Securing the support of multiple government agencies for a joint vision for the conservation of protected forests

This initiative brings together all stakeholders, including different levels of government, around a 'collective responsibility' approach. The National Park is managed by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (a central government agency). Ensuring coherence between park management and planning processes and development at the wider landscape is a challenge.Addressing deforestation in the National Park while supporting improved farmer livelihoods requires improved links, policy coherence and an integrated approach between different government levels and agencies. Our initiative has sought to achieve this through government engagement at district, provincial and central government levels, securing support from each level for the 'Collective Statement of Intent'. Understanding what opportunities this presents for supporting the separate aims of individual government agencies (such as improved park management and protection, rural development and improved agricultural production) has been critical in engaging government. 

WCS and the National Park Authority have a long working relationship. WCS operates in Indonesia under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry and has worked at the site level with the National Park Authority in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park for over twenty years.  

 

As with private sector engagement, one-on-one engagement with the government has been important to ensure that government aims, priorities and challenges are taken into account and are at the heart of proposed solutions. Following this, joint meetings among all stakeholders proved important in bringing together sectors that do not often have opportunities to engage with one another on cross-cutting issues such as deforestation in the National Park. This was important in demonstrating the potential for a joint vision that can support both biodiversity conservation, development and farmer livelihood improvements. Government engagement has also been essential in ensuring private sector support, and vice versa. 

Local capacity building on protected area financing

On the other hand, the Monarch Fund (MF) strengthens the local capacities of 33 ejidos and communities to comply with the fiscal and banking conditions related to annual conservation payments under the concurrent funds' modality. In collaboration with Conafor, Conanp, FMCN and forest advisors, the FM supports the development of 29 Best Management Practices for Conservation Programs (BMPCP). The BMPCP is intended to be a document to guide the implementation of activities aimed at the conservation of forest ecosystems, in order to maintain or improve the provision of environmental services within areas under financial incentives. In addition, the BMPCP are intended to enable beneficiaries to obtain resources from other government programs to carry out the activities proposed in them.

In order to strengthen the MF strategy within the ejidos and communities, the MF Coordinator accompanied the design of dissemination materials with information on the new stage of the MF .

 

Finally, the FMCN, in coordination with the United States Forest Service and the Monarch Network, supports complementary conservation activities in the core areas in the areas of fire management, water monitoring, fire protection and restoration of degraded areas.

As proposed in the case study Funding for Forest and Biodiversity Conservation in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve: the Monarch Fund, in the future, we must maintain recognition that forests play an essential role in the generation of the environmental services provided by the MBBR, so that the conservation of core areas is a very important component. However, it must be made clear that "the maintenance of ecosystem services also requires ensuring the sustainable use of the territory throughout the protected natural area and its immediate area of influence"

Clear institutional framework through public-private partnership

Monarch Fund (MF) is part of FMCN´s Fund for Natural Protected Areas (FANP), a public-private initiative between FMCN, the Government of Mexico and the World Bank. The FANP consists of endowment resources, whose interests are channeled to 30 priority natural protected areas in the country.

 

FANP has a Technical Committee of the FANP (CTFANP) that oversees its operation, including the MF. This Committee is composed of seven members from different sectors, who are appointed by the National Council of Natural Protected Areas and ratified by the FMCN Board of Directors.

 

Another component of the MF is the Monarch Fund Trust Technical Committee (CTFMM), which approves annual payments to ejidos and communities that have complied with forest cover conservation in core areas. Six representatives of ejidos (agricultural and forestry properties for collective use), indigenous communities and private landowners participate in the CTFMM.

This achievement has been the result of the coordinated work of the federal environmental authority, the governments of the states of Mexico and Michoacan, FMCN, WWF, the ejidos, indigenous communities and owners of the core zones that supported the establishment of the Monarch Fund and leveraging Concurrent Funds to double the payment per hectare conserved in the core zones of the MBBR.

The MF sets a precedent in Mexico for being the first endowment fund whose interests directly support the owners of a federal protected natural area in the long term.

Availability of Data

Three types of data were particularly important in the design and promotion of the “Program for Earthquake-Resistant School Buildings”: school data, data on damages, and data on hazard risks. School data was collected by surveys and investigations conducted by FDMA and MEXT. A list of the surveys is indicated below.

  • School Basic Survey (annually since 1948) to collect basic data.
  • Public School Facilities Survey (annually since 1954) to collect building area and conditions of school facilities.
  • Status of Seismic Resistance of Public School Facilities (annually since 2002) to collect data on the seismic resistance of school structures as well as suspended ceilings of gymnasiums and other nonstructural elements of school buildings.

