NATURAL WEALTH PROGRAM
YEAR 1 ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT: APRIL – SEPTEMBER, 2017
October 17, 2017
DISCLAIMER This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It was prepared for USAID by Chemonics International Inc. for the Natural Wealth Program.
NATURAL WEALTH PROGRAM
YEAR 1 ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT: APRIL – SEPTEMBER, 2017
Contract No. AID-514-H-17-00001 Cover photo Credit: Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt
CONTENTS
ACRONYMS……………………………………………………………………………ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY …………………………………………………………….1 SECTION 1: PROGRAM PURPOSE AND APPROACH………………………..4 SECTION 2: COMPLETION OF RAPID MOBILIZATION PLAN AND DELIVERABLES ...... 7 SECTION 3: STATUS OF INITIAL WORK PLAN IMPLEMENTATION …………………………………………………………………………………………….9 SECTION 4: PROGRESS WITH CROSS-CUTTING ACTIVITIES ...... 24 ANNEX A. INITIAL WORK PLAN PROGRESS REPORT ANNEX B. STAFFING STRUCTURE ANNEX C. CONSERVATION CORRIDORS MAPS
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ANDI National Business Association of Colombia ANLA National Environmental Licensing Authority APS Annual Program Statement ART Territorial Renovation Authority CAR Regional Autonomous Corporation CARDIQUE Regional Autonomous Corporation-Canal del Dique CARSUCRE Regional Autonomous Corporation-Sucre CDCS Country Development and Cooperation Strategy CFR Code of Federal Regulations CIAT International Center for Tropical Agriculture CO Contracting Officer COAIT Community Options Assessment and Investment Tool CONPES National Council for Economic and Social Policy COP Chief of Party COR Contracting Officer’s Representative CORPOCESAR Regional Autonomous Corporation-Cesar CORPOGUAJIRA Regional Autonomous Corporation-La Guajira CORPORINOQUIA Regional Autonomous Corporation-Orinoquía CPR Corporación Paisajes Rurales POD Departmental Land Use Plan DNP National Planning Department E3 Ecología, Economía y Ética Asesorías EMA Environmental Management Approach FARC Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia FEDEARROZ National Federation of Rice Growers FEDECACAO National Federation of Cacao Growers FEDEGAN National Federation of Livestock FEDEPALMA National Federation of Palm Oil Growers FINAGRO Agricultural Financing Fund FPIC free, prior, and informed consent FY fiscal year FP Fundación Reserva Natural La Palmita GEF Global Environmental Facility GIS geographic information system GOC Government of Colombia Ha hectare IAvH Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt ICCA Indigenous and Community Conservation Areas IEE Initial Environmental Examination IR Intermediate Result IQS Indefinite Quantity Subcontract IWP Initial Work Plan
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LUCIS Land Use Conflict Identification Strategy M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MADS Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development MADR Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development MEL Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning MEO Mission Environmental Officer MME Ministry of Mines and Energy MOU Memorandum of Understanding NGO non-governmental organization PA protected area PES payment for ecosystem services PNN National Natural Parks POMCAS Watershed Planning and Management Plans POT Land Use Plan QASP Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan RMP Rapid Mobilization Plan RNSC Civil Society Nature Reserve RR Required Result SILAP Local Protected Area System SENA National Learning Service SF stakeholder feedback SFF Fauna and Flora Sanctuary SIME Monitoring and Evaluation Information System SINAP National Protected Area System SIPRA Information System for Rural Agricultural Planning SIRAP Regional Protected Area System SMART-LAWIN Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) and the Landscape and Wildlife Indicators (LAWIN) SNSM-Perijá Southern piedmont of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta-East and the piedmont of Perijá TDF Tropical Dry Forest TO Task Order TOC Theory of Change UPRA Rural Agricultural Planning Unit USAID United States Agency for International Development USG United States Government
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Natural Wealth Program is a five year, almost US$ 39 million, initiative financed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Chemonics International. It supports Colombian efforts to conserve biodiversity in three landscapes located in two critically threatened ecoregions that are underrepresented in the country’s system of protected areas (PAs): dry tropical forest in the Caribbean region and the savannas, wetlands, and forests in the Orinoquía. To achieve its set of ambitious goals, the Program relies on a mix of traditional and non- traditional approaches to conservation: i. increase the area under legal protection and strengthen its management and financing; ii. incentivize stakeholders, especially the private sector, to identify and capture economic and social benefits of biodiversity conservation; and iii. strengthen and increase the ability of the Government of Colombia (GoC) to uphold laws, regulations, and procedures to incorporate priority conservation areas into land use planning and management.
