FINANCING PLAN (IN US$):€¦ · Web viewThe project will demonstrate innovative and indigenous sustainable land management practices in 155,000 hectares, while a total of 20 million

AGENCY’S PROJECT ID: PIMS 2294GEFSEC PROJECT ID: 2380COUNTRY: NigerPROJECT TITLE: Sustainable Co-Management of the Natural Resources of the Aïr-Ténéré Complex GEF AGENCY: UNDPOTHER EXECUTING AGENCY(IES): Ministry of Hydraulic, Environment and Desertification ControlDURATION: 6 yearsGEF FOCAL AREA: Land DegradationGEF OPERATIONAL PROGRAM: OP 15 Sustainable Land ManagementGEF STRATEGIC PRIORITY: SLM 2, Implementation of Innovative and Indigenous Sustainable Land Management Practices and SLM 1, Targeted Capacity BuildingPipeline Entry Date: 13 November 2003ESTIMATED STARTING DATE: December 2005IA FEE: US$ 380,880

PROJECT EXECUTIVE SUMMARYGEF COUNCIL INTERSESSIONAL WORK PROGRAM SUBMISSION

CONTRIBUTION TO KEY INDICATORS OF THE BUSINESS PLAN: The project will demonstrate innovative and indigenous sustainable land management practices in 155,000 hectares, while a total of 20 million hectares will benefit indirectly through the establishment of a decentralized community system of land and natural resource management

Record of endorsement on behalf of the Government(s):Mr Yakoubou Mahaman Sani, Ministry of Economy and Finance, Development Comissioner, GEF Operation Focal Point

Date: December 15, 2003

FINANCING PLAN (US$)GEF PROJECT/COMPONENTProject 4,000,000PDF A 0PDF B 232,000PDF C 0Sub-Total GEF 4,232,000CO-FINANCING*GEF Agency (UNDP) 60 000Government 500 000BilateralGTZ/DED/KFW (LUCOP)GTZ/KFW (PNN)Coop. française (PADDEN)Coop. française (ROSELT)Union Européenne (PMRNN)Others (DDC,DANIDA) expected

549 460560 69034 20380 000

841 0352 100 000

NGOsOthersFFEM (ASS) Municipalities

20 000495 934

Sub-Total Co-financing: 5 241 322Total Project Financing: 9 473 322FINANCING FOR ASSOCIATED ACTIVITIES IF ANY: LEVERAGED RESOURCES IF ANY:

*Details provided under the Financial Modality and Cost Effectiveness section

Approved on behalf of the UNDP. This proposal has been prepared in accordance with GEF policies and procedures and meets the standards of the GEF Project Review Criteria for work program inclusion

John Hough UNDP-GEF Officer-in-Charge

Project Contact Person: Saliou Gaye NDOYE, LD Portfolio Manager, UNDP/GEF for West and Central AfricaTel. + 221 849 16 82

Date: 17 June 2005 Email: [email protected]

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mailto:[email protected]

PROJECT SUMMARY

a) Project rationale, objectives, outputs/outcomes, and activities.

1. The ecological complex covered by COGERAT (Co-Management of natural resources in the ATNNR and adjacent areas Project) includes the Aïr and Ténéré Natural Nature Reserve and adjacent areas (otherwise known as the Aïr and Ténéré Complex), and corresponds to the territories of 4 Municipalities (Gougaram, Iférouane, Tabelot, Timia). It represents a coherent landscape both ecologically and in terms of the livelihood patterns of the traditional communities living within the area and with whom COGERAT will work closely in promoting sustainable land and natural resources management. The complex covers some 20 million hectares. The natural resources of the complex, which are also very fragile and of which the productive potential varies greatly from one year to another, are being submitted to increasing accumulated pressures as a result of the increase in needs and the development of non-sustainable methods and technologies of exploitation. For example, the significant rise in the number of irrigated gardens in the oases and valleys results in the over-exploitation of the water table and in some cases leads to its drying up during the dry season. It also results in encroachment on high quality rangelands. Both of these pressures result in degradation of natural and productive landscapes. The deterioration in the tree cover brought about by increased tree-cutting for the different energy needs and for construction for an increasing population settling in the zone is another cause of erosion problems which affects the wider landscape and therefore ecosystem integrity (health, stability and connectivity). The problems of soil erosion also affect the stability of natural flooding zones by limiting their water retentive capacity and therefore degrade the water table. Conflicts between resident populations and external traders in natural resources are increasing. Ecological degradation affects wildlife habitats, and coupled with unbridled poaching, potentially endangers the survival of certain globally significant animal and plant species that are particularly representative of Saharan ecosystems in the area. The combination of all these pressures leading to land degradation has negative consequences for the maintenance of the goods and services of productive land (crops, pastures, firewood, etc.) and natural lands (watersheds, habitats). Ultimately, this will increase poverty among the people of the area, while at the same time, poverty results in land mismanagement and accumulated degradation of resources (in other words, a vicious circle).

2. The baseline scenario consists of development projects and some biodiversity conservation activities financed by the State budget, Municipalities, NGOs, Associations and international development partners, including: education, health, rural infrastructure, agricultural and pastoral production, energy, legislation and administrative organisation, ecosystem monitoring, and conservation of some endangered species. However this baseline is characterized by a series of ad hoc and uncoordinated actions, focusing on symptoms of land and environmental degradation rather than on its root causes, and in some cases contradicting each other’s impacts. Without the GEF alternative, land degradation is expected to increase due to a lack of coordinated efforts to prevent land degradation and restore/sustainably manage the landscape as a whole. Local NRM systems already stretched to the breaking point by increasing pressures on scare land and resources are expected to break down. Soil erosion will continue to increase due to excessive use of natural resources.

3. This project will build on the baseline of initiatives in the Aïr and Tenere Complex, such as those of DANIDA, GTZ, KFW, WB, UNESCO, UNDP, the EU, French cooperation, the SSA and ROSELT. Additional resources from the GEF will make it possible to operate at the wider landscape scale, to bind the development and conservation initiatives in a strategic and

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coordinated platform, and to reinforce indigenous integrated activities of natural resource management for ensuring ecosystem integrity in a globally and nationally important area (see UNDP Document Section I Part I).

4. The GEF Alternative (COGERAT project) will establish a decentralized capability for sustainable co-management of the Aïr and Ténéré Complex, which will include management planning, monitoring for adaptive management, early warning and response systems, and mediation on conflicts over land and natural resources. The project will also demonstrate innovative methods and technologies for soil and water conservation to regenerate water tables, sand dune fixation, alternatives to fuel wood and construction wood, control of invasive alien species and/or management of their impacts, pastoral./transhumance management of rangelands and reintroduction of economically beneficial threatened wildlife through cooperation between State, rural communities and tourist industry. The project will also develop sustainable financing mechanisms such as a tourism development strategy, economically beneficial SLM practices, and integrating SLM into existing mechanisms for local development. GEF incremental financing will cover the costs of lifting barriers to sustainable land management and demonstration of innovative SLM techniques that enhance ecosystem integrity. Co-financing and the sustainable baseline will cover the costs of sustainable development, decentralization of governance, and conflict resolution, in order to generate local and national benefits.

5. The long-term goal of COGERAT is to contribute to combating land degradation and sustainable management of the Saharan ecosystems of northern Niger by integrating the processes of local development and decentralization. The objective of COGERAT is to establish a decentralized community system of land and natural resource management in the Aïr and Ténéré Complex, which will reverse trends towards landscape and ecological degradation and improve livelihoods of resident populations. COGERAT will deliver on five main outcomes. These are: 1) Strong enabling environment allowing stakeholders to implement shared management of natural resources at the landscape level; 2) Improved livelihoods and ecosystem integrity through the implementation of SLM and SRM methodologies and technologies; 3) Enhanced sustainability of co-management arrangements; 4) A participatory monitoring system provides necessary information on ecological and socio-economic dynamics, and 5) Improved learning, evaluation and adaptive management (see UNDP Document Section I, Part II; and Annex B).

b) Key indicators, assumptions, and risks

6. A range of indicators and monitoring parameters are identified in the project Logical framework (Annex B) and in the PDF-B study on the State of the ecological and socio-economic environment and proposals for the establishment of a long term monitoring system . These include both quantitative indicators (surface area restored, people and organizations trained in SLM techniques, trends in revenues, vegetation cover) and qualitative indicators (Co-Management Agreement, installation of co-management and conflict resolution institutions).

7. Key indicators for measuring progress toward the restoration and management of ecosystem integrity and productive in the Air and Tenere Complex during the life of the GEF project, include (see Annex B):

20 million hectares co-managed under a co-management agreement by 4 Municipalities and the Government of Niger.

55,000 ha of degraded land important for the pastoral and market gardening economy will be restored by demonstrating techniques that will also lead to their sustainable management.

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An additional 100,000 ha will be under Municipal and user group management including methods for soil stabilization, and water harvesting.

7 Land Commissions will function to provide a framework for conflict resolution and securing rights of rural producers.

Illegal extraction of natural resources (wood, hay, wildlife) from the Complex will diminish by 50%

Domestic consumption of wood in urban areas will be reduced by 15% 10-20% improvements in livelihoods will be perceived linked to the availability and

access to essential natural resources (land, water, pasture, vegetation) Sustainable funding mechanism common to the 4 Municipalities 25% of active user groups and managers of land and natural resources trained in SLM

and SRM techniques

8. A series of risks and assumptions have been identified in the Logical Framework (Annex B). Three of the risks appear as most important. The first is the willingness of the parties involved to collaborate effectively and the second is the need to mobilize funding in support of the new responsibilities assigned to the Municipal level and local development. The Municipalities have been called upon to assume a range of new responsibilities in the context of the Law on Decentralization. They lack capabilities needed and their new roles imply also a change in attitude and functions by the State extension services. The available budgets from national resources are insufficient when compared to the extent of the problems facing local government. COGERAT will have the significant challenge of assisting in the mobilization of technical and financial resources, and will do so by demonstrating innovative techniques, building capacities for SLM, encouraging co-management and landscape level planning, and developing sustainable financing mechanisms.