Earthquake Damage Investigation (after each mega-disaster such as the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and the Great East Japan Earthquake) to collect damage to buildings, specifically the kind of damage suffered by various types of buildings, the location where the damage occurred and under what circumstances, and the kind of earthquake that caused the damage.

Use of social networks and non-traditional media to publicize the initiative

The communication strategy to disseminate the importance and actions of the CPY must be inclusive and innovative, through the creation of a brand and key messages to transmit each year to cyclists, participants should easily identify the main objective of the initiative.
In this sense, we create advertising products such as: press conference, advertising, infographics, maps, posters, jersey, buff, medals that are disclosed during the promotion and the development of events through digital platforms and social networks: website, facebook, twitter, etc. .).
Another space to spread the concept of cycling is that during the tour there are strategic stops for hydration, healthy and natural snacks for cyclists; These spaces are used by local governments and communities to promote the products of their agrobiodiversity and bioemprendimientos.
To socialize the concept of sustainability, during the advertising campaign on social networks, it is indicated that the food will be delivered in sustainable containers (banana leaves) and that the hydration will be delivered in its reusable bottles (plastic bottles should not be used).

Define a clear concept that we want to spread among cyclists.
Maintain the commitment of local governments to promote the products of their agrobiodiversity.
Establish the appropriate communication channels to reach the target group.
Use a registration website for the conceptualization of the event: yawisumak.cicloviajerosec.com / www.ciclorutadelagarua.com
Have a creative graphic designer and aware of the objective to be transmitted.

Having a concept of the bike-trip encourages interest and increases the participation of cyclists.
The dissemination of CPY concepts in advance during the promotion of the event is essential to sensitize cyclists.
The website and social networks are key platforms to have a national reach.
Having a good quality photographic record allows the participants to identify themselves in social networks, tag and share the photos and the message of the event once the event is over.

Building consensus among partners through consultation

Carry out coordination meetings between bicycle groups and CPY connectivity corridor promoter group  to define the budget, the route, the road map, the responsibilities and the message that will be transmitted in the current edition, for example: groups ethnic, spectacled bears - andean bears (Tremarctos Ornatus), mountain tapir (Tapirus pinchaque), water resource or etc.

In a second moment, all the actors meet: environmental authority, private company and aid institutions to agree on logistics, support issues and the contingency plan to ensure the safety of cyclists.

The structure and communication in a government space are key to the success of the event, sometimes it is complicated to handle certain conflicts for institutional leadership and protagonism.

  • Have a cooperation system.
  • Establish adequate communication channels.
  • Generate horizontal leadership, avoiding political and economic interests.
  • Be aware of a common goal
  • Leadership must be managed from civil society.
  • The management of the economic resources for the development of the event must be carried out by a civil society organization.
  • Interference of political interests in decisions should not be allowed.
  • The participation of private companies is the key to the sustainability.
  • The planning time should be about three months in advance.
Building on experiences

One of the biggest instigators for developing and promoting school retrofitting is the past experiences of earthquakes. The 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake triggered the development of the program’s comprehensive guidelines, and the program gained momentum after the 2004 Chuetsu Earthquake and 2008 Sichuan Earthquake in China which caused the collapse of 6,898 school buildings and 19,065 deaths of schoolchildren. This prompted MEXT officials to pass the revised Act on Special Measures for Earthquake Disaster Countermeasures, which supported additional national subsidies toward the school retrofitting and reconstruction program. The 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake prompted the program to give higher priority to nonstructural elements and highlighted the need for tsunami countermeasures and functional improvements of schools as evacuation centers. Learning from each disaster event and applying the lessons learned to the improvement of the systems has contributed to ensuring the seismic safety of public schools.

  • Identification of the need to prioritize the subject through national policy.
  • The political will to make improvements to policies to achieve a goal.

Political will and interest to identify the retrofitting of schools as a priority initiative was essential for the national government to take measures to improve its systems and policies building on experiences. The constant effort to promote the retrofitting program was in part induced by politicians’ interest in both humanitarian and economic reasons. In a culture that prioritizes human life, a policy for making schools earthquake-resistant has the aim of saving the lives of schoolchildren. The policy also is considered an effective investment that contributes to local economies and produces tangible results that are well-received by the public.

Scaling-up and sustainability of adaptation measures

Promoting EbA measures with a high level of community involvement and binational ties was an effective way to achieve greater interaction between community, municipal and national actors, and also between peers (network of resilient producers; local government encounter). The results are, on the one hand, greater local empowerment, and on the other, scaling-up of EbA measures both vertically and horizontally. Thus, contributions are made towards institutionalizing EbA and creating conditions for its sustainability. The replication of the integral farm model arose from networking between producers, communities and local governments, and from a regional project with the Binational Commission of the Sixaola River Basin (CBCRS) that provided the financing. The Agrobiodiversity Fair, the work of producers as a network, and the Binational Reforestation Events, which are now all under the auspices of local and national institutions, were important mobilizing forces of change and spaces for exchange and learning. In the vertical sense, the scaling-up of EbA included working with the CBCRS to integrate EbA in the Strategic Plan for Transboundary Territorial Development (2017-2021), and with MINAE in the National Climate Change Adaptation Policy of Costa Rica.

