2021.

Objectives

The project will generate 12,851 beneficiaries by releasing 548km2 of high-impact land, of which 36,000 m2 will be cleared manually. The intervention aims to provide HMA across 80 veredas in four municipalities, in the Cauca and Valle del Cauca departments in Colombia through clearance, survey, Risk Education (RE) and Victim Assistance (VA). ### Update July '17: The demographic and social situation in the departments of Cauca and Valle del Cauca is one of the most diverse in Colombia, and poses specific challenges for HALO and this project. Throughout the region there are large ‘indigenous reserve’ areas, which as autonomous areas are protected under Colombian law. Equally, there are Community Councils (Consejos Comunitarios) which are made up of Afro-Colombian communities, indigenous communities, as well as Peasant Agricultural Reserves (Reservas Campesinas). Each of these communities has certain autonomous powers, individual cultures, and distinct histories of and attitudes towards the Colombian conflict and HALO has had to secure permission to work in these different areas by community leaders. Given these social complexities in HALO’s area of operation in the region, the approach to intervention has been cautious as not to upset the social and cultural balance. Since the beginning of operations in the area, community liaison has been essential to HALO establishing a presence and building trust with the local community, without which it would be impossible to work in the region. HALO is working hard to reinforce its neutrality and provide in depth explanation the work planned in the area. Given the history of fierce conflict and concentration of illicit crops in the region (marijuana and coca plantations), security has also been a crucial factor in the progress of this project. With rumours of newly formed Non-State Armed Groups in the region, looking to exploit drug trafficking routes, continued liaison with communities has been vital to ensure the safety of teams working out in the field.

Target Groups

The main strategic objective of HALO’s proposed project is to protect the civilian population by saving lives and preventing injury from landmines and Explosive Remnants of War (ERW). This will create safe conditions that allow 152 outstanding land restitution requests to be processed and 4,945 IDPs to safely return to their homes. Dutch-funded HMA intervention will also facilitate socioeconomic growth and sustainable development by returning rural land to productive use and providing a source of employment to residents from mine-impacted communities. Additionally, the project will support peacebuilding and improve human security at a local level by involving both victims of the conflict and ex-combatants in community reconstruction and reconciliation processes, while also significantly empowering women in traditionally conservative rural areas of Colombia. Landmines and other ERW have posed a threat to local people and blocked vital resources in Cauca and Valle del Cauca for many years. It is vital for communities that they can use their own land without the risk of landmines or other ERW. Demining not only allows local people safe access and use of their land for agriculture, but also opens up the way for development projects, infrastructure and access to public services, all of which help to build local economies. By Colombian law, victims of the conflict cannot knowingly be put in danger, meaning that displaced people cannot return to places where there is a suspicion of landmines. HALO’s work makes possible the return of displaced people, and restitution to those who have lost their land due to the conflict, by confirming the presence or absence of landmines in an area; once an area is reported to be free of the suspicion of landmines, these processes can go ahead. The demographic and social situation in Cauca and Valle del Cauca departments is one of the most diverse in Colombia, and poses specific challenges for HALO and this project. The municipalities of Miranda and Caloto both have large “indigenous reserve” areas, which are protected as autonomous areas by Colombian law. Equally, there are Community Councils (“Consejos Comunitarios”) which are made up of afro-colombian communities, indigenous communities, and palenqueras in the area, as well as Peasant Agricultural Reserves (Reservas Campesinas). Each of these communities has certain autonomous powers, individual cultures, and distinct histories of and attitudes towards the Colombian conflict.

General

Unterstützung verantwortungsvoller Landpolitik durch Umsetzung der Nationalen Engagement Strategie von ILC

Objectives

Verbesserte Landpolitiken in ausgewählten Ländern, die auf die Bedarfe der vom Land lebenden Bevölkerung ausgerichtet sind und deren Landrechte schützen

Objectives

To develop and implement an inclusive territorial planning and governance strategy as a model for the conservation, restoration and sustainable management of land, water, biodiversity and integrated production systems to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) in the Guadalquivir River Basin (GRB).

