Monitoring | PANORAMA

Strengthening of local organizations

Comunidad Indígena Quispillaccta

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Comunidad Indígena Quispillaccta

will be added later

This building block is about the work with regard to the recovery and strengthening of the organization of the Ayllu (a form of extended family group) and the traditional authorities for farming. We have worked to revalue the knowledge of breeding, (climate) signals, cultivation practices and the so-called "secrets" to deal as much as possible with all the variety of situations and circumstances that are determined by the climate.

The methodological approach has allowed an intercultural dialogue and cultural mediation, as well as communal observation to build trust and transparency and a solid support system. The practice of mutual accompaniment composed of technicians committed to the processes of decolonization and cultural affirmation of diversity, was very useful. The facilitation and accompaniment of community initiatives and learning in the context of cultural dialogue, with shared responsibilities between the "target group" and the ABA team, generates very dynamic and effective reflection and action processes.

This has facilitated the capacity for adapting to change and empowered people to recognize themselves as main actors in development, based essentially on local resources and capabilities and affirmation of culture.

Confidence in the community, which has allowed us to seek local solutions involving the key community members who maintain knowledge and ancestral practices.

The financing institution, ABA, forms part of the communal institutions and is recognized by the internal statutes of the Quispillaccta Indigenous Community. The members of its technical team belong to the community, which reinforces its indigenous coexistence with it and contributes to the positive Andean worldview.

The relationship with nature and cultural values has been strengthened, reinforcing a perspective of ecosystem service provision to the city of Huamanga.
It has been important to recognize that there are two radically different worldviews, which requires a respectful conversation between both sides: On the one hand, a living, nature-related worldview that reaffirms life through nurture; and on the other, a technical, western world vision that reaffirms the extractive position with respect to nature and its "natural resources “.
The communal and Ayllus organization is strengthened in order to face the climatic threats. Part of this is the revitalization of the traditional authorities, the Varayoc (mayor of indigenous community) takes care of the communal landscape and the surveillance of hail and frost. The strengthened local authorities enable the conservation of the natural environment.

Implementation

Monitoring

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…

Evidence-based problem solving

CONANP has been forming an alliance with local universities, research centres, and NGOs, to ensure that problem solving and regulations, are guided by scientific studies and hard evidence. Examples of key products or interventions, include: 1.“Forensic ecology” activities to understand the causes of mangrove salinization resulting from the construction of road infrastructure in the 1940s, and alternatives to reverse its effects in a practicable and cost-effective manner. 2. Scientific calculations of the capacity of local water bodies to support new tourist water-borne activities 3. Market research for new non-extractive productive activities.

Identify which academic actors can support key interventions Effective contacts and history of collaboration (academia, civil society & government) Effective inter-sectoral communication: not only between government and academic sectors, but also, and most importantly, being able to communicate research questions and results to local communities. Financial resources to leverage support from the academic sector and NGOs.

The role of intermediaries between the academic sector and communities is of utmost importance for the success of this type of building block. This role can be most ably played by individual consultants and NGOs who have the capacity to effectively interpret and communicate the results of scientific knowledge to local people. The intermediaries need to be able to facilitate the flow of traditional knowledge and local information back to the academic sector. It is very important to ensure that studies are properly carried out within the local context and with the maximum of relevant information available. It is of enormous help for a governmental agency to be able to assign, to the collaborative activity behind this building block, skilled staff who can judge the relevancy and quality of the scientific knowledge being offered by the academic community. Not all scientific knowledge is of the same quality or practical relevance.

Implementation

Monitoring

Documentation and dissemination of results

Local

Thinking “out of the sector”: Intelligently targeted payments for key actors

CONANP decided to make use of targeted payments to create a local workforce to maintain and rejuvenate the mangroves, in order to support the fishing sector. An obvious target of the payments and a source of a workforce would be that same fishing sector. However, CONANP took the unusual step of thinking “outside of the sector”, and to involve a sector not linked at all to the problem: the local agricultural communities. CONANP noted that the livelihoods of this sector are under increasing pressure from loss of markets, reduction of soil conditions, and the loss of traditional levels of precipitation as a result of climate change. On the one hand, focusing on this sector has provided an extra source of income which increases the adaptive capacity of this group in the face of changes in rainfall patterns. On the other hand, the involvement of the agricultural communities, has had the benefit of introducing the latter to the problematic and importance of the mangrove ecosystems, creating a new ally in the fight for increased resilience. In other words it has supported inter-sectoral learning and collaboration between two groups that hardly ever interact, improving the capacity for adaptation to both sectors’ different climate risks.

Effective communication & awareness-raising by CONANP to generate a shared vision of the relevance of integrated mangrove ecosystem management among agricultural communities. Continued existence of financial resources to pay for the services of the agricultural communities supporting the rehabilitation of the mangroves; Knowledge and awareness of CONANP about the risks faced by the Mayan agricultural communities, and when they were in need it provided temporary employment.