9. The third risk is that of natural disasters (e.g. locust) and drought which occur on a cyclic basis in this saharo-sahelian environment. COGERAT has therefore established a long term phased strategy in order to be able to “buffer” such natural cycles, where GEF catalytic financing over 6 years will help to establish the enabling environment and knowledge base for replication in a post-GEF phase with the aim of achieving demonstrable impacts by the 10 th year. In addition, COGERAT will strengthen the baseline of monitoring activities by establishing an early warning and response system for local municipalities to cope with such natural phenomena.

COUNTRY OWNERSHIP

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c) Country Eligibility

10. The Government of Niger is eligible for UN assistance, and has ratified the following environmental management conventions:

CONVENTION DATEUNCCD 1996UNFCCC 1995Convention on Biological Diversity 1995RAMSAR Convention 1987Bonn Convention on Migratory Species 1980World Heritage Convention 1974CITES 1973African Convention on the conservation of nature and natural resources 1970

d) Country Drivenness

11. This project addresses major problems of the Air Tènèrè complex identified by different strategies and action plans, especially the National Action Plan to Combat Desertification (NAP) and that put the control of land degradation and sustainable management of natural resources at the top of their priorities. The COGERAT project is directly in line with at least four of the five programs of the NAP (see UNDP Document Section I Part II).

12. The GEF Operational Focal Point in collaboration with the CCD Focal Point has duly endorsed this proposal on the behalf of the Government of Niger and to its consistency with the priorities set for the country. The endorsement letter for this project was signed by the Operational Focal Point on December 15, 2003.

13. Niger currently has at its disposal an arsenal of institutions, strategies and laws relating to the environment. In fact, 1998 was an intensive planning year for the environment and natural resources. The government has developed a Rural Development Strategy (RDS), which is an integral part of the PRSP and takes into consideration the aspects related specifically to the control of land degradation and the sustainable management of natural resources. In the term of conflict management related to the use of natural resources, Niger has established in 1993 by Ordinnance 93-015, the legal framework and an institutional body named the “Rural Code” which is in charge of capacity building in decentralized management and the establishment of the regulatory frameworks for natural resources and conflict management. (see UNDP Document Section I Part II).

14. The project aims to enhance the contribution of natural resources to community development and to the local economy, while maintaining the long-term productive potential and the internationally recognised natural values of the Air and Tenere Complex. The co-management of the complex and the achievement of shared benefits will reinforce cooperation and allow a better sharing of costs and responsibilities between State, local authorities and rural communities. The new distribution of rights and responsibilities will need to be consistent with the orientations fixed by the Law on Decentralisation, the Rural Code and the revised Forestry Code.

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PROGRAM AND POLICY CONFORMITY

a) Fit To GEF Operational Program and Strategic Priority

15. With the goals of improving and extending the ecological functions and services (soil, water, vegetation, wildlife, watersheds, groundwater) of the Complex on one hand and that of the way of life of the people on the other, the project aims to respond to the main challenges of combating desertification as they are defined in the NAP of Niger. In adopting an integrated landscape approach which takes into account the social, economic and ecological dimensions of the project area, in promoting the full and entire participation of the local people and a clear sharing out of roles and responsibilities among all of the actors involved in the development of the area (the government, the local communities, civil society, NGO’s, traditional authorities, etc…) and finally, in adopting a long term vision of the problem of sustainable development that builds on a baseline of the achievements of preceding activities, the project fully conforms to the fundamental principles of the NAP of Niger and responds to the GEF Operational Strategy and the principles of the Operational Programme of OP-15 on sustainable land management..

16. The project will have relevance and benefits for OP 15, which seeks to minimize the causes of soil degradation and its effects on the structure and functional integrity of ecosystems by adopting sustainable land management techniques; and to contribute to improving the livelihoods and living conditions of the populations. The project will specifically addresses both Strategic Priorities of Land Degradation Focal Area, by focusing on mainstreaming and targeting capacity development towards decentralized structures and communities directly involved with land use planning, and promoting cross-sectoral integration (SP1, supported by outcomes 1,4 and 5 of the logframe), as well as inducing beneficial impacts on ecosystem recovery in pilot sites by building on innovative indigenous systems (SP2, supported by outcomes 2 and 3 of the logframe). The project will also develop strategic partnerships and shared knowledge between all stakeholders (policy makers, local people, local professionals, scientists).

17. The project will contribute to the key indicator for the Land Degradation Focal Area, by promoting sustainable land management and rehabilitating an estimated 55 000 hectares of land susceptible to soil loss through wind and water erosion.

b) Global Environmental Benefits and national/local benefits

18. Global benefits are expected in terms of ensuring ecosystem and landscape integrity, stability, functions and services, through soil conservation, maintenance of vegetation cover, and reduced soil erosion. Furthermore, the project will also contribute to conservation of internationally important wildlife and habitats, and improved understanding of viable co-management options in sparsely populated arid ecosystems. 20 million hectares will be co-managed by State and Municipal authorities under a co-management agreement by 4 Municipalities and the Government of Niger. Expected national benefits include poverty alleviation, improved natural resource management, reversal of land degradation, identification of transferable SLM approaches and methodologies that are responsive to social needs, reduced conflicts and therefore more propitious environment for generating tourism revenues.

c) Sustainability (including financial sustainability)

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19. The environmental sustainability of COGERAT is to be sought in the context of a reduction of external pressures (satisfaction of energy and construction requirements of urban centres, reduction in poaching, control and reduction of abusive over-exploitation of natural resources) and in the improvement of production systems (agriculture and livestock) and in the introduction of new sources of income (tourism) to alleviate dependence on the exploitation of natural resources. Ecological sustainability of techniques used for restoration of degraded lands will not have adverse impacts on biodiversity, climate change or ecosystem integrity.

20. The principal method of ensuring the institutional sustainability of the project resides in the reinforcement of the capacities of the four decentralized and community-led Municipalities to conceive and implement joint SLM and SRM actions with government extension agents. The project will put in place a surveillance network, an InterMunicipal platform, a crisis early warning and response mechanism, by building on and enhancing capacities of existing institutions. COGERAT will work to integrate SLM concepts and approaches into Municipal Development Plans. The co-management agreement between the MH/E-LCD which manages, on behalf of the State, the Air and Tenere Complex (by virtue of their World Heritage and Man and Biosphere status) and the Municipalities who are the primary decentralized and community-led entities will legitimize the SLM approach and allow a value added effort to both local development planning as well as biodiversity conservation.

21. The sustainable financing of co-management organs and of joint initiatives to reverse land and livelihoods degradation trends will be at the heart of project implementation. In addition to identifying and implementing measures to increase Municipal revenues (e.g. through a tourism strategy) and greater control over development assistance), the project will catalyze and support the collaborating parties of the baseline in establishing a Fund for support to local initiatives (PDF-B Study on Financial mechanisms) that will promote management, restoration, conservation, and economic activities compatible with ecological and economic sustainability. In addition to supporting income-generating initiatives, the fund will encourage private or group based land and vegetation restoration initiatives as well as reintroduction of endangered species where this can be linked to income generation.

22. The setting up of a monitoring and evaluation system for the project constitutes a guarantee for providing reliable data on the long-term evolution of socio-economic and ecological conditions in the area. The information will be used to monitor the impacts of sustainable development activities, and allow adjustments in project implementation within in a framework of adaptive management. Upon project completion, this task will be transferred to local municipalities as well as to the ROSELT (for regional activities), having built the capacities for sustaining these capacities into the future. (See UNDP Document Section I Part II).

d) Replicability

23. The demonstration of viable techniques and methods for soil conservation, pastoral land management, sustainable market garden irrigation, and other SLM improvements will replicable to other parts of the Complex upon GEF project completion. The COGERAT awareness raising activities will be practical and based on such lessons learnt. The COGERAT already envisages a replication phase and a plan for such replication, based on the sustainable financing developed at the end of the GEF Alternative, will be developed.

24. The Monitoring and Evaluation system will allow cross-project learning among similar projects in the GEF and IA portfolios, such as: the High Atlas Project in Morocco; the Senegal Integrated

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Ecosystem Management project; the Chad’s Moyen Chari project, and the World Initiative for Sustainable Pastoralism.

25. Another aspect of replication will be the close collaboration with the Ahaggar-Tassili project in Algeria (UNDP/GEF) as a result of its location (near the border) and the existing links with regards to ecosystems and nomadic herding. Such collaboration will not only allow the project to better address the issue of transboundary transhumance, but also provide a mechanism for cross-border exchange and planning.

26. This project is among the rare projects that are directly committed to assisting pastoral and nomadic peoples in sustainable land management. This experience will serve as a model for the development of similar initiatives in other areas of Niger but also in other Sahelo-Saharan areas, such as Mauritania and Mali where the lessons learned will also be shared and applied. (See UNDP Document Section I Part II).

e) Stakeholder Involvement

27. For the development of the project several stakeholders has already been involved, specially during the preparatory phase, including land users, municipalities, government extended services, NGO, bilateral and multilateral partners.(Stakeholders involvement plan is given in Section III, Part IV of the project document). The participatory planning procedures put in place during the PDF-B will keep on providing a basis for continued efforts to involve stakeholders in the implementation of the project.

28. At the local level COGERAT will establish a Unit in each Municipality with the main task of supporting local communities and government. User and social groups will be assisted to be able to participate in the identification and implementation of activities, as well as in the establishment of a participatory monitoring system as well as mechanisms to enforce locally made decisions.

