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GEF-6 PROJECT IDENTIFICATION FORM (PIF) PROJECT TYPE: FULL-SIZED PROJECT TYPE OF TRUST FUND:GEF TRUST FUND For more information about GEF, visit TheGEF.org PART I: PROJECT INFORMATION Project Title: Zambia Lake Tanganyika Basin Sustainable Development Project Country(ies): Zambia GEF Project ID:1 8021 GEF Agency(ies): AfDB (select) (select) GEF Agency Project ID: P-ZM-AA0-024 Other Executing Partner(s): Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Submission Date: 2015-02-03 Environmental Protection (MLNREP) GEF Focal Area(s): Multi-focal Areas Project Duration (Months) 60 Integrated Approach Pilot IAP-Cities IAP-Commodities IAP-Food Security Corporate Program: SGP Name of parent program: [if applicable] Agency Fee ($) 696,753

A. INDICATIVE FOCAL AREA STRATEGY FRAMEWORK AND OTHER PROGRAM STRATEGIES 2 (in $) Trust Fund GEF Project Co-financing Objectives/Programs (Focal Areas, Integrated Approach Pilot, Corporate Programs) Fin anci ng LD-1 Program 1 (select) (select) GEFTF 1,242,642 8,145,000 LD-2 Program 3 (select) (select) GEFTF 1,242,642 3,645,500 (select) CCM-2 Program 4 (select) GEFTF 1,357,936 3,627,130 BD-4 Program 9 (select) (select) GEFTF 1,046,278 3,000,000 (select) (select) SFM-2 GEFTF 2,444,749 8,145,000 (select) (select) (select) (select) (select) (select) (select) (select) Total Project Cost 7,334,246 26,562,630

B. INDICATIVE PROJECT DESCRIPTION SUMMARY Project Objective: To improve natural resources management and the livelihoods of communities in Zambia’s Lake Tanganyika Basin through the sustainable and integrated use of lake resources (in $) GEF Co- P fi r n o a j n e ci Project c n Financing Trust Project Component Outcom Project Outputs t g Type3 es F i n a n c i n g Inv 1.1.1 Enhanced land and GEFT 3,438,690 12,465,950 agro-ecosystem F

1 Project ID number will be assigned by GEFSEC and to be entered by Agency in subsequent document submissions. 2 When completing Table A, refer to the excerpts on GEF 6 Results Frameworks for GETF, LDCF and SCCF. 3 Financing type can be either investment or technical assistance. 1 GEF-6 PIF Template-December2014 productivity through land rehabilitation/ 1. Technical 1.1 Improved conservation/ protection: assistance to agricultural land 9870 ha under SLM support integrated management in natural resources catchment areas 1.1.2 Community training management in SLM/SFM practices: 50 (INRM) sessions

1.1.3 Conservation agriculture and/or agro- forestry (i.e. climate smart agriculture) introduced on 7500 ha

1.2.1. Awareness program on integrated and sutainable NRM, including BD conservation, implemented through farmer field schools (FFSs): at least 600 beneficiaries trained 1.2 Integrated landscape 1.2.2 Twenty (20) district management staff trained on practices adopted participatory and in wider sustainable land use landscape planning in catchment areas

1.2.3 Increased number of farms using appropriate SLFM measures

1.2.4 Fifteen (15) sedimentation, siltation and erosion control structures installed for better water and land management

2 GEF-6 PIF Template-December2014 TA 2.1.1 Reforestation/ GEFT 2,424,340 9,017,672 afforestation to rehabilitate F marginal land: 60 ha under SFM 2. Sustainable agro 2.1 Improved and forest forest 2.1.2 Eleven (11) Joint ecosystem management Forest Management (JFM) development to and/or restoration areas established/gazzetted diversify in the two target districts livelihoods and eleven (11) Forestry Resources Inventories completed

2.1.3 Enhanced area under community forestry: nurseries (111 ha to raise seedlings); forest plantations and woodlots (15,000 trees); fruit orchards (80,000 trees)

2.1.4 Increased number of households deploying innovative low GHG technologies and practices (emission reduction and carbon sequestration)

2.2.1 At least 5 alternative income generating activities 2.2 Increased identified and implemented contribution of with households agro and forest ecosystem 2.2.2 Five (5) smallholder services to irrigation schemes national established by communities economies and local livelihoods 2.2.3 Socio-economic indicators display enhanced community living standards through resultant income and land productivity increases TA 3.1.1. Enhanced awareness GEFT 1,121,967 3,814,121 of stakeholders to conserve F 3.Monitoring & 3.1 Production and sustainably manage Evaluation, landscape basin resources as a result Outreach, and integrates of FFSs and training Dissemination of conservation and Best Practices sustainable use of 3.1.2 Training on BD biodiversity into conservation in relevant management local and national planning institutions (20)

3.1.3 BD mainstreamed in production landscape and basin PAs through above awareness and training

3 GEF-6 PIF Template-December2014 3.1.4 Monitoring and enforcement of Nsumbu National Park boundary and surrounding GMAs

3.1.5 Better management of and biodiversity protected in basin PAs through JFMs

3.2.1 Adequate socio- economic and environmental data collected, monitored and used as outreach/training material (gender disaggregated), including 3.2 Effective data on status of BD and M&E 3.2.2 Project-related best practice guidelines for SLFM and lessons learned published

3.2.3 Simplified and participatory M&E system established Subtotal 6,984,996 25,297,743 Project Management Cost (PMC)4 (select 349,250 1,264,887 ) Total Project Cost 7,334,246 26,562,630 If Multi-Trust Fund project :PMC in this table should be the total and enter trust fund PMC breakdown here (LD:$150,000, BD:$140,000, SFM:$72,000, CC:$55,953)

C. INDICATIVE SOURCES OF CO-FINANCING FOR THE PROJECT BY NAME AND BY TYPE, IF AVAILABLE Sources of Co- Type of Co- Name of Co-financier Amount ($) financing financing GEF Agency African Development Bank Loans 26,436,000 Recipient Government Government of Zambia In-kind 126,630 (select) (select) (select) (select) (select) (select) (select) (select) Total Co-financing 26,562,630

D. INDICATIVE TRUST FUND RESOURCES REQUESTED BY AGENCY(IES), COUNTRY(IES) AND THE PROGRAMMING OF FUNDS a) GEF Trust Country/ Focal Area Programming (in $)

4 For GEF Project Financing up to $2 million, PMC could be up to10% of the subtotal; above $2 million, PMC could be up to 5% of the subtotal. PMC should be charged proportionately to focal areas based on focal area project financing amount in Table D below. 4 GEF-6 PIF Template-December2014 GEF Agency Project Total Agency Fund Regional/ Global of Funds Fee Financing (c)=a+b (b)b) (a) AfDB GEFTF Zambia Land Degradation (select as applicable) 2,485,283 236,102 2,721,385 AfDB GEFTF Zambia Climate Change (select as applicable) 1,357,936 129,004 1,486,940 AfDB GEFTF Zambia Biodiversity (select as applicable) 1,046,279 99,396 1,145,675 AfDB GEFTF Zambia Multi-focal Areas SFM 2,444,749 232,251 2,677,000 Total GEF Resources 7,334,247 696,753 8,031,000 a) Refer to the Fee Policy for GEF Partner Agencies.

E. PROJECT PREPARATION GRANT (PPG)5 Is Project Preparation Grant requested? Yes No If no, skip item E.

PPG AMOUNT REQUESTED BY AGENCY(IES), TRUST FUND, COUNTRY(IES) AND THE PROGRAMMING OF FUNDS Project Preparation Grant amount requested: $200,000 PPG Agency Fee: $19,000 (in $) GEF Trust Country/ Programming Focal Area Agency Fund Regional/Global of Funds Agency Total PPG (a) Fee6 (b) c = a + b AfDB GEF Zambia Land Degradation (select as 50,000 4,750 54,750 TF applicable) AfDB GEF Zambia Climate Change (select as 50,000 4,750 54,750 TF applicable) AfDB GEF Zambia Biodiversity (select as 50,000 4,750 54,750 TF applicable) AfDB GEF Zambia Multi-focal Areas SFM 50,000 4,750 54,750 TF Total PPG Amount 200,000 19,000 219,000

5 PPG requested amount is determined by the size of the GEF Project Financing (PF) as follows: Up to $100k for PF up to $3 mil; $150k for PF up to $6 mil; $200k for PF up to $10 mil; and $300k for PF above $10m. On an exceptional basis, PPG amount may differ upon detailed discussion and justification with the GEFSEC. 6 PPG fee percentage follows the percentage of the Agency fee over the GEF Project Financing amount requested. 5 GEF-6 PIF Template-December2014 F. PROJECT’S TARGET CONTRIBUTIONS TO GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS7 Provide the expected project targets as appropriate. Corporate Results Replenishment Targets Project Targets 1. Maintain globally significant biodiversity Improved management of landscapes and 200,000 hectares and the ecosystem goods and services that seascapes covering 300 million hectares it provides to society 2. Sustainable land management in 120 million hectares under sustainable land 9,870 hectares production systems (agriculture, management rangelands, and forest landscapes) 3. Promotion of collective management of Water-food-ecosystems security and conjunctive Number of freshwater transboundary water systems and management of surface and groundwater in at basins implementation of the full range of policy, least 10 freshwater basins; legal, and institutional reforms and 20% of globally over-exploited fisheries (by Percent of fisheries, investments contributing to sustainable use volume) moved to more sustainable levels by volume and maintenance of ecosystem services 4. Support to transformational shifts towards a 750 million tons of CO2e mitigated (include both 12,000 metric tons low-emission and resilient development direct and indirect) path 5. Increase in phase-out, disposal and Disposal of 80,000 tons of POPs (PCB, obsolete metric tons reduction of releases of POPs, ODS, pesticides) mercury and other chemicals of global Reduction of 1000 tons of Mercury metric tons concern Phase-out of 303.44 tons of ODP (HCFC) ODP tons 6. Enhance capacity of countries to Development and sectoral planning frameworks Number of Countries: implement MEAs (multilateral integrate measurable targets drawn from the environmental agreements) and MEAs in at least 10 countries mainstream into national and sub-national Functional environmental information systems Number of Countries: policy, planning financial and legal are established to support decision-making in at frameworks least 10 countries

PART II: PROJECT JUSTIFICATION 1. Project Description. Briefly describe: 1) the global environmental and/or adaptation problems, root causes and barriers that need to be addressed; 2) the baseline scenario or any associated baseline projects, 3) the proposed alternative scenario, with a brief description of expected outcomes and components of the project, 4) incremental/additional cost reasoning and expected contributions from the baseline, the GEFTF, LDCF, SCCF, and co-financing; 5) global environmental benefits (GEFTF) and/or adaptation benefits (LDCF/SCCF); and 6) innovation, sustainability and potential for scaling up.

