United Nations Environment Programme

Niue

Objectives

Demonstrate the LDN approach in the Peanut Basin and Eastern Senegal for biodiversity conservation and delivery of ecosystem services to achieving food security and livelihood resilience.

Other

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

Target Groups

Research has shown that the returns on taking action against land degradation are estimated at 5 USD for every dollar invested in restoring degraded land in Senegal.[1] Assessments of the costs of action against land degradation through restoration and sustainable land management practices versus the cost of inaction highlight the strong economic incentive for bold actions against land degradation.[2] The project builds on this notion that the cost of inaction will be inordinately high impacting people’s health, lives, food security, and livelihoods. Without interventions, natural resources are likely to erode, which may exacerbate inequalities, increase competition for scarce resources, affect food security, reduce socio-economic opportunities and possibly result in migration. This project is expected to result in positive social, economic and ecological changes which will yield further benefits to communities. The proposed project will contribute to improving the socio-economic conditions of small farmers and pastoralists, rural households in targeted vulnerable areas. The integrated implementation of the four components will have an impact on knowledge enabling rural populations to adapt to the impacts of climate change; expand their sustainable natural resource management practices; improve food security through diversification of activities; an improved marketing system for agricultural products and non-timber forest products by capitalizing on the experience of linking market operators and producer organizations; a contribution to reducing social tensions between farmers, agro-pastoralists and pastoralists, as well as other users of natural resources, through better integration of production systems. Gender mainstreaming will strengthen the empowerment of women and youth through information, training and advocacy to encourage the mutual participation of all social categories. The proposed project will follow the GEF and FAO policy to ensure gender equality. Enabling rural people to learn about and apply good practices for the sustainable management of natural resources will also help to reduce land degradation and prevent competitive pressures on natural resources and the risks of desertification (indirect benefits for the global environment). In addition, the project will reduce their vulnerability and enhance adaptive capacity to prevent climate-induced economic losses (direct adaptation benefit). Additional socio-economic analysis will be conducted during project preparation to explore linkages and identify win-win solutions and socio-economic benefits. The project will benefit 87,500 direct beneficiaries of which 75% are women. Key elements of agroecology, identified in footnote 58, serve as a useful entry point by which to examine the benefits offered by this project: Diversity- The project is committed to support biological diversity and will support the planting, cultivation, and nursery development of varied, climate-resilient species. The project will shift people away from monoculture so as to reduce their vulnerability to any crop failure or pests. This is intended to achieve the following ecological benefits: § Less pressures on vulnerable areas that house key biodiversity § Increased ground cover, which will lead to less erosion and associated negative impacts on communities. § Improved biodiversity values- Through biodiversity-friendly agriculture, conservation practices, restoration and improved use of biological resources, reforestation of native, climate-resilient species, there is the expectation that biodiversity values will improve in the landscape identified by the project, mainly on Faidherbia albida and Cordyla pinnata. § In the southern part of the Peanut basin, the interventions will aim to implement strategies to limit the extraction of mangrove wood, which is increasingly used in the making of garlands for oyster farming. § In eastern Senegal, emphasis will be placed on sustainable management of production forests, of which species such as Combretum, Pterocarpus erinaceus, Cordyla pinnata are the most exploited. Co-Creation and Sharing of Knowledge- The project anticipates that collaborative spaces and mechanisms (multi-stakeholder platforms, Dimitra Clubs, Agro-Pastoral Field Schools) will allow the co-creation and sharing of knowledge, particularly among women. Cross-landscape consultations are anticipated to produce benefits such as greater exchange, social cohesion, networking among women, exchanges on best practices. Improved monitoring and evaluation will also record new types of knowledge that could be adapted into the project. Synergies- The project will result in new synergies among institutional partners, between municipal and national actors, among projects and programmes, and in incorporating LDN work into other development action. The benefits foreseen are: § Efficiency of resources by leveraging work that has already been done and preventing duplication § Partnerships and alignment between various programmes and activities to achieve aggregate-level results. Improved synergies and opportunities of joint learning between civil society, government local communities and the private sector: opportunity and interest in aligning some of the local government planning tools, with the execution and activities from smaller community groups. This project anticipates increasing collaborations and leveraging government capacity with local level expertise to achieve impacts at a larger scale. § Greater knowledge generated for project participants § Amplifying the voices of the marginalized into other fora § Greater coherence among municipalities can also decrease transaction costs. Resilience- The project is anticipated to provide the benefits of resilience in the following ways: § Climate resilience (climate smart villages) § Resilient restoration to benefit future generations and fight against desertification § Resilience of food supply § Resilience of profitable value chains to bear greater livelihoods § Resilience of partnerships—by investing into institutional partnerships, it is anticipated that institutional partnerships will be strengthened. These will be further reinforced by the trainings and educational development of key SLM-related personnel. § Improved land information systems can provide vital information for better disaster risk management planning Human and Social Values- The project foresees greater empowerment, access to natural resources and more productive land, decision-making power for women. This women-tailored project also aims to enhance women’s ability to access financing and credit for livelihood activities and benefit from tenure-positive community decisions. Culture and Food Traditions- Use of agroecologically produced foods with far less pesticides will yield healthier diets. Investments into improved land tenure for women at the community level, could support community discussions/agreements on how women can access more land thereby affecting local cultures. Creation of more employment opportunities in the targeted rural areas may decrease the culture of rural-urban migration especially of younger persons. Responsible Government- The project will enhance governance mechanisms and in particular will support improved ownership and management of LDN-related data and information. Improved information systems will support accountability, measurement and reporting on LDN by government ministries. Economic Benefits: § Increased income for smallholder families. Multicropping (less dependence on monocrop), greater utilisation of natural fertilisers through composting and manure production, and development of green value chains can contribute to increased livelihood sources. § Access to credit and investment sources can support livelihood activities that could not have otherwise been carried out due to lack of capital. § Incorporation of LDN principles at the national levels to improve accounting can also support the mitigation of other costs in the future. § Greater food security can decrease the national food import bill § Strengthening and development of value chains also indicate greater employment opportunities, especially if connections to agri-busines, and processing are made. Food Security and Nutrition- · the project will make it possible to convert degraded, salinized lands into to increase the cultivable areas, in particular the land under rice cultivation in the Peanut Basin. · By improving soil health indicators through organic or mineral fertilization practices, the project activities will generate substantial gains in agricultural yields. · Planting of salt-tolerant species is an effective way to contribute to the availability of pasture. [1] UNCCD. Investing in Land Degradation Neutrality: Making the Case. An Overview of Indicators and Assessments. Available online at: https://www.unccd.int/sites/default/files/inline-files/Senegal.pdf [2] Senegal-Investing in Land Degradation Neutrality: Making the Case: An Overview of Indicators and Assessments. Available online at: https://www.unccd.int/sites/default/files/inline-files/Senegal.pdf

