Implementation | PANORAMA

Developing a Provincial Forest Restoration Strategy in South Kivu

TRI DRC assisted the elaboration of the Provincial Strategy for the Restoration of Forest and Landscapes in South Kivu, which outlines the priorities and actions to be taken for FLR, including best practices on the protection of watershed, sustainable land management practices for subsistence crops, promotion of fodder production for livestock, and classification of potential restoration options depending on geographic zone. To help elaborate the strategy, TRI DRC brought together the national work group, made up of the various stakeholders such as national ministries, provincial coordination, and local partners, to identify the gaps and bottlenecks for restoration and integrate them into recommendations. TRI DRC also provided recommendations on terms of methodology and approach as well as technical input. By April, 2022, the strategy received local and regional validation as well as technical validation from members of the national technical working group. The strategy, as of October 2023, awaits validation from the provincial assembly, before it can begin implementation.

TRI DRC was able to facilitate the development of the Provincial Strategy for the Restoration of Forest and Landscapes in South Kivu because of the enthusiasm and willingness of the various stakeholders to participate in discussions and provide recommendations for the strategy. TRI also used data from the participatory ROAM assessments to ensure its recommendations for the strategy included local considerations and priorities. These factors allowed for the strategy to consider all the recommendations and apply them to the local context.

Through the process of working to develop the Provincial Strategy for the Restoration of Forest and Landscapes in South Kivu, TRI DRC learned how to best convene the various stakeholders and members of the national technical working group as well what recommendations the strategy needed to best address the restoration needs of local communities. By convening the working group and facilitating discussions over the major topics the strategy would cover, TRI DRC was able to develop best practices for bringing together stakeholders and grow its understanding of the different relationships between the actors and where everyone’s expertise lies. Additionally, by conducting participatory ROAM assessments, which were used to identify local restoration priorities, TRI DRC gained insight into how the strategy could best implement restoration within the local context.

Implementation

Subnational

Integrating landscape restoration and sustainable land management into policies and planning processes to enhance conservation and sustainable production.

To contribute to a policy framework that supports landscape restoration, TRI Kenya Tana Delta also worked on integrating restoration and sustainable land management into county policies such as participatory forest management plans (PFMPS) and village restoration action plans as well as national legislation such as the Forest and Landscape Restoration Implementation Action Plan (FOLAREP) and the physical and Land Use Planning Act 2019. TRI helped develop the four PFMPS, both at the county and national level, which outline forest management priorities, how programs will be implemented, and the different roles stakeholders will undertake, by providing technical input and helping convene stakeholders. These plans have been completed and signed by either the Kenya Forest Service or county governments and will be launched later this year. FOLAREP, a major national policy that will advance FLR in Kenya, has been aided by TRI Kenya Tana Delta, which funded the participation of stakeholders in consultations and validation forums hosted by the Kenya Forest Service. In all, TRI has contributed significantly to FLR-focused and -supportive frameworks and continues to facilitate the elaboration of future policies.

To successfully develop policies and integrate landscape restoration and sustainable land management within them, TRI greatly benefitted from consultations and workshops that gathered information from a diverse set of stakeholders, including local leaders and national agencies such as the Kenya Forest Service, on restoration opportunities, priorities, and recommendations. Without this information gathering and convening of parties, the policies would struggle through the validation process and would be unlikely to garner enough political will.

Through its contributions to the elaboration of county and national level policies, TRI Kenya Tana Delta learned more about how the process of elaborating and validating policies in the Tana River and Lamu counties works and what barriers exist. Now that the project has taken part in the development of multiple policies and regulations, there is a pathway outlined on the most efficient way to successfully enact policies, and the policies themselves make it easier for future restoration-based policies to be pursued. Additionally, through the integration of FLR into policies, TRI has further grown its understanding of the ways restoration and sustainable land management can fit into the various legal and regulatory frameworks that exist and are continuously evolving.

Implementation

Subnational

Mainstreaming landscape restoration and sustainable land management into county budgetary processes

TRI Kenya Tana Delta has worked to mainstream landscape restoration and sustainable land management into county budgetary processes by training members from Community Forest Associations (CFAs) to advocate and lobby for prioritizing FLR in county budgets and by submitting a memorandum through the Tana Delta Conservation Network to influence Tana River County’s fiscal strategy papers. The recommendations on prioritizing FLR in Tana River County’s budget included in the memorandum have since been taken up by the County. Similarly, Lamu county has adopted higher restoration targets in its budget as a result of TRI’s advocacy. This uptake in budget recommendations also follows the capacity building of 34 members drawn from all five CFAs on advocacy and lobbying, including how to engage in county budgetary processes and consultations. The project plans to further train more members of the CFAs to enhance the prioritization of FLR and sustainable land management in county budgets through community participation and empowerment.

