Inception phase | PANORAMA

Participatory natural resources management by local actors

Participatory mapping exercise

AMN Patrice Bada

Key elements for the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services for sustainable development are the equitable participation of stakeholders and the organizational development of local management associations. The project has built on existing local initiatives to identify areas of ecological, economic and social interest for which there is a willingness of the population to protect and manage them. Based on these initiatives, the project supported the creation of local management associations, which then received the territorial authorities' mandate to manage the central areas and buffer zones in their region. They will have the technical support of the project for their organizational development as well as for the technical and financial management of these areas, including the monitoring of management and harvesting rules for natural resources. These rules of use were developed in a participatory manner for each core area and buffer zone. To this end, a series of consultation sessions was organized for each region by local NGOs involved in the project. The rules devised by the population have been drafted by a lawyer to ensure their compliance with the laws in force.

• Creation of ownership by the beneficiaries: participatory process of creation of the reserve and development of management rules; participatory surveillance and ecological monitoring. • Land tenure: community and traditional protected areas (e.g. sacred forests) have been assigned legal status. • Management association with clear statutes and mandate: recognition of their status and functions by legal acts.

In a context where there is no clear and reliable land tenure, various actors (customary land owners, de facto users, territorial authorities) must be involved in the discussion of the future use of land in order to reach a legally recognized agreement that will be accepted and respected in the long term. Concerning the rules for sustainable management in buffer zones, the challenge was to develop rules and sanctions in conformity with national legislation and applicable at local level. In order to do so, a series of consultation sessions has been held to allow the population to set itself rules for cases that are not yet regulated by existing laws. Users often perceived a degradation of their natural resources and a reduction in ecosystem services. But they rather attributed it to external forces (sorcery, God's will, etc.) than to their own overexploitation and unsustainable use of the resource.

Inception phase

Local

Extensive public engagement/consultation during design phase

Public engagement

RSPB

For Wallasea Island, the public was largely content with creating new habitat in place of low-productivity agricultural land, but objected to the loss of farmland and potential impacts on recreation sailing, oyster fisheries and estuary processes. Another issue was the sense that past generations had worked hard to reclaim these areas from the sea and that this should not be reversed. However, according to the Environment Agency’s flood risk maps, the project estimated that hundreds of years of such reclamations had resulted in thousands of hectares along the Essex coastline that should be inundated. Extensive public engagement and consultation processes were thus carried out during the planning and inception phases of this project to gain understanding and support. Public engagement took place in the form of consultation events, talks to interest groups, site visits for key stakeholders, new updates for involved stakeholders, the establishment of a Local Liaison Group and the appointment of a public engagement manager in April 2010.

Public engagement during the design phase was particularly important to gain public support, as the project entailed destroying productive agricultural land in favor of habitat creation. Targeted outreach and dissemination activities helped to raise awareness and understanding of potential damaging climate change related impacts (i.e. flooding) and the range of benefits which would be offered by the project (e.g. recreational opportunities, flood risk management, increased amenity values etc).

Early and comprehensive consultation are key to ensuring successful implementation and generating public support for many EbA projects, the extent of which depends on the sensitivity of the location and/or proximity of residential areas and socio-economic resources. In the case of Wallasea, early and frequent public consultations required significant education about potential climate change impacts and the risks of sea level rise in order to gain acceptance for the planned project activities.

Planning phase

Inception phase

Local

Support information on how to adapt an activity according to ecological, social and climatic conditions (Brazil nut case)

The native communities of Boca Isiriwe, Masenawa and Puerto Azul decided to start using chestnut trees (Bertholletia excelsa) that existed within their territories despite having no prior experience in doing so commercially. The first requirement or condition that the EBA Amazonía project established was to exclude the possibility of contamination of the fruits with heavy metals. Samples of soil and fruits of the chestnut were taken. No significant residues could be found, in spite of the proximity of mining operations.

The project supported them as this activity suited well with the ecosystem approach assumed by the project.

