Formation of a Local Committee for stakeholder representation in the CBI.

The Local Committee (LC) begins its formation with a group of people who share a common interest in the same territory. It defines the name of the CBI and its geographic limits, the way it will work, what rules it must follow internally and with what objective the corridor is formed. It can work in the form of an association, alliance, executive or support committee, management group, technical coalition, among others. In its formation process it is recommended to have at least one community leader, representation of local governments of the CBI territory, an NGO or non-profit organization, a representative of the productive or private sector and an institutional representative, who together will be responsible for managing alliances and facilitating the contribution of other actors interested in promoting technical and financial resources in their territory. The representativeness of the different sectors (public, private, academic, civil, etc.) is essential for the success of the CBIs, since they contribute with their knowledge and capacities for the adequate logistics of the CBIs, facilitate the discussion among all the representatives and provide different points of view so that the decision making is integral, from broad perspectives and echoes what happens in the management of the CBI in the communities and institutions that comprise it.

  • Prioritizing existing environmental legislation and policies allows for the justification of the CBI and increases the commitment to participation of public institutions.
  • The co-participation of political administration entities and governing bodies of natural resources and associated services in the region (water, soils, forests, commerce, health, security) is fundamental for dialogue and articulation to lead to decisions and commitments that meet the needs of all involved.
  • LCs should be seen as extended governance systems of coordination and leadership.
  • A detailed diagnosis as a starting point is essential to become familiar with the territory, the inhabitants, their capacities and needs.
  • The mapping of local actors is very valuable to define who can be strategically integrated into the LC.
  • The initiative to form a CBI can come from an institutional actor or from the productive sector and be equally successful as when it comes from the community.
  • The projects proposed by the LC for the CBI territory should be interdisciplinary, so that representatives of different entities can contribute their knowledge and resources to the proposal.
  • Having 2 or more delegates (representatives) from the same organization is favorable, since it allows having a wide participation in case of absences in work sessions and/or trainings. Whoever attends, contributes as a representative of the organization and then shares the information in the institution to which he/she belongs.
Strategic planning and management monitoring of the Interurban Biological Corridor.

The strategic planning of a CBI is the basis for defining how the objectives will be met, with which organizations and institutions of the territory alliances should be formed, how financing will be obtained for the projects to be executed, what legislation supports the management of the corridor, who will be in charge of the coordination and leadership of the actions to increase and improve the green spaces of the cities.

Monitoring of CBI tasks and progress should be recorded to evaluate the implementation of CBI plans and take corrective action if there are opportunities for improvement. These steps maintain efficient functioning of the CBI and orderly conduct of the CL dialogue. Progress towards the achievement of goals and objectives in the medium and long term maintains the interest of the participating actors and their permanence in the spaces for dialogue and articulation.

Planning and monitoring should be systematized through the registration of participants, sessions, training, activities, projects and results, in order to transmit information transparently to all members of the CBI. In the medium and long term, knowledge bases are obtained to carry out research, make better decisions for land management and greater functional ecological connectivity.

  • To ensure the smooth development of the strategic planning process, it is necessary to communicate assertively, reconcile interests and desired results, and reach an agreement that includes the participants to be convened, deadlines and time to be invested, methods and tools to be used, work session formats, and rules on product review and approval. Technical dialogue among all parties is essential to achieve the strategies outlined in the CBI planning.
  • For efficient planning and adequate monitoring, it is recommended to hold joint and periodic working sessions, at least quarterly.
  • Assertive communication and transparent reporting within the LC is essential to ensure that the interests of all participating groups are expressed respectfully and taken into account for efficient planning.
  • All resources available to Local Committee participants (financial, intellectual, human, academic and technical) can be leveraged if strategically negotiated.
  • Participatory planning methodologies are a good way to gather perspectives, needs, opportunities and available resources, which speeds up the subsequent implementation of planned actions.
  • The establishment of agreed indicators to monitor CBI progress facilitates the identification of opportunities for improvement.
Improving framework conditions for the development of value chains

Multi-stakeholder consultation frameworks have been set up to guide and monitor the development of wood-energy value chains in the target regions.

In the Eastern Region, a regional platform has been set up by the Minister in charge of forests and wildlife, under the chairmanship of the Regional Governor.

In the Far North, a regional wood-energy unit (CRBE) has been set up.

These consultation frameworks are held every six months, and serve as a forum for taking stock of progress in the value chains concerned, as well as formulating guidelines for their smooth operation.

