Reviewing Policy and Regulatory Frameworks to Promote the Use of Innovative and Sustainable Financial Mechanisms
TRI Pakistan reviewed policy and regulatory frameworks to identify, understand, and facilitate the use of innovative and sustainable financial mechanisms such as payment for ecosystems and services and targeted funs at district level for providing incentives for ecosystem services (PES). This includes an initial scoping mission to assess the feasibility of payment for ecosystem services, which includes training 26 participants on ecosystem services valuation, incentives, and PES. This PES scheme was piloted in Chitral with a consultant engaged in studying the various options for generating resources for conservation and sustainable land management of the Chilgoza Forest. TRI Pakistan also produced an economic valuation study of the Chilgoza Forest ecosystem services, which outlined to the government how much economic gain FLR and sustainable land management can provide and pushed decision makers to allocate greater resources to forest restoration. Additionally, TRI Pakistan convened capacity building workshops of hundreds of staff on the use of fuel-efficient stoves and gasifiers. Together, this review allowed TRI Pakistan to learn more about potential FLR interventions and conservation incentives.
To be able to review frameworks that facilitate the use of innovative and sustainable financial mechanisms, TRI Pakistan needed to train participants on schemes like the payment for ecosystem services and on the use of technology like fuel efficient stoves and gasifiers. With trainings, participants could implement the interventions and provide enough data on their feasibility. Additionally, providing government bodies with an economic valuation study that shows the value of restoration will prove invaluable in pursuing FLR policies.
Reviewing policy and regulatory frameworks that could promote innovative and sustainable financial mechanisms taught TRI Pakistan about the feasibility of potential interventions to facilitate restoration and sustainable land management in Chilgoza Forest ecosystems. Studying the effects and implementation of payments for ecosystem service as well as the use of fuel-efficient stoves and gasifiers, TRI Pakistan learned how the mechanisms affected restoration and whether they were interventions worth pursuing. Using these findings, the team was able to make better recommendations for policies being elaborated. Additionally, the economic valuation study of the Chilgoza forests ecosystem services provided TRI Pakistan with critical information showing the economic value restoration and sustainable land management could provide for communities. This further allowed TRI Pakistan to provide recommendations and pursue policy development as the study also shows government bodies drafting policy the economic potential of FLR.
Developing policy and regulatory frameworks to promote restoration, sustainable land management, and emissions reductions
TRI CAR is actively working to facilitate the development of policy and regulatory frameworks that promote restoration, sustainable land management, the maintenance and enhancement of carbon stocks in forests and other lands uses, and emission reductions from the land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF) sector and agriculture. This includes initiating discussions with the Ministry of Water, Forests, Hunting, and Fishing on the revision process of CAR’s forest policy. TRI CAR will bring all of the stakeholders together to define and plan the process of revision and provide the ministry with technical input. TRI CAR is also conducting documentary analysis of local development plans of five forest communities – Mbata, Mongoumba, Nola, Pissa, and Yobé – and is in discussions with the Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Territorial Planning to develop a joint management plan for the southwest territory so the local development plans can be implemented in a broader vision. Additionally, TRI CAR is helping upgrade the Wood Energy Supply Plan (WISDOM) in Bangui with recommendations developed from research on wood energy production and market.
TRI CAR is able to help develop policies support FLR and sustainable land management because of the political will of CAR’s major ministries to improving laws and regulations to support its restoration goals. It is also possible because of TRI CAR’s ability to bring together the various stakeholders implicated in the LULUCF sector and restoration activities in CAR. Without input and recommendations from the numerous actors, the policies could not as adequately address the diverse priorities of everyone affected by FLR.