1) The global environmental and/or adaptation problems, root causes and barriers that need to be addressed.

Zambia is a landlocked developing country whose 14 million people face high levels of poverty and dependence on agriculture and natural resources. The country is particularly vulnerable to environmental degradation and climate variability. According to a baseline study conducted as part of the Pilot Program on Climate Resilience (PPCR 2011), extreme weather events such as floods, fires, droughts and heavy rainfall have increased in the past decades and have cost Zambia around 0.4% of annual economic growth. Without adaptation the impact could rise to 0.9% of GDP over the next decade, resulting in an additional 300,000 Zambians falling below the poverty line.

Zambia has great economic potential closely associated to its rich endowment of natural resources. Yet, almost two- thirds of the population lives in poverty and rural people persistently lag behind urban residents in most measures of social welfare. Zambia’s vast agricultural resources have not been fully utilized, with less than 12 million ha of land

7 Provide those indicator values in this table to the extent applicable to your proposed project. Progress in programming against these targets for the projects per the Corporate Results Framework in the GEF-6 Programming Directions, will be aggregated and reported during mid- term and at the conclusion of the replenishment period. There is no need to complete this table for climate adaptation projects financed solely through LDCF and/or SCCF. 6 GEF-6 PIF Template-December2014 under cultivation. The growth of the sector remains stagnant, explained in large part by the fact that smallholder agriculture is mostly low value, rainfed commodities that are impacted by drought and declining soil fertility.

Zambia lies at the heart of the Miombo Ecoregion, listed as a WWF Global 200 Ecoregion due to its high species richness. Natural resources are threatened by severe land degradation and biodiversity loss caused primarily by shifting cultivation, deforestation and overfishing. The Government of the Republic of Zambia places high importance on addressing these concerns, evidenced by initiatives which address the development and conservation of areas considered of socio-economic value. However, interventions targeting land degradation and biodiversity loss through an integrated landscape approach that addresses all sectors including forestry and fisheries are limited.

Zambia has 15 million hectares of water in the form of rivers, lakes and swamps which provide the basis for extensive freshwater fisheries. The Lake Tanganyika and Bangweulu bodies of waters are the most productive accounting for more than 40% of Zambia’s capture fisheries. The fisheries sector contributes to an average 1 percent of GDP. It is estimated that the sector supports more than 300,000 people deriving their livelihood directly as fishers and fish farmers, or indirectly as traders, processors and other service providers. Fish is an important food item in the Zambian diet accounting for up to 55% of the national dietary protein.

However, per capita fish consumption along with catch from capture fisheries have fallen as inland fishery resources fail to keep up with growing national demand and overfishing is draining available resources. Declining incomes are resulting from the depletion of stocks of preferred fish species and sizes. This negative trend can be reversed if efforts are made to improve the management of capture fisheries, increase value addition of current production, investment in aquaculture, increase sector information (statistics), and provide alternative livelihood options to lake or river dependent communities based on the sustainable management and use of land and forests in catchment areas.

Covering a total area of 32,600 km², and a catchment area of about 220,000 km², Lake Tanganyika is the longest lake in the world (673 km), the second deepest (1470 m), one of the primary freshwater reservoirs, and a rich inland ecosystem in terms of biodiversity. Zambia’s Lake Tanganyika Basin, located in the northern most region of the country, is endowed with exceptionally vast and highly diverse flora and fauna. The lake is recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot and a valuable aquatic habitat containing almost 17% of the global available surface freshwater supply and some of the largest freshwater fisheries on the African continent. Estimates suggest that Lake Tanganyika harbors at least 1500 species, of which approximately 600 are considered endemic to the lake, with over 250 known species of fish, 72 percent of which are endemic. Zambia’s Nsumbu Park is an important forest reserve and national park which, together with the Lake Basin, provide a diverse range of ecosystem services that sustain the livelihoods of millions of its inhabitants - human and natural. The map below shows the location of Lake Tanganyika in Zambia’s northernmost region and of Nsumbu National Park covering part of the lake shore. Map 1: Zambia map and location of Lake Tanganyika

7 GEF-6 PIF Template-December2014 Over 10 million people across four countries rely on the ecosystem services related to water, food, and minerals provided by Lake Tanganyika. Fisheries and agriculture form the main sources of living for the majority of communities in the lake basin. However, environmental degradation resulting mainly from human induced activities poses a serious threat to the biodiversity and ecological integrity of the lake. Landscapes and wildlife in the water’s vicinity are continuously and increasingly threatened by land degradation, deforestation, and overexploitation. Most lands that were originally forested areas in the basin have been cleared for firewood and agriculture. This worsens sediment deposit into the lake, pollution, siltation, and erosion. Principal constraints afflicting the lake basin are:  Unsustainable natural resource use by rapidly growing human populations;  Excessive and uncontrolled fishing in the pelagic and littoral zones causing fish depletion;  Critical lake habitats threatened by erosion and sedimentation resulting from deforestation, unsustainable land use, and human encroachment;  Deforestation due to increased charcoal burning, timber sawing, firewood, building materials and slash and burn agricultural practices;  Invasive species posing threats to biodiversity and agricultural productivity;  Domestic and industrial pollution impacting biodiversity as well as human health;  Reduced water inflows from rivers due to poor rainfall distribution and increased evaporation due to increased heat;  Wildlife depletion as a result of poaching and human-wildlife conflicts;  Climate change impacts lowering the productivity of the lake’s waters with associated impacts on biodiversity dependent upon the lake’s natural productivity. The Northern Province is the largest province in Zambia covering 47,826 km². 86% of the province population lives in rural areas. Important ecological and biodiversity landmarks in the Province include Lake Tanganyika, Lake Bangweulu (and corresponding wetlands), Lake Mweru-wa-Ntipa, Nsumbu National Park (NP), and a number of waterfalls (Lumangwe, Kabwelume, Chishimba and Kalambo Falls). Aside from Nsumbu, there are two game management areas (GMAs) in the region: Tondwa and the much larger Kaputa, which together with the park form important parts of a network of Protected Areas in the country.

In Zambia, Protected Areas include NPs, Joint Forest Management (JFM) and GMAs. The country has 19 NPs covering a total area of 63,580 km2, and 35 GMAs which cover 167,557 km2 – 8.5% and 22.3% of the total land area respectively. Other categories include wildlife sanctuaries (2), bird sanctuaries (2), protected fisheries and Ramsar sites (Wetlands of International Importance for Migratory Birds). Other PA categories include game ranches, botanical and zoological parks.

Seven pilot areas for JFM have been established under Zambia’s Wildlife Act and include the following provinces (none of which are in the Northern Region): Table 1: JFM Areas in Zambia

8 GEF-6 PIF Template-December2014 Currently JFM Plans have been developed for seven pilot forest areas that include the Katanino Local Forest in Masaiti District and the Shibuchinga Open Forest (under customary land in Lufwanyama district in the Copperbelt Province). In Luapula Province, management plans were developed for the Lukangaba Local Forest in Mansa District and Mwewa Local Forest in Samfya district. In Southern Province, the declared JFM areas are the Ndondi Local Forest in Choma District, Dambwa Local Forest in Livingstone/Kazangula District and part of Ila National Forest (10,000 ha demarcated to be reclassified as a Local Forest) in Namwala District. A draft management plan was also developed for the Myafi Local Forest in Mkushi District, Central Province. The implementation of the JFM plans stalled in the mid-2000s.

The GMA established under the Wildlife Act No.10 1998, are local community protected areas whose purpose is to provide for the sustainable use of wildlife and effective management of the wildlife habitat in communally owned lands, to enhance the benefits of GMAs to local communities and wildlife, to serve as buffer areas for wildlife species that move outside the NPs, and to provide for the development and implementation of management Plans and involvement of local communities.

Despite economic potential, Northern Province and by consequence its important habitats, also face major environmental challenges, from habitat destruction, invasive species, pollution, to climatic variability. Rural populations in particular lack the capacity, resources and technical knowhow to adapt and overcome worsening environmental and socio-economic conditions. Northern province communities in fact are experiencing abject poverty. The reasons are linked to poor water supply and sanitation, decreasing smallholder productivity, poor feeder road network, inadequate transport and communication coverage, poor market infrastructure, high HIV/AIDS prevalence, high levels of unemployment, high levels of mortality by preventable diseases, weak institutional capacity and facilities, inadequate and erratic power supply, and low nutrition, food and income security..

The majority of inhabitants in Northern Province are subsistence farmers which use the traditional slash and burn shifting cultivation practice locally known as "chitemene", and are barely able to produce enough food for subsistence. More than 95% of the people depend on agriculture, most of which are small scale farmers who cannot afford to buy agricultural inputs, and therefore, in order to increase yield, adopt extensive agriculture which involves opening new farmland, thus causing land degradation and loss of forest cover. Access to, and the infrastructure present at, the lake landing sites is inadequate with only 15.5% of sites being accessible by all-weather roads. Forests are an additional important source of raw material for energy, shelter and food and hence are overexploited.

