Implementation | PANORAMA

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

Uptake and integration of policy recommendations

Ultimately, greater policy commitments and FLR regulatory frameworks are achieved through the uptake and integration of the policy recommendations identified through the policy reviews and participatory restoration assessments. Guided by its reports like the framework document on FLR strategy analyzing FLR-related policies, TRI Cameroon successfully developed the Harmonized Action Plan, integrating recommended restoration activities such as supporting the creation of green infrastructure, promoting agroforestry, and implementing financing mechanisms for degraded landscape initiatives, and laying the groundwork for future, more specific FLR policies. The development of policies like the Harmonized Action Plan also took into consideration some of the information and data found in the assessments, which will be further utilized in the on-the-ground implementation. Additionally, the legal decision and use of the Agroforestry Notebook brings an outlined direction of action and marks the uptake of a policy that gives individuals the right to establish and own NTFP plantations, boosting their involvement in restoration activities. As more NTFP plantations get registered in the notebook, the integration of policy recommendations directly contributes to an improved FLR regulatory framework.

TRI Cameroon had the necessary resources to contribute to the development of the Harmonized Action Plan and legal decision, which established provisions and actions that integrated the recommendations developed throughout the project. TRI also benefited from the political will of MINEPDED and MINFOF to elaborate and validate the policies.

Working to integrate the policy recommendations developed through assessments, review, and analysis, TRI Cameroon learned both the opportunities as well as restrictions around the development and implementation of policy tools. While the Harmonized Action Plan extracts vital recommendations from the Framework document on FLR strategy, the guideline document was brought about due to a lack of resources. Originally intended to pave the way for a national FLR strategy in Cameroon, TRI was unable to finance the development of a more comprehensive national strategy. Inversely, the success of the legal decision and Agroforestry notebook show how the uptake of recommendations contributes to a strengthened regulatory system promoting people’s involvement in restoration activities. By working to remove administrative barriers, hundreds of NTFP farmers can be registered and contribute to the country’s FLR goals.

Implementation

National

Harmonized Action Plan

Reviewing policies and plans supporting the restoration of degraded lands

Through the review and analysis of policies and plans that support or hinder forest restoration, TRI Cameroon was able to extract beneficial actions and suggestions to be included in policy tools and raise awareness around FLR policies, especially amongst government officials, where understanding around FLR is not universal. This includes supporting MINEPDED in the elaboration of the framework of the National Strategy for Landscape Restoration in Cameroon in 2021, which provided the main axis on which the country can rely on to implement FLR and was meant to pave the way for a national FLR strategy. TRI has also contributed to the development of policy and scientific notes, which provide specific information on a given aspect of restoration and are used to provide more detailed recommendations on specific topics to government officials as a way to prepare the base for more elaborated policy tools. In 2020, a political note on multi-partner and intersectoral collaboration in FLR as well as a scientific note on the paradigm shift to FLR, were elaborated and published. These notes are also able to be used within the context of the implementation of policy tools, as their specificity can provide greater detail on how to successfully implement FLR strategy recommendations.

Working with the Ministry of Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development (MINEPDED), TRI Cameroon was able to contribute to the elaboration and publication of policy documents such as the framework of the National Strategy for Landscape Restoration in Cameroon. With TRI’s assistance, MINEPDED took part in the writing of the strategy and Harmonized Action Plan as well as in their endorsements.

Reviewing polices and plans affecting the restoration of degraded lands provided many lessons useful to the development of policy tools, including an understanding of which actions support or hurt restoration as well as how to better support the implementation of restoration activities. While the framework of the National Strategy Landscape Restoration in Cameroon provided suggestions on the activities that needed to be included in the policy tools, the Harmonized Action Plan acts as an extract and guideline document of the strategy. Meanwhile, the policy and scientific notes provide lessons on information sharing and awareness raising amongst government officials. By looking at specific issues and topics, the notes can be used to improve the understanding of FLR policy amongst officials and to lay the groundwork for future, more targeted policies that facilitate the implementation of greater FLR plans.

Identifying high-priority restoration opportunities and interventions through participatory ROAM processes

Through participatory Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology (ROAM) processes, TRI was able to outline restoration potential by identifying high-priority restoration opportunities, noting feasible restoration intervention types, and assessing finance and investment options. Activities identified included promoting the production of ecological charcoal, developing a plant production sector, and constructing water points in restoration sites. TRI conducted these ROAM assessments in three pilot sub-national landscapes, Waza, Mbalmayo, and Douala-Edea, where local and national stakeholders have been engaged. Pre-validation workshops occurred in each landscape with representatives of government ministries, local council representatives, local community representatives, and community chiefs, while a final report explaining the findings of the assessments was finalized in October, 2021 through a national validation workshop that included representatives from government ministries, international organizations, as well as local representatives and chiefs. Once finalized, a leaflet with the main findings was shared with stakeholders to quickly disseminate information and ensure those who do not have access to the internet can understand the ROAM assessments.

An inclusive and participatory assessment process allowed for findings and recommendations to appropriately consider and represent all of the present and relevant stakeholders. Comprehensive stakeholder consultation meetings included traditional chiefs, heads of community development institutions, local council representatives, women and youth associations, and individual innovators. They covered the needs of restoration, best uses of local knowledge, existing experience gaps, and ongoing restoration activities.

Overall, the participatory ROAM processes provided information on FLR opportunities and options. Through the assessments, TRI Cameroon learned what the priority restoration areas are, which restoration intervention types should be prioritized, what the costs and benefits of the different restoration types are, what the finance and investment options for restoration are, as well as what strategies exist for addressing major policy and institutional bottlenecks in the three pilot landscapes. These findings also presented lessons to be learned around how FLR actions could be modified in implementation on the field and provided real from-the-field data that could be considered in the elaboration of policy tools. Additionally, as one of the first activities undertaken by TRI Cameroon, the ROAM assessments were part of the learning by doing process and provided insight in how the participatory process could be better done in other landscapes.

Implementation

Local

Acoustic monitoring and analyses

Jaguar Spectrogram

Tech4Nature Mexico

The acoustic component of the project holds special significance, as it played a pivotal role in the automatic detection of over 138 species, with 95 of them being integrated into our pattern matching algorithms. This forms a robust foundation for the continuous monitoring of the region over the upcoming years, allowing us to observe how various environmental factors influence species presence

Our success in species detection was made possible through the data collected from the devices and the strategic partnerships we established, particularly with Rainforest Connection. Additionally, local experts played a crucial role in validating species presence.

The integrated passive acoustic monitoring combined with AI techniques allowed for the identification of 95 species. There is a positive correlation between species richness and low-canopy forest cover. Furthermore, the soundscape analyses revealed variations tied to different seasons and habitat types. However, the pilot encountered the challenge of limited training data for rare species. To mitigate this, we conducted multiple rounds of sensor deployment across various seasons.

Implementation

Documentation and dissemination of results

Local

Arbimon dashboard