field visits and study tours with government and other partners
The project focused on re-enforcing the capacities of actors on the ground (local community-based organizations as well as capacities of the Municipal Government), to implement ecosystem-based interventions and therefore much was "learning-by-doing".
The project also aimed to strengthen coastal governance at the municipal level and capacity for sustainable coastal zone management through the creation of a Municipal Coordination Roundtable, trainings and support.
At the national level capacity building efforts were directed at raising national awareness of the importance of the ridge-to-reef approach to disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation and need for sustainable coastal zone management.
Working with community-based organizations cements on the ground training in these practical field interventions and their maintenance.
Furthermore, having field activities serve as an entry point to promote ecosystem-based activities within the framework coastal governance at the national level and raise national awareness of coastal and marine issues.
The limited technical capacities and resources at the municipal level was a challenge. Introducing participatory dialogue through the Municipal Coordination Roundtable, was helpful, especially for civil society organizations, which gained a more direct access and involvement in municipal planning and decision-making. It also enabled the Municipal Government to take on a more visible role in coastal zone management. However, absences and turnovers in Municipal Government also made it difficult to anchor training efforts and build long-lasting capacity within local government institutions. One lesson learned from the project was to work closely with the more permanent, technical Municipal Government staff and strengthen their capacities and ownership of the project. In addition, UNEP built partnerships and agreements with different Government entities to manage local political instability and lack of continuity.
The project invested significantly in capacity building at the local and nation level through awareness raising on EbA/Eco-DRR, hands on field learning activities and training workshops. The project ensured that women were among those trained in all activities.
Local capacity building targeted mainly the five villages where the interventions took place but also involved representatives from villages who were involved in up-scaling the project interventions to a larger area of the wadi in the upstream section. Awareness raising promote dialogue on dryland ecosystems and disaster risk management issues.
Farm extension agents (2 in each village) were trained due to limited presence of the Government in the villages to provide agricultural extension support services. Moreover, eight community animal health workers also referred to as “paravets”, were trained on animal husbandry, treatment, animal drugs, feeding, and vaccination, through theoretical and practical sessions. The "paravets" also monitored the re-seeded pasture areas.
A national and a state-level training on Eco-DRR were also undertaken.
The major portion of capacity building took place in the field, as part of “learning by doing” through implementation of field interventions such as nursery establishment and management, rangeland re-seeding, and reforestation.
Local capacity-building trainings provided to communities improve the chances of continuity in the management of field interventions.
The State-level workshop initiated a series of dialogues in North Darfur on the importance of establishing a forum that serves as a platform for natural resource management that is both inclusive and conscious of water-related hazards. Undertaking such trainings at the national and state-level, help mainstream ecosystem-based measures in national policies and programmes. Indeed IWRM was identified as a key measure to reducing disaster risks and adapting to climate change and weather extremes, which was reflected in the National Agenda for Action which was the main output of the national training.
Building strong partnerships at the local and national level and working with the local community is essential for the implementation and overall success and sustainability of the project.
Furthermore it was essential to connect the local communities to government bodies and ensure the state takes joint ownership of the activities so that any future support that is needed can be sought from the government.
UNEP had strong longstanding partnerships (with local stakeholders and local and national implementing partners) in place in the project area.
In a fragile context like in Sudan, having long standing partnerships are vital for the success of the project.
During implementation of community based activities it was learned that community level projects must make it least demanding of time and energy from community members, and ensure the right timing of activities to match communities’ schedule, as project activities generally require voluntary work.
Moreover, when communities see clear evidence of the benefits of the interventions, they then become more willing to implement and continue with similar activities on their own in the future. Interventions that show less direct livelihood benefits require good dialogue and awareness raising campaigns.
Supporting national advocacy on ecosystem-based measures
To support the Government of DRC in its national transition towards IWRM a Roadmap was developed to guide the development of a National Water Policy. The Roadmap outlines the principal orientation and necessary steps in the elaboration of the National Water Policy, the principal stakeholders involved, an initial work plan, and a fund mobilization strategy. DRR is also highlighted in the Roadmap as a priority theme along with capacity building and cross-sectoral coordination. This Roadmap is influenced by the IWRM experience in Lukaya and makes specific reference to DRR and the role of local communities in IWRM.