The strategic direction of the wood-energy value chains, embodied in the strategy documents drawn up, is the result of a consultation process involving the various stakeholders meeting within these consultative bodies.

The resolutions resulting from these meetings have enabled certain advances to be made, namely: i) the definition of a regulatory framework for the production and marketing of wood-energy; ii) the development and validation of guideline standards for the management of dryland forests.

  • Raising awareness among political decision-makers of the importance of the wood-energy sector;
  • Good participation of the various value chain players concerned in the meetings called;
  • Good follow-up of the platform's recommendations by the technical secretariat set up.
  • Funding for meetings of the CRBE in the Far North and the Plateforme Régionale Bois énergie in the East must be included in the budgets of local forestry departments to ensure the sustainability of these discussion forums;
  • The involvement of all categories of stakeholders in the various links of the wood-energy value chains has enabled us to propose regulatory texts that are adapted to reality and conducive to the development of these value chains;
  • Monitoring the evolution of wood-energy value chains within the framework of the CRBE or the Eastern platform, has helped to improve governance in the management of the value chains concerned.
Regional wood-energy strategies and Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)

Cameroon's NDC specifies contributions to climate change mitigation and adaptation.

It provides for the reduction of unsustainable fuelwood consumption through, for example, sustainable wood-energy management, improved stoves, and the promotion of methanization and/or butanization in rural areas.

The regional strategies developed are in themselves locally appropriate mitigation measures for wood-energy value chains.

In terms of adaptation, the reforestation actions carried out as part of this solution are fully in line with the NDC's Adaptation Program No. 19 relating to the forestry sector.

The use of improved fireplaces by households, thanks to the wood savings achieved, and the carbonization of sawmill waste, constitute concrete greenhouse gas (GHG) emission mitigation activities. Similarly, restoring the ecosystem functions of degraded areas through individual reforestation is an added value in terms of adaptation. However, although these initiatives are fully in line with the objectives of the UNFCCC, a mechanism for accounting for their contributions at national level is not yet operational.

  • Full involvement of the sectoral administrations ensures that the strategies are well anchored in their respective institutions;
  • The existence of a monitoring-evaluation mechanism within the project to measure progress and report on results in terms of avoided CO2 emissions and avoided deforestation;
  • Availability of sustainable financial resources to pursue activities;
  • The appropriation of tools and methods for accounting for avoided GHG emissions by the various players involved.
  • An effective MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, Verification) system needs to be put in place at national level to monitor and capitalize on the results of implementing regional wood-energy strategies;
  • Exploring the possibilities offered by climate financing for GHG emission reduction initiatives can help ensure the sustainability of funding for these strategies;
  • The adaptation benefits generated by reforestation are difficult to assess accurately in the short term.
Individual reforestation as an ecosystem-based climate change adaptation strategy

The shortfall between supply and demand for wood fuel in northern regions has led to an ever-increasing degradation of natural resources, a reduction in vegetation cover and a drop in agricultural productivity.

Individual reforestation is carried out on a small scale, on areas ranging from 0.25 to 5 ha. Two main types of reforestation have been implemented: i) agroforestry reforestation, which takes place on cultivated land with the aim of improving farmland productivity despite climate change; ii) forest reforestation, which takes place on degraded land unsuitable for farming, with the aim of restoring degraded forest cover and improving the supply of ecosystem goods and services.

The creation and management of a private plantation follows the main stages of reforestation in dry savannah zones, as described in the GIZ manual on the technical itinerary for reforestation in dry savannah zones in Cameroon.

Beneficiaries were provided with training and technical data sheets for setting up and monitoring individual reforestation plots.

  • Clear land tenure status of areas to be reforested;
  • Active involvement of beneficiaries;
  • Respect for the silvicultural calendar;
  • Compliance with the technical itinerary for reforestation in the dry savannah zone of Cameroon;
  • Effective implementation of the post-planting monitoring mechanism.
  • The success of reforestation depends, on the one hand, on compliance with the silvicultural schedule for carrying out each of these activities, and, on the other hand, on compliance with the guidelines set out in the manual on reforestation itineraries in the dry savannah zone of Cameroon;
  • The implementation of a monitoring system for reforested sites guarantees good results;
  • cattle roaming is one of the causes of reforestation failure in some areas. However, the introduction of measures to secure reforested areas has limited the impact of livestock straying on reforestation.
Dissemination of improved cookstoves in the Far North Region

The promotion and use of Foyer Amélioré (FA) is one of the mitigation strategies used by GIZ/ECO Consult to reduce pressure on the timber forest resource in the Far North, as their use reduces household wood consumption and related expenditure.The dissemination and use of Foyer Amélioré Trois pierres (FA3P) and Foyer Amélioré bil-bil in the Far North region since 2015 has enabled a significant and rapid reduction in wood-energy consumption.