Sustainable land management and restoration of productive landscapes in river basins for the implementation of

Niger

Objectives

Expand sustainable land management and restoration of productive landscapes in hydrographic basins for the implementation of the national goals of Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) in Panama.

Other

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

Target Groups

Sustainable agronomic practices and treatments developed by FAO have shown improvements in soil quality, nutrient content and availability, and resistance to degradation[1]. Some of these practices such as crop rotation, the integrated use of fertilizers and bio-pesticides, organic agriculture, combined with good agricultural and livestock practices adapted to the climate, will generate environmental, social and economic benefits of impact for the beneficiaries. The project has estimated to directly benefit 4,000 producers (1,400 women and 2,600 men), including at least 600 young people of both sexes, who will be targeted by various activities that include capacity building in the techniques proposed by the project, training of Field Schools with producers, technical assistance and extension, dissemination of climate, productive and agro-environmental information, training of young people and women in the use of ICTs and environmental monitoring technologies (drones, GPS, etc.), and direct investment in replicable production models in other parts of the selected basins or in other basins. Therefore, direct benefits will be estimated for those who are beneficiaries of these actions, and indirect benefits for other producers and their organizations may benefit from information through the means that have been proposed in the Communication Strategy, specific training, knowledge and access to financing sources, digital extension, etc. On the other hand, the project will generate positive externalities such as, the capacity for carbon fixation and water infiltration in the areas recovered with agroforestry and / or riparian forests and conservation of local biodiversity, etc. Although the beneficiaries in general (direct and indirect) do not quantify these benefits, the positive externalities will generate a high-value social NPV that indirectly shows that the best productive practices have returns within the farms and for the community in general. With these beneficiaries and with other benefits such as access to information through digital means, greater knowledge and access to credit, digital extension, and positive externalities, it is estimated that for each direct beneficiary, at least four other people may be impacted. of the execution areas, that is, about 16,000 people. The environmental benefits of the project include the reduction of emissions measured with the CORE Indicator 6.1 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Mitigated and the goal of -138,068 tCO2e of gases avoided in the AFOLU sector. To demonstrate the changes in the reduction of emissions and the fulfillment of this indicator and its goal, the modeling tools of FAO, the Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model [GLEAM] and the Ex-Ante tool of Carbon Balance will be used [ EX-ACT]). Work will be done in coordination with MiAmbiente and MIDA and articulation with the platforms and commitments of the Climate Change Directorate to report and monitor the contributions of the country's commitments established in international agreements. At the beginning of the project, the baseline will be raised in the sub-basins for the execution of greenhouse gases (GHG) generated by productive activities without a project. To measure the changes (with the project), and other measurement will be carried out for the final stage of the project. It is estimated that the changes produced with the good SLM practices should be shown and the goal established in the project should be reached. Another expected environmental benefit is the change in the composition of the productive landscape to verify the application of good agricultural, livestock and agroforestry practices. This will demonstrate concrete results of mitigation, prevention, and restoration of specific areas identified as critical in execution areas. FAO will implement the GLEAM tool for the modelling of GHG in the livestock production activity (milk/meat), which will have a training process for its use and then the application at the level of the 4,600 ha of livestock that is expected to be converted into livestock systems efficient with livestock techniques integrated to the climatic conditions of the sub-basins. It will also support the development of institutional capacities for (i) the use of these tools with specialized personnel, having started training on the use of the EX ACT tool; ii) the acquisition of materials and equipment for the application of the monitoring tools; iii) monitoring and reporting of LDN goals at the local level (sub-basins) that will contribute to the national LDN goals; iv) field assistance to train MIDA and