A National working group on Eco-DRR was also formed at the demand of the Government, who had interest in establishing a National Platform on DRR.
National dialogue was sparked on Eco-DRR through the field demonstrations, the workshops and trainings.
The project’s success in raising awareness on Eco-DRR in the country was evidenced when the Government of DRC took the initiative to promote ecosystem-based approaches during preparatory discussions on the post-2015 global framework on DRR, now the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030). The Government of DRC has taken full ownership of promoting Eco-DRR approaches through IWRM.
As this was DRC’s first experience in applying both the Eco-DRR, as well as IWRM approach, it was critically important to progressively develop and strengthen capacities over time, which involved:
Awareness-raising;
training and workshops;
Hands-on learning activities in the field demonstration sites;
Field visits and study tours both in the country and in the region.
There was a total of 71 trainings and workshops. These covered general meetings (inception and presentation); national awareness raising workshops on Eco-DRR and IWRM; workshops related to IWRM, the role of Eco-DRR in IWRM and action planning; trainings on hydro-meteorological monitoring, soil erosion monitoring and flood risk modelling; training on agroforestry and value chain production; and trainings on soil loss monitoring and bioengineering to reduce soil erosion.
The project emphasized the importance of linking the local group AUBR/L with the relevant National Government ministries and other partners, whose capacity was also built so that the work is sustainable over time.
The project also created new partnerships, which facilitated study tours in the country and in the region.
A major portion of capacity building took place in the field, as part of “learning-by-doing” through implementation of the field interventions. While these were intended to support field interventions, they were also designed to establish locally-managed systems that would be long lasting. Therefore, trainings were added also according to needs identified during the implementation of the project. For example, it was identified that capacity needed to be established also on how to sell produce from agroforestry (not just on how to implement agroforestry) and on bushfire management after a fire destroyed a reforestation site.
Support provincial and national level advocacy on Eco-DRR
Community trainings and consultation
UNEP
This component aimed to promote ecosystem based measures and disaster risk reduction in Afghanistan where such work is budding only nationally. The project therefore identified entry points such as climate change adaptation work and promoted the overall concept of disaster risk reduction in the country with ecosystem-based measures as an integral component of DRR.
Through its field interventions and multiple local, provincial and national-level trainings and workshops, the project sparked national dialogue on the effectiveness of ecosystem-based measures to achieve sustainable and disaster-resilient development. The project was timely because it provided a tangible experience of Eco-DRR in Afghanistan, which helped inform national policy dialogue leading up to the adoption of the new global framework on DRR.
The project has influenced national policy and programmes by promoting Eco-DRR as an integral component of DRR in humanitarian and disaster management activities, as well as by integrating EcoDRR in climate change adaptation activities. However high turnover of staff in government positions has been a limiting factor in efforts to build capacity and support policy advocacy on Eco-DRR. For instance, UNEP’s efforts to promote Eco-DRR in the 5-year Provincial Plan of Bamyan were undermined by a change in Provincial Governor and multiple temporary assignments to this position, which resulted in long delays in the development of the Provincial Plan. However, the national trainings and conferences ensure that capacity is built within technical government staff.
The project invested significantly in building capacity for Eco-DRR implementation. Firstly, awareness raising for different audiences (communities in the project area, government, university and other local and national audiences) was conducted by various means such as radio, conferences, workshops, factsheets and posters, 3D model and video.
Secondly various workshops on Eco-DRR implementation were undertaken at the local level to instruct on nursery management, early warning and preparedness, community resilience centre management, as well as trainers training. Field demonstrations and practical trainings at the provincial and national level served as a basis for strengthening Provincial and National Governments’ understanding of Eco-DRR practice in order to sustain future implementation and replication of Eco-DRR measures.
Finally, the project involved universities in Afghanistan in national and provincial EcoDRR conferences and trainings, in an effort to mainstream Eco-DRR concepts and practical knowledge in university programmes.
Having a long standing relationship and working with local organizations and actors is important for a good communication strategy and enabling capacity building. Furthermore, additional funding enabled a learning exchange to promote Eco-DRR and CCA in the region between Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
Dialogue, involving stakeholders and working with local organizations, having a local pilot demonstration project and investing heavily in strengthening capacity are key for sustainability.
