Inception phase | PANORAMA

Mainstream field work by policies

Knowledge is the basis of protection. Prepare visual material to send to smartphones. Use radio, social and mass media. Check national curricula for primary and secondary schools, if they include lessons on pollinators and pollination. If not, discuss with the curricula unit of Ministry for Education. Start a dialogue with Ministry for Agriculture to recommend FAP as farming practice, to develop a more ambitious national regulation for agricultural chemicals or a ban of imported managed bumblebees (which can transfer diseases and pests to indigenous species). Clarify with Ministry of Interior, if they can better protect hedgerows and old wood in agricultural areas. Discuss with national universities and Ministry for the Environment, if they can monitor pollinator diversity and include the results in their national reports to CBD, or what kind of capacity building they might need in advance. Clarify with Ministries for Tourism and Urban Planning, if they can conduct a yearly competition for the best performing rural and urban area concerning pollinator protection and promote the winners for ecotourism. Conduct a national pollinator round table with various ministries. Join Promote Pollinators (https://promotepollinators.org/). Read more in: Christmann 2019b

Some ex-ante surveys e.g. on knowledge concerning pollinators and pollination among different stakeholder groups are quite helpful. Also, the value of pollination for crop pollination is not only assessed globally, but also for various countries. These figures are quite convincing that the service of pollinators should be sustained. If you convince the national government to join Promote Pollinators (https://promotepollinators.org/) they join a group of likeminded countries and get part of exchange of respective experience.

Knowledge is the basis for protection.

Inception phase

Subnational

Demonstrating measures for Jhum optimization

Demonstration of Jhum optimization measure

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Demonstration of Jhum optimization measure 1

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The demonstration of the Jhum optimization measures in the farmers field on pilot basis involving the community would show results which will convince the farmers how small modification on the present system of jhum management would make a difference in terms of conserving soil, increasing fertility level and improve soil moisture while increasing crop yield and improving eco system services.The outcome of the positive results would built their confidence and encourage the land users to adopt in larger area and finally incorporate them in their system in managing their jhum field.

Building trust of the land users and the commnunity and also the lessons learned during the exposure visit to Nagaland was an added advantage as they could see by themseves the difference of practicing improved jhum.

The communities were already practicing the jhum system of farming and adopting few modification in management was not at all a problem to them.

Regular interaction and focused discussions with the community and land users are a key component for any community based programme. Building trust with the village council and community leaders becomes important given the fact that the land and forest are governed by them and their decision becomes important in smooth function of the activities in the village.

The time for implementation of this building block is very important as this should start from the selection of jhum plot. In this case there was already crop in the jhum field and they could not be disturbed. Hence for demonstration a 100 sq meter plot was selected near the jhum field where the measures were undertaken.

Calendar of operations for implementing JOM

Enhancing Knowledge through Exposure visit

exposure visit to naga jhum field

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exposure visit to Nagaland

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exposure visit

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A weeklong exposure visit to Nagaland starting from 15-20 th of July 2019 was arranged for the farmers and community leaders of the village. During the exposure visit they were taken to the jhum fields and jhum optimization measures adopted by the Naga farmers was shown. Farmers to farmers’ interactions were also arranged, whereby the farmers got the opportunity to clarify their doubts. They were also taken to the State Agriculture Research Station (SARS) where research on jhum optimization measures are being carried out and interaction with the scientist gave them newer insights.

The exposure visit to Nagaland created an impact in understanding the methodology and benefits of improved practice in their jhum.

Nagaland has been adopting jhum optimization measures by which excellent result in increasing cropping intensity in the jhum field have been observed.
A well planned tour itinerary was prepared and logistics for the travel were arranged well in adavance and the time of visit concided with active jhum season.
The government authority in Nagaland was contacted before the journey explaining the purpose and details of the visit.
The selection of the farmers for the visit were done keeping in mind involvement of community leaders, women and youth.

The exposure visit created enthusiasm among the farmers and their confidence increased. The time of visit was perfect as all operations for jhum optimization could be observed in the field. Such visit provided an oppurtunity to exchange crop germplasm among the farmers and created a way for improving biodiversity conservation.

The most important lesson learned was that the exposure visit beside increasing knowledge act as a medium for building confidence and ties among the hill tribe practicing similar landuse and cropping pattern in the region.

Inception phase

Implementation

Local

Creating awareness through training and workshop

meeting with the village council members

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farmers workshop

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farmers workshop

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Inorder to create awareness on the measures of jhum optimization already being practiced by the farmers of Nagaland, a 2- days workshop was organised at project village for the community leaders , farmers and field functionaries of forest department. Although jhum was being practiced for generations by the villagers, they were not aware of the measures for jhum intensification and its optimization. Benefits of these measures in increasing their farm income and improving biodiversity and ecosystem services were explained through a participatory process and a power point presentation. Involving community leaders and community elders along with women and youth leaders in the training programme was an added advantage as this leveraged the urgency of the programme and its implementation .