Be prepared to “think out of the sector” for new potential allies. Instead of focusing collaboration on the usual allies, one should consider whether there are other sectors that could be involved in the EbA measure (mangrove rehabilitation) that could benefit from being involved (through reduction in their own climate risks, and increase in sources of revenue), and in return, can promote multi-sectoral collaboration and problem solving. Financial instruments or subsidies, when mismanaged, can distort local capacities for generating and maintaining sustainable livelihoods. The continued flow of such payments is not always possible in the long-term. Therefore, it is important that such payments are not deemed an end in themselves, but are applied in a manner that is supportive, and not substitutive, of local livelihoods.

Implementation

Monitoring

Local

Increasing the resilience of alternative local ecosystems that can provide habitats to lobster species

Whilst it is not easily possible to recover the sand bank habitat, it is possible to rehabilitate the local mangroves that have been in decline in recent years, in order to increase the capacity of habitat in the local mangrove to support the lobster in their early developmental stages. The latter has been concentrated on 480 hectares near the lobster fishing communities, and has as its goal the aim of reinvigorating the populations of maturing lobster going out to sea and thus increase these populations’ adaptive capacity in the face of climate hazards.

To count with research centres’ support and scientific guidance about the causes of the mangrove degradation, and practicable solutions to reversing this degradation; To count with economic and human resources to be able to employ local communities to carry out the rehabilitation work; To count with local community support to maintain the improvements that have been achieved

Communication & alliance building between the responsible government agencies, NGOs, and academic research centres is crucial for effective mangrove rehabilitation in complex situations in which mangroves are suffering from multiple climate, anthropogenic and hydrological hazards; Without good scientific guidance, it is possible to rehabilitate mangrove ecosystems in a manner that is sustainable, and benefits local livelihoods; Creating and maintaining channels within the mangrove system for facilitating natural flows between salt- and freshwater sources is a key component for reducing salinization problems, as well as making sure that a healthy mangrove is maintained; It is important to maintain the awareness that climate change not only presents direct risks to communities and ecosystems, but also highlights existing structural weaknesses in the social-economic and ecological system.

Implementation

Monitoring

Local

Breakwater monitoring and maintenance

GIZ Vietnam, 2013

A monitoring system is used to measure sediment accretion, and to monitor the condition of the breakwater fences. In addition, natural regeneration of mangroves is monitored. During the first year after construction, functionality of the breakwater fences should be ensured through monthly visual inspections and maintenance where necessary. After one year, visual inspections and maintenance should be carried out at least after the end of every storm season. In addition, seasonal GPS surveys of the shore line at low tide can be used to see whether the breakwater fences have impacts on the shape of the coastline nearby. The natural regeneration of mangroves is documented by recording species, size and density or through fixed-point photos. The latter can also be used as a simple alternative for GPS shore line surveys.

• Know-how and manpower for regular surveys (data collection for monitoring) and routine visual construction inspections • Benchmark poles for recording vertical accretion at several transects • Fixed point photos are an easy to use tool to monitor mangrove regeneration and shoreline changes • Measurements of sediment consolidation (mud-density) • GPS survey equipment and know-how for long-term surveillance

A standardized monitoring system for the condition of breakwaters, accretion of sediments and natural regeneration of mangroves is crucial for measuring the long-term success of breakwater fences. The need for maintenance and repair works may vary considerably between sites. Long-term surveillance based on GPS surveys must include neighbouring areas to discover possible negative side effects of breakwater fences (down drift erosion). It is important to realize that once floodplains are restored and an appropriate mangrove cover is in place, mangrove protection measures must be implemented to ensure sustainability of coastal protection. Once the mangrove forest is fully established, the breakwater construction is no longer needed. This process may take several years.

Monitoring

Local

Estimating benefits to make the case for investment

An elaborate ecosystem services assessment helped build the case for investment in an integrated urban river restoration, highlighting benefits relating to water, land, social and climate change issues. Assessed over 40 years, the lifetime benefits of the restoration activities were estimated at €31.2 million – a benefit-to-cost ratio of 7:1. This value-based approach to urban green infrastructure demonstrated that the restoration of the park was a cost-effective way of improving the wellbeing of the local community, particularly as compares to a purely ‘hard engineering’ solution which tends to maximise single services (flood risk etc), while generally having unintended consequences for a range of other interconnected services. The assessment and accompanying report were key in convincing funders to contribute to this project, illustrating how the combination of knowledge, data and resources can enable different sectors to successfully deliver large projects and provide a wide range of benefits far beyond what a single organisation could afford to fund alone.

An Ecosystem Services Assessment was conducted. The involvement of the Environment Agency as a partner helped in the process of securing the numerous approvals needed (flood risk, contaminated land, soil disposal etc.) to successfully conduct the assessment and gather the needed data. This cooperation lead to a quantified estimate of benefits from all of the proposed restoration work prior to implementation, as well as an analysis post-implementation.