Other

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

Target Groups

272. The direct beneficiaries of the project are 1,836 people, of whom 918 are women and 918 are men. These people will benefit from the combined development of several project actions: stronger governance for sustainable production systems, water, soil, and vegetation in the GRB, improvement of territorial planning capacities at the microbasin level and the efficient management of water resources; the implementation of SLM and SBM practices, and participation in productive entrepreneurship through the Tarija Regional Water Fund, among others. 273. The basin management approach, set into motion in an integrated and multi-scale way, will contribute to strengthening governance and doing capacity-building in sustainable production system management and the scaling up of SLM and SBM, and will enable building a common vision of contributions from the local level to national LDN targets. The project framework will contribute to reducing land degradation and to restoring diverse production systems via the implementation of local water management plans at the microbasin level that incorporate into their design and execution guidelines to develop SLM and SBM at the landscape level, in the LDN approach framework. The participating institutions shall coordinate implementation of SLM and SBM practices which are most appropriate to addressing the loss of environmental functions and land degradation in the project intervention area. Restoration, SBM, and SLM will all contribute to reducing food and nutritional insecurity, strengthening and diversifying livelihoods with gender and generational equity, and increasing socioecological resilience to climate change. Actions will be carried out in a participatory manner, promoting the involvement of producers, local communities, small-scale farmers, livestock farmers, local authorities, and more, at different stages of the project. 274. Another contribution at the institutional level is related to generating and strengthening knowledge around tracking LDN targets. 275. By developing the project components and doing capacity-building among beneficiaries, benefits will be yielded at the local, regional, and national level in the areas of livelihoods, environmental sustainability, progress toward LDN in the GRB, and more. From the environmental standpoint, there will be a positive impact on the conservation and maintenance of environmental functions; improvement of cultural and identity values; benefits for the local economy through the strengthening of the Tarija Regional Water Fund, and the sale of products obtained using SLM and SBM by strengthening and setting up production undertakings, especially led by women, which in turn will enable job creation, production diversification, the endowment of added value to agrobiodiversity products, improved income, and more. 276. The project will foster Decent Rural Employment by way of actions taken in the framework of the four decent employment pillars established by FAO (Table 8). Pillars Topics under the pillars related to the project intervention Specific project actions 1. 1. Job Creation and Business Development ? Increasing the productivity of rural labor via better access to training, outreach, services, and technology. ? Promoting sustainable productive entrepreneurship in rural areas via support for bringing products to market for microenterprises, access to markets, training, and more. ? Support for national institutions in gathering and analyzing data disaggregated by age and gender in rural labor markets. ? Job creation programs piloted in rural zones, in particular for youth and women. § Capacity-building program (Output 1.1.3) § Implementation of SLM and SBM practices in the framework of the LMMPs (Output 2.1.1) § Technical support and setting up field schools (Output 2.1.2) § Database and reporting for the target microbasins with a gender and participatory approach to track SLM and SBM actions (Output 2.1.3). § Setting up productive entrepreneurship (50% women-led) (Output 3.1.2) 1. Social Protection ? Improving working conditions in rural areas, including effective protection for maternity and income § Capacity-building program (Output 1.1.3) § Implementation of SLM and SBM practices in the framework of the LMMPs (Output 2.1.1) § Technical support and setting up field schools (Output 2.1.2) § Setting up productive entrepreneurship (50% women-led) (Output 3.1.2) 2. Labor Standards and Rights § Support for freedom of association, setting up producer associations § Eliminating discrimination and promoting equality. The aim is to reduce/eliminate gender and age discrimination § LMMPs developed (Output 1.1.2) § Setting up productive entrepreneurship (50% women-led) (Output 3.1.2) § Capacity-building program (Output 1.1.3) § Technical support and setting up field schools (Output 2.1.2) § Implementation of SLM and SBM practices in the framework of the LMMPs (Output 2.1.1) 3. Governance and Social Dialogue § Empowerment and greater participation from the rural population in social and political dialogue via their organizations, especially women and youth. § Support participation of the impoverished rural population, especially underprivileged groups, in local decision-making and governance mechanisms. § Synergies built between organizations and opportunities created for farmer-to-farmer learning § Stronger platform for water, soil, and vegetation governance (Output 1.1.1) § LMMPs developed (Output 1.1.2) § Technical support and setting up field schools (Output 2.1.2) Table 8. Project’s Contribution to the Decent Employment Pillars