Planning phase | PANORAMA

Feasibility study and benefit validation

A guided assessment of the forest areas suitable for the sale of conservation credit units (CCU) in the foreseen region is done with the Global Conservation Standard (GCS). The elaboration of a masterplan outline the project area and its potential to sell CCU (based on criteria by the IPPC). All interventions are defined through participatory planning (calculation credit generation, beneficiaries, marketing). Once the masterplan is accepted by GCS, the international registration is done at Markit.

Available scientific information
Technical guiding, capacity building and financial support of donor agencies
Political will of governmental and private landowners to cooperate and establish a Steering Committee with representation from public and private sectors
Involvement of FUNDECODES, a local non-governmental organization recognized by the stakeholders
GCS implementation is not linked to any transfer of ownership
There is no eligibility restriction on landscape type or geographical area

Agreeing on and establishing common goals is fundamental for participatory planning and local actors’ ownership of the project, which favors the development of proposals aimed at mitigating impacts produced by productive practices.
When the community leads local development of conservation measures, the pressures on the mangrove forest are reduced, supporting resilience and thus the health of the ecosystem services of the area.
The project acceptance depends on the positive perception by the local actors.

Planning phase

Inception phase

Local

The Global Conservation Standard

Fig. 1: Concept of the GCS

The Global Conservation Standard (GCS) certifies ecosystem services in public and private owned forest/protected areas for carbon offsetting and marketing. Funds generated through the sale of conservation credit units (CCUs) of the forest area are invested in the conservation and promotion of sustainable production in the project area, which is divided into a conservation and a buffer zone with commercial activity.

Technical and financial assistance from project partners is available to do pre-feasibility studies to implement the standard.
Consent among and conservation agreements between the parties promote the sustainability of ecosystems.

A thorough review of international standards is important to identify areas where implementing a conservation standard is possible.
The selection of a standard defines and orientates the whole and following establishment process.
The information collected in the standards review is used in discussions with stakeholders as well as potential national / local investors to provide a solid foundation for informed selection of mechanisms to finance conservation of coastal and marine resources.

Planning phase

Local

Joint adaptation planning

The Municipal Plan of Porto Seguro, was built in a participatory approach, under the governance of the Municipal Council for the Environment. This council is composed by representatives from the local and state government, local communities, NGOs, and the tourism sector. More than 120 people from different sectors participated in the workshops and meetings providing diverse collaborations, identifying local threats and opportunities, and proposing specific activities based on the knowledge they had about the region. The Municipal Council revised and approved the final plan that was then published and publically distributed. The co-management building approach is now being implemented for other Municipal planning, and being used as a reference for building the Plans for the Conservation and Restoration of the Atlantic Forest in nine other neighbor municipalities.

• The process was participatory from the beginning; • The governance system was clearly defined (Municipal Council for the Environment).

• The mobilization phase was critical for improving the interest of various stakeholders in participating in the development of the Municipal Plan. One staff person has dedicated one month to this, presenting the proposal and stressing the importance of the process. • Having the participation of multiple sectors was critical for a comprehensive view of the different ecosystems and activities analyzed. • Just a few Municipality Secretariats have participated in the process. Having a broader participation from the local government would improve the process.

Planning phase

Local

Awareness raising storylines

The Municipal Plans for the Conservation and Restoration of the Atlantic Forest are normally focused on restoring biological connectivity for maintaining biodiversity conservation. In this solution, two additional principles were added: Ecosystem-based Adaptation and Coastal-Reef Connectivity. To deal with these complex concepts, experts used storylines as awareness tools for the planning process. A storyline is composed by the main cascading impacts of climate change, and how the impacts in one component will affect the others. Five main storylines were developed for the region: (1) Impacts of climate change on the Brazil current, affecting upwelling patterns, benthic production and fisheries; (2) Impacts of climate change on sedimentation in rivers and reefs and in tourism and fisheries; (3) Impacts of climate change on wave dynamics and coral reefs, affecting erosion and sedimentation, causing impacts in estuaries and tourism; (4) Impacts of climate change on forest fragmentation and fire, causing loss of biodiversity and changes in species distribution; and (5) Impacts of climate change on river flow and saline water intrusion, affecting biodiversity.