29. At the Regional (sub-national) level, the COGERAT will maintain a permanent dialogue with administrative and technical authorities. These actors will play a key role within COGERAT by contributing to the elaboration of the Co-Management Agreement covering the Air Tenere Complex, as well as through the provision of advice and support to the Municipalities and local user groups in the implementation of governance, SLM and SRM measures. (see organigram in UNDP Document Section IV).

f) Monitoring and Evaluation

30. Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) will constitute an important function carried out by the project team. Standard UNDP and GEF M&E procedures will be used by the full project to monitor project impact based on the expected global and national environmental benefits using the indicators in the logical framework. A comprehensive baseline has been partially prepared during the preparatory phase (PDF-B) with some data and indicators on the baseline situation. To measure project achievements, a full quantification of relevant indicators will be done in the first year of implementation of the project. The project will also conduct participatory M&E processes (while building capacities at the local level and at the municipalities) so as to instill an approach of adaptive management in line with the unpredictable dynamics of the ecosystems and natural resource services. An effective monitoring system, adapted to locally available resources and based on the juxtaposition of scientific data and information emanating from local knowledge and perceptions, will be elaborated using quantitative and qualitative parameters related to the

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principal natural resources (Soil, water, vegetation cover, fauna, livestock) and the yields of principal economic activities (agriculture, livestock, tourism and handicrafts). This capacity is expected to last beyond the life of the project. (See Annex B, and UNDP Document Section I Part III).

FINANCIAL MODALITY AND COST EFFECTIVENESS

31. COGERAT is meant to be a catalytic project that builds on a substantial baseline and coordinates the activities of the sustainable baseline. Therefore the role of partners and of co-finance are very important to ensure the success of the project, and have been closely identified and negotiated during the PDF B.

32. The GEF Alternative will build on a strong baseline that has been calculated to represent $25,295,635. The GEF Alternative is $34,536,957, where the Baseline is $25,295,635, and the total increment is $9,241,322 (without the PDF B), of which GEF is $4,000,000 and co-finance is $5,241,322. The following provides a summary of the project (GEF and co-finance) at the outcome level. (See detailed budget in UNDP Document Section III).

Outcome Budget

Outcomes Co-finance Increment Total % Co-finance

% GEF

Outcome 1 2,162,977 600,000 2,762,977 78% 22%Outcome 2 995,107 1,000,000 1,995,107 50% 50%Outcome 3 970,054 600,000 1,570,054 62% 38%Outcome 4 355,000 400,000 755,000 47% 53%Outcome 5 758,184 1,400,000 2,158,184 35% 65%TOTAL COGERAT 5,241,322 4,000,000 9,241,322 57% 43%

33. Discussions had been held with the principal co-financers, such as bilateral and multilateral donors, UNDP, UNESCO, Italy, the Global mechanism and the Government of Niger, among others, to confirm the amount and nature of the co-financing to be provided by them, as well as the in-kind provision by the beneficiaries of the program. Table below summarizes expected contributions.

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Co-financing SourcesName of Co-financier

(source)Classification Type Amount (US$)

Status*Niger Govt. Government Cash 500 000 Letter attachedMunicipalities Decentralized

govt/communitiesCash 495 934 Negotiation

GTZ/DED/KFW (LUCOP)

Bilateral Cash 549 460 Negotiation

GTZ/KFW (PNN) Bilateral Cash 560 690 NegotiationCoop française (PADDEN)


Coop française (ROSELT)

Bilateral Cash 80 000 Letter attached

Union Européenne (PMRNN)


DDC Bilateral Cash 2 100 000 NegotiationFFEM (ASS) Bilateral Cash 20 000 NegotiationUNDP Multilateral Cash 60 000 Letter attachedSub-Total Co-financing 5 241 322

34. The project as designed is cost effective because of two reasons. The GEF increment is designed as a catalytic input that will leverage the baseline towards more coordinated and effective impact on the wider landscape. It therefore will build on a strong baseline and will have considerable co-financing for all of the outcomes. Secondly, the project will establish a very light project management structure, thus keeping administrative costs to a miminum.

INSTITUTIONAL COORDINATION AND SUPPORT

a) Core Commitments and Linkages

35. UNDP’s National Program for Niger, which is basis on the UNDAF and the PRSP, is founded on three major programs which are taken into account by this project: (i) the Management Program for Combating Poverty (known in Niger by the abbreviation « PCLCP »); (ii) the Support Program for the National Plan for the Environment and for Sustainable Development; and (iii) the Program of Capacity Reinforcement for Economic Management, the Promotion of the Private Sector and Good Government. Particularly relevant for this project are the programs that focus on food security and micro-businesses and the sustainable management of land, water and other natural resources and combating desertification. UNDP’s core commitments are expressed in the allocation of $60,000 of its core TRAC resources as direct co-financing for this project. (see UNDP Document Section I, Part II).

b) Consultation, Coordination and Collaboration between IAs, and IAs and ExAs

36. The Niger Community Action Program (CAP) is an OP 12 project that was approved in 2002 and will run until 2007. It is executed by the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development. It is

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aimed at poverty reduction and improved governance through stimulating economic growth, improving natural resource management, raising levels of health, education, and food security, and empowering communities and local governments. These goals will be achieved through local-level capacity-building efforts and implementation of demand-driven micro-projects. The program will address Niger's increasingly severe problems related to ecosystems degradation with an emphasis on land and water degradation. The project however focuses on the management of the mainly semi-arid agroforestry ecosystems in Niger, and there is no overlap between that project and this present one. In fact, quite a lot of synergies is expected between the two projects. It is expected that the project managers of the two projects will meet at least once a year to exchange lessons learnt.

37. The project will develop linkages with analogous experiences underway in a GEF-UNDP project in Algeria (Tassili-Ahaggar) and in Libya (Tadrart-Acacus). The possibility of elaborating a new regional integrated vision for the restoration, conservation and sustainable use of natural resources of saharan ecosystems among these three projects has been explored, and will be fully addressed during Phase II..

38. In addition, the COGERAT will actively engage in cross-project learning within the GEF portfolio, especially on such issues as pastoral management of rangelands; sustainable oasis irrigation schemes, and sand dune fixation. Lessons will be drawn from the Maghreb Oases project, Morocco’s High Atlas Transhumance Project, the Chad Moyen-Chari project, and the Senegal Integrated Ecosystem Management project. The pastoral network to be established through WISP will also be relevant to this project.

c) Project Implementation Arrangement

39. COGERAT will be implemented under an agreement between the Ministry of hydraulics, environment and Desertification Control (MH/E-LCD) of the Republic of Niger and the United Nations Development Programme. The MH/E-LCD directorate responsible for SLM will assure, in the name of the MH/E-LCD, the day to day technical supervision of the project. A Steering Committee will be established to oversee and direct project implementation (see project organigram and details of the institutional set up in Section IV, Part II).

40. COGERAT will adopt a strategy based on promoting local capacities. A relatively light Project Implementation Unit based in Agadez will animate a dialogue amongst local, regional and national stakeholders ; will offer a range of methodological and technical tools designed to enable Municipalities and other local and regional stakeholders and user groups to act in a concerted manner to integrate SLM within their Municipal Development Plans in order to restore and sustainably manage soils, water, vegetation, livestock and wildlife resources. The Project will assist communities in the identification and demonstration of sustainable land management approaches and techniques, and to this end will assist in the mobilisation, from within the Agadez region and beyond, of the requisite technical and financial support.

41.UNDP will be involved in the project as the GEF Implementing Agency. UNDP Niger will be the coordinating office and will ensure overall supervision of the project. UNDP-GEF will assure technical supervision of the implementation. UNDP-GEF will notably give no-objection opinions on the following questions : selection of the Coordinator, Head of the Project Implementation Unit ; annual budgets and work plans ; and periodic reports.

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42. The collaboration between, in one hand UNDP and the Government and the other the Government IUCN (with reference to MOU signed October 5 th, 2004 for the execution of the PDF B phase) will be renewed and confirmed during the feasibility study to be held before final UNDP approval of the project.

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ANNEX A: INCREMENTAL COST ANALYSIS

Baseline scenario

The baseline scenario concerns actions taking place in the Air and Tenere Complex. Most of these can be construed as contributing indirectly to the project Goal in that they cumulatively will reduce poverty, improve livelihoods and governance, and thereby reduce pressures on natural resources and improve governance and management of the environment. Projects and programmes likely to be implemented during the next 6 years have been identified and quantified (see UNDP Document Section IV). They are financed by the State budget, international donors and development partners, Municipalities, NGOs and Associations and concern such areas as education, health, production systems, energy, infrastructure development, legislation and institutional development, and administrative organization.

GEF Alternative

The baseline is characterized by renewal of donor/ funding to rural development in the complex and ongoing government actions for decentralized development and conflict management on the one hand (land tenure, health, education) and biodiversity conservation in the Biosphere Reserve as stand-alone, on the other. The GEF Increment would bring the two parts of the baseline together, would address the major gap of SLM in the Wider Complex, and build capacity of local Tuareg, Peuhls, Toubous, Hausa, Arabs and Songhaï and local government to sustainably co-manage the entire Complex in the context of decentralization and sustainable development.

The goal of this project is to combat land degradation and sustainably manage the Saharan ecosystems of northern Niger by integrating the processes of local development and decentralization. In summary, the Aïr and Ténéré Complex is increasingly under stress and threat of land degradation in the agroecosystems and natural expanses of the 20 million hectares of the complex.

Global Environmental Benefits

It is expected that there will be substantial global benefits. These will include ensuring ecosystem and landscape integrity, stability, functions and services, soil conservation, maintenance of vegetation cover, conservation of internationally important wildlife and habitats, and improved understanding of viable co-management options in sparsely populated arid ecosystems.

20 million hectares will be co-managed by State and Municipal authorities under a co-management agreement by 4 Municipalities and the Government of Niger. Some 55,000 ha of degraded land important for the pastoral and market gardening economy will be restored using techniques that will also improve water harvesting. An additional 100,000 ha will be under Municipal and user group management and soil stabilisation, water harvesting and soil protection measures implemented. 7 Land Commissions will function to provide a framework for conflict resolution and securing rights of rural producers. Illegal extraction of natural resources (wood, hay, wildlife) from the ATNNR and adjacent areas will diminish by 50% domestic consumption of wood in urban areas will be reduced by 15% thereby reversing the decline in soil cover and organic matter in the soil. Internationally important wildlife habitat will be protected and restored and wildlife protected through cooperation between State, rural communities and tourist industry.