This report presents progress during the 2017 fiscal year (FY) for the initial implementation period from April 1, 2017 to September 30, 2017 as outlined in the Rapid Mobilization Plan (RMP) and Initial Work Plan (IWP). In the period, the Program became fully functional and capable to implement the activities proposed in the RMP and IWP. Central and regional offices were opened, the Chief of Party (COP) and other key personnel were quickly mobilized, and initial contract deliverables were completed on time, the most significant of which include: RMP; IWP; Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Plan; Grants Manual; financial reports; initial communications pieces; and FY18 Annual Work Plan, which includes the Gender and Social Inclusion Strategy.
Strong progress made during FY17 towards the Program’s required services, goals, and activities outlined in the IWP. Natural Wealth’s fully staffed technical team and core partners - Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt (IAvH), Fundación Reserva Natural La Palmita (FP), Corporación Paisajes Rurales (CPR), Ecología, Economía y Ética Asesorías (E3), and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) - completed the vast majority of activities in the IWP as summarized in Section 3 and detailed in Annex A. Initial field assessments and information gathering has allowed the team, including USAID, to complement the initial situational analysis in each landscape and validate the threats to biodiversity and the drivers behind those threats leading to the delineation of eight priority conservation corridors (see table below) extending over 1.7 million hectares (ha) where the Program will initially concentrate field activities in FY18.
Natural Wealth Target Conservation Corridors Landscape Orinoquia 1. Caño Mochuelo 2. Cumaribo 3. Yopal-Orocué
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Southern piedmont of 4. Valledupar the Sierra Nevada de 5. Urumita-La Jagua del Santa Marta-East and Pilar the piedmont of Perijá 6. Becerril (SNSM- Perijá) 7. Copey Montes de María 8. San Juan Nepomuceno
In conjunction with the technical activities and just as importantly, significant strides were made to rollout Natural Wealth with key government, private sector, donor, civil society, and community actors at the national, regional, and landscape level. This has led to growing working relations that have allowed the Program to assess and identify the best initial opportunities for engagement with private businesses, producer groups, and landowners on environmentally sustainable and inclusive value chains (10 assessed with priority given to cacao, livestock, nature-based tourism and rice), green businesses (24 enterprises evaluated), and Civil Society Nature Reserves (RNSC) (100 pre-identified candidate properties). Initial financial mapping exercises were also completed to identify public and private sources of funding potentially available to support Program activities on the order of US$ 26 million. These initial contacts and assessments have allowed the Program to refine its overall engagement strategy with the private sector across different required services.
In close collaboration with USAID, the Program has introduced Natural Wealth to numerous national, regional, and municipal counterparts. Initial opportunities for Natural Wealth to support policy and regulatory initiatives that will enable progress towards Program objectives have been identified; e.g., Ministry for Environmental and Sustainable Development (MADS) to incorporate payment for ecosystem services (PES) in environmental planning and management; National Planning Department (DNP) on revision of manuals for the Land Use Planning Program (POTs modernos); and National Environmental Licensing Agency (ANLA) on guidelines for use of compensation funds in conjunction with improved agricultural projects. With National Natural Parks (PNN) and regional authorities, priorities for creation of new PAs and improving management of existing PAs were defined, including development of the BioTerra-i monitoring and patrolling platform that builds on work started by IAvH, CIAT, and USAID/Philippines and the adaptation of the Protected Areas Management Operational Manual and tools developed with support by USAID/Ecuador. Regional and municipal planning instruments were assessed to identify the best opportunities for support by Natural Wealth in FY18.
During the reporting period, the Program continued building a common vision for Natural Wealth and team-building among implementing partners and USAID. Although it has taken time, steady progress was made in effectively communicating Natural Wealth’s non- traditional approach to biodiversity conservation and to fully align the Program with GoC and United States Government (USG) priorities outside of the conservation space (e.g., peace process, security, licit rural economies). Finally, during the initial implementation period the entire team, which includes USAID, has gained the perspective of key actors working in other sectors that will have a significant bearing on conservation in the priority landscapes and corridors, particularly in agriculture, finance, land tenure, and the peace
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process, and has identified ways to complement efforts. Taken together, activities completed during the IWP period have allowed the Natural Wealth team and USAID to assemble the information necessary and build collaborative relationships among partners and stakeholders in order to develop a comprehensive annual work plan for FY18 and a solid platform for implementation going forward.