TRI Kenya Tana Delta was able to help mainstream FLR and sustainable land management in county budgetary processes because CFA members were enthusiastic in learning how to engage in lobbying and advocacy and the trainings were well designed to adequately prepare them for pursuing budget improvements. The project also benefitted from local governments that had the political will to set high targets for restoration and ensure FLR was supported by their budgets.

From the work TRI Kenya Tana Delta has undertaken to help mainstream landscape restoration and sustainable land management into budgetary processes and policies, the project has seen that by building the capacity of local leaders to lobby local government and engage in consistent advocacy, the counties can enact budgets that prioritize restoration and provide for the pursual of higher restoration targets. By pursuing the prioritization of FLR and pushing county governments to place value in sustainable land management, it is possible to ensure county funding, whether from the national government or other sources, is used in the implementation of FLR policies and activities. The inclusion of FLR and sustainable land management in county budgetary processes can also lead to targets exceeding those set at the national level, further allowing the counties to increase their contributions to national restoration commitments.

Implementation

Subnational

Enhancing public support for landscape restoration and sustainable management at the county level

TRI developed a robust communication plan that included the innovative use of radio, banners, and outreach to successfully garner public support for FLR and sustainable land management. The plan included engaging in partnerships with local radio stations with translations into Swahili, which with far reach in rural villages, are more effective in influencing mindsets and practices related to restoration. TRI also took part in printing banners and flyers highlighting restoration-based policies and convening meetings and trainings, including training focused on strengthening the capacity of the Tana Delta Conservation Forum, which targeted community decision-makers and equipped them to identify policy issues and influence the county planning agendas. Additionally, TRI has created a YouTube Channel and worked to develop a far-reach and effective social media presence, which includes identifying local champions who speak on behalf of the project to better connect with local communities. Overall, TRI’s communication plan has been very successful in enhancing policy messages, helping aid enforcement, sensitizing members of the public, and calling for action.

To successfully implement their communication plan, TRI needed local leaders willing and able to take part in radio shows and interviews. Without them, local outreach would not have been possible, and the communication plan would have lacked connection with local communities. Additionally, TRI was able to share information about restoration initiatives and policies by taking advantage of international environmental days with banners and printed materials that highlighted the need for restoration and sustainable land management.

The communication plan has shown how an outreach and advocacy strategy that targets communities using local champions, local languages, and local channels will ultimately be more successful in influencing mindsets, habits, and practices toward FLR and sustainable land management. By participating in local radio shows with local leaders speaking in Swahili, TRI has been better able to reach individuals living in rural villages with messages from people they trust and know the local context. As the eventual participants in restoration activities, local communities need to believe that FLR is beneficial and worth pursuing. Similarly, by communicating directly with local communities, TRI has been able to learn more about what their wants and priorities are. This allows the elaboration of policies to address local needs more accurately.

Implementation

Subnational

Supporting goals of reform and technical tools upgrades in SFFs’ governance structures

To ensure SFF reform fully considers the roles of SFFs in providing ecosystem services and developing appropriate supporting legal and financial instruments, TRI has worked to ensure that SFF’s governance structures support the goals of FLR and the ongoing conversion of SFFs to public benefit organizations and technical tools upgrade forest resource management planning. This includes providing key suggestions and facilitating the production of a report on innovative governance and management of SFFs. The report analyzed cases from different SFFs that incorporated governance structures focused on restoring and enhancing forest quality and bringing economic and social benefits to surrounding communities. The project also promoted an FLR-based Forest Research Management (FMR) plan developed at the end of 2020 enhancing key forest eco-services, which covered 16 SFFs incorporating institutional structures supporting SFF reforms. The analysis of governance structures and promotion of an FLR-based forest resource management plan also contributed to the creation of guidelines for the development of innovative forest resource management in SFFs. Set to be launched in September 2023 and promoted in 4,297 SFFs nationwide, the guidelines provide a detailed way of how to start to work toward ecosystem service-based management .

Without the incorporation of governance and institutional structures that support SFF reform in 16 SFFs, TRI would not have been able to assess innovative management of SFFs or develop an FLR-based FMR plan. With 16 SFFs receiving support from national finance and including management structures focusing on enhancing forest quality, the project successfully used on-the-ground experience to recommend SFF governance measures that would promote restoration.

By working to ensure governance structures support SFF reform goals and SFFs have the technical tools to upgrade management planning, TRI China gained critical information on how to develop national and subnational policies that support FLR-centered management and promote the role of SFFs in providing ecosystem services. Using these learnings from applied innovative governance structures, the guidelines developed by TRI also provided comprehensive suggestions on how to determine key ecosystem services and how to select management measures based on landscape approaches.