A complete database of the occurrence and distribution of the species was created in order to model the changes that the species would suffer based on current and future climatic information. According to the modelling, chestnut will remain a species with a wide distribution throughout the area of the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve, with slight changes in its distribution. This way, the project responded to the local interest by providing the necessary information to guarantee a sustainable production process.

The EbA Amazonía project planned ahead for the provision of scientific information. The necessary resources and capacities to carry out the studies were available.
Good knowledge of the forest resources: although the communities did not use the chestnut before, they knew that it existed and where it grows.

Human vulnerability (to climate change or other factors of change) is neither static, nor one-dimensional, nor uni-directional. It is multifaceted and can change rapidly with decision-making.
On the other hand, analysing the vulnerability of a plant species (the chestnut in this case) is less complex and more reliable (less uncertainty) because it is only necessary to analyse biophysical variables and the variables of exposure to climate change or other factors of change.
Using the results of the analysis is very helpful for the local population to determine their areas of interest for the protection of the chestnut which in turn can be destined for other uses of low ecological impact.

Selection of adaptation measures

The process of selection of adaptation measures is one of the pillars of building block 1 (Building trust with the community and local partners), but is an important building block itself to be developed with the community. The approach that has been taken is to base the selection of measures on the local knowledge and preferences of the population. This means that they decide which activity (or activities) is / are the most appropriate for them. They have a sound knowledge of local reality in terms of opportunities and challenges and it is sufficient to ask guiding questions in order to determine with them the conditions to implement a certain adaptation measure. There are tools designed to do this such as the CARE “Climate Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis” and CRiSTAL (Toolkit for Integrating Climate Change Adaptation into Development Project).

Openness of the workshop facilitators to accept proposals and guide the population in their decision-making on adaptation measures to be implemented in the community.
It is essential that workshop facilitators have knowledge in rural development, adaptation to climate change and facilitation techniques.

There should be no technical barriers for a population or other agents of change to implement a productive activity as a measure of adaptation to climate change. The technical support that the project should provide is to search for all possible adaptation alternatives and to adapt the existing forms of production to the expected impacts according to the climate models.

Inception phase

Implementation

Local

Building trust with the community and local partners

The implementation of a new project requires the social acceptance of the local population. The objectives, strategies to be followed, the conceptual approach to implementation (in this case ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change) needs to be communicated and the communication and coordination mechanisms for the implementation need to be established.

The EbA Amazonia project, implemented jointly with SERNANP and ECAs (Ejecutor del Contrato de Administración de la Reserva / Executor of the Administrative Contract of the Communal Reserve) -representatives of communities - should present a united front with all the actors involved. So from the day that the communities entered, the project established concrete roles for all actors in the implementation of activities (e.g. SERNANP and ECAs). This generates a vision of unity and projection of activities beyond the life of the project (sustainability) since the SERNANP and ECAs are entities that perpetually interact with the local population.

Involve all project partners in each field visit according to their roles and responsibilities.
Openness, honesty, accountability and punctuality.
Acceptance of the project objectives by the local population.
Clear and simple language and local language.

Always involve the local partners of the project - members of the ECA and SERNANP - this enhances trust and sustainability, beyond the life time of the project.
To involve local governments from the inception of the project on.
It is difficult to be on time with all the agreements made in a project that has many fronts of action (several activities at a time).
It is difficult to be on time with activities involving institutions that have long administrative procedures (such as UNDP).
It is difficult to communicate to the local population how complicated administrative procedures can be. According to the perception of the local population the project has funds and only needs to spend them.

