1 PROJECT IDENTIFICATION FORM (PIF) PROJECT TYPE: Full-size Project TYPE OF TRUST FUND: GEF Trust Fund PART I: PROJECT IDENTIFICATION Project Title: Development of a national network of terrestrial and marine protected areas representative of the Comoros’ unique natural heritage and co-managed with local village communities Country(ies): Comoros GEF Project ID:2 t.b.d. GEF Agency(ies): UNDP GEF Agency Project ID: 4950 Other Executing Partner(s): Ministry of Production, Energy, Environment, Submission Date: August 8, Industry and Handicraft (MPEEIH) 2012 GEF Focal Area (s): Biodiversity Project Duration (Months) 60 months Name of parent program (if n/a Agency Fee ($): 424,600 applicable): For SFM/REDD+ [ ] A. FOCAL AREA STRATEGY FRAMEWORK3: Trust Indicative Indicative Focal Area Expected FA Fund Grant Expected FA Outputs Co-financing Amount Objectives Outcomes ($) ($) BD 1: Improve 1.1 Improved New protected areas (7) and coverage (at least 38,145 ha GEFTF 4,051,527 18,905,000 Sustainability management of of terrestrial areas + marine area t.b.d.) of unprotected of Protected existing and new ecosystems Area Systems protected areas Sustainable financing plans (1) Sub-Total GEFTF 4,051,527 18,905,000 Project Management Cost4 GEFTF 194,473 1,080,000 Total Project Cost GEFTF 4,246,000 19,985,000 B. PROJECT FRAMEWORK Project Objective: To establish an expanded and functional system of protected areas (PAs) in the Union of Comoros, representative of the country’s biodiversity endowment and with good prospects for a sustainable future. Project Grant Trust Indicative Indicative Type Expected Outcomes Expected Outputs Fund Grant Cofinancing Component Amount ($) ($) 1) PA TA The Union of Comoros’ PA 1.1) A new legal framework for the GEFTF 1,051,527 4,735,000 system system is expanded through the management of the PA system is strengthened addition of varied terrestrial, approved (incl. review of existing related through coastal and marine ecosystems, legislation, enacting of a PA law) and its expansion reaching a coverage of 22% of institutional structure is formalized and capacity the land surface and a marine (mandate, attributions and basic building area to be estimated, but larger organigram are legislated, and state than 42,000 ha5, a system that is budget allocations for its operations are both more sustainably financed secured); this structure includes the and more effectively managed by manning of key posts, with designated a capacitated national PA technical staff, and the deployment to institution and subsidiary PA sites of both site managers agencies on each of the islands, (conservateurs) and park wardens (éco- leading to reduced threats to guards), the latter preferably recruited 1 It is very important to consult the PIF preparation guidelines when completing this template. 2 Project ID number will be assigned by GEFSEC. 3 Refer to the reference attached on the Focal Area Results Framework when filling up the table in item A. 4 GEF will finance management cost that is solely linked to GEF financing of the project. PMC should be charged proportionately to focal areas based on focal area project grant amount. 5 These estimations depart from a baseline of a single gazetted MPA (the Moheli Marine National Park) covering 40,400 ha of seascapes in the Southern part of Moheli Island. The park includes the Nioumachoua Islets, which corresponds to only 2% of the country’s total land surface area. The numbers for the expanded PA estate remain preliminary, as the extent of several proposed new areas remain to be defined. Essential baseline studies to define these targets will be carried out during the PPG phase. GEF-5 PIF Template-November 2011 1 Project Grant Trust Indicative Indicative Type Expected Outcomes Expected Outputs Fund Grant Cofinancing Component Amount ($) ($) globally significant habitats and from adjacent communities. species. Indicators: 1.2) Capacity: PA agency staff at various levels and key members of - By the project’s year 1, three communities and associations involved new terrestrial national PAs are in PA co-management are capable of legally created and contribute to fulfilling their mandate; this will be thus an improved coverage and achieved: (i) the availability of suitable ecosystem representation within office space and essential equipment, the PA estate (area to be added: where needed; (ii) the establishment and 36,754 ha) customization of systems for mapping, tracking and disseminating a variety of - By the project’s year 3, five new data at the system’s level; and (iii) the community reserves (one of them provision of adequate training on various marine) and two national PAs (1 aspects of PA management. purely marine and 1 terrestrial/marine) are legally 1.3) PA expansion: A more created, reaching the PA representative system of PAs emerges, expansion and representation based on a PA system gap analysis and targets currently set for the PA baseline studies, with the formulation of system (area t.b.d.) a ‘PA System Strategy’ and the legal gazettal, with the project’s help, of - Results from applying the terrestrial PAs and MPAs, bringing Capacity Development Scorecard protection to approx. 