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SECTION 1: PROGRAM PURPOSE AND APPROACH
1.1 Purpose
Natural Wealth’s focus on biodiversity conservation and the development of economic alternatives that rely on sustainable resource management supports USAID’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) goal of a “Colombia more capable of implementing a sustainable and inclusive peace.” Natural Wealth supports this goal by contributing to Development Objective No. 4 “Environmental resiliency and low- emissions development strengthened.” In addition, the Program strategically supports the GoC in meeting its sustainable rural development and conservation goals to achieve lasting peace. Natural Wealth is addressing biodiversity conservation at the landscape level to achieve widespread impact; our approach recognizes that large-scale threats to biodiversity, ecological connectivity, and biodiversity hotspots, do not adhere to political or even ecological boundaries. As such, Natural Wealth is promoting conservation in and around legally declared areas—establishing conservation corridors within each landscape that include a mosaic of land uses, conservation mechanisms, and actors that work in tandem to achieve biodiversity conservation and connectivity, economic development, and ultimately, improve human well-being.
1.2 Approach and Overall Implementation Strategy
The Natural Wealth Program is funded by USAID’s “biodiversity earmarked” funds, and as such, all proposed activities are selected based on an analysis of threats and drivers and a corresponding Theory of Change (TOC), which is summarized in the Development Hypothesis in Exhibit 1 below. Based on this approach, the Program’s implementation strategy, which is summarized in Exhibit 2, is to: • Build local capacity and partnerships for biodiversity conservation with non- traditional actors from the public and private sector, like agro-industries, gremios, producer associations, and financial entities. • Promote innovative and cost-effective strategies to expand legally PAs e.g., Indigenous and Community Conservation Areas (ICCA) and RNSCs. • Generate sustainable income streams linked to conservation and disseminate best environmental practices in the agricultural sector that promote conservation and sustainable and profitable business models. • Engage the private sector to overcome barriers to comply with regulatory requirements for conservation, such as environmental compensations, and
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capitalize on incentives for conservation driven by markets and voluntary mechanisms. • Convene conservation coalitions for accountable governance and main-streaming biodiversity conservation in land-use and development planning.
Exhibit 1. Natural Wealth’s Development Hypothesis
Exhibit 2. Implementation Strategy
Implementation strategy
Build local capacity and partnerships for biodiversity conservation with non- Promote innovative and 1 traditional actors from the 2 cost-effective strategies to public and private sector like expand legal protected agro-industries, gremios, areas, e.g., Indigenous and producer association, and Community Conservation financial entities Areas and Civil Society Nature Reserves Generate sustainable3 income streams linked to conservation and promote best environmental practices in the Strategies agricultural sector that benefit both conservation Engage the private and the bottom-line sector to surmount Convene conservation barriers to comply with coalitions for accountable regulatory requirements governance and main- and create incentives for streaming biodiversity conservation driven by conservation in land-use markets and voluntary 5 and development planning mechanisms 4 7
1.3 Structure of Annual Performance Report The Natural Wealth Program’s Year 1 Annual Performance Report presents activities implemented and progress towards Program goals and required services from April 1, 2017 – September 30, 2017 as related to the Rapid Mobilization Plan and the approved
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IWP for FY17. Section 1 presents the Program’s purpose and approach; Section 2 details the implementation and completion of the Rapid Mobilization Plan; Section 3 summarizes the implementation of the IWP and progress towards stated goals; and Section 4 presents cross-cutting activities and other contractual reporting requirements. Annex A - “IWP Progress Report” – provides additional detail on the strong progress made during FY17 towards the Program’s required services and the goals and activities outlines in the IWP. The Annex is meant to serve as a management tool to provide a consolidated overview of project activities that can be easily tracked and referenced in the same format that was presented in the IWP. Annex B contains our current staffing structure. Lastly, Annex C presents maps of the conservation corridors selected for the implementation of Program activities in each landscape
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SECTION 2: COMPLETION OF RAPID MOBILIZATION PLAN AND DELIVERABLES
2.1 RMP Completion
During the first 90 days (April- June 2017), the RMP laid out a series of logistical, management, and technical priorities to support Natural Wealth start-up. The following summarizes major Natural Wealth RMP goals that were met during the first 90 days:
Inception workshop held with Natural Wealth staff, core implementing partners, and USAID in Bogotá on May 15 – 16, 2017 where the team: - Established a common vision for Natural Wealth and understanding of the TOC underlying the Program’s strategy as well as the Program’s purpose, objectives, required results, and targets - Confirmed roles and responsibilities of each implementing partner - Introduced administrative, security, and operation arrangements and procedures - Reviewed monitoring and evaluation and environmental compliance requirements - Built consensus on the needs, priorities, and activities for the IWP. Opened offices in Bogotá, Yopal, San Juan Nepomuceno, and Valledupar and procured/transferred necessary equipment and services to operate. Onboarded technical team and administrative staff. Developed Indefinite Quantity Subcontracts (IQS) and initial fixed-price sub-task orders (TO) for subcontracting the core implementing partners named in our proposal for FY17 and designed the scopes of work for FY18. Established legal representation and began process for opening bank accounts. Held initial meetings with key stakeholders from the public and private sector as well as other USAID Programs to develop strategic partnerships, including MADS, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR), DNP, PNN, ANLA, the Territorial Renovation Agency (ART), the Rural Agricultural Planning Unit (UPRA), the National Business Association of Colombia (ANDI), Gobernaciones of Casanare, Cesar, Guajira, and Sucre, Regional Autonomous Corporations (CARs), such as CORPORINOQUIA, CORPOGUAJIRA, CARSUCRE, and CARDIQUE, private sector entities, including chambers of commerce in Casanare and Guajira, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) (e.g. Patrimonio Natural, World Wildlife Fund, Fundación Panthera, Fundación Palmarito, Fundación Prosierra). Developed Natural Wealth Fact Sheet in English and Spanish, a Program pamphlet, and two bi-monthly newsletters.
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Developed approved Grants Manual and trained staff and partners on grants management.
2.2 Deliverables Submitted in FY17
To date, in accordance with Section F.6 “Reports and Deliverables” of the contract, the Natural Wealth Program has submitted the following deliverables: RMP for the first 90 days of the contract Initial Work Plan for FY17 MEL Plan Emergency Contact Plan Grants Manual Quarterly Financial Reports Accruals Reports Bimonthly Newsletters Meeting Notes for meetings with the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) Q3 Quarterly Performance Report (and quarterly Communications and Outreach Plan) International Short-Term Technical Assistance Report by Karin Columba FY18 Annual Work Plan, which included the Gender and Social Inclusion Strategy As noted in the Q3 Quarterly Report, the Environmental Management Approach (EMA) was not submitted following instructions from the COR and the Mission Environmental Officer (MEO) indicating that the deliverable was no longer required since reporting will be streamlined through the Mission’s MONITOR system. The respective contract modification to this effect is pending.
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SECTION 3: STATUS OF INITIAL WORK PLAN PROGRESS
The IWP covered the June 1 – September 30, 2017 period and detailed crucial Natural Wealth activities, including building partnerships, conducting key assessments, further developing Program strategies, and defining a roadmap for achieving Program indicator targets, while also identifying near-term opportunities to advance Program objectives and achieve early results against contract indicators and targets in FY18. The IWP was developed collaboratively with Natural Wealth partners and USAID and was informed by the inception workshop. The main goals of the IWP were to:
Build a common vision for Natural Wealth and foster team-building among Natural Wealth staff, implementing partners, and USAID. Present Natural Wealth to key GoC, private sector, donor, civil society, and community actors at the national, regional, and landscape level. Lay the foundation for collaboration with key counterparts and stakeholders. Define with precision current GoC conservation priorities and ongoing and planned investments. Identify channels for collaboration with key actors from across sectors that have a significant impact on conservation in the target landscapes, particularly in agriculture, forestry, tourism, finance, land tenure, the peace process, amongst others. Conduct initial field assessments to: - Build off of the current situational analysis in each landscape developed during the proposal period - Validate the threats and drivers analysis for each target landscape - Select conservation corridors in each target landscape based on a set of criteria developed with partners and USAID - Assess various tools for land use planning, biodiversity monitoring, institutional capacity building, and PA management, including Terra-i, the Biomodelos web tool, the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART), and the Landscape and Wildlife Indicators (LAWIN) tool - Identify the best opportunities for engagement with the private sector and producer groups - Select the first tranche of municipalities where Natural Wealth will roll out Program activities to support land use planning (POTs) and promote RNSCs and conservation agreements with private landowners - Identify the best opportunities for Natural Wealth to support priority policy and regulatory initiatives that will enable progress towards Program objectives.
Progress achieved towards the IWP targets for each of the three Program objectives and required results (RR) is presented in detail in Annex A and summarized below.