MiAmbiente technical field teams in monitoring emissions; v) development and implementation of RTH Corporate and Products program, creating national capacities for national GHG monitoring, measurement and registries; vi) transfer of information to SINIA, MIDA and IDIAP on best livestock practices, restored areas, GHG reduction by activity; and vii) coordination with MiAmbiente MIDA and ANAGAN on sustainable livestock initiatives (NAMA Ganadero, NAMA rice and the National REDD + Strategy). The social benefits of the project include: i) Strengthening institutional capacities in the planning and ordering processes of the use of the territory and applying techniques for monitoring productive landscapes (GLEAM, EX ACT, others); ii) the capacity building of social and human capital in producer groups by transferring knowledge, processes, and information to informed decision-making; iii) the integration of women and youth in activities enhances their understanding of technology, communication, extension, and monitoring. The project will also develop tools in coordination with the MiAmbiente Directorate of Climate Change and the MIDA Agro-environmental Unit to design, disseminate and train in the application of the water footprint and the carbon footprint in productive systems through RTH Corporate and Products program, to make more efficient use of land and water and increase the resilience of the primary productive sector. Regarding the economic benefits, during the preparation, an exercise was carried out with economic models of (one hectare each) of key items for the project: livestock with silvopastoral systems, agroforestry of coffee with timber, fruit trees, plantain or banana and a hectare of diversified production (rice, corn, beans, pigeon peas, beans, cassava). The result of this exercise without and with the project for an estimated period of 5 years indicates economic benefits derived from an improvement in land use and an increase in productivity per crop. Basic assumptions of the models were: i) the model is for one hectare, but the producer could replicate it in a larger area; ii) the exercise in livestock and agroforestry is long-term (20 and 10 years, respectively) because they are economic recovery activities after the third or fourth year when the project will end; iii) the producer may choose to produce one or more items on a plot depending on the plot's size and financial capacity. However, these models are guides for economic benefits with changes in better soil management with sustainable production techniques of the magnitude of the changes that can occur in the well-being of families, the following values ??are estimated[2]: One hectare with a silvopastoral system, including pasture re-boring, with an initial investment of USD3,390 / ha and annual maintenance costs of USD432, at a 5% discount rate, in 20 years would have an internal rate of return (IRR) of 21%. Without the project, the return at 20 years is negative because productivity remains constant, and maintenance costs almost totally absorb income. One hectare of plantain coffee agroforestry, with an investment of 2,954 / ha and annual maintenance costs of USD1,670, at a discount rate of 5%, by year ten would obtain an IRR 20%. With the monoculture system, the return on investment without the project in the first three years of establishment, there is no income (only maintenance costs). Therefore, after ten years, the return on investment is negative. One hectare of diversified crops (rice, corn, beans, etc.), with an investment of USD1,454 at a discount rate of 5%, would have an annual net profit of USD748. In 5 years, it represents an IRR of 75%. Net yearly profit without the project is USD493. Conversion of one hectare of pasture to one hectare of agroforestry with fruit trees (citrus, soursop, mango, etc.) and timber with an initial investment of USD2,722 and average annual maintenance costs up to year 5 of USD523, during a period of20 years, at a discount rate of 5%, would obtain an IRR of 23%. Without the project, the annual income is marginal in relation to a traditional livestock system's maintenance costs. Although these are only indicative values, which can be improved with the demonstration models, the improvements in ecosystem services will also facilitate other benefits such as the opportunity of other agribusinesses (ecotourism, rural tourism, non-timber products, etc.) that can generate income and green jobs, improving the well-being of families and their communities and contributing directly to SDG 1 (poverty reduction) and SDG2 (food security) and indirectly to SDG10 (reduction of inequalities) in areas of execution. [1] http://www.fao.org/soils-portal/soil-management/otras-herramientas-para-mst/es/ [2] Consultancy Report on Sustainable Financial Management for the Sustainable Land Management Project (SLM) and restoration of productive landscapes in hydrographic basins for the implementation of the national goals of Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) in Panama. R. Barzev, February 2021.

