Inception phase | PANORAMA

Design and Impacts Study

RSPB

The design and impacts study look at the feasibility of the project in terms of potential impact, design of intervention and potential results.

Potential Impact: flooding of the site under various tidal conditions was modelled, and showed that the project would have a negligible effect on the tidal regime and coastal processes of Nigg Bay and the Cromarty Firth.

Design: different engineering options were considered - a single breach, two breaches, completely removing the sea wall or not doing anything. Hydraulic modelling informed the decision that two 20m breaches, lining up with the relic drainage channels, was the preferred design. It also specified some further engineering work.

Potential Results: the likely zonation of saltmarsh communities within the coastal realignment site was modelled, using the elevations of the site. This showed that there was sufficient topographical variation for a full zonation of saltmarsh communities to be restored without further engineering works.

A full environmental impact assessment was not required by authorities, so a design and impacts study was commissioned instead.

The design and impacts study provided useful information for the design of the coastal realignment intervention and contributed to the success of the scheme.

Planning phase

Inception phase

Local

Partnerships and public engagement

The project was headed by the State Office of Water Management Munich (Wasserwirtschaftsamt) and includes representatives from the Department of Public Construction (Baureferat), the Department of Urban Planning and Building Regulation (Referat für Stadtplanung und Bauordnung) and the Department of Health and Environment (Referat für Gesundheit und Umwelt). It also partnered with “Isar-Allianz” (an alliance of NGOs). Public participation was ensured through multiple mediums to encourage awareness and participation. Participation was especially encouraged during the landscape design competition for the 1.6 Km urban stretch, which allowed a voice given to the population for the design of the area as well as raising awareness of the issues of renaturalisation and flood protection.

Diverse mediums were used to engage stakeholders, such as an internet platform, info-brochures, excursions, workshops, TV and press, round tables, info-points, and a service telephone.

The level of cooperation achieved between all stakeholders involved within the Isar-Plan was excellent and one key success factor for the project. Indeed, stakeholder dialogue and involvement was challenging at times with controversial discussions, and a public quarrel involving strong campaigns. Conflict came about after two nearly opposing designs were awarded 1st and 2nd prize. The main issues in this case is the fact that there are constraints within a crowded urban sector in terms of what is necessary for flood control. A full EbA Solution, i.e. total renaturalisation, was unlikely to afford enough flood protection in this particular 1.6Km compared to the rest of the 8km. This was taken into account by the 1st design, whereas the 2nd promoted more naturalization. The public was split in two behind the two schemes. A clever compromise between the two designs was reached, showing how good mediation and cooperation is necessary.

Apiculture development

Training of beekepers

GIZ/ICCAS

One of the main threats to the area in question is degradation as a result of the cutting of mangrove trees to use for income generating purposes. Apiculture was introduced as an alternative livelihood which will enable the members of the community to use the resources of the mangroves without damning it, thus leaving the mangrove forest intact.

Additionally, the establishment of bee hives in the area will benefit farmers in the surrounding area. Not only will the bees assist with the pollination and ultimate health of the mangrove forest, they will assist with the pollination of crops on farms in the surrounding area. Through this, other community members can indirectly benefit from the introduction of apiculture as an alternative livelihood.

A number of community members were trained in various aspects of beekeeping. From tending to the hives, bee diseases and pests to harvesting honey. These trainings were facilitated through collaboration with tertiary education institutions as well as the Agriculture Division. This enabled the RECCOMM project to utilise capacity that is already available in country and share that capacity/knowledge with the local community.

Given that apiculture does not provide immediate income, the persons involved need to be committed to the task. A wide net needs to be cast to attract the interests of individuals and the process needs to be clear from the onset. This will allow the potential participants to have a clear picture of what would be expected in order for them to succeed at their new livelihood. A venture such as this would require the full support of a committed core group of people to reduce the chances of the group dwindling. The training should also not just involve technical capacities, but also managerial and marketing skills. This will prepare the new beekeepers for the sale and distribution of their product.

Inception phase

Implementation

Local

Mangrove forest and coastal revegetation

Mangrove replanting

GIZ/ICCAS

The natural mangrove forest and coastal vegetation of the project area have been severely degraded over the past years due to the unsustainable use of members of the community paired with the adverse impact of aspects of climate change. This degradation therefore increased the coastal communities vulnerability to the impacts of climate change such as hurricanes, storm surges, and coastal flooding. Additionally, coastal (non-mangrove) vegetation were scant which decreased the stability of the shore area (beach).

The replanting of mangrove species improves the health of the mangrove area and its ecosystem services with respect to coastal protection as well as habitat provision for various flora and fauna.

As non-mangrove but salt tolerant species are necessary for overall beach stability and health of the coastal area, having a source of (preferably local) species to use for revegetation is critical. This requires the support of agencies/NGOs that can provide the relevant support. There is also a need for capacity development for community members on the process of revegetation. They are then able to continue the process on their own, thus leading to the long-term sustainability of the measures.