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3.1 Progress under Objective 1: Conserve Colombian biodiversity through more effective protections for priority species and ecosystems
Approach for RR 1.1: Increase the Area Under Legal Protection for Priority Ecosystems. The focus during the IWP was to gather critical information from the field and meet with counterparts to establish collaborative agreements that will lay the groundwork for identifying site-specific areas and interventions in each landscape where Natural Wealth will operate in FY18.
Progress for RR 1.1 to date includes: Drafted/negotiated Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with CARs and local governments (CORPORINOQUIA, CARDIQUE, CARSUCRE, Gobernacion Casanare, Gobernacion Cesar, and the Local Protected Areas System (SILAP) in San Juan Nepomuceno). Defined the following priorities and goals for FY18: - At least one regional PA declared. The Paz de Ariporo regional PA totaling approximately 20,000 ha will be the prime focus - Initiate social, economic and cultural assessments required to begin the declaration process in at least three regional PAs in the Caribbean (Coraza, Perico Laguna, and Copey) and one regional PA in the Orinoquía (Wisirare) - Secure commitments with landowners in Cinaruco to support the national PA declaration process for an area of between 190,000 and 400,000 ha Determined status of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (IFPC) processes for the declaration of PAs in target landscapes. In the case of Cumaribo, direct support by Natural Wealth will be deferred until the relationship between communities and authorities becomes more operative and a clear role for Natural Wealth can be defined. Defined opportunities to support the Resguardo Caño Mochuelo with sustainable livelihoods and supporting the establishment of a new national PA in Cinaruco. Generated a list of more than 100 pre-identified candidate properties that have shown interest in creating a RNSC. Provided technical assistance to PNN to complement efforts to develop and adopt an ICCA category. At least two potential areas for establishing ICCAs identified. One with Arhuacos in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and another with ethnic groups in Caño Mochuelo (including Tsiripu, Waüpijiwi, Yaruro, Amorúa, Yamalero, Maibén Mmasiware, Sikuani, Cuiba Wamonae and Sáliba).
Approach for RR 1.2: Management and financing of legally protected areas in the sub-regions of interest strengthened. The focus for this RR is centered on building institutional capacity and strengthening financial mechanisms for PA management.
Progress for RR 1.2 to date includes: Compiled and determined which RNSC and PAs in the conservation corridors have management plans and/or have “management effectiveness analyses.”
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Assessed how the Protected Areas Management Operational Manual and tools developed under USAID’s Sustainable Forests and Coasts Program in Ecuador can be adapted for Colombian PAs. Natural Wealth will field test the Operational Manual in at least two pilot areas, potentially including RNSCs in the Orinoquía and the Fauna and Flora Sanctuary (SFF) Los Colorados (to be confirmed with PNN) and/or the regional PA Los Besotes in the Caribbean in FY 18. Carried out initial financial mapping exercises to identify available funds for FY18 activities: o Department and municipal government 4-year budgets detailed in Planes Plurianuales de Inversión, showed potential availability of between US$1.8 - US$3.6 million for Montes de María, US$1.2 - US$2.5 million for SNSM-Perijá, and US$4.7 - US$9.5 million for Orinoquía, to finance activities and programs that complement Natural Wealth, including sustainable production, PAs, watershed and biodiversity protection, ecotourism, gender equality, governance, and PES, among others. o Through the National Royalty System (Sistema General de Regalias), there is potential funding available in each landscape of approximately US$44 million in Montes de María landscape, US$20 million in SNSM-Perijá, and US$11 million in the Orinoquía. o In terms of potential for mobilizing and leveraging funds, the National Royalty Fund is the most promising source, while conservation finance from Colombia Sostenible, FONTUR, and BioCarbon has lower potential. o There exists potential to collaborate and leverage funds with banks, including BANCOLOMBIA, BANCOLDEX, FINAGRO, FINDETER and Davivienda, as well as micro-finance entities such as Crezcamos, Bancamía, Fundación Amanecer, Fundación IC and Bancompartir, where the Program will collaborate with the Rural Finance Initiative in FY18. o The GoC has fiscal incentives for conservation and sustainable agricultural practices where 20 instruments have been identified, The mechanisms that are most aligned with the Program’s objectives are tax breaks for reforestation and clean production projects, the Rural Capitalization Incentive (Incentivo de Capitalización Rural), and the Forest Incentive Certificate (Certificado de Incentivo Forestal).