Building human well-being and resilience in Amazonian forests by enhancing the value of biodiversity for food

Mongolia

Objectives

To advance the conservation of healthy and functional forests and wetlands resilient to climate change, maintaining carbon stocks, preventing GHG emissions, and generating sustainable and resilient local livelihoods[1]. [1] The Project will deploy field interventions in and around protected areas (PA) and indigenous territories (IT); supported by regional, national and international actions. All interventions will adopt adaptive, gender, and intercultural approaches, and respond to Peruâ€™s NDC for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Other

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

Target Groups

212. Section 1.7 details the benefits in terms of environmental, economic and social sustainability. The benefits can also be organized in a geographic scale, with positive socio-economic impacts at local, regional and national levels, and in other Amazon areas.213. On a local level, bio-businesses and public private partnerships will be consolidated, green jobs will be created, and income will be increased and diversified. Enhancing productive and management capacities to coordinate development and value chains of eco/bio-businesses, as well as to manage land and resources more sustainably (including protected areas delivering ecosystem services), will contribute to improve sustainability of livelihoods of men and women, mainly indigenous, who depend on the forest and aquatic ecosystems within the scope of the Project. By increasing the range of options for sustainability in terms of the variety of resources used and the recovery of degraded ecosystems, and by contributing to enhancing income per managed surface area, the Project will contribute to food safety and will strengthen capacities for climate change adaptation.214. At a national level, and in other areas in the Amazon, the Project will boost learnings and improve the instruments and capacities of decision-makers and other actors to manage land and biodiversity in order to replicate sustainable biodiversity management models and financial mechanisms for conservation of ecosystem services in other Amazon landscapes; in turn, yielding benefits for local populations.215. These national- and local-level benefits are associated with the protection and better management of protected areas and high conservation value areas, land restoration, reduction of GHG emissions, and integrated water resource management, which will translate into the reduction of the effects of climate change on vulnerable populations, the reduction of deforestation and land degradation, the reduction of species extinction and of the flow of ecosystem services, as well as the reduction of hazards to freshwater resources.216. In the Amazon basin, the Project will strengthen the cooperation for the assessment and conservation of biodiversity and effective governance in the use of natural resources. It will also contribute to achieving the goals of national and international agreements destined to guarantee healthy and functional ecosystems. The Project will protect and restore one of the most important sources of biodiversity and climate change mitigation in the planet, bringing about economic, social and environmental benefits at all levels.