With the restoration/replanting of vegetation, it is important to have a working knowledge of the dynamics of the surrounding environment. Potential losses due to wave action need to be considered, along with the possibilities of little to no loss if plants are less exposed to wave ore erosion effects of the sea. The highest vegetation loss occurred in sections of the mangrove forest that was nearest to the shore where the high wave energy resulted in a 100% loss of the seedlings. In contrast, those that were planted further away from the shore showed over 90% successful growth. For replication purposes, if a decision is made to revegetate the shoreline area, the seedlings ought to be planted in material such as bamboo which may be sturdy enough to withstand the wave energy. Additionally, community awareness is crucial so that the accidental destruction of the plants are limited.

Establishment of a co-management structure

Capacity development for local stakeholders

GIZ/ICCAS

To build institutional capacity and support implementation and future replication on national level, a co-management structure was established: the Northern Telescope Mangrove Management Board (NTMMB). This ensures that the community joins hands with government officials to manage the project, and also helps to enforce mangrove protection policies in Telescope.

Community ownership of the project is ensured, while the highly-constrained government staff resources are supplemented, thereby supporting long term protection of the mangroves.

NTMMB is comprised of five members from the local community and one member from the St. Andrew Development Organisation (SADO), as well as members from the Ministry of Tourism and Culture and three Divisions of the MoALFF (Agriculture, Lands, Forestry, and Fisheries), and the Environment division of the Ministry of Education, Human Resource Development, and the Environment. Monthly board meetings are held.

The community members of the NTMMB have received training regarding establishing and operation of a community based organization. Since Co-Management means a joint board with government and authorities, also technical capacity building was important, including on mangrove planting, management and monitoring.

Well established entities are needed for the development of a co-management component. There ought to be clear guidelines, set beforehand, which speak directly to what would be expected of the entities involved in the co-management process. These guidelines should indicate which parties are responsible for certain areas regarding the management of the area, public relations to monitoring to leveraging funds. Given that the community representatives are interacting with the area more frequently than the government representatives, there should be a regular reporting mechanism. This would provide an effective communication channel through which all parties are aware of actions regarding the project area.

In the event that there are no existing bodies for the establishment of a co-management structure, capacity development efforts need to be explored for the potential creation of the required entities.

Inception phase

Implementation

Local

Strengthening local capacities and knowledge

Conexión de tuberías como parte de la solución híbrida de manejo del agua – Miraflores, Perú

I. Rivera

The main goal of the capacity building and local knowledge component was to provide technical knowledge for managing and conserving water, natural pastures, and livestock. Our focus was on informing community members and park rangers through evaluation workshops and training sessions on topics such as pasture fencing, water management and water distribution. A 3-D model of the Miraflores community was developed in a participatory way to facilitate planning for managing pastures and water in the communal territory. Information was gathered during participatory rural appraisals. These appraisals include specific studies focused on water, pastures, archeology, social organization, agricultural and livestock productivity.

Use of communication tools to increase local awareness and understanding of the project
Local, traditional knowledge and dialogue with outside experts: local participation and positive interactions between locals and external experts have led to effective communications between them
Participatory approach and participatory action-research methodology
Local researchers served as a bridge between the project and the whole community

It is essential that the field team be trained in applying the participatory approach, using participatory tools and facilitating collective learning.
Diversifying work with local partners - combining workshops with other methods, practical tools and field work ("learning by doing").
Develop activities that involve women, youth and other groups within the community.
Maintain a high level of presence in the field and share the day-to-day work with the community.
Provide more practical training during fieldwork.
Communication strategies helped disseminate the project’s ongoing achievements and progress. These updates were well received and had good impact. Examples are the participatory videos and the "Night of Art” theater.

Mapping of key ecosystem services

Presentation of results

GIZ

Data collection

GIZ

Mapping of ecosystem services

GIZ

The aim of this step was the mapping and evaluation of ecosystem services (ES) provided by the region’s ecosystems, using the IES approach (Integrating Ecosystem Services into Development Planning).

The first step of the workshop was a participative selection of the most relevant ES, so that they can be considered in spatial planning processes. In a second step, using the Matrix Method, the following activities where undertaken for the mapping of the ES:

Creation of a database (current land-use, present and future conditions of ES), design of interview guidelines.
Mapping of relevant interviewees (specialists, decision makers and community representatives), carrying out of the interviews.
Creation of the ES Maps using GIS/QGIS. The maps show the location and intensity of the ES and the main drivers leading to degradation of ecosystems.

The analysis identified conflicts between zones of the current master plan and some of the landscapes that provide important ES. Additionally, several patches of native vegetation inside urban areas have been identified as suppliers of ES, which provided new information for urban planning. The mapping also generated data with explicit information regarding cultural services for the first time.

Municipal technicians’ recognition of both, the importance of ES for the population’s well-being, and the fundamental significance of the protection of ecosystems for the municipality is key for this step.
Based on this enabling factor, they facilitated as many resources as possible for a smooth implementation of the work. As a result, the ecosystem services mapping played a key role for a solid diagnosis that allows considering ecosystem services in territorial planning.