There is growing evidence that at the core of low agricultural productivity and chronic food insecurity in Zambia’s basin area is degradation of the natural resources of Lake Tanganyika on which the overwhelming number of the rural population depends for its survival. The Lake Basin is the main source of food and livelihood for area inhabitants but is threatened by land degradation in the surrounding catchment caused by cultivation on sloping land, shifting cultivation, burning and wildfires, and deforestation activities. Despite initiatives to address the Lake’s ecological stability, both national and regional, efforts have failed to comprehensively address the underlying environmental and socio-economic problems.

9 GEF-6 PIF Template-December2014 Economic activities and unsustainable resource use external to protected areas also degrade biodiversity and ecosystem goods and services. PAs are often located in mixed-use landscapes where natural resources are managed or exploited for human needs related to food, water, wood, energy, and minerals. Nsumbu National Park and its immediate surrounding areas are highly representative of this phenomena and of the wider issues affecting Lake Tanganyika. The park is bisected from south-west to north-east by the Lufubu River in what's known as the Yendwe valley. Where this and other valleys meet the Lake there are groves of riparian trees. Tondwa GMA lies directly to the west of Nsumbu and acts both as a buffer zone and hunting area. The area supports an abundance of wildlife and rich diversity of terrestrial and aquatic vegetation.

The high diversity of natural habitat, including about 100 kms of the lake shoreline, and a highly productive aquatic zone for fisheries are being threatened by unsustainable resource use and high levels of illegal activities. There are also several endangered species of vegetation and a number of large mammals such as elephant, buffalo and lion are increasingly at risk. The decline of biodiversity in and around Nsumbu National Park is substantial and detrimental. The trend towards decreased biodiversity in the basin area of Nsumbu threaten livelihoods and wildlife that have relied on basin resources for millennia, thereby threatening the future of one of the most diverse protected areas on Lake Tanganyika, if not in Africa as a whole, and consequently the future of sustainable resource use. Targetting drivers of resource degradation can thus also help to reduce pressures on protected areas.

The primary environmental challenges in the Northern Province are:

Land degradation and unsustainable agricultural practices: Slash and burn cultivation and increasing pressures on land from a growing population (average annual growth rate is 3.4% in the area) result in land degradation, soil nutrient depletion and erosion. Soil restorative fallows have become shorter and, therefore, ineffective, or have disappeared from farming systems altogether. Unsustainable land practices in the watershed are key contributors to sediment inflows into the lake while the rapid population increase has led to overexploitation of forests for fuel wood, charcoal, building poles and timber, or clearing for agriculture.

Yields of key commodities have stagnated, not only in areas with marginal agricultural potential but also in those with comparatively good production potential. More than 50% of households are wholly dependent on fishing and fish trading but do not own farm land, which is allocated through tribal leadership and family inheritance and thus results in insufficient ownership by a large segment of the rural population and disincentives for sustainable practices. Crop production in the province districts is largely rain-fed, with less than 4 % of agriculture irrigated despite the huge potential given the abundant supply from the lake and a network of rivers, streams and associated wetlands.

Unsustainable fisheries: A strong and growing socio-economic pressure on the ecology of the area in and around Lake Tanganyika has resulted in a decline of total fish resources and a change in the composition of species due to worsening water quality. Unsustainable farming practices coupled with aggressive deforestation have resulted in heavy sedimentation which has a negative impact on Lake Basin vegetation, vital to the fish population. Additionally, unregulated and overexploitation of fishing has depleted the lake’s resources. Shrinking fish numbers and water pollution are causing biodiversity loss and will negatively affect food and nutrition security.

Deforestation: Zambia has approximately 50 million hectares of forest, with an estimated deforestation rate of 250,000 - 300,000 hectares per year. Deforestation contributes to increased surface run-off that eventually adds sediment load into the lake. Decades of slash and burn agriculture and clearing of woodland (for agriculture or domestic use) have resulted in rapid headward erosion, stream incision, and gully formation. Fuelwood harvesting and illegal timber activities are major drivers as well. The weak capacity of the forestry department to monitor and enforce laws and regulations, and lacking knowledge on the value of forest ecosystems both for communities and for the national economy limits the integration of conservation measures in forest planning and management.

Aquatic pollution: Pollution in and around Lake Tanganyika is a serious and growing concern. The Lake’s high evaporation rates make it vulnerable to pollution while water availability and quality are threatened by land degradation, water extraction for multiple uses, and climate change. Almost all pollution is attributable to human

10 GEF-6 PIF Template-December2014 activities and is predominantly linked to settlements scattered throughout the catchment, which become centers for a number of potentially polluting activities. Sources of pollution include domestic waste, fertilizers and pesticides, intensive fishing through inappropriate methods, land and marine traffic, industrial factories, small scale industries, and commercial fishing industries.

Climatic variability: Water temperature in Lake Tanganyika has warmed 0.1 degrees Celsius per decade and 1 degree Celsius over for the past century. This has resulted in a 20 percent reduction in biological productivity in the lake. Furthermore, the region has recently experienced a wide range of climate-related events such as flooding, heavy rains and high temperatures which have negatively affected fishing and agricultural production, water quantity/quality, and human wellbeing. A recent assessment of potential climate change impacts on water resources, agriculture, forestry, tourism, and also infrastructure, energy, and health shows that climate change will seriously undermine efforts to improve the livelihoods of Zambians if left unaddressed.

Considering the above challenges, the most significant barriers to lake conservation are identified as: lack of appropriate regulations, poor enforcement of existing regulations, lack of institutional coordination, and lack of knowledge, coupled with low technical and financial capacities at national, district and community levels to implement and monitor sustainable water, land and forest management and use in the Basin. At the institutional and district level, there is an inadequate understanding and little experience in integrated landscape planning that enhances socio-economic benefits while restoring ecosystem functionality. There is also a severe lack of knowledge and capacity in communities on practices that improve livelihoods while at the same time conserve the natural resources upon which they are so dependent. Information is low and data collection on the state of biodiversity and socio-economic status is inadequate. Furthermore, inadequate or inefficient policy and planning frameworks result in insufficient responses to land degradation and climate change. Actions must incorporate an ecosystem approach - a strategy for the integrated management of land, water and living resources that promotes conservation and sustainable use of resources and biodiversity in an equitable way - if Lake Tanganyika’s Basin is to continue to provide critical ecosystem services.

2) The baseline scenario or any associated baseline projects

The project entitled the Lake Tanganyika Development Project (LTDP), financed from a USD 23 million loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB), will serve as the baseline to the proposed GEF project. The LTDP adopts an integrated approach which aims to protect the ecological integrity of the Lake Tanganyika Zambia Basin and improve the quality of lives of basin populations through the provision of essential economic infrastructure and support to sustainable livelihoods. Activities will lead to enhanced use and management of natural resources, and the production and marketing of fisheries and agricultural products.

The baseline project will be implemented over a five-year period in two Districts of the Northern Province, namely, Mpulungu and Nsama, which are within the Lake’s catchment area and zone of influence. The LTDP will be implemented by balancing overlapping economic, social and environmental needs. The natural resource focus will be on sustainable use and commercial development of fisheries and land resources in the Lake Basin. The objectives of the baseline project are to: i) Achieve sustainable management and use of natural resources of Zambia’s Lake Tanganyika catchment area; (ii) Improve livelihoods of Lake Basin communities through social infrastructure development and diversification of economic activities; and (iii) Promote market linkages and value chain development of natural resource products and services. Even though the baseline is a national project for Zambia, it has been designed within a regional dimension to reflect framework priorities of Lake Tanganyika’s regional Strategic Action Program (SAP) and its Convention, given the common challenges that affect the whole basin.

With a total population of 157,830 people, Mpulungu and Nsama districts are characterized by poor and deteriorating socio-economic conditions, worsening land degradation, lake water pollution, fish stock depletion, and high vulnerability of communities to climatic instability. As a result, the incidence of poverty in this area is much higher when compared to other districts of Zambia. Average annual income is estimated at USD 285 per household, well below the national average of USD 1400. Accessibility to the districts is difficult and processing facilities are poor, if

11 GEF-6 PIF Template-December2014 non-existent. This leads to high post-harvest losses of the fish catch by almost 50%. Despite the Tanganyika basin being the critical source of livelihood for the inhabitants of both districts, strong human pressures on the lake and surrounding areas constitute a serious threat to its ecological functions.

The baseline project comprises activities under three components:

1. Integrated Natural Resources Management 2. Improvement of Livelihoods and Social Infrastructure 3. Project Management and Coordination

1. Integrated Natural Resources Management: The first component focuses on improving NRM in and around the Lake by supporting lake communities in activities that promote better land, wildlife, and fisheries management, thereby reducing pressure on economically important catchment resources. Activities will center on: (i) sustainable resources management and developing a common approach to the sustainable management of the Lake’s resources; (ii) fishery management and value chain development to improve added value, promote aquaculture activities and support community small and medium enterprises (SMEs) along the fish value chain, while simultaneously assuring the sustainability of fisheries; and (iii) capacity building and supporting measures which will build awareness and deliver education concerning protection of the lake.

2. Improvement of Livelihoods and Social Infrastructure: The baseline project will focus on alternative income opportunities and watershed physical structures. The improved livelihoods sub-component will provide investments which encourage communities to capitalize on new income generating activities that have a beneficial impact on natural capital. The project is also designed to support sustainable fisheries by protecting fish breeding areas and ensuring control and observation of biological rest periods. In this context, NRM systems that provide alternative livelihoods to fishing will be established through value-chain benefits (crop diversification and agricultural production processing), livestock activities, non-timber forest products, and aquaculture. The infrastructure sub-component will build social and economic infrastructure to better the socio- economic conditions of local communities, for example irrigation schemes and health centers. The project supports the creation of infrastructure that will keep beneficiaries fully engaged while preventing further depletion of the Lake’s fragile ecology.

3. Project Management and Coordination: The third component aims to support effective project implementation and regional coordination by ensuring regular monitoring and evaluation, and guaranteeing that results are fed back into decision-making processes.