• The participants were informed about the importance of EbA and Coastal-Reef Connectivity in the beginning of the process; • Technical expertise was available to support decision during all process; • The final recommendations and activities were revised by the experts.

• The availability of technical staff was critical to support the decision process maintaining the focus on Ecosystem-based Adaptation and on Coastal-Reef Connectivity; • Even complex technical issues such as EbA and Coastal-Reef Connectivity can be easily assimilated by local stakeholders with simplified explanations and examples, in this case represented by storylines. The plan received very good contributions from the stakeholders on both issues.

Planning phase

Subnational

Legislation for Municipal Restoration Plans

The Municipal Plans for the Conservation and Restoration of the Atlantic Forest is a Brazilian Policy instituted by the Law of the Atlantic Forest (Law 11.428/06). As they are required for all Brazilian Municipalities under the Atlantic Forest biome, it is a big opportunity to develop new methodologies, and replicate to other municipalities. The experience presented here is part of the case study "Plano Municipal de Conservação e Recuperação da Mata Atlântica de Porto Seguro – Bahia". The process followed the guidelines proposed by the Brazilian Ministry of Environment and GIZ, that recommends the process to be participatory, and technically supported.

• National legislation previously available; • Interest from local municipality and stakeholders to develop the Restoration Plan; • Technical expertise available during the whole process.

• The mobilization phase was critical for improving the interest of various stakeholders in participating in the development of the Municipal Plan. Dedicated staff presented the proposal and stressed the importance of the process. • Having the participation of multiple sectors was critical for a comprehensive view of the different ecosystems and activities analyzed. • Only a few Municipality Secretariats have participated in the process. Having a broader participation from the local government would improve the process.

Planning phase

National

Plano Municipal de Conservação e Recuperação da Mata Atlântica de Porto Seguro …

Informed Decision Making

Access to pertinent and best-available information is important for informed decision-making, yet coordination between government agencies and other data collection and management organizations can be stymied by lack of resources and inconsistent mandates. To address this gap, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has invested in connecting agency departments with other local, regional and international organizations that contribute to data production and/or management relevant to risk reduction and adaptation planning. Working closely with the Grenada Statistics Department, TNC developed a coding system that allows census survey data to be linked with spatial representations of survey districts and made unrestricted information freely available through an online platform. To support data access, co-management, and use, the AWE project in partnership with the World Bank contributed to the development of holistic databases and critical training of government technical staff. This partnership makes non-confidential information available via a centralized system and helps decision-makers access integrated spatial information on ecological, social, and economic systems.

• Involvement of and participation of Government Ministries and Departments in the project processes. • Effective partnerships with other organizations (e.g. World Bank) and government agencies.

• The importance of understanding dynamics of organizations and agencies as it relates to information sharing. • The importance of prioritizing clear communication about the project with partner agencies to ensure that project aims, objectives potential benefits are fully understood. • The importance of strong partnerships.

Planning phase

Implementation

Monitoring

Documentation and dissemination of results

Review phase

National

Map of the Coastal Resilience Organization

Climate change impact visualisation

Participatory 3D Modelling helps visualise vulnerabilities

The Nature Conservancy

Visualizing potential impacts is a powerful tool to help communities understand their vulnerabilities and consider future scenarios and tradeoffs. This is important to motivate changes that need to be made to reduce a community’s risks and support decision making around climate and disaster risk management. Computer based maps are not always the most effective means of communication. At the national scale we developed a suite of visualization tools for technical persons that included web-based maps and electronic and hard copy maps. At the local scale we worked with local partners Grenada Fund for Conservation and Grenada Red Cross to engage communities through household surveys and Participatory 3D Mapping (P3DM). These tools allowed us to integrate the knowledge and perspectives of nearly 400 community members, generate site level vulnerability assessments and visualization tools. To help facilitate community input and visioning, we also partnered with a land-use planning firm. Using the design firm’s strong graphic facilitation skills, a visual representation of a number of climate change impacts and associated potential actions that would contribute to Grenville Bay’s climate resilient Grenville bay was generated.

