Kyo-machiya Development Fund

Together with the Kyoto Center for Community Collaboration, Kyoto City established the Kyo-machiya Development Fund in 2005. This fund aims to promote the preservation, restoration, and utilization of machiya based on donations from residents, companies, and external supporters in addition to financing by both the national and local government. Another important aspect of this fund is that it is complementary to Kyoto City’s efforts to preserve machiya and the historic urban landscape. The number of machiya the local government can support is limited due to budget constraints. Currently, around 3,000 machiya are supported by Kyoto City. As illustrated in a gallery photo, the Machiya Development Fund provides support to machiya at the bottom of the pyramid and attempts to pull them up to a higher category, which is then considered for public support by the city. The Machiya Development Fund began with 150 million JPY in 2005. By March 2016, the Machiya Development Fund supported a total of 76 renovations and restorations of Kyo-machiya. The number of inquiries is recently increasing, and currently it is around 500 every year.

  • An initiative by the city and its partners to establish an innovative development fund to preserve, restore, and utilize machiya and the craftsmanship.

At the end of the day, fate of the projects is decided by the funds. This is truer for heritage conservation projects, which may not always find priority position in the list of infrastructure projects to be implemented. As governments' budget is limited, many owners of culturally important buildings and houses look for alternative funding sources to preserve their inheritance; otherwise they would demolish the structures and sell off the land. Innovation in financing has encouraged the machiya owners to retain the structures and not convert to other businesses or condominiums. This in turn has helped in keeping the heritage of Kyoto downtown intact and impacted the tourism of the city positively. 

Identifying the problem: Conducting economic instead of financial analysis

Agencies that manage national parks are accustomed to producing financial reports which deal with direct income and costs (including gate fees, concessions, resource royalties, etc.). However, this perspective fails to consider the wider economic effects of protected areas (PA), including their monetary value and the employment they generate for regional economies, which often amounts to many times the direct costs of running the park. 

Brazil manages a system of 334 federal PAs in a total of 170 million hectares. Despite the enormous size of the PAs system along with its important biodiversity, the associated budget has not been fully substantiated in Brazil. Additionally, it was still ambiguous with respect to the impact and value added of tourism via visitors’ spending due to lack of empirical research. Therefore, the purpose was to estimate the economic impacts of tourism in the federal system of PAs of Brazil.

 

Economic impact analysis describes the interrelationships between economic sectors. For example, visitors spend money in PAs and gateway communities, and their expenditures create and support local economic activity. 

Economic Analysis demonstrates the contribution of PAs to national and local economies through visitor spending on accommodation, transport, goods and services during their visit, indirect supply-chain spending, economic activity induced by the presence of the park, and park operations themselves.

PAs provide value in many forms, including ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation, human enjoyment, and conventional activity. This tool measures the contribution of parks to national and local economies through visitor spending on accommodation, transport, goods and services during their visit, indirect supply-chain spending, economic activity induced by the presence of the park, and park operations themselves.

 

Narrow financial analyses significantly under-value parks in the eyes of decision-makers, businesses, the media and the general public, compared to the larger economy stimulated by tourism expenditure.

 

To estimate the full value of parks and to raise greater public support, several countries have begun conducting economic analyses of wider park-related spending. These include for example the USA, , Canada, Australia,, Finland,  Namibia, South Africa, and the study case here, Brazil.

"Action learning" and monitoring to increase capacities and knowledge

Action learning is a process that involves the implementation of EbA activities, coupled with a practical capacity building program for scaling up results. The process, in addition to enhance local communities' capacities and skills, generates evidence on EbA benefits through the implementation of a monitoring system aiming at policy makers. Some elements and steps in the process are:

  1. Participatory assessment of communities’ socio-environmental vulnerability.
  2. Prioritization of mangrove restoration sites, as an EbA measure, based on assessment and in complementation to traditional knowledge.
  3. Participatory monitoring and evaluation of EbA effectiveness to food security. The research (22 families sample) aims to understand the benefits of restoration on their livelihoods.
  4. Capacity building process to strengthen natural resource management, local advocacy and adaptive capacities, through:
  • Trainings and exchanges of experience on adaptation to climate change, watershed and water management, and sustainable mangrove management.
  • Technical support provided to the communities, to jointly undertake mangrove forest restoration.
  • Joint monitoring activities. With tangible evidence, communities are able to raise awareness and gain political advocacy capacities and access to financial resources.
  • Due to a weak governmental presence locally, the communities have promoted their own self-organization through Development Associations and other local structures (e.g. Environmental Committees), making room also for leadership and mobilization by women, all of which result in increased social capital.
  • Working with both with formal community's (e.g. through Development Associations) and other local civil society  groups (e.g. Microbasin Committee) is key, as these entities have a direct interest in the success of the EbA measures to be implemented.
  • Local stakeholders can facilitate dissemination of the measures, and with it, their replication, as occurred with upstream communities in the Aguacate River basin, where takeholders became interested in the measures implemented downstream and proposed the creation of a broader forum (a 'Mangrove Alliance') for the entire Salvadoran coast.
Need to communicate the potential benefits

It is important to explicitly explain the benefits of the new intervention. This is because the stakeholders (mostly farmers) are busy and will only listen to you if they see monetary or other social benefits from your undertaking.

working the local community leaders.

using language that is easily understood by the local community

Do not take the stakeholders for granted; respect them, their time, customs and culture.

participatory characterization of genetic resources

Through participatory characterization with farmers, researchers are able to make the best selection of a given crop genotype. The researcher and the potential beneficiaries (mostly farmers) plant and manage the crops together and then characterize it according to some mutually agreed criteria. It is best when the crop is grown on the farmers field and managed using farmer practices.

Trust between researchers and farmer.

Interest in the farmers in what the researchers are doing.

Before initiating the project, it is important do conduct some survey so that one can get an idea of what the local community needs; the need should be expressed by the community. This guarantees the uptake and sustainability of new ideas and inteventions.

Achieving participatory governance for adaptation

The Binational Commission for the Sixaola River Basin (CBCRS) needed to diversify participation in the basin’s governance. Although it brought together actors from different sectors and levels of government (national and municipal), some actors were still missing (such as the Municipality of Bocas del Toro, Panama, which joined in 2016). The CBCRS management was not yet consolidated, because of its complex composition and that it had neither a binational territorial planning tool with which to articulate efforts on both sides of the border, nor its own budget. Through an extensive participatory process, the CBCRS drafted a Strategic Plan for Transboundary Territorial Development (2017-2021) and expanded its project portfolio. Encouraging participation in this process, and in bi-national activities, has created conditions for civil society and municipalities to take an active role in the implementation of the plan and adaptation actions. Providing a space particularly for women, youth and indigenous people, usually marginalized of decision making. CBCRS plan also urged greater equality in the access to and use of natural resources on which local communities depend, thus favouring those groups most vulnerable to climate change and creating a sense of ownership.

  • Communities are willing to participate in dialogue, learning, search for solutions and joint actions. Most stakeholders in the basin are concerned and affected by climate change excessive rainfall that causes flooding.
  • In order to achieve a broad participation, the integrating role of the CBCRS as a binational governance and dialogue platform, and of the (Talamanca-Caribe Biological COrridor Assotiation) ACBTC as a local development association, was indispensable.
  • In governance for adaptation, effective participation can enrich planning and decision-making processes, leading to results that are accepted by all parties involved
  • Coordination between projects, and initiatives such as the Central American Strategy for Rural Territorial Development (ECADERT) that provided funding for the first project awarded to the CBCRS, contribute to the up-scaling and sustainability of the actions.
  • Social participation and strengthening of organizational capacity, through the identification of spokespersons and leaders (amongst youth, women and men) is an important factor for the consolidation of these processes and, with it, governance structures.
  • Encouraging public participation increases dialogue and the assessment and incorporation of knowledge (technical and traditional), as well as the inclusion of lessons learned from each sector.
  • Future efforts should consider how to strengthen the incorporation of the agri-business sector (e.g. banana or cacao) into the governance for adaptation agenda.
Achieving multidimensional governance for adaptation