Orientation of the jhum optimization measures to the state nodal agency i.e. the state biodiversity board and the village council members was key to win the confidence and trust of the stakeholders.
Realization of the farmers and stake holders on the urgency of problem faced and willingness to actively participate and acquire knowledge and implement them in their own jhum.
Selection of the beneficiary who is having plot in the current jhum field was an added advantage

Incentivising any programme in the village in form of inputs / exposure visit could generate interest among the community to actively participate.
Participatory programme planning in the village along with the participants generated more interest and discussions

Scientific research and monitoring

Photo by camera trap

Hanma National Nature Reserve

Winter survy

Hanma National Nature Reserve

Through the fishnet method to set up camera traps, sample plots more than 20% of the nature reserve, collecting moose forage plant samples, feces samples, hair samples, etc. for lab analysis, to investigate the moose population density, genetic and dispersal mechanism, nutritional adaptation strategy, gut microbiological characteristics, movement characteristics in Hanma and adjacent areas, and to formulate protection countermeasures based on these results.

Professional technical team

Sufficient funds

Effective management

The most important thing to monitor moose is to have a professional technical team. Professor Jiang Guangshun from College Of Wildlife And Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University has been conducting investigation and monitoring of wildlife for many years. With professional technical knowledge, personnel, equipment and rich experience, it can ensure the smooth implementation of the project, and the results are quite reliable.

Local Commitment and Participation

Van Long NR was created at the request of the local communities themselves, and they have maintained a strong commitment in their participation of protecting and maintaining ecological and cultural values of Van Long.

This is considered as a unique community-based management model in Vietnam. Given that the Van Long is different to other protected areas in the remoter reaches of Vietnam’s rural hinterland, Van Long is in the heartland of the kinh majority Vietnamese, in a highly human dominated landscape, on the very outskirts of the Hanoi capital.

The management board of Van Long maintains strong relationships with stakeholder groups, and continually discuss and exchange in regular meetings to assess the good governance of the wetland.

Effectiveness in Conserving Biodiversity

Although Van Long NR is small compared to other Protected Areas in Vietnam, the core area of biodiversity conservation in Van Long is proving very effective in conserving biodiversity.

Van Long NR maintains to be the biggest inland wetland in the Northern Plain. The Nature Reserve is also the place with the biggest community of of Delacour langur, at present about 150-160 individuals, a very big increase (238%) compared to the number recorded at the time of its establishment, which was 60-67individuals. Delacour langur population is reproducing well. Beside that, water birds are increasing in numbers made Van Long became a interesting bird watching site. In addition, as a result of good management and protection of the limestone ecosystem and karst landscape, the limestone forests has rapidly recovered, contributing to the increased forest cover up to 30%. The Nature Reserve also performs good protection of the biggest inland wetland in the Northen Plain, which contributes to the preservation of valuable genetic sourcesfor aquatic species.

Since its establishment in 2001, Van Long NR has developed and implemented management plans in five-year period such as Operational Management Plan (OMP), Sustainable Conservation and Development Planning, and Annual Operational Plan. The planning process has consulted relevant stakeholders particularlly the local community, used the information about socio-economic conditions and real situation in most conformity.

The design of Van Long NR and development of management plans are suitable with conservation needs for Van Long natural values. The conservation priorities were identified such as limestone ecosystem, wetland ecosystem, Delacour langur population and migrated water birds. The ecosystems and population of Delacour langur are protected through the programs of the government as well as national and international organizations. Conservation and protection activities have generated job opportunities for local communities, improved local livelihood through eco-tourism and local participation in forest management and protection. However, till now, the expansion of the Nature Reserve is needed to preserve the integrity of biodiversity values and ecosystem services. The efforts regarding expansion of the Nature Reserve include the establishment of Kim Bang Nature Reserve (Nam Ha) and support to patrol for protection of Delacour langur in Dong Tam (Hoa Binh).

Development of a sustainable investment project and reach out to financiers

Once a business model is available, it is time to develop a project and find a financier.

Step 1. Design a project to pursue the business idea. It should include a clear structure and sound contractual frameworks (e.g. actors involved in implementing the project and their roles; financial flows; decision-making processes; and legal entities relevant for the project).

Step 2. Identify potential financiers, which may be environmental trust funds or impact investments. A trust fund is a vehicle for collecting, investing, allocating and managing assets, filled through donations, public funds or others (e.g. taxes). Impact investments are those made with the intention to generate positive, measurable social and environmental impact alongside a financial return. They are usually made by development finance institutions, private foundations, pension funds, individual investors and others.

Step 3. Develop a marketing strategy for the project.

