Institutional framework, legal requirements and management
Community welfare
Importance of conservation
Upscaling agroecological practices through joint networking
The various zones engage in joint zonal networking activities such as having joint learning and sharing forums, joint farmer exchange visits, joint exhibitions, joint proposal writing and implementation among others. This enhances learning and sharing amongst the network members as this provides an opportunity to interact. Through the zonal initiative, members are able to apply for consortium funds are this enhances their level of winning the funds. For instance, five members from Nairobi and Central zone are currently implementing a joint project by the name Food Security and Livelihoods (FOSELI). This is a way of creating synergy and doing things that one member organization cannot do alone.
PELUM Kenya secretariat supports zonal initiatives in its programmes and promotes a suitable ground for members to engage each other
PELUM Kenya has recruited zonal Networking Coordinators who are engaged in enhancing networking amongst members in a zone
The zonal members hold periodic meetings to discuss various issues regarding theis zones as a way of reflecting and improving
There is need to plan early especially for activities that engage various members so that there is time to intergaret in the organizational plans and for effectiveness
There is need for members to be engaged from the planning stage to the implementation stage to minimize conflicts
Clustering member organizations from one region in one zone
The decentralised zonal networking operates in such a manner that member organizations from a certain geographical region are clustered together in one zone. This brings together members who are experiencing similar challenges based on their geographical locations together.
The members are able to engage in decision making process and representation in various initiative in the national network is based on zonal representation and decisions
Members in the same zone are therefore able to meet more in a cost effective manner as limited time and resources is require to engage a fellow member organization in the same zone
The members in a certain zone are also able to engage in joint advocacy initiatives in their various regions
By clustering members in a certain geographical region, the members are able to know each other, interact more and engage in activities that enhance learning and sharing amongst themselves
Participatory processes that engage the zonal emmbers: Various zones are given the mandate to make decisions that involve the zone and are also represented in various intitiaves by the national secretariats
There is need to encourage zonal members in decision making for ownership and sustaiability purposes
Using tourism economic data for analysis, reporting and influencing decision-making
Iguaçu National Park
thiago Beraldo
The main objective of tourism and recreation economic analysis have been used for public relations objectives. Common objectives of tourism economic analyses have been to increase support for raising PA budgets, for building partnerships, and for influencing local policies and planning decisions.
These types of uses require lower levels of detail or accuracy compared with other studies focused on evaluating management alternatives for specific PA issues, like decisions about new investments, facilities or services. For instance, park managers may wish to use this tool for the purpose of adaptive management and/or integrate economic impact evaluation with a livelihoods or social analysis of the PA that reveals non-monetary benefits and costs. In such cases, the study should be designed to allow for estimation of local level impacts.
At the same time, government administrators may wish to compare the national level value of a park with other land uses or parks in similar regions. What is important is that major stakeholders are consulted prior to the design phase so that chosen measures and their relationship to the park reflect what is desired to be known by the intended audience.
The presentation of the results should be focused on the purpose of the report and the audience. Figures and examples facilitate the public understanding. In order to support presentations,
PA managers should communicate the TEMPA results in order to raise awareness among policy-makers, conservation and commercial stakeholders, local communities, and the public at large of the value that PAs serve not just for conservation but also as engines for benefit-sharing.
Results should be communicated in terms that are understandable to the intended audience. Normally, a summary and glossary of economic terms is helpful for most audiences. The most common measures are sales, income, jobs, GDP and taxes; formal definitions of the measures are also needed to clarify these terms and the measurement units.
Tourism Economic Model in Protected Areas (TEMPA) assessment tool
Table Mountain National Park - Boulders - South Africa
Thiago Beraldo
As part of a larger effort to assess the socio-economic impacts of GEF-funded Protected Areas, the Tourism Economic Model for Protected Areas (TEMPA) was developed to help guide project managers and others in the collection, analysis and display of tourism spending data using an easy to use spreadsheet-based tool, which is also provided. Despite the fact that economic impact analysis has been applied in many countries, such as, USA, Canada, Australia, Finland, Namibia, and South Africa, this preliminary version of the tool and accompanying spreadsheet represents an initial step in a longer process of testing and refining TEMPA in a wide range of protected area categories globally. At present, TEMPA has been tested only in one selected park in Southern Africa, and nationally for Brazil. Results show significant direct and indirect economic gains from parks at the local and national level. It is hoped that the widespread use of tools such as TEMPA can continue to build from this effort to highlight the important multi-faceted role that protected areas play in supporting nature and livelihoods.