Implementation

Subnational

National

Ensuring national and subnational forestry policymakers are equipped with information and tools to integrate forest and landscape restoration as a cornerstone of SFFs management

To help develop policies and regulatory frameworks that integrate SFFs as a cornerstone for local FLR implementation, TRI China has worked to ensure national and subnational forestry policymakers have relevant information and useful policy recommendations. This includes promoting a national policy summary of SFFs to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA), which provided an overview of forestry policy development in China and recommendations that helped facilitate the elaboration of a special research report on innovative management mechanisms and systems of state-owned forest farms, which aimed to provide a new perspective of SFF management mechanisms that enable SFFs to better play a role in protecting forest resources and providing forest ecosystem services. In 2022, TRI also developed policy suggestions on promoting the green development of SFFs and a research report on the Green Development Strategy of SFFs. The recommendations contributed to multiple policy documents outlining specific actions to be implemented in the three pilot provinces. Additionally, TRI hosted policy workshops, further conveying policy messages and recommendations to key stakeholders.

Without collaboration and willingness to implement sustainable forest management and FLR reforms from the NFGA, the policy review and recommendations would not have been successfully included in national policy guidelines and implementation plans. Similarly, input from academia such as China Forest Academy and the Planning Institute of the NFGA as well as local policy makers was conducive to policy conversations and discussions over development issues and recommendations.

The review of existing forestry policies and regulations and the formulation of recommendations provided many lessons that were passed on to national and subnational forestry policymakers. A review of policies and analysis of their effects on SFF development and sustainable forest management showed which policies promote FLR and which policies need reform in order to move them towards green development. Meanwhile, the recommendations provided by TRI, which included improving the ecological compensation system, taking enhanced forest quality as SFFs’ main responsibility, and encouraging the wise use of forestry resources, presented policymakers with actionable suggestions that promote FLR implementation and sustainable forest management. The workshops also provided beneficial information with fruitful discussions over green development and the sharing of policy-related reports.

Implementation

Subnational

National

Producing FLR Policy Improvement Recommendations Based on Gap Analysis of FLR Policies, Laws, and Regulations

TRI worked to produce recommendations on improving FLR policies based on a gap analysis of existing policies, laws, and regulations on forest management, conservation, and FLR in Sao Tome and Principe. These recommendations were based on a Policy Influence Plan (PIP) drafted by a national consultant in early 2021 and validated by the National Platform for Forest Landscape Restoration in March 2021. The final PIP included three policy objectives and related intermediate results and has since acted as the basis of the project’s policy work. The objectives included the improvement and modification of the inter-institutional collaboration and integration of the National Environmental Council, National Committee on Climate Change, and National Tendering Platforms, the amendment and harmonization of forest and conservation laws, and the update and improvement of the Forest Fund and 2018 Forest Management Plan. The PIP also reviewed previous FLR policies and created the included recommendations to help fill any identified gaps.

The PIP was drafted with the technical assistance of the TRI Global Learning, Financing, and Partnerships project (GCP) specialist from the IUCN, helping to ensure the document was robust exploration FLR policies in Sao Tome. The National Platform for Forest Landscape Restoration also aided the development of the PIP by working to validate the document and make sure it created a good base for the project’s policy work.

The PIP provided TRI and the Directorate of Forests and Biodiversity lessons on what gaps existed in Sao Tome and Principe’s FLR policies and what objectives those developing FLR policies should pursue. The PIP also provided recommendations and information on what results to monitor. As the basis of the rest of the project’s policy work, the knowledge of objectives, results, recommendations, and policy review examined by the PIP will ensure policy outcomes adequately address the country’s forest management, conservation, and FLR needs.

Implementation

Subnational

Empowering the Production of the National Forest and Landscape Restoration Plan to Inform and Guide Forest Management, Conservation, and Restoration Initiatives

In 2020, a team of Directorate of Forests and Biodiversity staff began working to elaborate the Forest Landscape Plan with the technical assistance of the TRI team. The plan, delivered in May 2021, integrated comments and suggestions from validation workshops that consulted over 1,000 people from almost 100 communities across the country. The comprehensive plan includes four main chapters – context, objectives, methodology, and identification of restoration opportunities – that will guide and inform future forest management, conservation, and restoration initiatives in Sao Tome and Principe. Additionally, TRI facilitated the production of Four FLR Landscape plans that will operationalize the FLR interventions included in the national Forest Landscape Plan by outlining an implementation strategy. This includes landscape plans in Sao Tome North, Sao Tome Center, Sao Tome South, and Principe, which were finalized in 2023 and now guide the field restoration work of TRI in terms of priority locations and interventions. Together, the FLR landscape plans and the national Forest Landscape Plan outline the country’s FLR work over the next decade.