Expected national benefits include poverty alleviation, improved natural resource management, reversal of land degradation, identification of transferable SLM approaches and methodologies that are responsive to social needs, reduced conflicts and therefore more propitious environment for generating tourism revenues.

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Incremental costs

The logic of GEF interventions is that it will finance only incremental costs, that is to say costs which will permit the achievement of global environmental benefits. In the case of COGERAT the principal global benefit is the preservation of the integrity of the Air and Tenere Complex. Other benefits at a national level will be funded by ongoing, baseline activities. The global benefits will be achieved from both GEF and co-financing incremental funding. GEF financing will aim to lift key barriers to sustainable land management that are more directly related to land degradation and biodiversity issues, the most important being :

The decentralization policy has resulted in fragmented and uncoordinated actions by the four municipalities, who are thus unable to address ecosystem connectivity and landscape level issues, or to cope with droughts Information at the landscape level either does not exist, or is not regularly updated in order to provide input into decision making on SLM and SRM New and innovative methods for SLM in valleys and for environmentally sustainable ecosystem restoration are not tested nor understood livelihood improvement projects emanating from local communities do not focus on SLM or SRM Traditional SRM techniques are breaking down as a result of uncoordinated action between municipalities Surveillance of natural resource extraction is not effectively done at the landscape level Best practices in developing incentives for SLM are not known (e.g. eco-tourism strategy; species reintroduction linked to income benefits) Top down approach of government extension agents is not commensurate with decentralization policy, and at the least in the fields of SLM and SRM requires capacity building in co-management Baseline donors functioning in a fragmented and ad hoc fashion Typical project management continues to be inflexible and not responsive to lessons learnt nor to the unpredictable (dryland) nature of the ecosystem

Complementary co-financing will concern the following threats and barriers:

Incentives for sustainable land management may exist, but are affected by root causes such as insecurity, drought, land degradation and poverty / population pressure

Awareness concerning the conservation of natural resources is limited Donor funding for livelihood security focuses on short term gains, not long term sustainability Lack of financing to implement co-management agreements and long term monitoring and evaluation

system Regional and international shared learning and knowledge management does not occur enough

The division of GEF to co-financing for the individual outcomes therefore is commensurate with these categories of barriers. The GEF increment is additional to both the baseline and the co-finance and does not entail any substitutional activities.

Systems boundary

The geographical boundary of the project is the Air and Tenere Complex (20 million hectares). All project activities will occur in this zone, although some of the awareness raising and replication activities may extend to the national scale. The incremental cost analysis covers a period of 6 years and covers the Air and Tenere Complex. However, the COGERAT has a longer term vision that goes beyond the life of

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the GEF Alternative, and includes not only replication of successful results, but also consolidation of development gains and monitoring/evaluation of impacts.

Incremental cost Summary

The GEF Alternative will build on a strong baseline that has been calculated to represent $25,295,635. The GEF Alternative is $34,536,957, where the Baseline is $25,295,635, and the total increment is $9,241,322 (without the PDF B), of which GEF is $4,000,000 and co-finance is $5,241,322. As the project progresses, other financing may be sought for additional activities to reinforce the impacts of the project.

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Incremental costs matrix

Cost/Benefit Baseline (B) Alternative (A) Increment (A-B)

Domestic BenefitsDevelopment assistance from donors and strong decentralization policy have increased livelihood security, however, on the aggregate such security is short lived as it is starting to strain the capacity of natural resources (including water) to sustain livelihoods into the future

Reduction in land conflicts, more orderly development process that is controlled by local communities, and greater income generation options will provide sustainable livelihood security into the medium if not long term.

Awareness raising concerning the conservation of natural resources, financing of SLM and SRM and livelihoods improvement projects emanating from local communities, implementation of co-management agreements for sustainable use of natural resources, complementary studies in the context of the establishment of the monitoring and evaluation system, and regional and international shared learning and knowledge management.

Global BenefitsSome conservation related actions are ongoing, including Biosphere classification, and monitoring of habitats.

Landscape level ecosystem integrity, stability and health assured, thus resulting in sustainable production systems as well as biodiversity conservation.

Lifting of barriers to SLM and SRM, including transfer of technologies for soil conservation, local community organizations, institutional reform, ecosystem restoration, species reintroduction for economic benefit, and an Inter Communal crisis alert and response system.

Outcome 1Strong enabling framework for stakeholders to implement shared management of natural resources at the landscape level

PRS : 298 951France : 34 202Municipalities: 230 578Land Commissions : 57 866Total: 621 597

3,226,152 GEF: 600,000Co-finance: 2,162,977Total: 2,762,977

Outcome 2 Improved livelihoods and ecosystem integrity are improved through the implementation of SLM and SRM

Belgium: 193 918France: 36 364PRS: 1 757 196 + 1 658 824 + 289 330 + 170 512 + 1 837 726 + 1 2101 790National budget: 310 307 + 307 164 + 855 709

21,830,641 GEF: 1,000,000Co-finance: 995,107Total: 1,995,107

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Cost/Benefit Baseline (B) Alternative (A) Increment (A-B)methodologies and technologies

UNICEF: 46 154FAD/BAD: 112 120Total: 19,677,114

Outcome 3 Outcome 3: Sustainability of co-management enhanced

PRS: 1 345 673 + 1 011 882 + 634 886National budget: 63 973Private sector tourism: 849 601’Total: 3,906,015

5,476,070 GEF: 600,000Co-finance: 970 054Total: 1,570,054

Outcome 4: A participatory monitoring system based on local knowledge and scientific methods provides necessary information on the ecological and socio-economic situation

Total: 0 755,000 GEF: 400,000Co-finance: 355,000Total: 755,000

Outcome 5: Learning, evaluation and adaptive management

Total: 0 2,158,185 GEF: 1,400,000Co-finance: 758 184Total: 2,158,184

Total Cost 25,295,635 34,536,957 GEF: 4,000,000*Co-finance: 5,241,322Total: 9,241,322

* Not counting the PDF B resources

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ANNEX B: PROJECT LOGICAL FRAMEWORK

Project Strategy Objectively Verifiable IndicatorsGoal To contribute to combating land degradation and sustainable management of the Saharan ecosystems of northern Niger by integrating

the processes of local development and decentralization Indicator Baseline Target Sources of verification Risks and

AssumptionsObjective of the project: To establish a decentralized community system of land and natural resource management in the Air and Tenere Complex which will reverse trends towards environmental degradation and improve livelihoods of resident populations

A co-management agreement for the ATNNR and adjacent areas involving the State, Municipalities and resource users

Responsibilities for the management of the ATNNR and adjacent areas are dispersed amongst diverse institutions with uncoordinated prerogatives

A consensus between the parties defines the roles and responsibilities of each and permits a sustainable management of the ATNNR and adjacent areas

*Co-management agreement published* Documented inter-municipal agreements* Reports of assemblies, coordination meetings

Assumptions: *No political events or natural catastrophe prevents the partners from collaborating in the identification of co-management modalities* Improvements obtained are not cancelled out by demographic growth* Required funding is effectively made available to communities

Emigration is stabilized and migration to urban centers and villages is reduced the end phase III

Improvements in livelihoods/income linked to the availability and access to essential natural resources (land, water, pasture, vegetation)

0Baseline to be established in the 1st year

25% increase of average income from sustainable land management practices by end of Phase II

*Municipal census in context of Municipal Development Plans;*Annual participatory diagnostic report on the state of physical, biological and socio-economic conditions

Area of land over exploited

Amount of resources (wood, fodder and wildlife) over-extracted

Baseline of area overexploited in pilot sites and of quantities of wood, fodder and wildlife taken out of the area to be established in the 1st year

25% reduction in land areas overexploited and of over-extraction of resources from ATNNR and adjacent areas by the end of Phase II

Annual participatory diagnostic report on the state of physical, biological and socio-economic conditions

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Land area under sustainable management by private and public groups

Baseline to be established in 1st year

20,000 ha treated and 100,000 ha under management at Municipal or lower level by end of Phase II

Individuals and groups in the pilot areas are organizing access rules and implementing physical improvements by end of Phase II

*Annual participatory diagnostic report on the state of physical, biological and socio-economic conditions

Outcome 1: Strong enabling framework for stakeholders to implement shared management of natural resources at the landscape level

MDPs include specific measures on SLM and SRMA common sustainable finance mechanism

0(Strong willingness of local communities to engage in SLM and SRM but capacities are lacking)

Municipal Development Plans (MDP) of the 4 Municipalities include specific measures relative to SLM and NRM NRM by the end phase II

Common sustainable Fund established by middle of Phase II

Annual budgets and workplans of Municipalities and State extension services specify SLM and NRM actions

*Legal and institutional context remains favorable toCOGERAT*Persistence of political will to support SLM

Output 1.1: The 4 Municipalities of ATNNR and adjacent areas establish Joint Inter-Municipality Platform for sustainable management of their Saharan ecosystem (landscape level)

Joint Inter-Municipality Platform

Joint measures to control land use and access to natural resources in ATNNR and adjacent areas

0(The recently established Municipalities are not yet sufficiently organized to deal with question relating to the control of natural resource use in the project area

Joint Inter-Municipality Platform established by second year

At least 2 joint measures per year between the 4 Municipalities, State extension services and development projects/programmes working together to ensure SLM in ATNNR and adjacent areas

*Co-management agreement*Municipal Development Plans*Annual participatory diagnostic report on the state of physical, biological and socio-economic conditions

*The Municipalities are able to allocate and train the requisite human resources* State extension services and development projects cooperate effectively with the Municipalities

Output 1.2: A mechanism to fund local SLM and SRM initiatives is

Sustainable funding mechanism common to the 4 Municipalities in ATNNR and adjacent

0(Mechanisms to finance local initiatives exist but they are

A Funding mechanism dedicated to SLM and SRM is established by end of Phase II and

*Description and agreed modalities for the Fund published* Typology and number

* Local and external financial resources to contribute to the Fund can be identified and