Inception phase

Implementation

Local

Transforming the water body to nature-like banks

Renaturation of Heerener Mühlbach

Source: Anke Althoff, Lippeverband

Given the history of the Ruhr region, the Heerener Mühlbach was a canalised water body used as an open wastewater system. Conducting a mixture of waste and storm water in a straight concrete bed, the water body got classified as heavily modified according to the EU Water Framework Directive and required that a number of problems be resolved. Discharges of wastewater in the stream derogated the ecosystem tremendously and the concrete bed of the water body and the specific management of the banks harmed biodiversity. Another problem was the dangerous shape of the canal which prohibited the recreational use of the water body. And finally, bad smell regularly disturbed the neighbourhood. As a first essential step towards ecologic enhancement, a sewer pipe was placed underground along the river. The concrete bed was then removed (apart from few exceptions, e.g. under bridges), which led the river to flow on a new sole that was higher and wider than before and meander where possible. The hard banks were converted into nature-like banks. The initial plantation is complemented by wild and natural vegetation: green plants have the chance to flourish along the blue water body.

A precondition for the nature-like development of the water body was the separation from waste water and clean surface water. Thus, the construction of the underground sewer was the absolute necessary first step. For the development of biodiversity, it was important to give as much room to the water body as possible; adjoining property was thus included in the creation of wetlands. Ultimately, the support of the community and decision-makers made the planning and implementation possible.

In other locations where water bodies were ecologically enhanced by the water board, too much initial vegetation was planted shortly after completion of the construction works. As nature develops itself as soon as the conditions are good, the vegetation grew to such an extent that the trees and shrubs required almost the full amount of water coming from the water body, turning the habitat into a purely green corridor without open water. The green-blue corridor has now developed into a balanced ecosystem with the water body and adjoining wetlands.

Lippeverband (2013). The Future Cities Guide: Creating Livable and Climate-Proo…

Realizing the entrepreneurial capacities in local housewives for adaptation to climate change

CONANP has supported a new women’s cooperative (“las orchidias”) aimed at providing additional and innovative, non-capital intensive, eco-touristic services, and thus delivering additional sources of income to climate-change threatened lobster fishing families. Examples include: bicycle and kayak tours, and environmental interpretation routes. CONANP has provided support in the form of : a) Training for multiple actors b) Financing, c) Certification of activities and services d) Organizing women’s peer-to-peer knowledge exchange and mentoring The additional co-benefits of this approach have been to increase the confidence and self-esteem of local housewives, and to raise their position in the eyes of their families, as well as to provide a new potential organized group as a platform for future activities.

Existing (or newly generated) formal organizational capacity; Awareness-raising not only amongst women, but within the community, as to the benefits of women-led productive activities. Peer-to-peer exchange and mentoring opportunities. a) Sufficient resources for supporting: b) Awareness-raising c) Training d) Idea generation e) Certification f) Equipment

Women play a great role in the maintenance and resilience of the livelihoods of their families and communities, and there is much unused capacity that can be unleashed in the generation and implementation of new businesses. However, the barriers to doing so are high, and extra resources are needed. It is not a building block that can be implemented cheaply. If there is not a formal organizational capacity (such as cooperatives), it has to be generated, for this type of effort to be successfully realized; In situations where traditional productive activities are led by men, much effort and resources need to be employed to overcome entry barriers for women in front of productive activities. Training, certification and equipment, are not enough for women’s immersion in new businesses. It is crucial to promote the exchange of lessons learned between women of different communities, and long-term peer-to-peer mentoring. Need of business skills capacity development. Evidences are needed

Planning phase

Inception phase

Local

Maximizing social benefits and acceptance through engagement

Prior to the restoration, Mayesbrook Park was unloved and underused. For the project to be a success, it was thus important to reconnect the neighbouring communities with the park and its planned refurbishment. Extensive public consultation helped the partners address local concerns about the park and served to ensure significant social benefits, such as an increased number of visitors in the park, as well as a greater feeling of safety. As the park was home to criminal activities and antisocial behavior prior to reformation, the use of an on-site ranger has helped to reduce this threat and provide greater comfort to visitors and the surrounding communities. In addition, Natural England also worked with the schools to see how the park could be most relevant to their needs and based new natural play facilities and trail markers in the on designs by these children. The improvement in landscape, social and aesthetic value helped shape new recreation facilities and enabled better access for park users.