22% of the for PA Systems, with respect to country’s land surface area (at least for individual, institutional and 41,870 ha) and adding 2 new MPAs to systemic capacity indicators, the estate (seascape area t.b.d.), reflect improvements in PA indicatively as follows: management capacity (departing (i) PAs in the process of being created: from a baseline likely to be very . Karthala Forest, on Grand Comoro with low, once applied) 26,790 ha of primary and secondary montane forests, and a fairly large area of volcanic rock; includes two proposed co- - Reductions in the PA funding managed Community Reserves within the gap, as calculated on the basis of perimeter (RC Hantsogoma with 946.4 ha the periodic application of the and RC Ngubadju with 240.6 ha). Financial Sustainability Scorecard . Mohéli Rainforest, on Moheli Island with for PA Systems 6,142 ha of mosaic vegetation including forests and agro-forestry systems in the large watershed of the Moheli Marine Park. Montagnes d’Anjouan / Mont Ntringui, on Anjouan Island with 3,813 ha of relict primary and secondary montane forests. Moya Community Forest Reserve, on Anjouan, with an area to be defined. Community Reserve Ilôt de Ndroudé, on Grand Comoro with a coastal and marine area also to be defined. (ii) PAs that have been recently proposed: . Zone du Coelacanthe / Baie des Dauphins, on Grand Comoro, with a marine area still to be defined. Bimbini Peninsula / Ilôt de la Selle on Anjouan, with some 1,400 ha (estimate) of coastal flats and mangrove areas, plus the surrounding marine area of seagrass beds and coral reefs (surface to be estimated). 1.4) PA system finance: Comoros makes important and tangible advances in addressing the PA finance issue by: (i) assessing the PA system ‘funding gap’; GEF-5 PIF Template-November 2011 2 Project Grant Trust Indicative Indicative Type Expected Outcomes Expected Outputs Fund Grant Cofinancing Component Amount ($) ($) and (ii) starting the implementation of a PA financing plan with the full support from government, donors, private sector and stakeholder communities. 2) Site level TA / Increased management 2.1) PA management is strengthened at GEFTF 3,000,000 14,170,000 PA Inv. effectiveness for Comoros’ PAs the site level (list of target sites in the operationali- and MPAs provides increased preceding column, under “METT”), so sation protection to habitats in approx. that individual PAs become more 81,000 ha of protected effective ‘biodiversity storehouses’ as land/seascape and to the species follows: that they harbour. Infrastructure essential for PA operation is Indicators: built / recuperated; . PA sites are equipped and manned; - Improved METT scores vis-à- . Management plans, operational plans, budgets and protocols are developed and vis the baseline (t.b.d.) for: implemented; . Moheli Marine Park . Implementation of ecosystem management . Karthala Forest in sites: e.g. strict conservation of critical . Mohéli Rainforest habitats and cost-effective restoration of . Montagnes d’Anjouan / Mont others where needed (including clearing of Ntringui IAS); . Moya Community Forest Reserve . PA surveillance is ensured with the . Hantsogoma and Ngubadju RCs participation of riparian communities; . Community Reserve Ilôt de . Cooperative agreements with local CSOs Ndroudé for PA co-management are effective and . Zone du Coelacanthe / Baie des joint PA management boards are Dauphins supported; and . Bimbini Peninsula / Ilôt de la Selle . Long-term ecological monitoring system to assess the management effectiveness of the - Change in population number of system of PAs. indicator species (t.b.d. on the basis of the priority species in the 2.2) Resource use governance: Clarity PA system, but will likely include on land tenure for terrestrial PAs and on sea turtles, cœlacanth, flying fox, seascape use-rights for MPAs ensure the Khaya comorensis, and others) ecological integrity of protected sites, with effective mechanisms for mediation - Change in coral reef health and conflict resolution in place and status in MPAs operational in target PAs/MPAs. The direct and indirect benefits to 2.3) Tourism: A realistic plan/strategy local community create tangible for developing high-end eco-tourism incentives for them to support activities in PAs/MPAs (or linked to efforts to preserve the biodiversity them) is put forward and implemented, of the Comoros with full support from PA co-managing communities and investors. - Changes in income levels for local community households 2.4) Livelihoods: In collaboration with attributable to the development of project co-financiers and other biodiversity-friendly income development partners, a livelihoods generating activities programme is developed and implemented for the benefit of PA/MPA adjacent communities in support to collaborative PA management efforts by these stakeholders Sub-Total GEFTF 4,051,527 18,905,000 Project Management Cost6 GEFTF 194,473 1,080,000 Total Project Costs GEFTF 4,246,000 19,985,000 6Same as footnote #3.