3) The proposed alternative scenario, with a brief description of outcomes and components of the project

A large proportion of wealth and overall livelihoods in Zambia are tied to environmental assets: fertile soil, clean water, biomass and biodiversity. Zambia’s climate is highly variable with frequent droughts, seasonal and flash floods, extreme temperatures and dry spells occurring often and with increasing frequency. Climate variability in turn affects agricultural productivity, thereby exacerbating poverty. As human populations in the Lake basin have increased rapidly over the past decade, the magnitude of environmental threats such as pollution and habitat destruction has also increased dramatically. Unsustainable management of natural resources and inadequate control/mitigation of environmental risks therefore threaten the country’s very development.

The 150,000 people living on the Zambian side of Lake Tanganyika have a high level of poverty attributed to pervasively unsustainable human practices in fishing and agriculture which lead to low productivity and low disposable incomes at household levels. The major natural resources are intensely exploited in view of the overdependence and growing needs of riparian communities. As a result, the Lake basin is experiencing increasingly severe environmental loss.

12 GEF-6 PIF Template-December2014 Alternative scenario While the baseline project will focus primarily on the fisheries sector and on economic and social infrastructure development, the GEF component will complement activities to follow an ecosystem approach by improving the capacity of local communities to sustainably manage all the Basin’s natural resources. The main activities will focus on improving land and forestry management since these are the primary drivers of resource degradation in the catchment area, and promote the resource’s sustainable and equitable management and use. The project aims to enhance the ecosystem services provided by a restored land and forest landscape, including soil stabilization, food security, and biodiversity conservation. Targeted reduction of the drivers of unsustainable practices and the promotion of the sustainable use of biodiversity will also help secure the protected areas in proximity to the lake, while contributing to the sustainable management and resiliency of the surrounding landscapes. GEF financing will thus build on the baseline project to address gaps and supplement efforts to protect the Basin through a truly integrated landscape approach that would otherwise remain incomplete.

The project will integrate and complement planned infrastructure and fisheries interventions by focusing on the removal of key barriers that have prevented a wider adoption of SLM/SFM technologies and practices (e.g. knowledge, skills, capital, etc.), and reinforcing harmonization and coordination between planned activities and stakeholders. By promoting a more holistic, programmatic approach to address lake conservation, the project will contribute to the positive impact of interventions and achieve greater economies of scale at micro and macro levels.

Outcomes and components The proposed GEF project is envisaged to reduce degradation of the lake environment emanating from unsustainable human activities. Specifically, it will focus on improvements in watershed management through SLM and SFM, and support alternative livelihood opportunities for local communities based on enhanced NRM. The ultimate objective is to improve the capacity of the lake basin to provide ecosystem services, to restore its ecological integrity, and thus better the livelihoods of populations that depend on its resources. Sustaining biodiversity in the production and protected landscape will simultaneously secure the ecological integrity of the Lake basin and sustainability of both agro-forest ecosystems and protected area systems.

The proposed GEF TF funded project will be implemented under three main components:

i) Technical assistance to support integrated natural resources management; ii) Sustainable agro and forest ecosystem development to diversify livelihoods; iii) Monitoring and evaluation, outreach, and dissemination of best practices.

Component 1 - Technical Assistance to Support Integrated Natural Resources Management The integrated methodology will center on an ecosystem approach involving different environmental sectors including agriculture, forestry, and water to improve the livelihoods of people living around and within 10 km of the Lake shore. This component will center on the overall sustainability of natural resources in the basin in order to improve land productivity and management, agro-ecosystem productivity, ecological integrity, and also climate resilience. Furthermore, it will also assure the integration of conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and natural resources into the agro-forest production landscape. This is will include protecting and conserving the riparian trees in the Nsumbu park, which forms part of the shores of the Lake, and establishing JFMs. The objective is to strengthen capacities of local communities in sustainable land and forest management (SLFM), thus turning traditional agricultural practices into more effective production systems, and of local actors in integrated landscape planning.

Outcomes  Improved agricultural land management in catchment areas

 Integrated landscape management practices adopted in wider landscape

Component 2: Sustainable Agro and Forest Ecosystem Development to Diversify Livelihoods

13 GEF-6 PIF Template-December2014 The prime objective of this component is to improve living standards and habitats by creating functioning agro-forest ecosystems and diversifying livelihoods. The component will focus on SLFM measures that reduce detrimental agricultural practices while enhancing the well-being of communities. Activities for alternative income generation and livelihood diversification will include establishing tree nurseries and supplying seedlings for woodlots and fruit trees; agro-forestry; small-scale irrigation; and assessing alternative business ventures and value addition (e.g. bee- keeping). These will also improve water use efficiency and reduce vulnerability to climatic variability or shocks. The result will be to reduce pressure on lake basin resources, enhance resilience and increase use of low GHG technologies and practices through better forest and land management.

Outcomes  Improved forest management and/or restoration  Increased contribution of agro and forest ecosystem services to national economies and local livelihoods

Component 3: Monitoring & Evaluation, Outreach, and Dissemination of Best Practices The final component will support outreach and mainstreaming activities on biodiversity conservation and effective M&E. Key objectives are to establish efficient and effective systems for data gathering and the sharing of lessons learned on how and why to conserve and sustainably manage basin resources and the associated PAs, in particular Nsumbu National Park. Biodiversity will be mainstreamed into the productive landscape through the above training, demonstration and awareness raising activities targeting diverse stakeholders at many levels, including the Zambia Forest Commission and Zambia Wildlife Authority, thus resulting in better management and use of resources and biodiversity in the targeted landscape. The component will contribute to targeted capacity building of selected implementing entities and specific areas of support (e.g. efficient coordination and linkages with communities and NGOs). Within a results based framework, the component will also build capacity in gender disaggregated socio- economic data collection and tools (such as climate-related decision support tools), thus also enhancing environmental risk management.

Outcomes  Production landscape integrates conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity into management  Effective data and M&E

The project area – Mpulungu and Nsama As shown in Table 1 and Map 2, Zambia’s Northern Region does not have any existing JFM areas. A project objective is therefore to protect 10,000 ha (natural reserves) by the end of 2019 and establish 11 JFM for a total 20,000 hectares.

14 GEF-6 PIF Template-December2014 Map 2: Existing JFM in Zambia and Project Areas

The 11 JFM sites will be around Lake Tanganyika and will be identified during project preparation. The JFM will be located in the watershed of the Lufubu River (see maps below).

Map3-A – Project Area and proposed JFM

15 GEF-6 PIF Template-December2014 Map3-B – Project Area and proposed JFM

4) The incremental/additional cost reasoning and expected contributions from the baseline, the GEFTF, LDCF, SCCF, and co-financing

The baseline project is designed as a sustainable rural development, livelihood diversification, and value chain improvement operation to increase the per capita income of target populations, and subsequently, their standard of living. The GEF contribution is critical to harmonize the overlapping needs between economic, social and ecological systems in order to restore and maintain a working basin ecosystem. The project will be jointly financed by an AfDB loan, the GEF, and the Government of Zambia. The AfDB loan, representing over 75% of the project cost, will focus on financing investments primarily related to fisheries and agricultural production. The GEF component will provide a grant of USD 8.775 million to apply a more integrated landscape approach, adding activities in SLM and SFM in basin communities and livelihood improvement interventions. The contribution from the Zambian Government is estimated at USD 0.127 million and will be cash financing or in-kind contributions. In addition to this direct contribution, the government pays USD 500,000 annually to the Lake Tanganyika Authority (LTA), which amounts to USD 2.5 million over the project cycle. This justifies the low direct contribution to the project, in accordance with the capacity of the Government to mobilize additional financial resources.

The main justification for the use of GEF resources is to build on the baseline to promote a truly cohesive, cross- sectoral management of natural resources, mainstreaming SLM/SFM into landscape planning, strengthening stakeholder capacity and removing barriers that hinder the ecological functioning of Lake Tanganyika and threaten the biodiversity hotspot. The approach will introduce incentive measures to encourage local stakeholders to adopt new sustainable livelihood options and enhance the knowledge base among decision makers and local populations on sustainable NRM and biodiversity conservation, thereby reducing environmental stresses. Support to the continued development of an enabling environment complemented by activities that target critical constraints in land, forest, and production systems will be addressed in the holistic context of the lake catchment. GEF will complement the baseline project by addressing the interphase between water, agriculture, and forestry through a landscape approach.

16 GEF-6 PIF Template-December2014 The key value-addition of the GEF contribution, in relation to the AfDB and GRZ co-financing, is therefore to shape the project into a land degradation, SFM, biodiversity and climate change multi-focal initiative, ensuring environmental sustainability and benefits through conservation, adaptation and mitigation. The activities in catchment management will assist in improving land use management and development as well as restoring degraded land; whereas livelihood improvements through SLFM systems will contribute to increased land productivity, enhanced food security and stabilization of rural incomes. The GEF incremental value will provide specific ecosystem protection and rehabilitation which will deliver global environmental benefits that would not normally have been the primary focus of a solely AfDB-financed project.

Without GEF: The risks of ever-increasing land and forest degradation in Zambia’s Lake Tanganyika Basin are substantial. Current practices, from land-use planning to production, are failing to maintain ecosystem functions and cannot facilitate sustainable development. Without the GEF funds, the current unplanned, uncoordinated, unsustainable expansion of agriculture; overexploitation of fisheries; and misuse of wood resources without adequate consideration for sustainability or adaptation will continue to have damaging impact on the state of biodiversity and poverty conditions.

With GEF: In the alternative scenario, barriers to the adoption of sustainability principles and practices will be removed by building capacity and support at all scales (local, national, regional) for upscaling SLFM and biodiversity conservation into land use and planning. GEF activities will focus on improving knowledge, technologies, and enhancing agriculture and community level forestry. The GEF will build on the baseline scenario by financing the incremental costs associated with: (i) developing long-term integrated biodiversity conservation for the Zambia basin of Lake Tanganyika; (ii) strengthening the existing institutions to play a more effective role in sustainable management of the lake and relevant PAs; (iii) developing and implementing SLFM practices that incorporate conservation measures; (vi) implementing mitigation measures designed to address socio-economic threats to the basin; and (vii) increasing public awareness of the importance of biodiversity on livelihoods.

