Management for the identification of biodiversity and participatory and motivational management for the restoration of Protected Areas.

In addition to the formality and territorial planning related to the Local System of Protected Areas, the municipality, based on environmental management, developed the following components as a highly important strategy:

- Promotion of incentives for community and landowner participation to restore natural protective vegetation that improves ecological connectivity and functionality.

- Awareness-raising and education actions to promote knowledge of the biodiversity of municipal ecosystems and the importance of SILAPE as a strategy to conserve this functionality and strategic ecosystems.

- Identifying the biodiversity of the different groups as fundamental knowledge to take actions for their conservation and encourage participation in conservation and conservation decisions in land use planning.

- Actions to protect endangered fauna in sites of connectivity disruption and vulnerability of highly important fauna species. Includes implementation of aerial wildlife crossings (61 installed).

- The knowledge of local biodiversity based on technological tools that generated videos and clear images made it possible to see the important and abundant biodiversity of species, thus allowing unusual conservation decisions to be made in a territory that is part of a Metropolitan Area with high urban growth.

- The environmental management of the Secretariat of Environment in the different periods of governance has included the issue of Protected Areas as a component of high importance.

- Ecosystem conservation depends on local enthusiasm and identification of the importance of biodiversity and strategic ecosystems.

- Management plans and conservation proposals must be included in land use plans.

- Protected area management should be approached from a regional perspective so that each municipality takes the model and implements it in its own municipality with a logic of connectivity and ecosystem globality.

- The participation of research institutions in the biodiversity identification process and in the formulation of protected area projects is of great importance; it avoids doubts about the importance and certainty of the proposals.

- Community participation motivated by the evidence of biodiversity and the functionality of ecosystems is of great importance to keep alive the enthusiasm for its dissemination and knowledge.

Agreement 009 whereby the Local System of Protected Areas is adopted and implemented.

The Municipal Council of Envigado adopted Agreement 009 which aims to contribute to the identification, conservation, management and proper management of strategic ecosystems and protected areas in the jurisdiction of the municipality, articulating these actions to departmental, regional and national management scales that strengthen human sustainability through the effective achievement of conservation objectives.

Inclusion of the Local System of Protected Areas in the Land Management Plan in order to promote land uses that favor the protection and conservation of the associated fauna and flora.

Importance of knowledge of the biodiversity of species to value local ecosystems and make it known by different means to promote the interest and ownership of institutions and the community in conservation.

Local conservation is successful when it is based on internal initiatives that integrate institutions and the community and is supported by knowledge, participation and norms that motivate or encourage the protection of ecosystems.

Land use planning and ecosystem conservation strategies should be closely related in order to define congruent conservation projects and decisions that are supported by national norms.

Monitoring and evaluation (Ecological monitoring and benefit evaluation)

Ecological monitoring: The project continuously monitors and regularly evaluates vegetation restoration and adjusts vegetation management measures on a timely basis based on changes in vegetation growth, soil moisture and other indicators by employing local people as seasonal workers. 

 

Benefit evaluation: Helping the community residents to improve their income by 2,000 yuan on average per household who adopted the new techniques, enabling farmers to directly benefit from the achievements of ecological restoration.

  • Access to communication with the local farmers at early stage. 
  • Local expertise and the seasonal workers from the local communities enabled the monitoring of ecological restoration progress
  • Local village councils and the farmers who took part in our community surveys contributed to the evaluation of social and economic benefits.

We replanted more trees where some of the trees didn’t grow properly after we finished planting in the first round. But after monitoring and testing, we realized that there is not enough moisture to support planting this quantity of trees. We adjusted replanting plans by either not planting more or reducing the replanting density. We planted different native tree species in the single tree species area in order to increase the biodiversity and resilience to climate change.

Sustainability and replicability

Maintaining and strengthening the established stakeholder’s engagement mechanism with  overarching  provincial, district and divisional governance bodies with sustainable financing solutions and capacity building is required for sustainability and replicability of the solution.  'The National Policy of the Environmentally Sensitive Areas management' provides the required policy framework for replication of this solution. When the communities identify the potential of resilience building of their livelihood through conservation, it becomes an incentive for their active collaboration on co-management and join monitoring of natural resources. Within given Sri Lankan context, there are many environmentally sensitive seascapes, where it could replicate this model, and this is being factored within National Environment Action Plan 2021-2030 for Sri Lanka. Therefore, there is an evident potential for sustainability and replication of this model.