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functional areas essentially oriented towards socio-economic investments and are governed by modalities not necessarily adapted to SLM)

sustainably capitalized by end of Phase III

At least 3 options for capitalization of Fund identified by middle of Phase II (including tourism strategy)

of SLM and SRM actions financed*Annual participatory diagnostic report on the state of physical, biological and socio-economic conditions

secured

Output 1.3: Users and managers of natural resources are trained in SLM and SRM techniques

Number of user groups and managers of land and natural resources trained in SLM and SRM techniques

Baseline to be established in 1st year. SLM and SRM techniques have been tried and tested in the context of other national and regional experiences. These techniques are not however mastered by resource users and managers in ATNNR and adjacent areas

Training modules on water harvesting and flow control, protection and restoration of vegetation cover, control of water and wind erosion, pasture rehabilitation, conceived and delivered in the 4 Municipalities and reach 25% of active resident population and relevant state extension services personnel in Agadez region (Environment, Agriculture, Communal Development, Animal Resources, Tourism and Handicrafts) all by end of Phase II

*Training programme adopted end 1st year and included in project Annual workplan and budget for year2* Reports of training modules*Annual participatory diagnostic report on the state of physical, biological and socio-economic conditions* Reports from exchange and learning trips in Niger and elsewhere

Output 1.4 : Direct and indirect users of natural resources from the ATNNR and adjacent areas are aware of the stakes and are involved in SLM and SRM

Changes in perceptions and behavior of direct and indirect users of natural resources from the ATNNR and adjacent areas

Number of organized user groups involved in co-management

Baseline situation to be established in the 1st year of the project on the basis of an opinion surveyUser groups not very well organized and not linked to Municipalities effectively

25% of persons and organizations surveyed state that they are better informed of the stakes involved in SLM and SRM in the ATNNR and adjacent areas and state that they have changed, or wish to change their behavior

User groups are organized

*Opinion surveysat start (2005) and end (2010) of Phase*Annual participatory diagnostic report on the state of physical, biological and socio-economic conditions* Project reports

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and partake in co-management efforts

Output 1.5 : A crisis (drought, locust, flooding) early warning and response system is functional for the Agadez region

Crisis (drought, locust, flooding) early warning and response system

(Early warning systems exists at national level (AGHRYMET) ; a food supply crisis cell is in place for Agadez region but is not functional

Territorial administration (Governorat, Prefectures) agriculture, animal resources and communal development extension services and 4 Municipalities have agreed (written) and coordinated modalities for crisis response

*Published plan for early warning and response to emergencies due to climatic and environmental factors for Agadez region* Municipal Development Plans

*Parties collaborate effectively* Means necessary for early warning and response can be secured and put in place

Output 1.6 : A joint State – Municipality system of surveillance of natural resources extractions from the ATNNR and adjacent areas is functional

Functional surveillance network based on information from Municipalities, resident population and travel agencies cooperates with State security forces (police, military and border control)

Baseline to be established in the 1st year

Illegal extractions of natural resources are reduced by 75% (wood, hay, wildlife)

All ceased illegal collectors are sanctioned

*Surveillance reports communicated to security forces by municipalities* Police reports / number of cases prosecuted*Annual participatory diagnostic report on the state of physical, biological and socio-economic conditions* Project reports

*Parties collaborate effectively* fraudulent collectors are effectively prosecuted* no natural resources collection permits which contravene the ATNNR creation decree are delivered

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Number of questions of common interest decided upon by the InterMunicipality Platform

The InterMunicipality platform is a need emerging from PDF-B consultative (The 4 Municipalities are at initial stage of internal organization process)

4 Municipal Development Plans make reference to mutual engagements relative to SLM and SRM

InterMunicipality Platform has identified and dealt with 5 questions of common interest having an impact on SLM (wood, hay, pasture restoration, garden protection, management of surface water)

*Municipal Development Plans*Co-management agreements State –Municipalities*Reports on Environmental Commissions of Municipal Councils*Annual participatory diagnostic report on the state of physical, biological and socio-economic conditions* Project reports

Human resources available to the Municipalities permit effective understanding of the stakes and participation ion co-management efforts

Outcome 2 : Improved livelihoods and ecosystem integrity are improved through the implementation of SLM and SRM methodologies and technologies

The perceptions of the resident population gathered in the context of the annual participatory diagnosison the state of physical, biological and socio-economic conditions

Trends established in PDF-B studies indicate deterioration of both livelihoods and environmental conditions

Trends are reversed *Annual participatory diagnostic report on the state of physical, biological and socio-economic conditions* Project reports

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Output 2.1 : Water flow control works and dikes constructed in agricultural areas through physical and biological protection methods

Land area treated ;

number of gardens protected

Infrastructure constructed in last 2 decades is deteriorating, and the number of gardens has increased

20,000 ha (2 sites in Gougaram Municipality; 3 sites in Iférouane ; 12 sites in Timia ; 8 sites in Tabelot) have been treated with measures to protect slopes and improve the area of water spreading

At least 25 gardens protected on a pilot basis

*Annual participatory diagnostic report on the state of physical, biological and socio-economic conditions* Project reports

Stakeholders collaborate effectively

Evolution in levels of water tables

Baseline to be established in first year

25% improvement in water table levels


Output 2.2 : Restoration of lands affected by water erosion by physical and biological protective measures

Area of lands restored through improvements to control water flow

85 sites subject to land degradation identified in PDF-B studies

50,000 linear meters (50 km) of banks (3 sites in Gougaram Municipality; 12 sites in Iférouane ; 7 sites in Timia ; 9 sites in Tabelot) protected by physical and biological protective measures



Output 2.3 : Soils subject to wind erosion are stabilized

Area of land subject to wind erosion stabilized using soil fixation techniques

15 sites sensitive to wind erosion identified in PDF-B studies

15,000 ha (9 sites in Iférouane Municipality ; the Aïr Ténéré contact zone in the Municipality of Timia ; the Aïr Ténéré contact zone in the Municipality of Tabelot) are treated using soil fixation



Output 2.4 : Pastoral production systems are improved

% improvement of production

Quantified baseline to be established in year 1 (PDF-B qualitative studies indicate that

* Pastoral production (% offtake of milk and meat) is increased

*Improvement and

*Quantified study of production in each of the 4 Municipalities* Report of study of yields and soil quality

Short term pressures for production increases do not prevent the adoption of management and

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production levels are diminishing)

stabilization of incomes according to different production systems

production techniques that are more sustainable but less productive in the short-term

Output 2.5 : Alternative income generating activities based on sustainable use of natural resources

Number of people trained in alternative income generating activities based on sustainable use of natural resources

Baseline to be established in 1st year (experiments with Ron Palm underway in Gougaram and demand for products seem promising)

At least 40 people trained (at least 3 initiatives in each Municipality)

*Annual participatory diagnostic report on the state of physical, biological and socio-economic conditions

Output 2.6 : Use of wood diminishes in the Agadez region

Total domestic wood consumption

97,400 t of wood consumed per year in Agadez region

15 % reduction of domestic wood consumption in urban centers

*Quantified baseline (1st year)* Alternatives to extractions of wood from the ATNNR and adjacent areas are identified and in use*Reports from urbanism and hydraulics extension services*Annual participatory diagnostic report on the state of physical, biological and socio-economic conditions* Project reports

Political will to apply rules governing access to wood is prevalent

% increase in the construction of buildings and wells using « without wood » techniques

Quantified baseline to be established in the 1st year. (Pressure from urban centers and sedentary settlements in the ATNNR and adjacent areas on wood and fodder has substantially increased in the last 15 years according to PDF-B

25% increase in the proportion of buildings and wells constructed without the use of wood

The price differential between « with wood » and « without wood » techniques does not prevent the adoption of sustainable (for the environment) alternatives

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studies)

Output 2.7 : The impact of harmful species on economic activities is reduced

Surface area of newly planted Prosopis juliflora

Cases of predation on livestock by jackals

Quantified baseline to be established in the 1st year.

Surface area of newly planted Prosopis juliflora is constant or diminishes

The propagation of the introduced species (prosopis juliflora) in agricultural areas is controlled and vegetation cover diversified using methods agreed by the forestry extension service

Cases of predation on livestock by jackals reduce by 50%

Efficient and environmentally friendly measures to control the impact of jackals on livestock are introduced to at least 20 herding communities

*Technical reports on methodologies to use ;*Annual participatory diagnostic report on the state of physical, biological and socio-economic conditions

Outcome 3 : Sustainability of co-management enhanced

Mechanisms for financial sustainability in place

0 At least 10 pilot projects on economically important SLM and sustainable use of biodiversity demonstrated by middle of Phase II and another 10 by end of Phase II

Eco-tourism strategy developed by end of Phase II



Output 3.1 : Preparation and

Number of actions identified in the strategy

0 Tourism development Strategy adopted jointly

*Tourism development strategy is published

*The willingness of Municipalities and

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adoption of a tourism development strategy for ATNNR and adjacent areas

implemented, especially those allowing a greater involvement of resident population and assuring additional income generation

by the 4 Municipalities and travel agencies ; tourist center in Iferouane is functional ; services to tourists are offered by the resident population


travel agencies to cooperate shown during PDF-B is realized

Output 3.2 : Reintroduction of threatened species (red-necked ostrich and gazelle dama) brings benefits to local communitieslocales

Number of individuals in the ATNNR and adjacent areas and income generated by local communities

PDF-B Studies indicate for ostrich 1 couple and 6 immature and 0 for dama gazelle population. The cause of the reduction in numbers is primarily poaching during and after the rebelling

Population of ostrich growing and is above 30 individuals.Ostrich raising by local communities allows the reconstitution of viable populations in the ATNNR and generates income. The reintroduction of the dama gazelle from the Gadabeji research station (Niger) is effective

*Annual participatory diagnostic report on the state of physical, biological and socio-economic conditions* Project reports* Technical reports* International technical advice

Output 3.3 : Land Commissions in the Agadez region are functional

Published decisions of the Land Commissions on mediation on conflicts over land and natural resources

0None of the Land Commissions, either at Communal, Departmental or Regional level, are functional