The integrated nature of the proposed project which cuts across several sectors, focal areas and ecologies provides rationale and justification for a broad-based GEF financing. Funding is sought from multi-focal GEF areas based on the need for a concerted effort to address the challenges faced in conserving not only the lake’s water ecosystem but also surrounding land and forest ecosystems and protected areas. Related also to the environmental benefits that will accrue, Zambia will contribute allocations from its land degradation, biodiversity, climate change, and SFM TF resources.

Specifically, the project will contribute to the objectives of LD1 on “Maintaining or improving flow of agro- ecosystem services to sustain food production and livelihoods”; LD2 on “Generating sustainable flows of forest ecosystem services, including sustaining livelihoods of forest dependent people”; CCM-2 on “Demonstrating systemic impacts of mitigation options”; BD4 on “Mainstreaming Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Use into Production Landscapes/Seascapes and Sectors”; and SFM2 on “Maintaining flows of forest ecosystem services and improve resilience to climate change through SFM”. Funds from LD, BD and SFM will target appropriate management, sustainable technologies, and community and institutional capacity building and will contribute directly to increasing vegetative and forest cover in production landscapes, creating effective linkages with the CCM and SFM focal areas. The project will follow community-based activities for both climate change adaptation and mitigation by promoting activities in conservation and climate-smart agriculture, river bank restoration and protection, reforestation, and agro-forestry. The project will have a positive, virtuous impact on the conservation and preservation of the area's wildlife and heritage and on specific resources – particularly the national park – which can play a role in local economic development. Actions will reduce the decline in natural resource assets and ultimately preserve the value of the combined resources of Lake Tanganyika and Nsumbu National Park (BD). The CCM activities will support household alternatives to traditional energy approaches, resulting in reduced GHG emissions from fuel wood or charcoal production and use. By financing these activities, GEF additionality will contribute to reduced pressure on the natural resource base, enhanced ecological functions, protect biodiversity and PAs of global importance, and more resilient livelihoods of riparian communities which will generate local, national and global environmental and socio-economic benefits.

17 GEF-6 PIF Template-December2014 5) Global environmental benefits (GEFTF) and/or adaptation benefits (LDCF/SCCF) Lake Tanganyika is a critical resource locally, nationally and regionally (given its importance for local and national economies and food security), as well as globally (due to its biodiversity significance). The numerous anthropogenic pressures which threaten the Lake Basin will, if left unabated, lead to irreversible degradation of this important habitat. The project offers numerous global environmental benefits and significant local benefits. First and foremost is a direct contribution to biodiversity conservation since the lake basin is a global biodiversity hotspot. Biodiversity will be better protected in the basin and in the Nsumbu Park as a result of project activities.

The baseline project is expected to improve the fish (catch) supply in weight and value by up to 20-25% and enhance the overall fisheries sector. By promoting on the ground investments in - and wider adoption of - SLFM practices and technologies, the GEF project will result in overall enhanced ecosystem production capacity. In addition, the project will facilitate the management, conservation and preservation of both wildlife and the unique heritage resources in the area, particularly the Nsumbu National Park, which covers an area of about 200,000 ha.

The western boundary of Nsumbu National Park is buffered by Tondwa Game Management Area, an IUCN Category VIII Multiple Use Management Area of 54,000 ha. The much larger Kaputa Game Management Area (360,000 ha) is also adjoining the National Park to the northwest and southwest. Nsumbu National Park and the two Game Management Areas form an important Protected Areas system in Zambia. As such, by improving and changing production practices in the targetted project areas to be more biodiversity friendly in sectors that have significant biodiversity impacts (agriculture, forestry, fisheries), the project could have positive knock-off effects of biodiversity conservation in these additional national parks and game areas as well.

A 20 percent reduction in biological productivity in the lake is being accompanied by a wide range of climate-related events in the region which threaten local economies and livelihoods. Project activities will facilitate climate change adaptation by improving resilience to variability through climate-smart technologies (e.g. conservation agriculture and agro-forestry). Furthermore, low carbon technologies such as improved cook stoves, biogas digesters, and small hydropower may be distributed. These technologies lessen pressure on forests and woodlands by reducing demand for fuelwood, and reduce GHG emissions and indoor air pollution.

Ecological restoration helps to maintain and enhance carbon sinks by reversing land degradation and addressing factors that lead to LULUCF-related carbon emissions. As such, better land management and tree/crop production will lead to a reduction in land degradation and reduced emissions from land use change, thereby improving carbon sequestration and better modulation of climate variability. Reforestation/afforestation activities will increase soil cover, reduce soil erosion, and help improve water catchment and hydrological balance. The restoration of degraded catchment areas will thus enhance ecosystem functions which sequester carbon. GEF funding will also be used to build the capacity of forest and land departments in data collection and measuring and monitoring carbon sequestration as well.

Specific global environmental benefits achieved will fall under the various GEF focal areas addressed. In addition to direct social and economic benefits to communities, the project will: conserve an exceptionally biodiversity rich ecosystem; enhance biodiversity protection in PAs; reduce or arrest land degradation trends in targeted areas; preserve and restore natural habitats contributing to improved ecological stability; reduce pressures on fishery resources; reduce pollution and its resulting impacts on biodiversity; restore and improve the integrity of ecosystems and underlying functions and services; increase carbon stocks and reduce carbon emissions in SLM-treated areas; decrease sedimentation thus protecting an international freshwater source; and maintain land and water resources for future use – hence resulting in greater net primary productivity of the targeted ecosystem.

In the medium and long term, based on the proposed activities, the following quantitative GEBs are proposed (to be confirmed during project preparation): (i) restoration of degraded land: 7500 ha under conservation agriculture and/or agro-forestry; (ii) establishment of 60 hectares of forest plantations and woodlots; (iii) 12,000 tons of CO2 mitigated over 25 years; (iv) improved production of non-timber forest products (such as fruit, honey, and medicinal plants) and crops on 9,870 ha (including groundnuts, maize, soybeans, and mangoes); and (v) over 200,000 ha under better biodiversity management under the Nsumbu Park and the JFM areas to be established.

18 GEF-6 PIF Template-December2014

The project is expected to generate direct benefits to about 70,000 people who are reported to live below the poverty line in the target districts. A balanced and symbiotic relationship between human needs and ecosystems will result in sustainable development, a requisite for attainment of the MDGs towards which Zambia is actively striving. A further indirect benefit potentially yielding GEBs elsewhere is the contribution to a more programmatic approach to SLFM at national and regional levels: best practices and lessons emerging from the Zambia Basin project will be compiled and made available for adoption in other riparian countries of the Lake region.

6) Innovativeness, sustainability, and potential for scaling up

Efforts to address Lake Tanganyika’s ecological stability have not yet targeted underlying problems of environmental degradation in a comprehensive manner. Ad-hoc approaches that do not capture the cross-sectoral nature of water, land and forest degradation cannot systematically address their root causes. In response to this and to leverage the scope and impact of existing and planned interventions, the project adopts a programmatic landscape approach.

Widespread poverty among riparian communities heavily shapes natural resource management and usage. People living in poverty are unable to invest sufficiently in sustainable farming practices as short term needs for food and shelter outweigh longer term considerations. Insecure land tenure, lack of knowledge, and limited livelihood options in the districts, coupled with a growing population, will exacerbate environmental degradation in the Lake Basin unless innovative and sustainable conservation measures and preventive actions are taken.

Innovativeness: The integrated approach that will be implemented through the project coordinated between government institutions and communities will provide an innovative example that is expected to generate important lessons at the national and regional level particularly among the riparian countries. While SLM and SFM strategies themselves are not innovative, projects integrating these with climate change mitigation and biodiversity activities with an alternative livelihood approach are not widely practiced, and not common in GEF projects. The proposed project will work at the government, community, and individual levels to generate capacity and incentives for improved SLFM. The GEF project will also enhance innovation and the scaling up of interventions through the participatory and replicable nature of its approach on the ground. Moreover, it will facilitate exchange of knowledge across an international body of water, thus facilitating up-scaling amongst the riparian countries on best practices in integrated watershed management. Given the transboundary nature of Lake Tanganyika, externalities are likely to cross country borders, and therefore, the environmental and socio-economic benefits of the proposed project are of national, regional and global significance. The project will support a safe and secure environment for sustainable economic growth and development in Lake Tanganyika catchment area of Zambia.

Sustainability: Zambian society, economy and environment are fundamentally interlinked in that the majority of rural people are dependent on agriculture and the larger society is dependent on rural people to properly manage land and water resources for sustained food and water supply. Social and economic infrastructure, better fisheries, and enhanced crop production and marketing potential will be complemented by the SLM/SFM GEF-financed activities which will create a more holistic undertaking of local socio-economic and ecosystem needs, thus ensuring sustainability.

The socio-economic impact of the project will be substantial since it will enhance income and resilience of beneficiaries and assist to diversify agricultural output. The increased economic activities will significantly boost local development and improve food safety and nutritional status. The project will contribute to local economic growth through better techniques for SLFM which will result in greater assertion of rights over natural resources by the local communities and increased incentives to protect them. Value addition training will improve skills and provide employment particularly to women and youth. The project’s participatory approach will enhance ownership of activities and their results by beneficiaries, while institutional and community capacity building and the involvement of local CSOs will contribute to the sustainability of project outcomes. The anticipated economic well- being resulting from higher family incomes will generate positive multiplier effects on social stability which will

19 GEF-6 PIF Template-December2014 help curb rural exodus by retaining a skilled population within the participating districts. All these impacts will ensure sustainability of techniques and practices.

The above, coupled with more effective regulation by local, municipal and central government institutions, will lead to better adoption of sustainability principles and a reduction in pressure on resources currently being over harvested. Implementation through government line ministries will also guarantee that project activities are in line with broader government programs. By raising awareness, improving access to information, and enhancing long term capacity the likelihood of the sustainability of interventions and impacts will be strengthened.