The Binational Commission of the Sixaola River Basin (CBCRS) functioned as a multidimensional (multisectoral and multilevel) governance platform for the basin. The CBCRS brings together representatives from different levels of government and sectors (including indigenous peoples and the local private sector of both countries) but needed to attain more effective vertical and horizontal integration. The preparation of the Strategic Plan for Transboundary Territorial Development (2017-2021) had the effect of fostering inter-institutional and inter-sectoral coordination and cooperation, forging dialogues on national frameworks and local needs, and promoting EbA.

 

At the local level Eba measures such as agricultural diversification with integral farms and reforestation actions were implemented. The aim was beyond individual impacts, to scale up lessons to the basin scale, such as: 

  • the CBCRS´s project portfolio
  • the coordination of binational activities, such as Agrobiodiversity Fairs.
  • the Biological Corridor Association of producers, which facilitated the  exchange of experiences and peer-to-peer contacts (producers, municipalities)
  • The prior existence of the CBCRS (since 2009), covered under the Cooperation Agreement for Border Development between Costa Rica and Panama, was a key enabling factor, since the purpose of this binational structure (achieving greater transboundary coordination and leadership for good governance and the integral development of the basin) was fully consistent with the objective of improving adaptation capacities to climate change impacts in the basin.
  • Multidimensional governance is a central part of adaptive capacity. It is based on vertical integration of different stakeholders (local, subnational, national, regional), through the creation and/or strengthening of institutions where entities of multiple levels participate. It is combined with horizontal integration of sectoral authorities (public, private, civil society) in order to reduce isolated approaches in management and decision making, and allow mutual benefits and synergies between sectors and their adaptation needs to be identified.
  • In adaptation, inclusion of municipalities is vital, since they have a mandate in territorial management, but also responsibilities in the implementation of national adaptation policies and programs (e.g. NDCs, NAPs).
  • Peer exchanges (such as meetings between local governments) are an effective mean to awaken interest in the "natural solutions" offered by ecosystems.
  • The articulation of project efforts across a territory is fundamental (e.g. between AVE and BRIDGE in Sixaola) in order to achieve greater impact through a coordinated work agenda.
"Action learning" and monitoring to increase capacities and knowledge

Supporting producers to implement EbA measures that improve their productive practices and increase the resilience of agro-ecosystems, generates an "action learning" process that allows other actors to witness the benefits of these measures and creates conditions for their sustainability and up-scaling.

  • The socio-environmental vulnerability of communities and their livelihoods is examined, in a participatory way, in order to then prioritize EbA measures and their location.
  • Technical support is provided to producers, complemented with their traditional knowledge, to plan and implement the EbA measures (improvements to agroforestry systems).
  • Training and exchanges of experience are carried out on transboundary cooperation; integrated management of water resources; AbE; policy frameworks and legislation on water and climate change; and policy influencing and communication.
  • Monitoring of food and water security is carried out with 14 families.
  • The governance and management capacities of community and municipal entities linked to water resource management is strengthened.

The increase in skills and knowledge strengthens social capital and contributes to community empowerment and to valuing ecosystem services and their management for the benefit of all.

  • Climate change and, in particular, the availability of water, are factors that concern stakeholders in the sub-basin, which increases their willingness to take part in dialogue, constant learning, the search for solutions and joint actions.
  • Plan Trifinio has been implementing conservation measures in the territory for years and works closely with local producers and actors. The institution also has ample experience with participatory processes, which is another enabling factor for successful “action learning” processes.
  • To achieve changes at the landscape level, work must first be grassroots, at the community level. For this, strengthening the capacities of Water Committees, which are part of the Community Development Associations (ADESCOs), so that they can widen the scope of their interventions beyond sanitation requirements, has been crucial.
  • Exchanges of experience (e.g. with actors from the Goascorán River basin and with other ADESCOs from other parts of the basin) were an effective mechanism to reinforce collective learning and demonstrate the advantages of transboundary collaboration.
Achieving participatory governance for adaptation