Through the process of helping CAR’s various ministries update policies related to restoration, sustainable land management, and emissions reductions, TRI CAR has learned multiple lessons around the process of policy elaboration in CAR and how policy updates can better address the needs of the various stakeholders. Between working with the Ministry of Water, Forests, Hunting, and Fishing on the revision of the country’s forest policy and the Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Territorial Planning on developing a joint management plan for the southwest territory to better implement the local development plans, TRI CAR is learning how the different ministries approach policy development and how the team can work with them all to ensure policy cohesion across sectors. Additionally, in its work to provide information on the market and practices of wood energy production in Bangui, TRI CAR has gained knowledge around how wood energy can affect restoration and how best to approach its management.
Developing Forest Management and Landscape Restoration Frameworks for Chilgoza Forest Ecosystems
Reviewing Policy and Regulatory Frameworks to Promote the Use of Innovative and Sustainable Financial Mechanisms
Creating Legal Documents Supporting FLR Strategy in South Kivu
To further strengthen DRC’s legal and regulatory framework to ensure it is supportive of FLR, TRI DRC worked to develop two legal documents that will work with the provincial strategy to facilitate FLR in South Kivu. One of the documents outlines the management of bushfires, including when and how they should be dealt be with, while the other document focused on sustainable land management and the promotion of FLR. To help produce the two legal documents, TRI DRC worked with Rights Empower, an organization holding expertise on legal affairs, provided technical input to the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, which created the drafts. In a similar timeline to the provincial strategy, the two legal documents have received technical validation and now waits provincial approval and a signature from the governor. To ensure these documents move through, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development has confirmed it will provide funding to guide the approval process.
TRI DRC was able to provide technical input and assist the development of the two legal documents because of the help and legal expertise from Rights Empower as well as the commitment from the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development. Working with an organization with legal expertise, TRI DRC was better able to provide input on the documents and push from the Ministry will help ensure the documents are enacted.
Working to develop the two legal documents to enhance the FLR regulatory landscape, TRI DRC learned the ways in which supporting policies can further facilitate the uptake of FLR and aid the implementation of major policies such as the provincial strategy. Having supporting legal documents has also shown that while major strategies can be comprehensive and work to address any gaps, additional legal structures will further outline priority actions and aid the implementation of FLR policies on the ground. Additionally, working with Rights Empower, TRI DRC also gained insight into the legal aspects of FLR policy and how legal documents can differ from overarching strategies and masterplans.
Developing a Provincial Forest Restoration Strategy in South Kivu
TRI DRC assisted the elaboration of the Provincial Strategy for the Restoration of Forest and Landscapes in South Kivu, which outlines the priorities and actions to be taken for FLR, including best practices on the protection of watershed, sustainable land management practices for subsistence crops, promotion of fodder production for livestock, and classification of potential restoration options depending on geographic zone. To help elaborate the strategy, TRI DRC brought together the national work group, made up of the various stakeholders such as national ministries, provincial coordination, and local partners, to identify the gaps and bottlenecks for restoration and integrate them into recommendations. TRI DRC also provided recommendations on terms of methodology and approach as well as technical input. By April, 2022, the strategy received local and regional validation as well as technical validation from members of the national technical working group. The strategy, as of October 2023, awaits validation from the provincial assembly, before it can begin implementation.
TRI DRC was able to facilitate the development of the Provincial Strategy for the Restoration of Forest and Landscapes in South Kivu because of the enthusiasm and willingness of the various stakeholders to participate in discussions and provide recommendations for the strategy. TRI also used data from the participatory ROAM assessments to ensure its recommendations for the strategy included local considerations and priorities. These factors allowed for the strategy to consider all the recommendations and apply them to the local context.
Through the process of working to develop the Provincial Strategy for the Restoration of Forest and Landscapes in South Kivu, TRI DRC learned how to best convene the various stakeholders and members of the national technical working group as well what recommendations the strategy needed to best address the restoration needs of local communities. By convening the working group and facilitating discussions over the major topics the strategy would cover, TRI DRC was able to develop best practices for bringing together stakeholders and grow its understanding of the different relationships between the actors and where everyone’s expertise lies. Additionally, by conducting participatory ROAM assessments, which were used to identify local restoration priorities, TRI DRC gained insight into how the strategy could best implement restoration within the local context.