Scaling up: The GEF project will provide technical skills in SLM and other farming/forestry practices that promote both sustainability and increased agricultural productivity in the project area. The activities will be closely monitored and evaluated with successful initiatives replicated and up-scaled. Effective alternative livelihood options will be demonstrated and greater emphasis will be given to upscaling successful practices.

Project implementation will be integrated in existing Zambian and regional Lake institutions, thereby providing the systemic capacity needed for scaling up the initiative to lake-wide and to other watersheds. Given that Lake Tanganyika is shared by four countries, the proposed national project for Zambia is designed within a regional context and reflects the priorities of the SAP, the Lake Tanganyika Convention, and the LTA, regional coordination bodies that are expected to play an important role for longer term project sustainability. The lake’s major natural resources are intensely exploited in view of the growing needs of the riparian communities. Lessons learned from ensuing activities in Zambia will be shared and potentially subsequently applied regionally. The project therefore has great potential for upscaling not only through additional GRZ support if proven successful, but also at multiple scales, throughout Zambia and the region.

2. Stakeholders. Will project design include the participation of relevant stakeholders from civil society and indigenous people? (yes /no ) If yes, identify key stakeholders and briefly describe how they will be engaged in project design/preparation.

The main criteria for the selection of the target districts of Mpulungu and Nsama were: (i) basin districts in line with the Lake Tanganyika Convention; (ii) prevalence of poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition; and (iii) vulnerability to climate change. The alternative income opportunities will have the double benefit of improving livelihoods through sustainable profits on the one hand and sustaining the environment on the other. The main beneficiaries of the project are subsistence farmers, small and medium scale fishermen, and overall basin communities. Stakeholder consultations are crucial for informed and valid decision making; hence, the project will incorporate this aspect in all its undertakings.

During preparation of the baseline, consultations with various stakeholders, including the Village Development Committees (VDCs), Community Resource Boards (CRBs), and the Village Conservation Development Committees (VCDCs), were held and will continue during PPG stage and implementation. Each of these committees is democratically elected and looks at natural resources management, financial management, infrastructure development, etc. About 10 to 15 members from the communities are in each committee and sub-committee (women constitute currently about 30% and will be augmented at implementation). The project will support the effective functioning of these committees by providing technical assistance to enhance individual and overall capacities. Local NGOs may be single sourced to support small community activities with AfDB prior approval in areas of difficult access and where local knowledge is of paramount importance.

The AfDB has also undertaken public consultations with government Ministries and Departments at national and district levels as well as with development partners during baseline preparation in order to better select project activities. Meetings and extensive consultations with district officials and potential beneficiaries (fish traders and sellers and subsistence farmers) at grass-roots level were held, culminating in stakeholder workshops in Mpulungu in February 2014 and in Nsama in September 2014. During the sessions, different stakeholders highlighted the importance of Lake Tanganyika’s natural resources for the local economy and for food security, particularly to those

20 GEF-6 PIF Template-December2014 in the most vulnerable socio-economic strata of society. Women indicated the following challenges: low profits from fish trade, low agricultural productivity, rising competition from new entrants in fish trade, reduction in fish stocks, lack of capital, and lack of facilities. These concerns and recommendations have informed the design of the project.

In order to enhance efficiency in the implementation of the project, a highly decentralized but efficient, inclusive structure has been proposed. The Project will be implemented by the Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection (MLNREP), which will be the Executing Agency. The existing multi-sectoral National Steering Committee (NSC) which was in place during a previous project will be re-activated with members comprising representatives from relevant Ministries, District Commissioners for Nsama and Mpulungu, and a CSO. The NSC will have oversight responsibility and oversee project compliance with national policies and strategies.

3. Gender Considerations. Are gender considerations taken into account? (yes /no ). If yes, briefly describe how gender considerations will be mainstreamed into project preparation, taken into account the differences, needs, roles and priorities of men and women.

Zambian women play a vital role in ensuring household food and nutrition security. However, their autonomy as food producers is often limited by significant obstacles in owning and accessing land, financial services, extension services and markets, in addition to prevailing cultural and social barriers. The key role of women as users and guardians of specific natural resources is often overlooked. Gender roles, responsibilities, inequalities, and division of labor will thus be determined to influence the project’s livelihood activities. Recognition of the role of women in environmental management requires policies and planning to address practical and strategic gender needs in order to deliver effective project implementation. Women in particular should be empowered and equipped to participate at all levels in sustainable NRM practices and environmental conservation programs.

Realizing the importance of gender issues within the project areas, an assessment was conducted during baseline preparation to determine differing gender roles among the project communities and households. A series of consultations with men and women were conducted to inform project interventions and to reveal the gender-related socio-economic constraints and needs.

Women constitute 51 % of the population in both districts. HIV/AID prevalence among women is 10% while dropout of girls is 50% at primary level and 80% at secondary school level. In the project areas, women are the primary users of forest resources and oral depositories of forestry traditions. The division of labor in the fish business is very distinct: men usually do the fishing while women engage more in the processing and marketing side, complementing income with small scale farming. Access to markets is limited and requires mobility. Given this, women suffer from lack of infrastructure and gender-sensitive facilities. Furthermore, women collect forest products; hence, revenues generated by forestry are particularly important. The processing and conservation of fruits and vegetables will generate additional value-addition for women and an expanded source of income for the entire household. Stakeholder consultations revealed the need to train women in additional livelihood activities to be able to diversify their income-generating activities rather than just depend on processing and selling fish.

The project will therefore support a number of activities that increase the awareness and capacity of women in sustainable NRM, complemented with training in various skills (irrigation, financial literacy, community forestry), seed money to start small businesses (including beekeeping and NTFPs), gender friendly technologies (in particular labor saving), and preparing them to participate in the different community committees (for e.g. the CRBs and VCDCs). The Project will make deliberate effort to increase women participation and will aim at having 50-60% female involvement in project activities. The project will thus look at a variety of activities that support women’s economic empowerment and increase their financial independence to help themselves, their families and the overall community.

Even though there are gender focal points in the two districts, they are not, however, gender experts. Raising the capacity of the gender focal points would enable them to undertake gender mainstreaming effectively and, hence, will be part of the project capacity building. The project implementation unit will include a gender/socio-economist

21 GEF-6 PIF Template-December2014 to ensure full monitoring of the gender dimension. There was no disaggregated data at the time of project design, however, effort will be made to ensure that project M&E reports regularly on progress made in socio-economic indicators with gender disaggregated data. A budgetary provision will be established for this area and allow for gender awareness campaigns to ensure mainstreaming of gender issues at early stages of project implementation. Similarly, a budgetary provision will be made for contributing to the existing HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns and mainstreaming efforts. The Bank will follow up on the implementation of these provisions during supervision and in the quarterly progress reports provided by the Government.

4 Risks. Indicate risks, including climate change, potential social and environmental risks that might prevent the project objectives from being achieved, and, if possible, propose measures that address these risks to be further developed during the project design (table format acceptable).

There are two types of risks related to the implementation of the project: institutional risks and environmental risks. The environmental risks are associated with the effects of climate change and the vulnerability of the area to uncontrollable weather factors such as drought or flooding. The general institutional risks (financial, management, etc.) refer to issues of project implementation and coordination among the national, sectoral and local institutions to be involved as well as participation and reception by the communities.

In terms of institutional management of the project and related procurement, there is a risk that the capacity of the Ministry and the PIU are not sufficient for timely and effective implementation. Adequate measures will be taken to mitigate any possible risks that the AfDB anticipates. Government weakness in budget management, compliance with internal control result fras, timely follow-up and implementation of audit recommendations will be addressed through accountability measures, provision of a financial management manual, the recruitment of specifically qualified project staff to support operations on a day to day basis, and regular submission of progress reports.

There is a risk that communities will be reluctant to adopt new, innovative agricultural and forestry practices that differ from what they have always done. This will be mitigated by capacity building, increasing knowledge about short and long term benefits, demonstrations and promotion of innovative land use production systems which prove the payback from sustainability. Achievement of community-based integrated NRM goals could also be affected by the occurrence of changes in political priorities and changes in the urgencies of local stakeholders. Actions will be taken to mitigate these risks through sufficient flexibility and measures such as effective communication with key decision makers.

The project aims to have significant positive environmental and social impacts. However, some of the project activities related to infrastructure development may pose localized, and mostly temporary, negative impacts. None of the potential negative impacts are expected to be significant or irreversible as the investments will not be on a large scale and measures will be taken for effective management. An Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) has been prepared which provides guidelines for the management of potential environmental and social aspects at all possible project sites.

Examples of negative environmental and social consequences of project interventions include: loss of vegetation cover during construction or clearance of land for infrastructure, soil erosion, noise pollution from construction activities, increased particulate matter in air (i.e. dust), disruption of services during construction, and increased migration of people into the region in search of employment. Most of these impacts will be minimal, temporary, small-scale and site-specific and will mainly occur during implementation of social and economic services.

In comparison to the anticipated environmental and social benefits, the above considerations are almost negligible. Nonetheless, the ESMP proposes several mitigation measures which include re-vegetating cleared land, restoration of borrow-pits, and use of appropriate drainage systems to control erosion which will be adopted to counteract the aforementioned potential impacts. The proposed mitigation measures have been assessed and deemed practical and cost effective and will ensure realization of project benefits whilst mitigating adverse effects. The positive impacts will far outweigh the negative.

