General

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is a legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management. The Convention aims to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought e specially in Africa. The Convention entered into force in 1996 and has currently 195 Parties. Finland ratifed the agreement in 1995.The Sessions of the Conference of the Parties (COP) are held on a biennial basis. The COP approves the budget of the Convent ion and the indicative scale of contributions to the core budget. The achievement of the UNCCD workplan objectives is dependent on voluntary support. The year 2014 is important for the UNCCD in preparing for the meetings for 2015 including the 3rd UNCCD sc ientific conference to be held in March 2015 and the COP 12 to be held in September 2015. The issues of combatting desertification and drought are also reflected in the global discussions on Post 2015 process as well as in the negotiations for a new global climate change agreement. The UNCCD Secretariat has made a proposal for the 2014 voluntary support by Finland. With the allocation of 400 000 euros Finland will support activies taken by the secretariat to enhance scientific knowledge on land-based adapta tion to organise the 3rd UNCCD scientific conference in Mexico in March 2015 to prepare a publication on drought to enhance rights-based approach to sustainable land management to prepare advocacy material on equitable access to land and to organise a Gend er Forum to be held at COP 12. In addition Finland will support developing country participation in the sessions of the COP and its subsidiary bodies. A significant part of Finland's previous support for the UNCCD has been targeted to regional coordination in developing countries and to support to developing country participation in the decision-making in the Convention processes. As a result the inclusion of the special needs of developing countries in the UNCCD negotiations has strengthened.

General

Unterstützung traditioneller Landgemeinden in der Verteidigung ihrer Territorien und der Biodiversität in der Zielregion

Objectives

In der Zielregion sind die Biome durch Zerstörung durch Monokulturen und Großprojekte im Bereich Bergbau und Energieerzeugung bedroht und die kleinbäuerliche Landbevölkerung aus dem gleichen Grund aufgrund fehlender Landbesitztitel von Vertreibung. Die Fachstelle für Landfragen der brasilianischen Bischofskonferenz unterstützt traditionelle Landgemeinden bei der Verteidigung ihrer Territorien und der Biodiversität.

Objectives

Promoting the conservation of biodiversity through improved connectivity, reduction of threats, and effective management of protected areas and biological corridors in Northern Honduras

Other

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

Target Groups

43. The socioeconomic benefits to be delivered by the project are multiple. Benefits include enhancing the capacity of staff from public institutions (e.g., MiAmbiente+), ICF, SAG, and DICTA) to effectively manage PAs, implement sustainable production and diversification; and control and surveillance in prioritized biological corridors and PAs. At the local level, municipalities, PA co-managers, and palm oil producers and cattle ranchers (including women) will also benefit from capacity development. The project will also strengthen the governance framework to sustainably manage production landscapes, including biological corridors. This will include an enhanced land tenure interinstitutional accreditation system to help solve land tenure conflicts within an outside PAs, strengthening regional and local platforms for palm oil and cattle ranching, and establishing a participatory CONACOBIH regional roundtable for biological corridors, all of which will empower local stakeholders in decision-making processes. Other benefits include making available financial products (credit lines, green bonds, guarantee funds, impact investment funds, payments by results, etc.) with necessary institutional capacity in place for the financing of biodiversity-friendly production practices, including agroforestry systems, community-based forestry, and sustainable palm oil and livestock production, which will benefit 6,000 small and medium producers of palm oil (2,000), beef/dairy (2,000) and basic grains (maize and beans) (2,000) in key conservation areas in the prioritized biological corridors. Similarly, 500 small and medium farms will be supported to implement intensive silvopastoral and basic grains systems with production diversification through agroforestry systems. In addition 1,000 conservation and good production practices agreements will be signed with the producers of palm oil and beef/dairy products that will allow the adopt LMTs that contribute to biodiversity conservation while generating economic benefits through agroforestry, prioritizing producers impacted by COVID-19. At least 15 community-based organizations including indigenous peoples (Garífuna and Tolupanes) and women's groups, will be supported with low-value grants to implement actions that will contribute to biodiversity conservation and the recovery of goods and ecosystem services in the prioritized biological corridors including degraded lands, also prioritizing stakeholders impacted by COVID-19. The project will supportRSPO palm oil certification standard for independent smallholdersthat will be directly primarily to small and medium producers of palm oil making certification more affordable and adding value to their product. In total, the project will directly benefit 26,400 people (women: 9,700; men; 14,700; and indigenous peoples: 2,000, 50% men and 50% women). 44. Other project benefits include improved water supply for producers and other stakeholders through the implementation of PES schemes for water services in at least two PAs. Finally, through knowledge management activities and products, the project will benefit multiple stakeholders nationally by increasing awareness about PA management, mainstreaming biodiversity in production landscapes, SLM, and gender aspects, among other topics; this will serve as a mechanism for replication and scaling-up of successful experiences in other production landscapes and biological corridors in the country.