7 Land Commissions (Agadez Region, Departments of Arlit and Tchirozérine, Municipalities of Iferouane, Gougaram, Timia et Tabelot) are established by second year, with at least 10 cases per year of successful mediation between conflicting land and natural resources use interests

*Minutes of Land Commission deliberations and decisions*Reports of the Rural Code Permanent Secretariat*Annual participatory diagnostic report on the state of physical, biological and socio-economic conditions* Project reports


Outcome 4 : A participatory monitoring system based on local

Quantitative monitoring system for the physical, biological and socio-economic environment

The Initial study « Étude initiale » (1996) and PDF-B studies establish a

An effective monitoring system, adapted to locally available resources and based on the juxtaposition

*Annual and Phase participatory diagnostic report on the state of physical, biological and

Willingness of stakeholders at National, Regional, local level to

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knowledge and scientific methods provides necessary information on the ecological and socio-economic situation

with participatory assessment of trends

quantified baseline drawing on partial information and a partial qualitative appreciation of trends

of scientific data and information emanating from local knowledge and perceptions, is elaborated by middle of Phase II

socio-economic conditions*Reports of the Geographical Information System*Reports on the capitalization of local knowledge of physical, biological and social environment

participate in the establishment of a dual (science and local knowledge) monitoring system is effective

Output 4.1 Network of Observatories is functional

Network of observatories of climatic, water flow and water tables, soil fertility and vegetation cover, availability, erosion and landscapes, plant diversity, prices of wood, hay and agricultural and pastoral products

0 A scientific network of observatories is functional, and data from the network is used as decision inputs in the frame of the Co-management Agreement and of an efficient project monitoring and assessment system

*Mid-term and end of Phase evaluation reports*Annual and Phase participatory diagnostic report on the state of physical, biological and socio-economic conditions*Co-Management Agreement


Output 4.2 : Dynamic data base of local knowledge concerning physical, biological and social environment is functional

Data base available to public and decision-makers

0 Data base is established by middle of Phase II and Local knowledge contributes to decision making in the context of the Co-Management Agreement

*Local knowledge data bank *Annual and Phase participatory diagnostic report on the state of physical, biological and socio-economic conditions*Co-Management Agreement*Project reports

Outcome 5 : Learning, evaluation and adaptive management

The 4 Municipalities manage project activities in the frame of a Co-Management Agreement with the State

Management capacity of the municipalities is not effective

The 4 Municipalities take ownership of the direction of COGERAT activities in the 3rd Phase (2010 – 2015)

*Project Reports*Co-Management Agreement*Mid-term and end-of-Phase evaluation reports


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Output 5.1 : Efficient management of project through adaptive management

Information and analyses on the implementation of the project and of its impacts and trends and available to decision-makers and the public

0 Results of monitoring, the GIS and data bank on local knowledge and project reports available in printed and digital form

*Mid-term and end-of-Phase evaluation reports

Output 5.2 : COGERAT monitoring and evaluation

Results of monitoring and evaluation are incorporated into project planning

0(Classical monitoring systems do not incorporate perceptions and knowledge of local actors – COGERAT will innovate in this respect)

Recommendations of monitoring and evaluation are followed by effects in the frame of State – Municipalities cooperation and reflected in measures taken by the State and Municipalities

*Project Reports*Co-Management Agreement*Mid-term and end-of-Phase evaluation reports

Output 5.3 : A Scientific Committee effectively supports the Project Implementation Unit and the Steering Committee

Scientific information and the analysis of trends constitute effective aids to decision-making

0 Opinions and advice of the Scientific Committee assist in the orientation of SLM and SRM options of Municipalities and the State concerning ATNNR and adjacent areas

*Reports and opinions of the Scientific Committee*Annual and Phase participatory diagnostic report on the state of physical, biological and socio-economic conditions*GIS generated reports*Project Reports*Co-Management Agreement*Mid-term and end-of-Phase evaluation reports

Output 5.4 : Preparation of Annual and Phase participatory diagnostic report on the state of physical, biological and socio-economic conditions

The perceptions of resident population and scientists concerning the evolution of relevant trends

0 The perceptions of resident population and scientists concerning the evolution of relevant trends and factors influencing the impacts of COGERAT actions are progressively harmonised

*Annual and Phase participatory diagnostic report on the state of physical, biological and socio-economic conditions* Reports of the meetings of the Agadez Forum

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*Project ReportsOutput 5.5 : Available funds are used efficiently and allocations are transparent

Average delivery rate of the GEF increment

Cost sharing (co-financing) involving also State and Municipal budgets

0 70% average yearly delivery rate of the GEF increment

The costs of SLM et SRM in the ATNNR and adjacent areas are known and allocated equitably and transparently on the basis of the financial capabilities of the parties.

*Audit reports*Project reports audit repots*Mid-term and end-of-Phase evaluation reports

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ANNEX C: RESPONSE TO STAP REVIEW

STAP EXPERT REVIEW

Project : COGERAT FINAL BRIEF (AÏR-TÉNÉRÉ PROJECT)Country NigerProject Title: Co-Management of Resources in the Aïr and Ténéré National Nature

Reserve and adjacent areas (COGERAT).STAP Reviewer: Professor Martin Williams ScD, University of Adelaide, Australia.Date: June 12, 2005

1. Scientific and technical soundness of the project.

This project is based substantially on an earlier proposal that had to be postponed as a result of political unrest. It has been designed with care and takes due account of earlier ecological surveys and investigations into soil and water conservation issues in this remote and rugged desert region. In the tables that deal with specific objectives and the means to implement and monitor them it demonstrates appropriate awareness of the relevant scientific and technical procedures needed to achieve sustainable land use in this region of high evaporation, low and erratic rainfall and increasing human pressures on scarce soil, water and plant resources.

The ultimate success of the project will depend in large measure not only upon the calibre of the Scientific Committee (to be established at national level) but also upon the ability of the major local and regional planning groups to work together in a coordinated and efficient manner. This applies particularly to the four local units to be set up in each of the four municipalities of Gougaram, Iferouane, Timia and Tabelot, and to the Inter-Municipality Platform. The various operational partners (forestry, extension services, tourist operators) are already active in the area but their full cooperation is also necessary to ensure the success of this project. In addition, since the Agades region consumes nearly 100 000 tonnes of wood each year, and is dependent on the wider region for sustenance, it will be essential to dovetail with care the activities within this urban region with those planned for the Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve (ATNNR) and adjacent pastoral and local food-producing areas. The Regional Forum to be based in Agades is one of the means proposed to ensure that this occurs.

The long-term goal of this project is to contribute to combating land degradation and sustainable management of the Saharan ecosystems of northern Niger by integrating the processes of local development and decentralization.

In order to achieve this long-term goal the specific objective of Phase II of COGERAT (2005-2010) is to set up a decentralized community system of land and natural resource management in the ATNNR and adjacent areas which will reverse trends towards environmental degradation and improve livelihoods of resident populations.

The overall management structure is designed to ensure that the technical and scientific aspects of the project run smoothly during the six years of Phase II. A Steering Committee set up and chaired by a representative of the Ministry of Hydraulics, Environment and Desertification Control of the Republic of Niger will supervise the overall direction and implementation of the project. Within this Ministry, the Directorate responsible for land degradation will deal with matters of day-to-day supervision. The Steering Committee will appoint the members of the Scientific Committee based on advice from the Project Coordinator.

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The Scientific Committee will furnish scientific and technical advice at the request of the Project Implementation Unit or of the Steering Committee. The primary role of the Scientific Committee will be to assist in the planning and establishment of the monitoring program outlined in the project. This is a vital role and the monitoring program will need to be designed in such a way that those responsible for the monitoring can learn from their mistakes and modify their approach accordingly. All well designed State of Environment monitoring programmes are essentially iterative in concept and execution. If attention is paid to these prerequisites, the project should be able to implement and even improve procedures consistent with the maintenance of high technical and scientific standards.

The Project Implementation Unit will be based in Agades and led by a national coordinator appointed according to standard UNDP criteria. The Regional Environment Directorate will provide the necessary space to house the Unit.

Part II of the Project Brief provides a comprehensive set of objectively verifiable indicators under the general heading of Logical Framework. One of the merits of this detailed table is that it specifies very clearly the assumptions on which the progress of the project will depend. Each of the targets and associated indicators will be judged on the basis of whether or not they help in achieving the primary goal, namely:

To contribute to combating land degradation and (to achieving) sustainable management of the Saharan ecosystems of northern Niger by integrating the processes of local development and decentralization

A second aim is to help preserve functioning ecosystems, thereby minimising economic pressures to migrate into other countries or regions. As a corollary to achieving this aim, the project also seeks to help create suitable conditions for livelihood improvement and for reducing the existing pressure on natural resources (soil, water, plant cover). The means to achieve the above three aims is the creation of a system of decentralised land management with active participation by all relevant stakeholders. If successful, such a model could be applied to other arid areas. The overall goal of the project is to create the conditions conducive to biodiversity conservation in this arid region through local participation in resource management.

One point of concern for this reviewer is that success in achieving a number of the targets depends on the development and implementation of a set of procedures to achieve more effective soil and water conservation. The Scientific Committee will ultimately be responsible for this aspect of the program, which has yet to be decided, so it is impossible at this stage to judge whether the procedures are likely to be effective.

2. Identification of the global environmental benefits and/or drawbacks of the project.

Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, with low levels of literacy, high levels of infant mortality and low levels of life expectancy. The project area consists of 20 million hectares of land in the northern Aïr mountains and Ténéré desert to be managed by four local Municipalities in cooperation with relevant State agencies. The global benefits that should accrue from such co-management include the ensuring of ecosystem and landscape integrity, stability, functions and services, soil conservation, maintenance of vegetation cover, conservation of internationally important wildlife and habitats, and improved understanding of viable co-management options in sparsely populated arid ecosystems.