22 GEF-6 PIF Template-December2014 With respect to climate change, it is likely that various impacts will be felt during the life of the project. There are risks that climate change and variability undermine sustainability of implemented infrastructure and project achievements. Erratic rains and drought associated with flooding and dry spells could have a negative impact on crop yields. Such risks will be mitigated by the introduction of an adaptive management approach, which gives local communities the tools, capacity and information to adjust to change and overcome challenging external conditions. Moreover, rather than being a threat to the project, climate impacts will also have the effect of highlighting the positive impact of the SLFM techniques adopted, as these will help insulate production systems against the effects of climatic variability (for example through introduction of adaptive species, water harvesting technologies and crop diversification). Climate resilient SLFM technologies will be promoted and capacity built in adaptation. Moreover, unforeseen pest outbreaks, weather fluctuations, and variations in input costs and availability could affect the successful implementation of SLM. The project will mitigate these risks by promoting IPM, agricultural diversification, and use of low cost inputs. Hired experts will make sure that any new species introduced in the area through forestry and diversified cropping are not invasive. Exotic tree species that will be introduced are mainly naturalized fruit tree species as well as forest species introduced in the area through previous reforestation programs. The suggestion has come directly from Zambia’s forestry department which follows the guideline of the World Agroforestry Centre entitled “Tree Species Selection And Management Toolkit For Sustainable Agroforestry Interventions In The Catchments Of Lake Tanganyika”.

The AfDB’s Integrated Safeguards System (ISS) will be applied to this project, particularly the requirements of operational safeguard 3 (OS3): Biodiversity, renewable resources and ecosystem services. OS3 is in line with the objectives of the CBD and other international best practices and calls for a robust, appropriately designed and funded, long-term biodiversity M&E program to be integrated into the management plan. This will apply throughout the project cycle from appraisal to implementation and monitoring. The project will fully comply and strictly enforce the ISS, a powerful tool for identifying risks, reducing development costs and improving project sustainability. The system better equips the Bank to address emerging social and environmental development challenges, and better align to the GEF’s safeguard system, ensuring full compliance with its requirements.

Potential Risk Rating Mitigation Measures Efficient and timely Medium The Government’s project implementation capacity will be enhanced through implementation of a Technical Assistance and the recruitment of experts (both international and multi-sectoral local) who will be part of the PIU. participatory project The project is designed to have capacity building and awareness raising activities for both government, sectoral and community stakeholders. Given the participatory approach, clear roles, inter-relationships and accountabilities of all actors involved will be established. Participation and Low Extensive consultations with local stakeholders and beneficiaries were acceptance at community undertaken during identification and preparation stages, and will continue level is inadequate during implementation. The role of communities in project identification, monitoring and implementation will be built into the design to ensure ownership. Environmental Medium The project will promote sustainable management of land and forests, and degradation and climate implement climate-smart practices such as conservation agriculture. impacts An adaptive management approach will be implemented. Promotion of integrated tools and approaches that mainstream adaptation to climate change at local and national level. Poor sustainability of Medium The project will establish management entities for the socio-economic infrastructure infrastructure developed. The project will build resilient technologies and capacity for climate change adaptation at local level. Infrastructure design will be fully detailed before approval to ensure readiness for implementation. Long-term SLM and Medium In addition to generating awareness and support for SLFM, the project will

23 GEF-6 PIF Template-December2014 SFM processes reduced engage local institutions and communities in adopting SLFM, which will by short-term increase productivity of basin land. Increasing incomes from alternative considerations driven by livelihood generating activities will provide incentives for communities to socio-economic factors engage in SLM and BD conservation. Climate change impacts Low The region is likely to face more extreme weather events (floods, heavy at higher than anticipated rains, drought, etc.) but the project is flexible enough to function under levels more extreme conditions. Project becomes source Medium The project will be established through a consultative process and all of conflict decisions will be made with a bottom-up consultation where possible. Limited capacity of Low Focused training to empower stakeholders at both national and regional stakeholders to levels and promotion of strong linkage with on-going capacity development implement sustainable initiatives. NRM best practices Poor M&E Low A strong M&E system coupled with quality baseline data is imperative for better monitoring of programme implementation, better performance evaluation and impact assessment. Overall sustainability of Low Zambia government annual contributions to sustain the LTA. project to maintain Lake Coordination with other riparian countries and regional lake institutions ecology will be built into the project. Lessons learned and best practices will feed into national and regional programs through existing institutions, such as the LTA.

5. Coordination. Outline the coordination with other relevant GEF-financed and other initiatives.

The shores of Lake Tanganyika are shared by Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Zambia. The proposed project seeks to build on, consolidate and strengthen past, present and proposed future initiatives in Lake Tanganyika and promote additional measures that will lead to the long-term sustainable development and conservation of the lake ecosystem. First and foremost, despite this being a national project for Zambia, Lake Tanganyika remains an international body of water. As such, the project will be coordinated based on the governance mechanisms outlined in the Convention for the Sustainable Management of the Lake Tanganyika (Convention), signed in 2004, and within the confines of the Lake Tanganyika Authority (LTA), established by the four riparian countries in 2008 to cooperatively safeguard the lake’s natural resources.

The Convention is driven by the four governments with support from a range of partner organizations including UNDP, GEF, AfDB, FAO, Nordic Development Fund (NDF), IUCN, UNEP and the World Bank. The Convention has the primary objective of ensuring the protection and conservation of biological diversity by the contracting states on the basis of integrated and cooperative management. It aims to facilitate the development and implementation of standards concerning the sustainable use/management of basin resources. The LTA is the implementing body of the Convention and therefore will be a key stakeholder to consult during project implementation and monitoring of activities and results, and a key partner in regional cooperation.

A case study on the Convention was completed as part of a series prepared for the GEF’s Good Practices and Portfolio Learning in GEF Transboundary Freshwater and Marine Legal and Institutional Frameworks Project International Waters Governance project. The objective of these case studies is to provide insight into how these agreements are negotiated and how effectively they are working. The Study on the Lake Tanganyika Convention will be used by the project for enhancing regional collaboration.

Two key initiatives that the project will build upon are the UNDP/GEF Project on Partnership Interventions for the Implementation of the Strategic Action Program (SAP) for Lake Tanganyika, and the Lake Tanganyika Integrated Regional Development Program (PRODAP), funded by AfDB and other donors. Following the signing of the Convention, the AfDB, in collaboration with other donors and the affected countries, drafted a Strategic Action Program (SAP) for the Protection of Biodiversity and Sustainable use of the Natural Resources in the Lake 24 GEF-6 PIF Template-December2014 Tanganyika and its Basin. The Bank subsequently financed the multinational PRODAP which was implemented between 2009 and 2013 as one of the priority interventions identified under the SAP. As one output of the project, the LTA was established. The baseline project was thus identified as a follow up to the PRODAP. While PRODAP faced numerous implementation challenges, the government of Zambia noted that Lake Tanganyika still faced major environmental challenges and a follow-up project was needed in order to consolidate the intervention, apply lessons learned, and continue to address the socio-economic and environmental conditions of the Lake.

The objectives and activities of the UNDP/GEF international waters Project on Partnership Interventions for the Implementation of the Strategic Action Program for Lake Tanganyika were driven by the conclusions of the Lake Tanganyika Trans-boundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA), the SAP, the Convention being developed at the time, and lessons learned from the first GEF sponsored projects in the Lake. The latter included the (i) Regional UNDP/GEF Lake Tanganyika Biodiversity Project (LTBP) from 1995-2000 which aimed to safeguard biodiversity and natural resources in the lake basin by piloting the implementation the SAP and the LTA; and the (ii) GEF/UNDP Pollution Control and Other Measures to Protect Biodiversity in Lake Tanganyika project which closed in 1998. This latter 5- year project aimed to better understand the Lake’s ecosystem functions as well as the effects of stresses on the lake system, in order to control pollution and prevent biodiversity loss.

The LTBP commissioned a number of studies, including on socio-economic parameters, levels of pollution, and the effects of deforestation on lake habitats. The LTBP led to formulation of a TDA and the SAP. The UNDP/GEF pilot program, which resulted in the SAP and LTA, included interventions to address the Lake Tanganyika Framework Fisheries Management Plan (FFMP), developed by the FAO/FINNIDA/AGFUND during the Lake Tanganyika fisheries management research project (LTR) implemented between 1992 and 2001. The LTR obtained insight in the biological productivity of the lake and devised modalities for regional management of fisheries resources. From early 2002 to mid-2003, the GEF funded Lake Tanganyika Management Planning Project (LTMPP) lead to the formulation of regional and national project proposals to strengthen implementation of the SAP, FFMP, and the Convention. These initiatives together provided an in-depth analysis of all the fundamental aspects required for a better understanding of the Lake situation, notably its limnology, the socio-economic situation of the actors, the bio- ecology of the fish, institutional aspects of resource management, and problems of unsustainable fisheries, sedimentation, pollution and habitat destruction.

The GEF project will build upon these previous projects and coordinate with ongoing initiatives, mainly the SAP, which is currently being implemented by UNDP in Zambia through the Lake Tanganyika Regional Integrated Management Program (LTRIMP). The LTRIMP has two immediate objectives: (i) to achieve sustainable management of the natural resources of Lake Tanganyika through implementation of prioritized activities (e.g. addressing excessive fishing pressure and introducing actions to promote sustainable agricultural practices which reduce non-point source pollution), and (ii) to improve livelihoods through physical and social infrastructure development. The project thus directly addresses SAP objectives and targets priority hotspots in the TDA.

The project aims at consolidating the main achievements of the earlier PRODAP by drawing on both positive and negative lessons and reviving the project implementation arrangements. It will also build synergies with the AfDB’s Lake Tanganyika Transport Corridor project under preparation, aimed at increasing the economic integration of the region through transport services and communications on the lake between Burundi and Zambia, the development of trade and other economic activities, particularly for the processing and marketing of fisheries and agricultural products. The project will feed into new initiatives by ensuring they apply lessons learned in implementation and sustainability.

Finally, given that the project will use farmer field schools (FFS) for training on SLFM technologies, it will look to build on previous relevant efforts in the region, particularly coordinating with FAO due to its expertise in this field and its many examples of establishing nurseries, seed multiplication groups, small scale irrigation, gardening, and farmer friendly technologies in catchment areas. The project will link - once established - to the FFS Technical Network, recently proposed at a sub-regional workshop on FFS in Southern Africa which took place in Zambia in December 2014. The Network was recommended in order to meet the high demand by governments and communities for support through FFS projects and to help practitioners connect in order to exchange technical

25 GEF-6 PIF Template-December2014 knowledge, case studies and lessons. The network will provide support and promote coordination among various national and regional programs, including relevant FAO initiatives, and thus will be highly beneficial in addressing quality issues. Results from the project will also contribute to the network and - through a multiplier effect - build capacity within farming communities for more ecologically, economically and socially sustainable agriculture. 6. Consistency with National Priorities. Is the project consistent with the National strategies and plans or reports and assessments under relevant conventions? (yes /no ). If yes, which ones and how: NAPAs, NAPs, ASGM NAPs, MIAs, NBSAPs, NCs, TNAs, NCSAs, NIPs, PRSPs, NPFE, BURs, etc.