Dissemination of the FA3P essentially targets rural and peri-urban areas where wood is the only source of combustion (over 95% of the population depend on it) and building materials are locally available and free of charge, whereas the FA Bil-bil targets rural and urban areas due to the presence of wood-using Small and Medium Enterprises.

  • Dissemination strategy with an organizational structure consisting of 2 coordinators supervising 20 relay trainers;
  • Low FA3P construction costs;
  • Involvement of partner organizations (Ministère des Forêts et de la Faune (MINFOF), Ministère de l'Environnement de la Protection de la Nature et du Développement Durable (MINEPDED) and Lutheran World Federation-LWF).
  • On a technical level, it should be remembered that in general, before the actual training sessions, awareness-raising must be meticulously carried out to convince people of the merits of making and using FA3Ps.
  • On an organizational level, the development and implementation of a new FA dissemination strategy with the deployment in the field of a staff comprising 2 Coordinators supervising 20 Trainer-Relays since November 2018 has enabled a considerable increase in the number of FA3Ps built in households.
  • The lack of a financing mechanism for the FA bil-bil of SMEs is an obstacle to the spread of this type of fireplace;
  • The FA3P made from clay and dung can last up to 1 year. It can be easily repaired or rebuilt by the users themselves, provided they were trained when the first one was built;
  • A verification protocol for the FA3Ps built has been set up to assess and control the quality of the stoves built.
4. Stakeholder Engagement (ShE) Workshops

Management of surface and groundwater resources is a serious concern to local communities. Efforts at the individual or household level are not sufficient to plan and manage water. Hence it is essential that the diverse groups associated with a particular water resource come together to understand, plan and manage the resource judiciously, equitably and sustainably.

 

Watershed development, for example, through the Village Watershed/ Development Committee supported by the local governing body, brings all inhabitants of the entire village(s) together to regenerate their degraded watershed to enhance soil and water harvesting potential.

 

Two types of ShE events are:

1) Engaging the primary and secondary stakeholders at cluster level: these involve participation of direct water users and the neighbouring (upstream and downstream) communities to understand the scientific knowledge shared and active engagement in exercises.

2) Engaging representatives of the primary, secondary and tertiary stakeholders at block or district levels: These are mainly the government officials, experts in water, agriculture and allied sectors, practitioners, academics and research institutes. At this level of stakeholder engagement, participants discuss the larger perspectives of policy, advocacy and legal dynamics of water resources.

Stakeholder Engagement workshops include group exercises, games and discussions. Open and healthy discussions are encouraged around common concerns. The scientific information regarding socio-economic, local biophysical and hydro-geological findings is shared by WOTR’s researchers to enable participants to make informed decisions. During the process, VWMTs and Water caretakers prepare water budgets followed by the water harvesting and water-saving plans. In all our workshops we promote women participation as a criterion for successful implementation.

 

With more information and knowledge received through ShEs, the local stakeholders make informed decisions; immediate actions and development at the village level have taken place. Several water budgeting plans were made and followed through, which improved water sufficiency, provided drinking water security, and reduced crop losses. Introduction of villagers to water-saving and harvesting techniques improved water availability and water-use efficiency through the changed behavior of farmers. The rules and regulations made at the village level enhanced the power and reliability of local institutions in water management by increasing unity among the village community. However, adoption to new pathways and bringing about behavioral change is a very slow process. Villagers have insecurities of losing their ‘private’ share of water because of water budgeting. It is thus still anticipated to take a longer time to establish local water institution and informed communities to accept WSI completely.

Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) with a sustainable livelihoods approach

The block shows the actions taken to establish the relationship between livelihoods and ecosystems, with emphasis on the benefits they provide: services and functions that are the most important part of the natural capital of our communities.

Capacity building on Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA)

  • The EbA approach oriented the analysis of livelihood vulnerability, the choice of measures of biodiversity use and ecosystem services, showing how they help people and their livelihoods to adapt to the adverse effects of climate change and indicators for monitoring the solution.

Actions in the territory

  • Establishment of 2 community nurseries with a production of 9,226 native plants with which 67.5 ha. of riparian zones were reforested.
  • Participation in the benefits derived from the restoration of riparian zones.
  • Community reforestation in riparian zones contributing to the health, livelihoods and well-being of local communities, taking into account the needs of women and the poor and vulnerable.