An initial strategy to leverage funds is presented in the table below:
Table 1: Initial strategy to leverage funds in USD (2017 – 2019)
Regional and National Technical Colombia Compensation Other private PPN Local Entities Royalties Financial Cooperation Landscapes Sustainable for licenses sources (SCR matching Total (conservative Systems Sector (e.g., Fondo Fund (FCS) and 1% and NGOs) funds scenario) (SGR) BioCarbono)
Orinoquía 4,688,404 4,666,667 500,000 1,666,667 666,667 166,667 666,667 1,266,667 14,288,404 SNSM- 1,247,437 1,266,667 833,333 1,000,000 333,333 166,667 166,667 500,000 5,514,104 Perijá Montes 1,792,368 1,800,000 833,333 1,000,000 333,333 166,667 166,667 500,000 6,592,368 de María Total 7,728,209 7,733,333 2,166,667 3,666,667 1,333,333 500,000 1,000,000 2,266,667 26,394,875 % Part. 29,3% 29,3% 8,2% 13,9% 5,1% 1,9% 3,8% 8,6% 100%
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*Values in USD, exchange rate USD1 = COP 3,000.
Designed a methodology for merging Terra-I (CIAT), Biomodelos (IAvH), and SMART-LAWIN (USAID/Philippines) tools to provide a comprehensive monitoring and enforcement system “BioTerra-i”. Also, explored how BioTerra-i might complement the Wildlife Conservation Society’s on-going efforts to improve monitoring of PAs. See Exhibit 5.
Approach for RR 1.3: Design and application of regulatory and voluntary services for private sector contributions to national and regional conservation objectives. Engagement of the private sector is central to the Program’s non-traditional approach to conservation. Private sector actors include international and national agribusiness, grower and producers’ associations (FEDEARROZ, FEDEGAN, etc.) and local producer associations operating in each landscape. FY17 centered on assessing opportunities for leveraging funds from international and national private sector entities.
The following table summarized the Program’s outreach approach based on the motivations that private companies in different sectors have to invest in conservation and how the Program can best support these initiatives.
Table 2: Private Sector Outreach Approach for Leveraging Resources
Private Sector Outreach Approach for Leveraging Resources
Protection of ecosystem Direct benefit to Compliance with legal Corporate Social Motivation services required to sales/marketing or obligations/regulations Responsibility operate corporate image All firms - local, national or international, within or adjacent to Program Mining, electric, gas, corridors, that can hydrocarbon, etc. (CI Agro-industry, gremios, All firms, especially benefit from sustainably Sector PRODECO, Drummond, producer associations, larger businesses with sourced goods/services CANACOL, Hooch and etc. a local operations (e.g., Arroz Blanquita, others.) Starbucks, Fundación Alpina, Fundación Bancolombia, Nutresa y Fundación Nutresa) Raise awareness about: interdependence between Garner private sector ecosystems services and support for Support development Complement or join productivity and conservation in of conservation What will efforts related to their profitability; share Program corridors that activities aligned with the Program obligations and to technical innovations and will contribute to firms’ needs and do? promote their support economic data; meeting green business linked Program goals for Program priorities identify/support criteria and/or and results mechanisms for accessing new markets conserving vital ecosystem services
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Explore private sector Technical assistance; synergies in relation to e.g.,application of the Program landscapes Environmental Research technical, (following rigorous due Compensation Manual; environmental, social and diligence reviews); Technical assistance replicating successful economic needs; develop strategic for project design How? models/experiences; assessing feasibility; partnerships; serve as based on collaborating with ANLA; developing and an honest broker to synergies/needs developing and implementing PES type link producers with implementing PES type mechanisms responsible markets; mechanisms promote sustainable
productive practices In municipalities within Program conservation Program conservation corridors where In micro-watersheds Locally, regionally, corridors where voluntary Where? where ecosystem services nationally, and environmental environmental are generated internationally compensation obligations compensation is are relevant relevant
Progress under RR 1.3 to date: Drafted an MOU with the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) to channel environmental compensation funds towards the Program’s target landscapes. The Program has the opportunity to leverage resources (up to US$700,000 over the next 3 years), which could potentially be channeled through CIAT. In 2018, the MME plans to contribute approximately US$20,000 to assess the status of regulatory and voluntary conservation programs currently implemented by the mining and energy sector and define monitoring and evaluation indicators for said projects. Mapped potential opportunities for leveraging funds from international and national private sector entities, including CI PRODECO, Drummond, Cerrejón, CANACOL, Hocol, Ecopetrol, Gold Oil, Equion Energy, Manuelita, Alpina, Colanta, Unilever Oleoflores, Arroz Blanquita, Bavaria, Grupo Argos-Celsia, Nestlé, Riopaila, and Nutresa. Assessed potential opportunities and bottlenecks (such as the requirement for MADS to develop a system for registering the banks) with the “bancos de habitat.” Identified opportunities to support pending and future projects financed through environmental compensation payments under environmental licenses granted by ANLA in the target landscapes. Developed a partnership with ANDI, which is strategic as most major private sector actors in Colombia are members. Specifically, the ANDI serves as a conduit for the Program to engage private sector firms for targeted support for conservation, leveraging resources, and complementing companies’ ongoing work to scale-up impacts. The Program’s role is to guide firms and leverage their resources, not subsidize their efforts, so these can assume a larger role in conservation through improved practices and direct investment to complement Program efforts in the following areas: - Identify potential RNSCs and support the registration process where connectivity is critical. An outreach strategy is currently being finalized for promoting RNSC.