The participation of all basin stakeholders has been at the core of the conformation and training of new governance structures for the Lituy (Honduras) and Honduritas (El Salvador) microbasins. The integration of grassroots (community-based) organizations, such as water boards, producer associations, women's or youth groups, Community Development Associations and educational centers, has been important. Locally, the leadership shown by teachers, women and community authorities contributed significantly to social mobilization and the adoption and scaling-up of EbA measures, making these actors an essential part of the "learning by doing" processes of communities. The result is self-motivated communities that participate and take on responsibilities. At the basin level, the Goascorán River Basin Council on the Honduran side was expanded, while in El Salvador, the most appropriate figure to accommodate the broad membership required was the Environmental Technical Table, which is why two Tables (for the northern and southern areas of La Union) were created and strengthened. Many of the members have become advocates for the work of the Tables with the aim to have these structures recognized by local authorities and legalized in the medium term.

  • Local actors are interested in coordinating actions and improving basin management, which contributes to making governance mechanisms and platforms effective and sustainable.
  • MiAmbiente (Honduras) has the legal obligation to accompany the conformation of Micro-basin Committees across the country, and this must be preceded by a socio-ecological characterization that first allows each micro-basin to be delimited.
  • Having previous experience in carrying out participatory processes is an enabling factor for the successful conduction and conclusion of such processes (e.g. when prioritizing certain interventions).
  • To have strategic alliances with different organizations is key, especially with municipality commonwealths (ASIGOLFO and ASINORLU), in order to promote spaces for dialogue and agreements regarding the waters shared between Honduras and El Salvador.
  • The accompaniment of MARN (El Salvador) is necessary when addressing environmental issues and the adequate management of water resources, especially in a transboundary context. Once the negotiation with local actors had begun for the conformation of the Environmental Technical Tables, the support and participation of MARN’s Eastern Regional Office was important in order for these groups to be valued and regarded as governance platforms for the Honduritas River microbasin, in the absence of a formal institution for watershed management.
Achieving multidimensional governance for adaptation

The work in Goascorán targeted several levels of decision-making to reinforce the basin’s governance through the vertical and horizontal articulation of socio-political platforms; all of this in order to achieve a multidimensional (multilevel and multisectoral) governance model for adaptation. At the community level, EbA measures were implemented in the field to improve food and water security. With municipalities, adaptation to climate change was incorporated into Environmental and Municipal Development Plans. At the micro-basin level, two Micro-basin Committees (one on each side of the border) were created as multi-stakeholder governance platforms, receiving training, preparing internal regulations and plans, and enabling wide-ranging advocacy (e.g. civil society, municipalities and municipal commonwealths). At the basin level, in El Salvador, where several Technical Tables operate, two Environmental Technical Tables were established for the north and south of La Union in order to articulate the basin’s shared management, and linkages were sought with the Goascorán River Basin Council that operates on the Honduran side. At the national level, the recent National Adaptation Plan of Honduras comprises the EbA approach, as does the new Regulation of the Honduran Climate Change Law

  • Honduras has a legal framework (Water Law) that creates the entities of Basin Councils and Micro-basin Committees, unlike El Salvador. With this, the Micro-basin Committee established in El Salvador, although very functional, lacks legal backing, which prevents it from managing projects and administering funds.
  • Significant synergies were achieved with other projects in the Goascorán basin (e.g. BRIDGE and “Nuestra Cuenca Goascorán”), especially in coordinating actions to strengthen basin-wide governance and scaling up the EbA approach.
  • To strengthen governance at multiple levels, it is essential to initiate work with grassroots groups (community level) and with existing local governance platforms, such as, for example, Community Development Associations (El Salvador), to then scale-up to higher levels based on the experience acquired and the results achieved.
  • The project known as BRIDGE left the following lesson learnt, which is also relevant here: "Water diplomacy does not necessarily follow a straight path. Effective strategies need to incorporate multiple dimensions and a phased approach, interconnecting existing structures and those under construction in the basin."