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The aim is to restore 55 000 ha of degraded land and return this land to market garden cultivation and extensive grazing. Improved soil and water conservation procedures will be implemented in a further 100 000 ha of land. These measures should help to curtail illegal removal of wood, hay and wildlife and to restore and rehabilitate the ecosystems of this unique environment. The outcomes will include improved soil structure and water holding capacity, increased crop and livestock yields, better livelihood prospects, and an overall reduction in pressure on local resources and conflict between different groups competing for scarce natural resources.

The anticipated national benefits will include alleviation of poverty, enhanced food security, improved health, fewer sources of conflict and an improved potential to expand the burgeoning revenues from well-managed ecotourism.

3. Project consistent with GEF goals, operational strategies, program priorities and relevant international conventions.

The project has a number of aims that fall squarely within the remit of GEF Operational Programs #15 (Sustainable Land management) and #12 (Integrated Ecosystem Management). These global environmental objectives include the reversal of land degradation in an area of twenty million hectares within the Aïr and Ténéré national natural reserve - an area of contrasting and vulnerable desert ecosystems of international significance - as well as the rehabilitation of 55 000 hectares of land susceptible to soil loss through wind and water erosion.

The financial implications of achieving these objectives are outlined in the Incremental Costs Matrix under five headings that present the desired outcomes to derive from GEF incremental support. All five are entirely in accord with OP #15 and OP #12. They include:

An improved set of learning, evaluation and adaptive management practices. Implementation of sustainable land and ecosystem management practices leading to improved

livelihoods and ecosystem function. Enhanced capacity for stakeholders to engage in shared management of natural resources. Efficient use of means to achieve and jointly manage soil and water conservation, restore

degraded land and achieve viable long-term patterns of land use. Development of an effective monitoring system for assessing ecological, social and economic

progress within the region based on integrating local knowledge and scientific methods.

The project is entirely consistent with the aims of the International Convention to Combat Desertification as well as with several other international conventions, notably those relating to biodiversity conservation and to climate change. Any increase in plant biomass in this arid environment will enhance carbon storage in growing plants and soils and will help to minimise soil loss through erosion by wind and water.

4. Regional context.

Poverty levels within the country are high, life expectancy is low, literacy levels are low and infant mortality levels are high. All of these attributes are causally linked. Without improved food security, poverty alleviation, better health facilities, and access to better education, the scope for social and economic improvement remains restricted. These national problems are mirrored in the project area.

The project brief provides a general introduction to the region in the introductory section but the detailed description of the environment and the location map do not appear until near the end of the report. In the opinion of this reviewer, it would be more logical and more useful to have the map and geographical description much earlier.

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The 10 000 or so permanent residents live in sheltered mountain valleys within the massif (where they grow vegetables, fruits and some wheat or corn) and nearly half of them tend herds of sheep, goats or camels. Most of the surplus is sold in Agadez immediately south of the mountains and Arlit immediately to the west. Nearly 20 000 nomadic pastoralists visit the region seasonally, depending on grazing conditions in the surrounding desert plains. These figures highlight the potential for conflict between sedentary cultivators and nomadic herdsmen. In the past, the hierarchical social structures within the Aïr Tuareg and Haratin communities provided a traditional means of regulating such conflict. There is no mention of any of this in the proposal. Great care will be necessary to ensure that the interests of both herders and farmers are managed equitably and with full community participation. Three fundamental issues will need to be addressed in this regard. First, increasing exploitation of shallow groundwater for gardens is leading to drying up of wells. Second, gully erosion is encroaching on limited areas of arable land. Third, removal of live and dead wood for firewood and building is leaving the soil surface bare and more vulnerable to accelerated erosion by rainfall, runoff and wind.

The project area consists of the northern Aïr massif and adjacent Ténéré Desert east of the mountain ranges. Part of the region was given the status of a National Natural Reserve in 1988, was placed on the World Natural Heritage list in 1991, and became a Man and Biosphere site in 1997. The lawlessness that ensued after the 1992 rebellion in this region resulted in considerable damage to plant and animal resources, including virtual extinction of the Ostrich population and the near demise of one species of antelope. The Reserve itself provides a potential haven for the increasingly rare numbers of Addax and Oryx. Since ecotourism is a potential source of local employment as well as contributing to ecosystem protection, the scope for its controlled development needs further emphasis. Other income generating activities could include the deliberate rearing of limited numbers of ostriches for their feathers and, perhaps, dried meat. (In parts of Kenya the Maasai are successfully rearing ostriches and exporting the feathers that have useful dust-repellent properties).

Certain favoured localities within this region and well known to this reviewer are veritable museums of prehistoric archaeology, with a cultural record extending back well in excess of 150 000 years, spanning the full stages of prehistoric human cultural development from Early, Middle and Later Stone Age to Neolithic plant and animal domestication. One aspect of this rich cultural heritage, reflected in part in the rock paintings and engravings within the mountains, is the evidence displayed of adaptations to changing climatic conditions in the past. The authors of this project might have made more of the potential interest of the archaeological record for carefully controlled ecotourism as practised in parts of Kenya and Mauritania, for example.

5. Replicability of the project.

The project brief provides a thoughtful integrated analysis of issues relating to replicability and sustainability. The authors note that improved management of the Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve must be accompanied by an improvement in the capacity of the local communities to plan and develop income-generating activities that are in harmony with the opportunities (and limitations) offered by this arid environment. If the model of participatory land rehabilitation and co-management put forward in this proposal is successful, it will undoubtedly serve as a model for similar arid regions along the southern margin of the Sahara (e.g., Mali, Mauritania) and elsewhere. One aim is to develop linkages with cognate project already in existence in the Tassili-Ahaggar region of Algeria related to nomadic herding and ecosystem management and the Tadrart-Acacus area in Libya, that could result in a new and integrated regional approach to the ecological restoration and sustainable use of Saharan biomes. There is substantial scope for exchange of information with similar GEF and other projects, notably the High Atlas Project in Morocco, the Senegal Integrated Ecosystem Management project and the Middle Chari project in Chad. The long-term monitoring program envisaged in this project will also involve access to the ROSELT drought-monitoring network.

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6. Potential project effectiveness and sustainability.

As a general comment, one can note that ecologically sustainable development requires that social and economic needs be met through maintenance of the life-support functions of ecosystems, both natural and humanly modified. Any action that systematically removes materials from a natural system at a rate faster than the ability of that system to produce a surplus will cause the system to become degraded. Likewise, any action that systematically adds substances to a natural system at a rate faster than the capacity of the system to absorb and recycle such materials will also lead to system impoverishment. Since the only source of an increase in net global primary productivity is via photosynthesis, maintenance of a resilient plant cover is the prerequisite for achieving sustainable land use and effective ecosystem management.

The only lasting guarantee that this project can fulfil these fundamental requirements lies in its ability to enhance the capacity of the four Municipalities in question to plan and implement appropriate programs of sustainable land management, together with an effective monitoring program. Decentralised planning arrangements and suitable arrangements for conflict resolution are necessary conditions to achieving these aims. Other factors will be the successful rehabilitation of degraded land and the associated increase in local income as a result of more efficient use of water, improved rangelands and better animal husbandry. A further by-product of the improved capacity of the local communities to develop and implement long-term programs of sustainable land use in this arid region will be the enhanced ability of natural ecosystems to provide the life support systems upon which human survival depends. As the project authors note, this project is among the rare projects that are directly committed to assisting pastoral and nomadic peoples in sustainable land management.

Part IX of the report provides a very cogent summary of the lessons learned from previous experience in this region and that were used in the design of this project. In addition, the very comprehensive presentation of the problems, threats, causes, barriers and solutions tabulated in Part V is a model of clarity and instils confidence that the project authors have a thorough grasp of the issues.

7. Linkages to other programmes and action plans.

The project will be overseen by a Steering Committee chaired by an appointee of the Ministry of Hydraulics, Environment and Desertification Control, and will also be of interest to the Ministry of Animal Resources and to the Ministry of Agriculture. In addition, the overall objectives accord closely with those of the National Council for Environment and Sustainable Development attached to the Office of the Prime Minister’s. This latter Council is responsible for developing policies and plans of action for achieving environmentally sustainable development. The Project Brief points out that this Council was involved in devising certain Plans of Action, including the National Program for Desertification Control and Natural Resource Management, and the Biodiversity Strategy. The various technical ministries and their nominees are responsible for implementing and monitoring these Action Plans. For instance, the Directorate of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture is responsible for wildlife and habitat conservation and the Directorate of Environment for desertification control, and the Directorate of Program Planning.

The authors of the Project Brief note that the local institutions in liaison with the National Council for Environment and Sustainable Development are lacking in capacity for land planning and management, as well as for participatory sustainable development. They stress the need for a thorough evaluation of capacity building requirements at all levels and point out that they have incorporated the results of an earlier appraisal into this proposal.

The Local Land Commissions set up under the auspices of the Rural Code provide a potential institutional framework for local land use planning as well as for conflict resolution.

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All this is very promising in theory, but there are formidable practical problems that will need to be overcome if this project is to succeed. These include the perennial problem of conflicts of interest between different institutions, weak institutional and administrative capacity, lack of access to education and training by the very many poor and underprivileged members of the community, conflicts over competing demands for access to scarce natural resources, and the background vicissitudes of periodic droughts, shallow infertile soils and declining supplies of shallow groundwater.

8. Other beneficial or damaging environmental effects.

Provided that the monitoring protocols that are yet to be conceived are designed and implanted with due care and appropriate involvement of local community groups, the outcomes of this proposal can only benefit the desert biomes and the people who depend upon them.

9. Stakeholder involvement.

The project authors acknowledge that in managing the Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve the approach employed previously was a failure. They go on to say that the most important cause of the failure of the first WWF initiative was the complete absence of participation and ownership by the local community. The approach was very conservation-oriented and the needs and interests of the local communities were not taken into account.

As a result of lessons learned from experience, the project designers have given priority to local community participation, as shown in the long discussion of management structures, the organizational diagram of the project shown in Part II and the careful analysis of local institutional structures. 10. Capacity building.

Throughout the report there is frequent, detailed and thoughtful evaluation of how this project can contribute to capacity building. Part IV of the report in particular considers this issue. Unless the capacity of the local communities to plan and co-manage sustainable land use in conjunction with State and regional agencies is enhanced, the project is unlikely to succeed. The project authors are very well aware of this and have planned their program with considerable care and forethought.