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- Identify priority areas for restoration, rehabilitation, and sustainable production. - Design environmental compensation projects and facilitate implementation with grassroots organizations. - Design and implement PES mechanisms, incentives, and mitigation banks (bancos de habitat). - Monitoring and reporting, using BioTerra-i (that is being developed). - Strengthen the capacity of local service providers for environmental compensation activities, such as restoration or sustainable production. - Adoption of measures to prevent and/or mitigate negative environmental impacts. - Enhance conservation outcomes within business operations and models. Began outreach to potential partners, including Equion, ISA, ISA Interconexion, Promigas and Drummond for demonstration projects. Began outreach with ongoing initiatives, such as USAID’s Cacao for Peace, the Land and Rural Development Program, and the Rural Finance Initiative, related to sustainable agricultural practices and value chains in the target landscapes.
3.2 Progress under Objective 2: Establish financial incentives for populations living in conservation corridors, linked to their commitment to conservation activities
Approach for RR 2.1: Conservation corridors defined and implemented. One of the main goals during the IWP was to identify areas that offer the best opportunities to construct ecologically viable and sustainable corridors. The Natural Wealth team collaboratively identified and delineated 8 priority conservation corridors (see maps in Annex C) during a workshop held on July 10-11. The process involved assessing a comprehensive set of criteria, including: presence of PAs and Important Bird Areas (IBAs); national and regional conservation priorities; presence of resguardos indigenas; probability of flooding; land use and coverage; accessibility; and human presence, amongst others. In addition, input received from key government counterparts (CARs, local governments, MADS, and PNN, among others) was essential in defining the conservation corridors in each landscape listed below.
1. Orinoquia: Caño Mochuelo, Cumaribo, Yopal-Orocué and Cravo Norte 2. SNSM-Perijá: Valledupar, Urumita-La Jagua del Pilar, Becerril, and Copey 3. Montes de María: San Juan Nepomuceno
Exhibit 3: Map of Program Conservation Corridors
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As a next step, staff will validate the assumptions through field visits during which information will be gathered on opportunities for PES, specifically in María La Baja in Bolivar and the Guatapurí watershed in Valledupar for FY 18. The delineation of the conservation corridors will also now allow for the Program to prioritize its outreach efforts for exploring opportunities for green business and sustainable value chains.
Progress under RR 2.1: Selected 8 conservation corridors that span more than 1.7 million ha for focalizing implementation within the original landscapes (see Exhibit 3 above and maps in Annex C). Assessed legal frameworks for environmental finance to identify the best opportunities to mobilize/leverage funds for Natural Wealth, such as the carbon tax and carbon tax offsets. Conducted a rapid assessment and mapping of available public and private funding in each landscape. Assessed national level environmental compensations. Explored small-scale compensations through the CARs, a potential source of significant funding. Mapped financial opportunities to fund or leverage funds for restoration activities initiated, including ¨bancos de habitat¨. Developed an outreach strategy for RNSCs. Integrated the community monitoring system into the BioTerra-i proposal. Potential restoration sites identified at the 1:100,000 scale in each landscape, which will be further refined within each conservation corridor.