The project is fully consistent with Zambia’s Vision 2030 and its Sixth National Development Plan (SNDP 2011- 2015), which together represent the government’s development agenda. The Government’s long and medium term development agenda are articulated in the Vision 2030 which reflects the aspirations and determination to attain the status of a prosperous middle-income country by the year 2030. The Vision recognizes the need for fully integrated and sustainable development where the different uses of natural resources are considered in decision making processes. The SNDP operationalizes the Vision 2030 and has prioritized agriculture and NRM, along with the mining, tourism, manufacturing and energy sectors, as the key growth sectors of the economy. The SNDP focuses on sustained and inclusive economic growth, agricultural diversification, rural investment and poverty reduction. It identifies nutrition and food security as primary objectives and agricultural development as a way to achieve them. The Bank’s intervention will help GRZ attend to development challenges in areas where the poverty rate is highest.

The project is therefore formulated within the framework of Vision 2030 and will contribute to the overall goal of the SNDP by facilitating and accelerating “People-Centered Economic Growth and Development” that will add value to employment creation, stimulate rural development and thereby foster inclusive growth. The MLNREP is further refining its sector policies and strategies to better respond to the development plans, based on the existing National Environment Policy and the National Policy on Climate Change (2012).

The Results Based Country Strategy Paper (CSP) covering 2011-2015 identifies and embraces sectors that are important for achieving broad-based growth including increasing fisheries, forestry and agricultural productivity and incomes for smallholder producers. The proposed project is anchored on the CSP’s Pillar I which is “Support to Infrastructure Development” as it essentially supports economic infrastructure that would keep beneficiaries from further depleting the fragile natural endowment of Lake Tanganyika.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) is refining its sector policies and strategies based on the National Agriculture Policy (NAP 2004). MAL has also prepared a National Agriculture Investment Plan (NAIP 2014-2018) within the framework of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) whose overall objective is to facilitate and support the development of a sustainable, dynamic, diversified and competitive agricultural sector that assures food security at household and national levels and maximizes the sector's contribution to GDP. The project is thus in line with the SNDP, the NAP, the NAIP but also the National Gender Policy (2000), the Food and Nutrition Policy (2006), the National Food and Nutrition Strategic Plan (2011-2015), and the First 1,000 Most Critical Days (2013-2015).

As regards AfDB strategies, the project is consistent with the Bank’s Agriculture Sector Strategy (AgSS 2010-2014) by supporting sustainable natural resource management and rural infrastructure development, and is fully aligned with its Long Term Strategy (2013-2022), hinged on inclusive growth and the gradual transition to green growth by supporting diversification activities that promote jobs as well as investments in natural resource management which build resilience to climatic variability. The project is further aligned with the Bank’s Gender Strategy (2014–2018) by addressing equity and women’s economic empowerment through promotion of women-targeted alternative livelihood activities, socio-economic infrastructure and skills training.

Realizing the threats of climate change, the GRZ has satisfied commitments and obligations under the UNFCCC through the National Adaptation Program of Action (NAPA) developed in 2007, the National Climate Change Response Strategy (NCCRS), the Strategic Program on Climate Resilience (SPCR), and the draft National Policy on Climate Change (NPCC). Zambia has also incorporated climate change and disaster risk reduction in its SNDP and climate change issues are reflected in sector policies, including the National Disaster Management Policy and Act of

26 GEF-6 PIF Template-December2014 2010, the National Policy on Environment, the Environmental Management Act of 2011 and the National Water Resources Management Act of 2011.

The project fully complies with priority actions in the NAPA formulated by the GRZ to enable effective identification of national climate change vulnerabilities and adaptation needs. The NAPA identifies 39 urgent adaptation needs and 10 priority areas within the sectors of agriculture and food security (livestock, fisheries and crops), energy and water, human health, natural resources and wildlife. Although the NAPA does not include specific recommendations for REDD+, it does identify major climatic hazards and prescribe adaptation measures for the forestry sector. In recognition of the role REDD+ can play in reducing emissions and facilitating sustainable socio- economic development, the Zambian government is presently assessing the opportunities potentially delivered through REDD+. Project activities and objectives reflect the NAPA priorities and can inform related processes.

Zambia prepared its first National Communication (NC) to the UNFCCC in 2000 and is in the process of finalizing the second NC. Under a UNDP project entitled Low Emission Capacity Building (LECB), which covered a number of other countries too, Zambia has aimed at improving its GHG inventory system and is in the process of establishing a sustainable national GHG inventory. NAMA development in the energy, agriculture, industrial processes and waste management sectors was part of the project. Zambia is piloting four NAMAs on sustainable agriculture, small- hydros, sustainable charcoal production and integrated waste management.

According to the NC, Zambia’s LULUCF sector contributes the largest share to national emissions accounting for roughly 74% of total emissions. Agriculture contributes an estimated 18.9% of total GHG emissions. The NC has identified a number of risk hazards, including decreasing crop yields and rangeland carrying capacity. Recommendations to increase resilience include: strengthening early warning systems, increasing irrigation and water management systems, development of drought resistance crops, and improving grazing management practices. Agro-forestry and conservation farming have also been identified as opportunities for reducing emissions. Lowering emissions is a priority in Zambia’s climate change arena. The vision of its NPCC is a climate-resilient, low emission prosperous economy by 2030 that will have significantly increased living standards and reduced the population’s vulnerability to the impacts of climate change and variability. The project is consistent with all these prescriptions as well.

In terms of alignment with other Rio convention plans, the project is in line with the priority action areas identified in Zambia's National Action Program (NAP) for combatting land degradation and desertification, and mitigating serious effects of drought in the context of the UNCCD and its Ten-Year Strategy, the objectives of which are to: reduce the destruction of land resources in affected areas; promote sustainable use of land resources; increase public awareness and information dissemination on matters of land degradation; and create a suitable policy and legislative framework for the implementation of the NAP. The proposed project has been designed to contribute to the operational objectives of the Ten-Year Strategy through its strong focus on land degradation.

Finally, the project is consistent with Zambia’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) which aims at addressing the major threats to biodiversity conservation, including deforestation resulting from excessive cutting of trees for biomass energy, commercial harvesting, conversion of forest land to agricultural land, wildlife depletion, fisheries depletion and water pollution from domestic and industrial activities.

7. Knowledge Management. Outline the knowledge management approach for the project, including, if any, plans for the project to learn from other relevant projects and initiatives, to assess and document in a user-friendly form, and s hare these experiences and expertise with relevant stakeholders.

A component dedicated to sharing best practices and a detailed knowledge management plan will be conceived and developed during the PPG phase. The project will contribute to knowledge management through baseline studies, lake wide and regionally coordinated socio-economic surveys, and progress reports which will inform stakeholders

27 GEF-6 PIF Template-December2014 on how to use the acquired information and skills for better results-oriented achievements. Knowledge generated on enhanced integrated NRM will be instrumental in designing and managing future projects. Furthermore, the project will facilitate exchange of information and experiences across the Riparian countries on innovations and best practices in watershed management.

An M&E system will be developed and managed by an M&E Officer which will regularly track, document and report progress and results, facilitate knowledge building, and share data with key stakeholders. The monitoring and reporting plans will be developed based on a log frame that will have gender disaggregated indicators. The project will provide financial resources to facilitate training, proper data gathering, processing and reporting.

The GEF and baseline project will generate a lot of valuable information for application in the design and management of similar projects (AfDB, government, or other development partners) in the broader Lake area. The innovations in integrated NRM management, community participation, social infrastructure, value chain linkages, services and livelihood alternatives will provide critical lessons for sustaining the ecological integrity of the Lake Tanganyika Basin.

PART III: APPROVAL/ENDORSEMENT BY GEF OPERATIONAL FOCAL POINT(S) AND GEF AGENCY(IES)

A. RECORD OF ENDORSEMENT8 OF GEF OPERATIONAL FOCAL POINT (S) ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT(S): (Please attach the OPERATIONAL FOCAL POINT ENDORSEMENT LETTER (s) with this template. For SGP, use this SGP OFP ENDORSEMENT LETTER ). NAME POSITION MINISTRY DATE (MM/dd/yyyy) Godwin Fishani Gondwe Permanent Secretary, Ministry Of 10/08/2014 Environment and Lands, Natural Natural Resources Resources And Management Environmental Department Protection

B. GEF AGENCY(IES) CERTIFICATION This request has been prepared in accordance with GEF policies9 and procedures and meets the GEF criteria for project identification and preparation under GEF-6.

Agency Date Project Coordinator, Signature (MM/dd/yyyy Contact Telephone Email Agency name ) Person Mahamat 01/16/2015 Siham +225 2026 S.MOHAMEDAHMED@A ASSOUYOUTI, MOHAMED 2259 FDB.ORG African AHMED Development Bank

8 For regional and/or global projects in which participating countries are identified, OFP endorsement letters from these countries are required even though there may not be a STAR allocation associated with the project. 9 GEF policies encompass all managed trust funds, namely: GEFTF, LDCF, and SCCF 28 GEF-6 PIF Template-December2014 C. ADDITIONAL GEF PROJECT AGENCY CERTIFICATION (APPLICABLE ONLY TO NEWLY ACCREDITED GEF PROJECT AGENCIES) For newly accredited GEF Project Agencies, please download and fill up the required GEF Project Agency Certification of Ceiling Information Template to be attached as an annex to the PIF.

29 GEF-6 PIF Template-December2014

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