It remains difficult to monitor and quantify the benefits of ecosystem services, especially supporting services such as nutrient cycling and habitat for wildlife. Nevertheless, it is crucial in evaluating ecosystem services to consider and – to the extent possible - quantify all service categories (provisioning, regulatory, cultural and supporting). In the case of Mayesbrook, the assessment found that more than 88 percent of the total ecosystem service benefits assessed for the park were benefits to health (such as improving air quality), risk (such as reducing potential flood damage) and cultural value (such as providing opportunities for education). Thus, by creating a thriving, multifunctional landscape and combining social and environmental regeneration goals, the Mayesbrook Climate Change Park demonstrates how an urban river park restoration can successfully deliver public, private and voluntary sector objectives simultaneously – a key factor in making the investment case.

Monitoring

Local

Fostering win-win solutions through innovative partnerships for landscape engineering

Crossrail Tunnel portal at Canning Town tube station in E London

RSPB, 9 October 2015

Within the Wallasea Project, land-raising and landscape engineering was innovatively approached by creating a novel public private partnership. Materials from the Crossrail tunneling project were transported to a low-lying coastal area at high risk of flooding, in order to raise the land. The project thus established a precedent for using largely waste material generated by a major infrastructure project to meet biodiversity conservation and climate change adaptation aims elsewhere. Financing stemmed from both the private company Crossrail as well as from the Environment Agency, with all parties profiting due to the economic as well as environmental benefits set off by recycling the leftover materials. With Crossrail on board as a delivery partner, the project represents a partnership between Europe's largest civil engineering project and Europe's largest intertidal habitat creation project.

Instead of paying to remove waste materials from tunnel construction, Crossrail opted to transport them to Wallasea Island. An unloading facility enabled the materials to be shipped and then distributed across the island to build the habitats. Crossrail covered most costs (e.g. land purchase and some staff costs), with the Environment Agency (RA) funding the rest. The EA `bought` into the project to deliver replacement habitats for areas impacted/lost within the local Natura 200 network.

While sufficient buy-in was obtained by RSPB to buy the land, funds had not initially been collected to carry out the project itself. At this point, Crossrail came forward with an offer of materials and funding that permitted the project to move forward with more confidence. The main lesson learned is thus to think ‘outside the box’ and consider novel (public-private) partnerships to tap into previously unconsidered resources, and making sure to highlight the range of benefits which will be delivered to each party as a result of the project. Furthermore, a strong relationship with the landowner was particularly important in the early design phases of the project, as this led to the ability of RSPB to take out a two-year purchase option. This meant that, for a two-year period, RSPB could purchase the majority of the island if they decided to, and the price would be fixed at the beginning of this period, thereby creating some certainty surrounding the initial costs of the project.

Securing sufficient funds for a multi-purpose EbA solution

Partly built up new real estate properties along the lake shore

Nadine Gerner, Emschergenossenschaft

As this solution serves various goals and meets several objectives, it was possible to secure sufficient funding from diverse parties, domains and funding bodies to cover the entire implementation of the project. In the case of the creation of Lake Phoenix, this included funding for water management from the water board; funding for ecology from the ecological funding program by the federal state; funding for urban development from etc. The water board, for instance, provided the amount of money that was already budgeted for the construction of a flood retention basin. This basin was not needed anymore, as the lake solution already provided the required flood retention function. Some additional potential funding sources were not even used in the end, because it would have slowed down the marketing of the real estate and would have tied the project to certain restrictions, which were not desired by the decision-makers.

Given that the solution serves various goals, funding was able to be secured from a range of parties, sectors and sources. The marketing of real estate properties along the new lake shore was a financial aspect considered from the project’s start in order to make the project implementation financially partly self-supporting. The project consortium took great care of timing, for instance regarding the deadlines of the various funding programs.

Establishing the diverse benefits provided by a solution is an important step in the planning process, as it highlights the various sectors and stakeholders who can potentially be involved in and benefit from the solution. Drawing attention to the potential benefits, and underlying this with a sound scientific evidence base with which to approach these parties, can facilitate the successful generation of funds from a range of sources. Innovative financing approaches can also act as ‘self-sustaining’ and generate funds during the course of the project to fund some of the foreseen activities.

Documentation and dissemination of results

Review phase

Entirety

Local

Top Down - National and International initiative

EcoPeace annual Conference Nov 2016 with government support

Meeting

Basin commissioners and representatives from around the world at EcoPeace's 2016 conferenct

Top-Down is the process to create broader political awareness of the issue. It includes advocacy for national and international support. Commonly a concept paper that explains the problem initiates this process with further research to support and document the issues. It is important to appeal to the news media, as their attention is necessary to heighten the political awareness of the issues and to convey the information to the public, resulting in the creation of a broader public demand for action. Media attention mobilizes national and international engagement and can foster domestic and international resource mobilization. In our experience, public opinion plays a decisive role in dictating the political agenda to local leaders as well as national decision makers.

Strong community engagement and public initiatives create the demand for political action. It is important to create an environment in which it is politically safe to discuss the solutions, if the solutions are truly in the national self-interests then politicians will more easily embrace the change and even lead it. Good relations to media and the international community can facilitate government involvement.

In an unsteady political landscape, environmental issues are held hostage, used as pawns in the overarching political conflict and within the framework of the official peace process. In order for the initiatives to produce a real change, a careful balance must be maintained: to achieve the explicit approval of officials without losing momentum to the tedium of politics.

Documentation and dissemination of results