A public consultation was carried out. The main concerns raised were over security within the park and provision of play facilities and good park maintenance. It was determined that local park visitors wanted the park as a whole to include a balance of sports, play and natural areas, plus toilets, seating and eating areas – and these concerns were integrated in the project design. Equally important has been to help local people understand the natural services provided by the river.

Ongoing consultation has been important in establishing links with the wider community, and the integration of their concerns in the restoration plan has served to validate their involvement. By linking up the local council’s environmental health officers and Thames Water’s Misconnections Project, which is part of the national Connect Right Campaign, people are also more informed about making sure their home plumbing is not discharging into the Mayes Brook. Lastly, combining social and environmental regeneration goals increased the financial and human resources available from a wider range of sources.

Planning phase

Inception phase

Local

Engaging stakeholders to raise awareness and support

An extensive and iterative process of stakeholder engagement was initiated during the design and execution of this project. The process involved a ‘rolling programme’ of consultation with local residents, representatives from the local school, practitioners, city staff and many others in order to build awareness about the SuDS retrofit, its benefits and costs, and to obtain public perspectives on the desired design. This included regular meetings, community workshops, and informal gatherings at sports and cultural events. The approach became increasingly open and consultative, with approximately one fifth of the tenants in the area having participated in dialogue meetings about the project. Amongst other topics, safety issues related to open water areas (e.g. retention pools) were discussed with residents as well as the potential loss of particular recreational opportunities in the area. In many cases, comments and concerns from stakeholders were taken into account and addressed in redesigned SuDS plans.

Venues for stakeholder exchange and approaches to engaging community members were a component of this project from the initial inception phase onwards. Integrating such considerations into what could be perceived as a controversial project is important for gaining and maintaining community support and avoiding potential opposition.

Providing stakeholders with a forum to express concerns, clarify questions and be involved in the process can be very valuable in gaining public support. Involvement of the residents in the design phase meant that there was little opposition to the project, and resulted in sense of ownership, empowerment and raised awareness among the residents. However, maintaining enthusiasm and engagement from the community outside of structured stakeholder consultation processes proved to be challenging.

Inception phase

Implementation

Local

Maximizing co-benefits through smart planning

While the core purpose of the project was to address flooding related to an over-utilized combined sewage system, the neighbourhood of Augustenborg was also in a state of socioeconomic decline prior to the urban regeneration project. Thus, the generation of socio-economic benefits became central to the project’s goals, such as improving the livability and aesthetics of the neighborhood, alongside biodiversity objectives. Furthermore, the project is part of a larger regeneration initiative within the neighbourhood of Augustenborg, which is also nested within ambitious sustainability plans for the City of Malmö. More specifically, the ‘Eco-city Augustenborg’ initiative aimed to transform Augustenborg into a socially, ecologically, and economically sustainable settlement. Ultimately, the work has represented a significant transformation of the neighborhood, and has become emblematic of a more pervasive shift towards sustainability. It has also resulted in the development of several businesses in the area of water innovation. Media coverage and public relations value are viewed as being additional benefs to the city and its residents.

Forward thinking during the inception and planning phases drew attention to the range of benefits which could potentially be fostered. It was key to first identify these benefits, then engage with local residents, planners, engineers, decision-makers and other stakeholders to develop an integrated approach to ensure their delivery. Ultimately, the SuDS was designed to provide amenity and recreation values to local residents, while also delivering on the primary objective of flood prevention.

Integrating stakeholders into the planning process drew attention to potential foregone recreational uses which would have resulted from the planned measures (i.e. large open fields which were previously used for sports were to be used for retention ponds). These aspects were taken into account following public consultation and ultimately resulted in the creation of new spaces for communal activities and recreation, rather than removing them. The consultation process also resulted in a local innovator designing part of the system and developing a growth business in water innovation, which has since spawned other businesses as well. Furthermore, by providing these added values, the SuDS system wound up ultimately being more cost efficient than a traditional grey infrastructure approach. By regenerating the neighborhood, however, a potential undesired side effect was the increase in property values – which may serve to exclude lower income groups from being able to afford the raised cost

Planning phase

Inception phase

Local