Integrating landscape restoration and sustainable land management into policies and planning processes to enhance conservation and sustainable production.
To contribute to a policy framework that supports landscape restoration, TRI Kenya Tana Delta also worked on integrating restoration and sustainable land management into county policies such as participatory forest management plans (PFMPS) and village restoration action plans as well as national legislation such as the Forest and Landscape Restoration Implementation Action Plan (FOLAREP) and the physical and Land Use Planning Act 2019. TRI helped develop the four PFMPS, both at the county and national level, which outline forest management priorities, how programs will be implemented, and the different roles stakeholders will undertake, by providing technical input and helping convene stakeholders. These plans have been completed and signed by either the Kenya Forest Service or county governments and will be launched later this year. FOLAREP, a major national policy that will advance FLR in Kenya, has been aided by TRI Kenya Tana Delta, which funded the participation of stakeholders in consultations and validation forums hosted by the Kenya Forest Service. In all, TRI has contributed significantly to FLR-focused and -supportive frameworks and continues to facilitate the elaboration of future policies.
To successfully develop policies and integrate landscape restoration and sustainable land management within them, TRI greatly benefitted from consultations and workshops that gathered information from a diverse set of stakeholders, including local leaders and national agencies such as the Kenya Forest Service, on restoration opportunities, priorities, and recommendations. Without this information gathering and convening of parties, the policies would struggle through the validation process and would be unlikely to garner enough political will.
Through its contributions to the elaboration of county and national level policies, TRI Kenya Tana Delta learned more about how the process of elaborating and validating policies in the Tana River and Lamu counties works and what barriers exist. Now that the project has taken part in the development of multiple policies and regulations, there is a pathway outlined on the most efficient way to successfully enact policies, and the policies themselves make it easier for future restoration-based policies to be pursued. Additionally, through the integration of FLR into policies, TRI has further grown its understanding of the ways restoration and sustainable land management can fit into the various legal and regulatory frameworks that exist and are continuously evolving.
Mainstreaming landscape restoration and sustainable land management into county budgetary processes
TRI Kenya Tana Delta has worked to mainstream landscape restoration and sustainable land management into county budgetary processes by training members from Community Forest Associations (CFAs) to advocate and lobby for prioritizing FLR in county budgets and by submitting a memorandum through the Tana Delta Conservation Network to influence Tana River County’s fiscal strategy papers. The recommendations on prioritizing FLR in Tana River County’s budget included in the memorandum have since been taken up by the County. Similarly, Lamu county has adopted higher restoration targets in its budget as a result of TRI’s advocacy. This uptake in budget recommendations also follows the capacity building of 34 members drawn from all five CFAs on advocacy and lobbying, including how to engage in county budgetary processes and consultations. The project plans to further train more members of the CFAs to enhance the prioritization of FLR and sustainable land management in county budgets through community participation and empowerment.
TRI Kenya Tana Delta was able to help mainstream FLR and sustainable land management in county budgetary processes because CFA members were enthusiastic in learning how to engage in lobbying and advocacy and the trainings were well designed to adequately prepare them for pursuing budget improvements. The project also benefitted from local governments that had the political will to set high targets for restoration and ensure FLR was supported by their budgets.
From the work TRI Kenya Tana Delta has undertaken to help mainstream landscape restoration and sustainable land management into budgetary processes and policies, the project has seen that by building the capacity of local leaders to lobby local government and engage in consistent advocacy, the counties can enact budgets that prioritize restoration and provide for the pursual of higher restoration targets. By pursuing the prioritization of FLR and pushing county governments to place value in sustainable land management, it is possible to ensure county funding, whether from the national government or other sources, is used in the implementation of FLR policies and activities. The inclusion of FLR and sustainable land management in county budgetary processes can also lead to targets exceeding those set at the national level, further allowing the counties to increase their contributions to national restoration commitments.