The ES assessment was an opportunity to: (1) increase public participation in territorial planning; (2) systematize and make use of local knowledge; (3) increase general acceptance of the future zoning proposal; (4) clarify and explicit land use conflicts and uses/dependencies of ecosystems; and (5) add valuable information to the territorial diagnostic in a language that allows for a good understanding of all sectors of the government regarding the importance of each ecosystem.
Including key stakeholders in the mapping is vital, both to increase legitimization of the data and its acceptance and to ensure the stakeholders’ advocacy for the results. Validating each step with stakeholders is crucial both to ensure ownership of the results and to enable them to understand and advocate for the results.
Necessity of carrying out a detailed stakeholder mapping to identify all key stakeholder as well as of spending more time on this preliminary selection and interview process.

Planning phase

Inception phase

Local

Enhancing ecosystem services mapping for policy and decision making

Crowd funding for financing a renewable energy system

Nature Seychelles CEO Dr Nirmal Shah and ClimateCaring founder Kim Kirkpatrick drawing the winner for the indiegogo campaign

Nature Seychelles

The project was funded entirely through a crowd funding campaign running for 50 days on www.indiegogo.com. This fund raising campaign was initiated by Nature Seychelles in partnership with ClimateCaring.. Individuals were invited to donate £1 (1,25 USD) for each of the twelve hours the sun is out in the Seychelles Islands, finally totaling to a contribution of 15 USD each. There were a total of 95 individual backers. The largest donations of up to 12,500 USD came from a UK energy company and the US Embassy based in Mauritius. Other donations came from private sector companies via their corporate responsibility funds.

Leadership by Nature Seychelles’ top management
Support from all levels of the institution
Ability to raise an online crowdfunding campaign (know-how, technical capacities)
Know how for marketing and lobbying to inform potential funders

Online crowdfunding campaigns do have the potential to generate money for financing of certain activities and equipment for conservation.
The inclusion of the private sector as well as governmental agencies is important. Respective agents may contribute quite substantially in the crowdfunding process from design to funding to implementation.
Creating incentives for small donations like a personal postcard and the chance to win a trip to the island motivates potential small donors.
Nevertheless, attracting big donors (companies, bilateral donors and development agencies) to this sort of campaign, which is not commercial in nature and thus not providing returns (in the form of products) to the small donors, is very important.

Inception phase

Local

Cousin Indiegogo campaign: Win a FREE four week conservation expedition on Curi…

Out with the diesel, in with the solar

Participatory awareness raising and analysis

Legitimizing the formal recognition and protection of a surf break is key to ensuring sustainability and maintainance of the site over the long term. Meetings to explain the advantages of protecting the surf break and its multiplicatory effect, enables direct actors at the local level in particular to commit to the idea and be the direct agents of change and local protection. Likewise, involving local authorities facilitates broad consensus towards a common goal shared by all participants. This is achieved through local workshops and incidence activities.

1. Good alliances and reliable partnerships with key actors.

2. Good communication skills.

3. Detailed understanding of advantages and potential challenges to be met by actors.

1. It is not always easy to find a common goal among all actors or stakeholders with an interest in the surf breaks and their surrounding areas of influence.

2. Though the surf break is per se the central object of protection, it is important to highlight and ensure people understand that the overall effort goes beyond the surf break. We are trying to protect interests related to small scale fisheries; tourism; marine environments; and sustainable development opportunities.

3. Organizing local meetings with key actors is not always easy given their daily working agendas. To overcome this, it is key to adapt to these dynamic agendas and respond accodingly.

Inception phase

Local

National

Developing alliances and integration of local to national levels

Tacaná Watershed

Taco Anema

At the community level in Guatemala, WANI facilitated the development of collaborations with the Community Development Committees and coordinated with Municipal and National Development Councils to enable integration of microwatershed planning and management with community-led action on development. Implementation has demonstrated that projects formulated by the communities rather than external institutions respond to the real demands of communities.

At the department level in San Marcos, in Guatemala, an alliance was created with 16 government and NGOs, to form the Inter-Institutional Coordination for Natural Resources and the Environment of San Marcos. CORNASAM has adopted the microwatershed as the unit of planning and, together, these groups have coordinated outreach and training in the micro-watershed approach.

As a result of the success of the Microwatershed model at the local level, the National Microwatershed Commission of Guatemala was established, comprising several government ministries and NGOs/ IGOs (Action Against Hunger, FAO and IUCN) to lead application of governance reform through microwatershed management country-wide. This National Commission will facilitate the preparation of national public water policies.

In Mexico the new water law of 2003 outlined and supported the implementation of water councils.

At the transboundary level the signing of the “Tapachula Declaration of Intent” by Mexican and Guatemalan mayors supported cooperation on joint actions on watershed management and to provide a platform for information sharing by governmental agencies at the very local level.

Strengthening community-based alliances and integrating them with municipal and national development institutions increases coordination between administrative levels. This promotes integrated and coordinated water resource planning across the watershed and shared experiences with other community groups and networks.