Estimating the economic effects of visitor expenditure
Economic Effects = Number of Visitors * Average spending per visitor * Economic multipliers
To complete the analysis, the manager undertaking a park study needs to collect or estimate the following:
the number of visitors who visit the parks and surrounding area;
the average spending per visitor in the region, and;
apply economic multipliers to measure the ripple effects of expenditure within the region (TEMPA).
The TEMPA model assists the manager with entering data and calculating the economic impact of a park. Setting up the calculations to estimate the economic effects of tourism expenditure may seem rather daunting, especially to people with little experience in economics and the analysis of economic data. Therefore, the model that will do most of the work, and is likely to surprise with how easy it is to use.
Community members walk along a seasonal river to identify potential sand dam site.
Utooni Development Organization
Sand dams (some times called more general groundwater dams) store water under the ground. A sand dam is a small dam build above ground and into the riverbed of a seasonal sand river. Sand accumulates upstream of the dam, resulting in additional groundwater storage capacity. Similar to sand dam a subsurface dam obstructs the groundwater flow of an aquifer and stores water below ground level. Sand and subsurface dams are suitable for rural areas with semi-arid climate in order to store only seasonal available water to be used in dry periods for livestock, minor irrigation as well as for domestic use.
Benefits include:
Storage of rain water in seasonal rivers
Minimum evaporation since water is stored in sand
Reduction of contamination by livestock and other animals since water is under sand
Filtration of water flowing through the riverbed sand improves water quality
Sand dams can be built with locally available material and labour but building a dam still requires relatively high investments, is labour intensive and specific expertise is needed.
The technology is labour and physical capital intensive. Depending on site location, some communities may not be able to implement it without some external aid.
The campaign employs a multi-stakeholder approach by ensuring that relevant stakeholders including the relevant Government Ministries, Schools, Private Sector, Farmers, Media, PELUM Kenya member organizations and othe CSOs are involved in the campaigns as a strategy of enhancing sustainability of the project beyond the project period.
The project targets the wider public through mass awareness creation so as to raise awareness on the need to grow and eat organic foods.
Media is embraced to reach to the wider public through both electric and print media methods. This includes continuous update of PELUM Kenya’s social media sites with organic food and farming messages. The media practioners are also invited to cover and air the various activities.
It also targets to build capacity of small scale farmers to further embrace organic foods and farming for healthy environments and people. This is done through exchange visits to successful organic enterprises and organic exhibitions.
As a way of enhancing the spirit of networking within PELUM Kenya network, all the member organizations of PELUM Kenya in the focus areas are involved in all aspects of this project.
Various stakeholders have different roles to play in enhancing the plight of organic food and farming. Relationship building, partnerships and networking is also key for ensuring that anticipated results are achieved.
Our mission as a network is to promote Ecological Land Use Management (elum) practices, which include organic farming and foods. A majority of PELUM Kenya member organizations promote organic farming as well. Green Action Week therefore compliments well with our mission as an organization
The global campaign gives added value to national activities as it exposes the efforts of other stakeholders in promoting sustainable production and consumption of organic products; it also helps in creating awareness to the public beyond what the national team would do.
Undertaking joint activities with all the implementing partners and stakeholders in activities yields results faster than when a single organization does it and also provides a learning and sharing forum
There is need for early planning and engagement to reach a broader scope of stakeholders- schools, tertiary colleges, government departments, business people, and farmer organizations
Target and organize special meetings with decision makers in efforts to popularize the idea among relevant authorities and to bring them on board using advocacy strategies that are friendly and not activitism
Integrated Tax Flow Diagram: South Africa's first biodiversity tax incentive required niche tax skills to achieve its introduction
Candice Stevens| BirdLife South Africa
Tax Specialist, Candice Stevens, showcasing South Africa's tax incentive work
Yann Laurans
The nature of this Project sought to create a biodiversity finance solution for South Africa's protected areas that was built on tax law. In order to succeed in this venture, it was central to have a tax specialist undertake the Project. Previous attempts to introduce biodiversity tax incentives in South Africa had failed due to incorrect tax structuring and lack of practical tax testing. In both the amendment of national tax legislation, as well as the actual appropriation of the tax incentives on behalf of landowners, a skilled tax practitioner, who understood both detailed tax law as well as the environmental policy and legislation that the tax incentives linked to, was required. The very unique nature of this work required a niche skill set to ensure its effective and efficient implementation. This biodiversity finance solution could not have been introduced without a tax specialist.
The use of niche tax skills was enabled through catalytic funding secured to employ such skills to undertake this Project.