Reinforced learning that the vulnerability of livelihoods and the fragility and degradation of local ecosystems and the services and functions they provide are strongly correlated, facilitated understanding of the importance of halting the loss of biodiversity and significantly reducing its degradation and fragmentation and ensuring that these ecosystems continue to provide essential services to contribute to the well-being of the municipality's farming communities.

  • Keep in mind that we work with social-ecological systems, that is, with people and livelihoods linked to goods and services that are necessary to sustain life.
  • Valuing ecosystem services as a tool for adaptation helps to recognize the contribution ecosystems make to human well-being and to understand how they contribute to reducing the consequences of climate change impacts.
  • Although the EbA solution favors communities, it is necessary to establish it as part of a broader adaptation strategy that takes into account that there are social, economic and institutional conditions that exert pressure on municipal social-ecological systems and must therefore be modified to have a real impact on reducing vulnerability.
Capacity Building and Awareness Raising

The NEPL NP ecotourism program directly and indirectly creates skills and capacity building opportunities and awareness raising for the following groups: (1) NEPL NP ecotourism team itself (2) Ecotourism communities and service providers (3) Visitors, TOs and the government counterparts.

 

When NEPL NP program began in 2010, tourism was almost non-existing in the region. By offering an opportunity to learn to the locals and recruiting tourism consultants to support, the NEPL NP ecotourism staff now has grown into some of the most experienced ecotourism professionals in the country. Most of these staff come from the NEPL NP villages and are from a former hunter households or even used to be hunters themselves. By working with the NEPL NP, staff have learned about the importance of conservation and today are well acknowledged ecotourism officers and conservation advocates. Some of the NEPL NP’s ecotourism staff have raised up to key NEPL NP management and advisory positions.

 

The NEPL NP ecotourism team now creates and coordinates ecotourism training opportunities and outreach campaigns. In addition, NEPL NP ecotourism program has a non-negligible awareness raising power that benefits all visitors as well as TOs and the government counterparts.

  • Trainings, Workshops, and Study Tours
  • Close collaboration with key decision makers
  • Close collaboration with local community and government agencies throughout the development and management of the projects is essential.
  • During the ecotourism program beginning, recruiting qualified local human resources was challenging, therefore, staff from other provinces were selected. However, due to the NEPL NP’s remote location, these staff moved away after short period of time. Recruiting less qualified, but local and motivated staff and providing the necessary skills and capacity building opportunities have presented greater results and higher level of commitment.
Promoting climate-resilient natural resource-based economy and businesses

The project increases the generation of ecosystem goods and services and promotes the establishment of commercially viable natural resource-based businesses managed by local communities. To establish such businesses, the project conducted a baseline study including an assignment on the Economics and Market Analysis for establishing financially viable natural resource-based businesses in the Gambia. The report proposed 7 potential business portfolios and defined the financial implications of these natural resource-based businesses for the contributions to the National Forest Fund (NFF) through a detailed discounted cash flow analysis. One such activity to facilitate the establishment of these businesses was the introduction of bee-fodder tree species to support bee farming in the community-owned forests and community-protected areas (CPAs).

 

The project also facilitated the integration of the EbA approach and natural resource-based businesses into existing government plans and activities and demonstrated and quantified their commercial viability to promote further investment by the government and the private sector beyond the project implementation period.

Access to enough natural resources is important and requires, if not available, restoration and related activities to ensure availability.

 

Enough funding is key to build the required infrastructure and start the business.

 

For the businesses to be economically viable and attractive for local people, they need to stem from participatory processes and answer community needs. Technical guidance and training to the population can support the process.

 

Having support from the government and environmental agencies is helpful.

Providing capital only is not enough to develop successful natural resource-based enterprises. A more holistic, capacity development approach is needed. To achieve sustainability and impact, it is crucial to adopt participatory approaches to incentivize community members to take part in the activities.

 

The importance of implementing natural resource-based businesses through suitable business models implies the development of a business culture along the value chains of forest products to facilitate value addition and link producers and vendors to input and output markets. This requires:

 

  1. Developing appropriate institutional arrangements to extend credit to actors in the Small and Medium Forest Enterprises (SMFEs); create awareness among value chain actors of appropriate financial sources, and establish credit guarantee schemes for producers and cooperative organizations.
  2. Developing and improving the knowledge of market information systems and quality control measures and standards.
  3. Strengthening community-based organizations of SMFEs to access services and facilitate their partnership with private sector entities.