  • Partnerships with stakeholders at every level
  • Continuous awareness raising about the importance of BRMS and community lives associate with it.

 

  • During the initial phase of restoring the BRMS, a case study was carried out using methods of unstructured focus groups discussions via cause-problem-impact diagrams and structured key informant interviews, and observations of this initiative revealed that community believes on 'CBNRM and Co-management' over 'regulation driven management' of Department of Wildlife Conservation. This solution was accepted and is currently proposed for replication at ESA national scaleup plan in seascapes.
  • Co-management of implementation activities to ensure sustainability and active lobbying to influence and implement conservation measures was also considered as a lesson learned.
Radical Listening

Radical Listening initiates a paradigm shift by asking Traditional and Indigenous rainforest communities this simple question. “You are the guardians of a rainforest that is valuable to the health of the whole planet. How might the world community assist you to live in balance with this rainforest as a thank you for your guardianship of it?”  Our belief is that communities hold the key to humanity’s longevity. Traditional conservation approaches are often based on punitive measures and seldom linked to human well-being. Our approach is based on reciprocity, and valuing local people and traditional science. 

No intervention from third parties, all local communities (man and woman) have the right to express their opinions during Radical Listening sessions.

Core to ASRI’s mission is democratising protecting rainforests. Local ownership is key to our approach where all programs, products, and resources are owned by the local communities. ASRI plays a key role in organizing, convening, and supporting rapid development and uptake of interventions that support a just transition to regenerative livelihoods. The iterative and ongoing process of Radical Listening continuously improves programs over time and ensures local ownership and efficacy. Involvement is paramount and integrated throughout the planning, implementation, and ongoing sustainable practices. The in-country staff are 100% nationals, and we prioritize hiring local community members whenever possible.

 

Community conservation of bonobos and southern Basankusu forests through local development

In order to enable community-based, participatory and inclusive conservation, local development is a very important and relevant component in the implementation of our actions.

That's why we decided to initiate an approach centered on local communities living near the biotopes we are promoting for the conservation of bonobos and their associated habitats. By responding favorably to community needs and feelings, and by supporting them in the rational, reasoned and sustainable management of their natural and acquired resources, we have achieved success rates of up to 85% for our solution.

The various micro-projects put in place (goat rearing, pig rearing and pilot fish farming; family vegetable gardens; micro-trades and others) have been replicated by the beneficiary associations and by 75% of the inhabitants throughout the project area, and have helped to increase the income of local communities, enabling them to meet their material, financial and food needs. So far, this has been an effective solution to the problem of preserving biodiversity in general, and bonobos and their habitats in particular.

  • Involving local communities in socio-economic surveys and environmental awareness campaigns,
  • Support for micro-projects implemented by local beneficiary communities,
  • The commitment of local communities to the sustainable replication of these micro-projects,
  • The involvement of local authorities in supporting GACEBB in its actions,
  • The dedicated and willing involvement of GACEBB's technical team (animators-accompanists).
  • Taking charge of projects implemented on the basis of the consents (CLIPs) of the local communities themselves,
  • Always be a structure that works in communion with local communities,
  • Not dictating to communities what values they should live by, but always listening to them and accompanying them,
  • Favoring an information and training approach to promote their socio-environmental awareness in favor of threatened species and their habitats, as well as in their own favor (eco-development).
Conservation through ecological monitoring of primates and other large fauna species

To achieve community-based, participatory conservation of bonobos and their associated habitat, we believe it is essential to monitor primates, i.e. bonobos and other species of small monkeys, as well as other species of large fauna. To this end, the NGO GACEBB is working with local communities to select Community Trackers (CTs) with proven expertise in the forest in question to carry out ecological monitoring of these species, and to record on a pre-established form whether the numbers of the flagship species (the bonobo) are increasing or decreasing, and also whether human pressures are decreasing or increasing, as well as ascertaining whether or not other species of large fauna are present.

The involvement of the local communities concerned, the commitment of the chosen Community Trackers, the commitment of the local authorities to support GACEBB in its actions, GACEBB's implicit response to the needs (felt to be priorities) of the local communities expressed during the socio-economic surveys and the dedicated commitment of the GACEBB team despite the meagre salary are just some of the factors influencing the success of our actions.