• Community understanding the importance and the benefits of a successful implementation. • Community acceptance, participation and ownership. • Government involvement and participation. • Partnerships with the Grenada Red Cross and NGO Grenada Fund for Conservation (mobilizing communities, empowering stakeholders, ensuring the development of an action plan for climate adaptation). • Access to data on climate change impact (via local knowledge and/or quantitative model predictions).

• The site level process described above was critical for the development of several targeted locally relevant proposals. • Applying a participatory process empowered community participation critical for the selection of locally relevant options that best align with a community’s vision of desired current and future outcomes. • Partnering with a variety of groups (engineers, land use planners, and local NGO’s like the RC and GFC) greatly facilitated the integration of diverse knowledge and consideration of a suite of options that will help communities and decision makers chose an informed path forward. Building capacity and working at pilot sites with communities takes a significant commitment of time and resources. • Participatory 3D mapping is a powerful tool for gathering community knowledge and stimulating discussion, and it also requires trained facilitators and community mobilization to implement.

Planning phase

Inception phase

Implementation

Documentation and dissemination of results

Local

National

TNC´s gateway to the projects - search for "At the Water’s Edge"

The Coastal Resilience Network

Collaborative data and information gathering

Stakeholders gathering information on the use of marine ecosystems

Collaborative data and information gathering was used to: identify and acquire secondary information; document local knowledge of resources and space-use; develop an appropriate habitat classification scheme; conduct marine habitat mapping field surveys; validate information produced; and ascertain the technological capacity and information preferences of stakeholders. Furthermore, participatory research demonstrates the relevance of information provided by stakeholders, strengthens capacity and provides ownership of the information produced.

The preliminary appraisal was essential to understand stakeholders’ capacity for participation and develop appropriate methods.
Periodic validation meetings allowed for the production of accurate information based on local knowledge. This also demonstrated to stakeholders the legitimacy of their knowledge thereby promoting ownership of the information.
Public access to information served to empower stakeholders, build capacity and cultivated a cross-scale alliance.

PGIS resulted in the production of comprehensive and accessible information tailored to the needs of the Grenada Bank stakeholders. Collaborative data and information gathering served to: identify existing information; build stakeholder capacity in the understanding of the marine environment and related human uses; provide credibility to local knowledge; increase confidence and ownership in the information produced; and underscore the role stakeholders can and should play in marine governance. Communication and information exchange are important aspects of this building block and should not be underestimated. Providing access to all data, maps, and information via a public access website supported transparency and inclusiveness and served to strengthen the capacity and ownership of information by stakeholders.

Planning phase

Inception phase

Implementation

Documentation and dissemination of results

Baldwin, K and H.A. Oxenford. 2014. A participatory approach to marine habitat …

Understanding local impacts and threats

Detailed studies and surveys on climate change vulnerability of and human-related threats in the sanctuary generated the pre-requisite knowledge needed to develop the management plan and bring stakeholders to a same level of understanding. It generated an improved understanding of the potential impacts of climate change based on local downscaled climate change projections. This work also identified the ecosystem values of the sanctuary with regards to biodiversity, fisheries and other aquatic and non-timber forest products production.

- Availability of data in the literature, from local governments and active involvements and coordination of sub-national governments, esp. relevant provincial departments and commune in field data collection and information sharing. - Qualified technical staff to analyze results from scientific monitoring on local climate change, biodiversity and livelihoods.

A strong management and adaptation plan has to be based on good scientific knowledge of the site. This requires in general more time than the actual drafting of the plan. Data sources should be a good balance between scientific sources and studies as well as local knowledge and stakeholder consultation (especially on climate events, hazard timelines, local changes in crop productivity, rainfall patterns, etc.).

Planning phase

Local

Exploratory Habitat Investigations

Identifying new and important habitats for hawksbill turtles is vital to restoring their population. Visiting coastal communities and fishing ports to conduct interview surveys with local inhabitants and glean information on potentially important sites for hawksbills and conducting opportunistic in-water and beach monitoring leads to the discovery of important habitats.

• Increased community buy-in to hawksbill conservation for economic and social reasons has facilitated cooperative relationships with local people that result in valuable data.

• Hawksbills depend on highly vegetated coastlines for nesting. • Mangroves provide critical habitat for hawksbills and can lead to declining populations if destroyed or fragmented.

Planning phase

Local

Multi-national

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