Step 4. Develop a project business plan (PBP). A PBP is a written description of the future of a project (usually 3-5 years). It describes the resources and capacities that exist now and those that will have been secured in the future. A PBP gives an investor confidence that the project team knows where they are going and how they will get there.

Incubator for Nature Conservation. Building a financial strategy for PAs requires substantial time, resources and capacities. An incubator focused on conservation facilitates access of PA managers to the resources needed and helps them to link with investors.
Legal and institutional frameworks that channel funds for conservation and which allow PA managers to engage in business (e.g. have the ability to enter into contracts, receive funds, etc.).
Strong partnerships and effective outreach and communication strategy.

One of the biggest challenges for designing a successful project is the need of specialized expertise, in a context of already very limited resources to meet basic financial requirements of PA management. For example, in the case of a national park run by a government authority, a lawyer should be consulted to address governance questions related to the possibility of cooperating with private enterprises and NGOs to circumvent bureaucratic requirements and budgetary limitations.

Impact Investors often face challenges in finding mature projects to invest in. Sites that apply for a globally recognized certification programme, such as the IUCN green list, have a baseline and indicators that allow site managers and potential investors to measure impact. Therefore, having a certification and developing a PBP and a communication strategy may help to unlock private investments for conservation.

Achieving the Aichi Targets and the Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework regarding PA effectively managed will require a general mindset change to engage the private sector in nature conservation.

Design of a business model

Addressing the financial gap requires securing investments from public and private sources.

Sept 1. Come up with a revenue generating idea, which can involve sale of a tangible product (e.g. coffee); a deal involving an intangible product (e.g. sale of carbon credits); or provision of a service (e.g. accommodation facilities). In all cases, opportunities can exist within the boundaries of the protected area or in the surrounding area.

Step 2. Elaborate the idea into a business model by identifying assets in the protected area that can be used to provide revenue for conservation, e.g. exceptional beauty, biodiversity, offsetting potential, etc.

Step 3. Conduct a feasibility study to prioritize ideas and determine whether to develop a project or not. A feasibility study explores multiple aspects of a business idea to determine if it is practical, viable and suitable for a specific context.

Step 4. Make the business case for the prioritized idea(s). A business case is intended to provide justification for pursuing a given business model. Ultimately, the business case will be used to inform investors and convince them to invest in a given proposal. It is also useful to inform partners and other actors and stakeholders involved in the development of a conservation finance project.

Enabling legal frameworks for the business idea. Some options for sustainable financing depend on legal or regulatory measures (e.g. taxes or compensation requirements). Where these measures are not in place, it may be possible for PA managers to work with policymakers to revise relevant frameworks. However, it may take longer for this idea to actually take place.
Strong partnerships with different stakeholders (e.g. government actors, civil society organizations, local business and communities) for developing and implementing the project.

The legal and institutional frameworks can enable or obstruct a business idea. A site may attract tourists, but if the legal framework does not allow the PA to financially benefiting from tourism (e.g. by sending entry fees to a central government budget rather than staying in the site) the idea will not address the financial gap. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the feasibility study includes a legal analysis of the business ideas.

It is essential that business models consider the needs, capacities and interests of different stakeholders (e.g. government actors at all levels, civil society organizations, local businesses and industries, and communities living in and around the area), otherwise these groups can create obstacles.

Finally, it is important to consider the cost of the process of developing and realizing the business. This includes not only the necessary initial investment, but also the time and resources needed to elaborate a business plan and undertake necessary studies and consultations. In some cases, undertaking the steps detailed here can take several years.

Inception phase

Local

Rehabilitation of the Northern Water Pipeline

We have identified clean water access as a key goal. Clean water access for humans, livestock, and wildlife will prevent wildlife-related injuries and deaths. In September 2012 IFAW conducted research and helped the county secure funding to rehabilitate the Northern Water Pipeline, which supplies water to communities living in the north of Amboseli. When the project is completed by the end of 2019, it is expected to reliably provide water to 300 homesteads, 3,000 people, and more than 6,000 herds of livestock. By rehabilitating the pipeline, the project ensures availability and sustainable management of clean water and sanitation for the Maasai community, and thus, reducing human-elephant conflict due to water access.

Participatory community engagement has led to trust within the community for IFAW and the project. Therefore, in-depth participation of community members in the project has allowed for social sustainability. In addition, after substantial investment in education and capacity, the project largely is run by community members who now have the skills to maintain and expand the infrastructure and initiatives. Because of the local capacity, benefits are clearly outweighed by costs.

A challenge that the project ran into, in particular, was the lack of infrastructure, equipment, and training. Therefore, the project made it a priority to build capacity within the village to build (i.e. the community service center), repair (i.e. the Northern Water Pipeline), or otherwise manage any of the interventions. A lesson that we learned is that it is always better to build capactiy within the community. In our example, not only do local community members now have additional skills they can use on other projects, they have a sense of ownership and pride.