Seventh Operational Phase of the GEF Small Grants Program in Sri Lanka

North Macedonia

Objectives

To build social, economic, and socio-ecological resilience in Sri Lanka of Knuckles Conservation Forest and its buffer zone, the coastal region from Mannar Island to Jaffna, and the Colombo urban wetlands through community-based activities for global environmental benefits and sustainable development

Other

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

Target Groups

The durability of the multiple global environmental benefits generated through the community-driven interventions in the project landscapes will largely depend upon sustained socioeconomic benefits for local communities. Introduction and adoption of income generating measures. At the local level, increased income generating measures and economic incentives will be promoted that give local communities reason to adopt them, and these measures will generate economic benefits to the communities in the short as well as longer term in order to be considered sustainable. The technologies and approaches promoted are expected to increase land productivity and enhance food security.Support community development, particularly those initiatives that contribute towards generating environmental benefits. There are 36 villages within Knuckles conserved forest and its buffer zone. Access to most of these villages is difficult, and there are very few opportunities for income generation avenues in those villages. Large numbers of men, especially the younger generations, leave villages to find other income generating means, mostly as unskilled labour. Similar situations have been observed in the communities of Mannar landscape, as well. This situation leads to a fragile family structure, with only women with children and elderly people remaining in the villages. The project will address this issue by targeting income generating programmes, e.g., eco-tourism, small scale social entrepreneurship, green agro-business etc., especially for women, youth, elderly, people with disabilities, and other marginalized groups. Normal 0 false false false en-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} Increased access and adoption of new technologies for sustainable livelihoods. The communities in all three landscapes are lacking in new knowledge and technologies for farming and other non-agricultural activities leading to poor productivity and inferior quality. Inappropriate technologies are low in efficiency and harmful to the sustainability of production systems and the environment. Providing communities with new knowledge and suitable technologies will improve productivity while strengthening sustainability. This will lead to adoption of new income generating avenues. Enhanced access to micro finance facilities to women entrepreneurs. Poor access to financial facilities is another drawbacks identified especially in the development of small-scale entrepreneurship in green, agro-based industries. Securing a loan from commercial banks is a herculean task for these communities, as they do not possess required knowledge and are unfamiliar with the processes. Therefore, most of the community members – particularly women – use unauthorized micro credit facilities or pawn their valuables to obtain their financial needs. Facilitating partnerships through the multi-stakeholder landscape platforms, delivering capacity building on improving financial management skills, and disseminating information on available financing options for local community organizations will help enhance small-scale entrepreneurship. Capacity development and women’s empowerment. Capacity building is one of the pillars of the SGP. Capacity building activities will be implemented based on a training-of-trainers approach through farmer field schools, etc., which are considered more sustainable. Once the new technologies are adopted it is expected that farmers will continue to innovate and apply them, achieving greater profitability while at the same time generating environmental benefits.New entrepreneurships and access to new markets. Project interventions will improve the community products and services which are already available in the landscape and will assist in developing small-scale entrepreneurship with improved market channels, including local and international markets. This intervention aims at removing interference by intermediaries in the value chain, so that the benefits will be directly transferred. Eco-tourism. Each of the project landscapes has been identified by the government as eco-tourism destinations. The project will capture the potential for ecotourism, which will assist communities to increase their income in this sector. The project will also work with government line agencies as well as the private sector to develop ecotourism, so that the communities receive benefits directly.Improved well-being. Home gardening and good agricultural practices (GAP) are the two main aspects related to agroecosystems. These two approaches will be promoted to produce healthy and safe foods. Under these programmes, new water saving technologies will be introduced to the farming communities, so that the communities and their agricultural production are more resilient to climate change. Both these programmes will reduce the use of agro-chemicals, resulting in production of safe food for the home community as well as for the market. Improved land productivity through SLM and availability of quality green products. The project will promote sustainable land management (SLM) practices in all landscapes using farmer Field Schools. It was also revealed during discussions with the farmers that the majority of them do not pay much attention to land levelling and good tillage practices due to financial constraints. Inadequate land levelling leads to inefficient use of irrigation water, fertilizers and pesticides. The impact of drought and floods too can be severe in improperly levelled paddy fields. The project is relevant with respect to several of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), most notably SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 14 (Life below Water), SDG 15 (Life on Land), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals, as outlined below in Table 2 of the Project Document. Table 2 of the Project Document: Project contributions towards Sustainable Development Goals Normal 0 false false false en-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}

Agtech for inclusion and sustainability: SP Ventures'Regional Fund (Agventures II)