  • Let communities express their consent to any action,
  • Encourage the involvement of all social groups in your conservation actions,
  • Strive at all costs to remain a local structure, i.e. one that listens to local communities, responds to their expressed needs and applies transparency in project management,
  • Always be proactive in knowing how to support communities in the face of current challenges (disappearance of biodiversity, resurgence of the coronavirus pandemic, climate change, etc.).
Monitoring and maintenance

Training for the maintenance and proper operation of the restrooms.

Gathering feedback from users to improve the units.

Monitoring of the solution and the ecosystem's response, together with the protected area authorities and the project's technical team.

Proposals for technological improvements to the units based on the monitoring results.

Availability of a technical team, volunteers and support from park rangers.

Availability of users in the use of the solution.

The importance of keeping up to date on dry toilets technology and construction materials to implement continuous and effective improvements. In order to improve biodiversity and protect environments that are continuously growing in their flow of visitors.

Village Saving and Loan Scheme and External Partnerships

The Village Savings and Loan Scheme is an IPaCoPA's sustainability strategy where members in their self-manage Groups meet regularly to save their money in a safe space and access small loans from the money collected among themselves to invest in livelihood projects at household level such as Agriculture and Solar energy. Because most individual members lack prerequisites to access loans from financial institutions, the VSLA scheme helps members to easily access finances and secure soft loans under group guarantorship. This supplements TUA's efforts to implement various aspects of the IPaCoPA initiative and to sustain the TUA's already supported projects such as looking after the trees planted and setting up kitchen gardens by households. With our external partners,  key of them who include the District Local Government, UNDP, SAI Group UK, and Jade Products Ltd, we have been able to get endorsements, Capacity trainings, Digital Platforms such as Project Management systems and access to e-commerce, Funding (forexample from UNDP-Y4BF to support 500 youth in commercial farming of Chilli), and other resources which makes IPaCoPA operate in complete ecosystem. 

  1. Existence of clear objectives aligned to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that interest other organisations/Firms with similar or related objectives, and or philanthropic about what we intend to achieve through our objectives. 
  2.  The zeal and enthusiasm by the team leader and the board to search for relevant partners and express interest for partnership. 
  3. Access to and ability to use internet enhanced with an organisational website “www.treeugandaacademy.com
  4. Upholding the organisational principles and values.
  1. Building trust with partners and also determining the trustworthiness of those whom you partner with is paramount to sustain relevant and lasting partnerships. Concisely it’s important to develop clear agreements, be flexible and understand your partner’s language.   
  2. Partnership is a learning process therefore you need to be open order to learn from other partners, particularly local partners in areas where project activities are being implemented. Local partners have a lot to teach about the community needs and local context and how to develop and create more sustainable results.
  3. Failures on some partnerships is inevitable, in case partnership fails, it is important to assess why the partnership failed, share and learn from those failures, reiterate and incorporate the lessons learned into the next partnership.  
  4. The success of our organisation and the IPaCoPA solution ain particular relies on strong partnerships. Developing a partnership mindset based on relationships is far important because even when the funded activities end, the relationship continues and there is an opportunity for sustainable support.
FISHING GEAR

Traditional fishing gear excluded women from fishing because it was expensive, too heavy and neccessitated fishing at night. Strings and baits helped to overcome these challenges. Strings with baits attached are hanged in between mangrove trees close to homes. Women cast them early morning and collect their catch next day early morning.

Mangroves have a high accumulation of micro-organisms, phytoplankton and other life forms that constitute the diet of different species of fish. Mangroves receive high concentration of nutrients from rivers and adjacent riparian ecosystems. Mangroves also provide shelter against predators and allows long-time fishing and safe breeding.  Other enabling factors: provision of security against theft and destruction by livestock, cooperation and commitment from spouses, sound management of toxic waste and market mechanisms.

We have learnt the following lessons: changes in power relations that can be brought about is important, the mangrove forest must be of the size that is adequate for all in order to avoid conflicts over the right of fishing in a particular area, the focus should not be only on fishing but on other social, economic and ecological issues as well e.g. waste management, financial management and marketing, broader protection of the environment, nutrition and health, gender equality, human rights, etc.