11. Innovativeness of the project.

This project is of considerable potential importance and well worthy of GEF support. As the authors note, it is among the rare projects that are directly committed to assisting pastoral and nomadic peoples in sustainable land management.

12. Editorial suggestions

Summary, 5 lines from end: needs comma after 50%.

Acronyms: ROSELT definition not accurate. Some acronyms cited in text not in glossary (UBT, para 14; NSCA, para 26; AGHRYMET, para 56;

p.6, para 10, l.2: 'excessive extraction of wood'

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p.6, para 11, line 1: 'by the'; l.2: 'management of the Sahara'; l.3: threshold for??? (specify); lines 7-8: carried away (by wind? Water? Both?)

p. 6, para 12, line 6: 'supply in dry years'

pp. 6-7, para 15: seems to imply that all the wood is collected by trucks. Not so in rural areas.

p.7, para 16, l.2: 'in the last'

para 17, last line : 'in Section Part V' ???

para 23, l.4: 'created a'; l.7: 'tool in the'

para 55, l.3: 'vulnerability' (not 'precarity', no such word in English)

para 79, l.5: 'will'

para 95, l.2: 'client' rather than 'querant'?

para 116, l.4: 'partners (European…'

p.53, penultimate line: 'twice yearly' in lieu of 'semestrial'

p.59, 2nd para, l.1: suggest 'activate' (or lead or drive) in lieu of 'animate' (literal transposition of the French, but different sense in English)

p.68,l.2: 'Acheulian' or 'Acheulean' in English usage.

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RESPONSE TO STAP REVIEW

Summary of STAP Comment Response Location where document was revised (sections, paragraphs)

Overall, a very positive review and strong recommendation for endorsement

We thank the STAP reviewer. Many of the comments made serve to highlight the tight analysis and careful design of this project proposal, and do not require a response or modification of the project document. Specific areas were modifications have been made are listed below.

The ultimate success of the project will depend in large measure not only upon the calibre of the Scientific Committee (to be established at national level) but also upon the ability of the major local and regional planning groups to work together in a coordinated and efficient manner. This applies particularly to the four local units to be set up in each of the four municipalities of Gougaram, Iferouane, Timia and Tabelot, and to the Inter-Municipality Platform. The various operational partners (forestry, extension services, tourist operators) are already active in the area but their full cooperation is also necessary to ensure the success of this project.

The ability of the local and regional planning groups to work together in a coordinated and efficient manner has been taking into account in the project strategy

The full cooperation of the mentioned stakeholders has been a concern during the PDF B implementation. It has been resolved through:

- A resolution had been taking by all the stakeholders to cooperate toward the success of the project during the inception workshop;

- The participation of all the mentioned stakeholders in the Steering Committee;

- This concern has been permanently noted as a condition for success

Part II: Strategy Page 12, Paragraph 39

Annexe A: (in the Executive Summary document) Resolution and Recommendation of the inception workshop.

Logframe Page 18 – 28: See in risk and hypothesis colon

Page 19, Paragraph74 Indicators, risks and assumption

In addition, since the Agades region consumes nearly 100 000 tonnes of wood each year, and is dependent on the wider region for sustenance, it will be essential to dovetail with care the activities within this urban region with those planned for

This has also been a permanent concern during the PDF B period and has been taking into account

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the Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve (ATNNR) and adjacent pastoral and local food-producing areas. The Regional Forum to be based in Agadez is one of the means proposed to ensure that this occurs

A complementary study on the energy efficiency of the main town of the region (Agadez, Arlit and Tchirizerine) has been conducted and the strategy of contributing in fuelwood need of these town will be conducted

The Scientific Committee will furnish scientific and technical advice at the request of the Project Implementation Unit or of the Steering Committee. The primary role of the Scientific Committee will be to assist in the planning and establishment of the monitoring program outlined in the project. This is a vital role and the monitoring program will need to be designed in such a way that those responsible for the monitoring can learn from their mistakes and modify their approach accordingly. All well designed State of Environment monitoring programmes are essentially iterative in concept and execution. If attention is paid to these prerequisites, the project should be able to implement and even improve procedures consistent with the maintenance of high technical and scientific standards

One point of concern for this reviewer is that success in achieving a number of the targets depends on the development and implementation of a set of procedures to achieve more effective soil and water conservation. The Scientific Committee will ultimately be responsible for this aspect of the program, which has yet to be decided, so it is impossible at this stage to judge whether the procedures are likely to be effective

The project stakeholders will give due attention to this recommendation and it will be bear in mind during the development of the monitoring and evaluation plan of COGERAT.

The project stakeholders will give due attention to this analysis and will ensure that the procedures to be adopted will be with the full implication of the Scientific Committee.

Page 14, Paragraph 51: Project Goal, Objective, Outcomes and Outputs / Activities

Page 17, Paragraph 62: Project Goal, Objective, Outcomes and Outputs / ActivitiesLogframe: Outcome 3.2

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The project brief provides a general introduction to the region in the introductory section but the detailed description of the environment and the location map do not appear until near the end of the report. In the opinion of this reviewer, it would be more logical and more useful to have the map and geographical description much earlier

Maps have been provided in the UNDP Document as annex but key maps have been moved up into the main text.

Page 6 (after paragraph 9)

The 10 000 or so permanent residents live in sheltered mountain valleys within the massif (where they grow vegetables, fruits and some wheat or corn) and nearly half of them tend herds of sheep, goats or camels. Most of the surplus is sold in Agades immediately south of the mountains and Arlit immediately to the west. Nearly 20 000 nomadic pastoralists visit the region seasonally, depending on grazing conditions in the surrounding desert plains. These figures highlight the potential for conflict between sedentary cultivators and nomadic herdsmen. In the past, the hierarchical social structures within the Aïr Tuareg and Haratin communities provided a traditional means of regulating such conflict. There is no mention of any of this in the proposal.

This issue was raised in the Concept/PDF B proposal has been confirmed during the implementation of the preparatory phase. The brief has been amended to reflect the traditional corridors assigned to each grazing group (“Terrain de parcours”), which are the backbone of traditional means of conflict resolution.

By supporting the establishment of Land Commissions, the project reinforces the traditional mechanisms because, these Commissions are meant to privilege traditional ways of conflicts resolutions.

Page 15, Paragraph 53 Outcome 1

Great care will be necessary to ensure that the interests of both herders and farmers are managed equitably and with full community participation. Three fundamental issues will need to be addressed in this regard. First, increasing exploitation of shallow groundwater for gardens is leading to drying up of wells. Second, gully erosion is encroaching on limited areas of arable land. Third, removal of live and dead wood for

These issues have been taken care off but in a disperse manner within the brief. All of these issues (groundwater, gully and wind erosion and wood gathering), have been identified as barriers and many measures have been identified to lift such barriers in the project design.

Part V: Problems, causes and barriers (under over exploitation of water resources)

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firewood and building is leaving the soil surface bare and more vulnerable to accelerated erosion by rainfall, runoff and wind

The Scientific committee of the project is tasked with checking risks associated with technological innovations.

Since ecotourism is a potential source of local employment as well as contributing to ecosystem protection, the scope for its controlled development needs further emphasis. Other income generating activities could include the deliberate rearing of limited numbers of ostriches for their feathers and, perhaps, dried meat. (In parts of Kenya the Maasai are successfully rearing ostriches and exporting the feathers that have useful dust-repellent properties).

In the process of the preparation, development and adoption of the ecotourism strategy, the COGERAT will create conditions for in-depth consultation between stakeholders.

The observation is well noted and the brief is mended to take care of it.

Page 17, Paragraph 64

Certain favoured localities within this region and well known to this reviewer are veritable museums of prehistoric archaeology, with a cultural record extending back well in excess of 150 000 years, spanning the full stages of prehistoric human cultural development from Early, Middle and Later Stone Age to Neolithic plant and animal domestication. One aspect of this rich cultural heritage, reflected in part in the rock paintings and engravings within the mountains, is the evidence displayed of adaptations to changing climatic conditions in the past. The authors of this project might have made more of the potential interest of the archaeological record for carefully controlled ecotourism as practised in parts of Kenya and Mauritania, for example

This aspect has been mentioned in the site description. However, the brief has been amended to consider this contribution.

Page 55, Paragraph 170: PART VII: Detailed description of the Site

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All this is very promising in theory, but there are formidable practical problems that will need to be overcome if this project is to succeed. These include the perennial problem of conflicts of interest between different institutions, weak institutional and administrative capacity, lack of access to education and training by the very many poor and underprivileged members of the community, conflicts over competing demands for access to scarce natural resources, and the background vicissitudes of periodic droughts, shallow infertile soils and declining supplies of shallow groundwater

These issues raised are a reality.However the project design anticipates all of these problems and risks and puts into motion solutions to address them. In terms of the institutional conflict advanced steps have been taken (e.g. the newly created General Directorate in charge of natural resources management which will allow a single line of responsibility in the environment sector). The Land Commission, which include all rural stakeholders, thus allowing them to contribute to and own the process of conflict resolution. The law on decentralization and the legitimization (formal recognition) of the transhumance corridors (“Terrains de parcours”) is another means of minimizing these institutional problems. In the area of capacity building, COGERAT (Outcome 1) will significantly contribute while being complimentary to

Linkages to other programmes and action plans

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other initiatives such as the GEF funded National Capacity Self assessment (NSCA).The base line shows that there are some projects actually supported by partners, which will contribute to ameliorate the education situation in the region.

Specific editorial comments/corrections All these corrections have been done in the brief As indicated by the reviewer

c) GEF Secretariat and other Agencies’ comments and IA/ExA response

n/a

wb155260/tt/file_convert/5f54e5eaedbd9724e80c027a/document.doc

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Documents

FINANCING PLAN (IN US$):€¦ · Web viewThe project will demonstrate innovative and indigenous sustainable land management practices in 155,000 hectares, while a total of 20 million