  • Much of the work was accomplished thanks to the channelling and guiding role of the CBCRS (created in 2009) as a binational platform for governance and dialogue, and the ACBTC as a local development association. Both advocate for local and territorial interests and know the gaps and needs that exist in the area, and with this project were able to address the challenges that communities face and improve governance in the basin, promoting an ecosystem approach and a broad participation of actors.
  • Coordinating efforts through the CBCRS has shown that it is more cost-effective to work with existing structures and governance bodies, with powers and interests in the good management of natural resources and in achieving an appropriate representation of key actors, than to aim to create new groups or committees to deal with EbA issues.
  • Improving multilevel and multisectoral governance is a fundamental part of effective adaptation. Here, the role of subnational governments (such as municipalities) needs to be underscored, since they have a mandate in the management of the territory, but also responsibilities in the implementation of national adaptation policies and programs (e.g. NDCs and NAPs).
  • The identification of spokespersons and leaders (amongst men, women and youth) is an important factor in effectively fomenting the uptake and up-scaling of EbA.
Collaboration with Private sectors to enable sustainable financing

For the continuity of the project, we need sustainable finance. Forena is currently partnering with Lux* Resorts and Hotels, Kolos, Rotary clubs, PWC(PricewaterhouseCoopers), Abax, IBL Together(Ireland Blyth Limited), HSBC(Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited) and Porlwi by nature (Ciel Group). It feeds into the overarching project to regenerate the total 11 hectares of the mountain ecosystem.Tree planting and clean up events were done with those stakeholders and their employees. These activities support the revival of the ecosystem of Citadel and Petrin, the reduction of soil erosion and desertification and allow the connection with nature and healthy living. In this way, the stakeholders get to know how their money is being spent for the reforestation of Citadel and Petrin.They are contributing to the conservation and preservation of the native forests of Mauritius indirectly. Protecting nature should not only reflect the work of non-governmental organisation but also that of stakeholders involved which would not have been possible without them.

Make sure that regular meetings are done with the stakeholders and that they are able to hold grip of what has been done and what needs to be implemented on site.

Each stakeholder must have someone who  represents them and who liaises with the non-governmental organisations because sometimes it becomes difficult when a meeting has to be set up due to different working schedules.

 

Good collaboration from partners due to their keen interest in working for the environment.

Set a formal relation with the stakeholders, explain to them the purpose and impacts of the project.

Organize activities for them on site followed by a briefing and demonstration.

Do a follow up by sending an activity report of their event and annual report for continuous partnerships in achieving full restoration of the native forest of Citadel and Petrin.

 

Reforestation activities by Non Governmental Organisations

FORENA alongside Friends of the Environment(FOE) are currently running the 'Restoration and Valorisation of the Citadel of Port Louis' project, under the Tourism Authority, with a team of experts comprised of architects, historians, archaeologists, and ecologists of the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF), that envisages the historical restoration and valorisation of the Citadel heritage to be used for tourism, education and leisure purposes.

FOE  has been active in the organisation of environmentally important conferences and seminars. They have renovated and now assume management of the Martello Tower Museum and, through the Heritage Trust, continue the rehabilitation of cemeteries. Members have been participating on many committees for the environment over the years. 

MWF works for the conservation and preservation of the nation's endangered plant and animal species. They collaborate with local and international partners, with the long-term aim of recreating lost ecosystems by saving some of the rarest species from extinction and restoring the native forests. 

Proper communication between both teams (FORENA and FOE) since we are both working on the same project but on different assigned areas of Citadel.
 

The same technique is to be applied for tree planting. If one team has changed their methodology and use a more efficient one, then they pass on the information so that the other team can use the same method.
 

We share the same gardener but each team has their own equipments.

 

 

All the mentioned non-governmental organisations share the same aim which is to be able to have the full re scale restoration at Citadel and to be able to have a proper monitoring of the native forest of Petrin. Forena acts as the link between those organisations and stakeholders to allow continous collaboration for the nature of Mauritius.

 

There are several techniques which Forena has adopted from Friend of the Environment since they had the expertise of ecologists. For example we have started using gel which allows water and nutrients to be retained around the root base of the plants and also the water bottle technique which allows efficient watering.

 

There is always a good coordination mechanism between the organisations when there is a case of vandalism or fire outbreak.