Key lessons learned from the niche skill set building block include:
Cross-sector bridges: attracting different skill sets into the mainstream conservation sector was a catalytic step in being able to introduce this innovative solution for biodiversity conservation.
Thinking outside of the box: the utilisation of a skill set uncommon in conservation, created an out-of-the-box solution;
Niche expertise are vital to achieve specific and intricate deliverables: the use of a very specific skills set and expertise regarding tax law was vital to achieving this innovation. The idea was insufficient and key skills were required for successful implementation.
Team work in introducing South Africa's first biodiversity tax incentive
Candice Stevens
Introducing South Africa’s first biodiversity tax incentive required the support and assistance of a very effective and cohesive community of practice within South Africa’s national biodiversity stewardship initiative. The tax incentives relate directly to South Africa's protected areas declared on private or communally owned land. This context required the support of the implementers of these types of protected area declarations to facilitate this unique biodiversity finance solution. The implementers of biodiversity stewardship in South Africa range from representatives of national and provincial government, NGOs, and various experts and specialists. They work together in a collaborative community of practice which provided its full support to the tax incentive work. The novelty of the tax work, as well as the numerous components of the Project that required simultaneous success, required the direct support, advice and assistance of the community of practice. This support facilitated Building Blocks 1 and 2 and ensured that the Project deliverables could be achieved in the most conducive environment possible.
The nature of South Africa’s biodiversity stewardship community of practice was the enabling factor of this building block. The community of practice, into which the work on biodiversity tax incentives was placed, is by nature collaborative, communicative, and cohesive. This allowed for the tax work, despite its uniqueness and complexity, to be supported and assisted by key members of the community of practice. The community of practice is constituted in this way due to the individual experts who work within this field.
Key lessons learned in utilising the community of practice building block:
Team work: attempting to introduce South Africa’s first biodiversity tax incentive in isolation would have been an error. The tax incentives had to be introduced into the context of biodiversity stewardship in South Africa. The Project was integrated into this community of practice during its scoping phase and throughout its implementation.
Partnerships: From the inception of the Project, key partnerships were sought. These partnerships, their support, skills, advice, and varied expertise, were vital to the successful implementation of this complex undertaking.
Regular feedback: the Project provided regular feedback to the community of practice, key partnerships, and stakeholders throughout its duration. This regular feedback allowed for the dissemination of information. Additionally, it allowed for collaborators to remain invested in the Project’s success and ensured continued support.
Communities are key custodians and beneficiaries of South Africa's Wildlife Economy
Barbi Forsythe
South Africa's grasslands are beneficiaries of protected area status and tax benefits
Angus Burns
The Project launched a number of pilot sites across the country to test the use and applicability of biodiversity tax incentives in different contexts. The pilot sites enabled the Project to engage with the people directly impacted by the tax benefits. The pilot sites covered parastatals, international companies, communities, and individual farmers undertaking different commercial activities. The sites also covered different biomes and biodiversity priority areas. This grassroots engagement was a crucial building block as it took the policy engagement of the Project, as well as the achievement of amending national legislation, and practically tested its impact on the ground. To determine what impact the tax incentives would have on landowners declaring protected areas, landowners themselves needed to be engaged deliberately. This grassroots engagement effectively illustrated the financial and tangible benefits of the incentive. These pilot sites also showed that the new biodiversity tax incentive was applicable to all types of legal entities in South Africa and could be applied to a varied array of commercial and private enterprises and activities. It effectively applied the tax impact to landowners and showed that it was successful and replicable.
The primary enabling factor was willing landowners and communities. Without their voluntary engagement, the practical application of the biodiversity tax incentives would not have been possible.
The community of practice assisted in facilitating introductions to landowners and communities and allowed relationships to be built on existing engagements.
A further factor was clear communication about the tax incentives and the fact that they were being tested; expectations were mitigated and the challenges were outlined from the onset.
Key lessons learned in implementing the Grassroots Project Engagement:
Working with an existing community of practice: voluntary participation was needed for this Project. Working within an existing community of practice allowed for relationships to be forged, and more deliberate engagement to be undertaken based on relationships that were already established. Having to start this process from scratch takes time, and in this case, the Project was under timeline and policy pressures.
Clear and honest communication: again, voluntary participation from grassroots stakeholders was required to determine the Project aims. Clear and honest communication was delivered from the onset of the Project with the aim of mitigating expectations and not making false promises. The challenges and nature of the pilot sites was outlined from the very first engagement and this proved successful throughout the pilot phase of the Project.