Without the consultation of local communities and stakeholders through workshops, the FLR plans would have been developed with significant gaps and failed to consider the priorities of local communities. Additionally, the development of the four FLR Landscape Plans enables the more efficient implementation of the National Forest Landscape Plan as they operationalize the FLR interventions included in the plan.

The elaboration of the national Forest Landscape Plan, as well as the accompanying four FLR Landscape Plans, brought TRI many lessons, including the priorities of local communities for FLR-based policies and how subnational and national policies can work together to successfully implement FLR and sustainable forest management actions over the next decade. By consulting members of communities across the country, TRI learned what individuals want to be included in the FLR plans and which activities would be best for the project’s goals. Additionally, through the elaboration of the national Forest Landscape Plan and the four subnational FLR Landscape Plans, the project also learned how different levels of policy can be elaborated in such a way as to implement and operationalize forest restoration and conservation.

Implementation

Subnational

National

Creating an Operational National Platform for Forest Landscape Restoration to Support and Steer FLR

TRI’s Sao Tome and Principe project established a National Platform for Forest Landscape Restoration in 2019 to support FLR work that includes concerned institutions, private sector actors, civil society groups, local communities, and partner projects. The platform was officially launched in 2020 by ministerial decree with four thematic sub-groups the PFLR operates in. Meetings have continuously been held for the validation of reports and assessments. This includes those produced by national consultants such as the Policy Influence Plan and National Capacity Assessment and Community Plan and by the Directorate of Forests and Biodiversity (DFB) such as the National FLR Plan and the four FLR Landscape Plans in Sao-Tome North, Sao-Tome Center, Sao-Tome South, and Principe. These plans were shared with the PFLR with workshops organized during the National Forest in March 2021, where input of members was used to identify gaps, introduce recommendations, and define future priorities like upscaling institutional recognition for the PFLR through a governmental decree and harmonizing its TOR with other existing platforms.

The National Platform for Forest Landscape Restoration would not have been possible without the willingness and enthusiasm of participating stakeholders to share their expertise and priorities. With stakeholders actively participating in the platform, policies are better elaborated with recommendations and technical input and more easily validated and elaborated. The platform’s sub-groups also allow members to focus on specific themes and better use their expertise to provide input.

Through the establishment of the National Platform for Forest Landscape Restoration and convening of regular meetings, TRI has learned lessons around how stakeholders work together to discuss FLR policies and priorities and how to best use the technical knowledge of members to strengthen national and county plans. Through the process of meeting and validating reports and assessments, the platform has provided information around what members’ goals are regarding FLR and what recommendations they believe will support FLR in the country. Additionally, by working to convene meetings of the platform, TRI learned how to better organize meetings and at what rate meetings should be held to best use the platform to elaborate and validate policies. As time goes on and more meetings are held, the platform will continue to run more smoothly and better facilitate the policy process in Sao Tome and Principe.

Implementation

National

Extension services for SLM practices through Community-based organisations

Implementing SLM practices leads to economic benefits for farmers compared to practicing business as usual. Without information and training however, the risk of reversal of the carbon storage through a change in land use during the crediting period is high. Through long-term extension services on various SLM practices, participating farmers are equipped with the knowledge they need to continue the practices throughout the whole project period and potentially beyond and are empowered to estimate consequences of different types of land-use. All participating farmers receive these bi-annual consultations throughout the whole project duration of 20 years. They are independent of their land-size which means that benefits are distributed more equitable and weaker households in terms of carbon sequestration and size even benefit disproportionally. The extension services are provided by community-based organisations, which assure the availability of the services long-term. In addition, organisations that are locally based can build stronger connections to the farmers and thus gain greater trust which is, not only but to a big part, needed to provide assistance when it comes to transferring the farmer’s rights on the stored carbon to the local coordination entity (in this case SCCS) so that it can be sold as a carbon credit.

Existing structures for extension services ease setting up the regular long-term extension services financed by the carbon revenues.

Participation in extension services on SLM contribute significantly to implementation rates of SLM practices on smallholder farms in Western Kenya. Supporting farmer groups in the procurement of inputs such as seeds for cover crops and placing an emphasis on farmer-to-farmer approaches can increase adoption rates of SLM practices.

Implementing SLM practices leads to an improvement of the economic performance of the smallholder farmers by increased and diversified income, compared to farmers practicing business as usual.

Extension services on SLM as part of the carbon project should focus not only on agroforestry practices for carbon sequestration in biomass, but also carbon sequestration in soils by implementing a more diverse range of SLM practices should be promoted. They provide crucial co-benefits for the farmers by increased yields. 

Implementation

Local