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Approach for RR 2.2: Development and expansion of Green Business Models Identified new and existing market-based economic opportunities, as an incentive for people to adopt best practices in Asociación Arhuaca Asoseynekun is conservation corridors. The Program’s approach for one of the green businesses that the Natural Wealth Program has identified improving economic benefits and promoting as a model to promote sustainable sustainable practices in conservation corridors for agricultural practices with similar this RR is based primarily on (1) developing producer associations and small businesses in the Caribbean and environmentally sustainable and inclusive value Orinoquía. The association’s green chains and (2) promoting green businesses. The practices and high-quality standards Program’s strategy centers on supporting the have allowed it to enter international markets, exporting over 100 tons of Colombian government’s green growth strategy commodities, including specialty coffee, objectives to protect and assure sustainable use of to Australia, Germany, and Italy. natural capital and improved environmental quality, as outlined in the National Development Plan (2014-2018). This includes 210,000 ha of restored land by 2018 and supporting regional green growth programs by working with the CARs to pilot approvals for green business registration, developing a baseline, a green business action plan, and build partnerships to expand green businesses. The Program will collaborate with the MADS to update and simplify qualifying criteria for green businesses.
Progress under RR 2.2: Assessed the following 10 value chains, identifying limitations and opportunities, of which four have been selected for initial support by Natural Wealth based on competiveness, market demand, and potential to contribute to conservation outcomes:: o Orinoquía: livestock, nature-based tourism, rice, palm o Montes de Maria: cacao, livestock, avocado o SNSM- Perijá: cacao, livestock, coffee. As a first step for promoting green businesses, the Program evaluated 24 businesses1 for potential support in FY18, of which six will be selected to begin business plan development. Defined how to best use CIAT’s LINK methodology for inclusive business models for green businesses. LINK is a tool for assessing buyer interests, accessible market opportunities, infrastructure, agricultural services (such as credit, inputs, and extension), and climatic conditions to identify existing and new value chains that can be developed to support smallholder farmers and rural economic development. The Program analyzed value chains with input from CIAT’s Linking Farmers to Markets Program and team of researchers. The protocol developed is based on analyzing secondary information that takes into consideration volume/supply (international and national), environmental impacts, demand
1 Vallenato Tour, Asotepros, Asocajagua, Asoprokan, APRAMESA, ASPROGAGROGA, ASPRACES, Cadena de Apicultores, FECASA, LUZALOE, ASOCIACION DE MUJERES PRODUCTIVAS" ASMUPROD, ACAPIMOR, Fundación Vaqueros del Río Pauto, ASOPROCASANARE, Reservas de la Vereda de Alta Gracia, Artesanías Resguardo Caño Mochuelo, Corporación para el Desarrollo Económico y la Investigación "Semilla", ACUAPONIA CASANARE S.A.S., JUNTA DE ACCION COMUNAL EL TIESTAL, Asociacion de Actores Sociales Agropecuarios (ASOAGRO), Asociacion Integral de Campesinos de la Vereda Hayita y Vecinos (ASICHA), Asociacion de Productores Agropecuarios de Maria la Baja – Asproagromar, Cadenas de Apicultores del Cesar, Cooperativa Multiactiva de Apicultores Organicos de los Montes de Maria (Coapomiel).
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(international and national), and linkages to biodiversity conservation. The LINK Methodology roadmap is summarized in Exhibit 4.
Exhibit 4. CIAT’S LINKS METHODOLOGY ROADMAP
Identified and analyzed 18 financing sources for green enterprises (including Fundación Bancolombia, Fundación Alpina, FINAGRO, CANACOL, Fundación Manuelita, Hocol, Nestle, Nutresa, Fundación Caicedo Gonzalez, and CI Prodeco, among others). The Program participated in public-private roundtables for cacao, in which USAID’s Land and Rural Development Program also participates. Reached out to at Arroz Blanquita and Drummond, which were contacted during the proposal stage and have demonstrated interest in sustainable business models. In addition, Nestle and Almidones de Sucre were contacted to explore green business practices. (RioPaila Castilla and Oleoflores were not contacted given the restrictions to working in the palm oil sector.). Defined strategies for transferring knowledge of sustainable agricultural and livestock practices that support environmentally sustainable and inclusive value chains. To do this, partnerships are being explored with Corpoica in Montes de Maria, the National Learning Service (SENA), Comité de Ganaderos del Casanare y Cadena Carnica Bovina (sustainable livestock practices in Yopal) and private sector firms (e.g., Nestle for sustainable livestock practices in Cesar). Initiated outreach to gremios (FEDEARROZ, FEDEGAN, and FEDECACAO) that will be ongoing in FY18 to promote sustainable productive practices and improve natural resource management.
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Began collaboration with the Red de Cacaoteros to promote sustainable practices and strengthen the value chain and market linkages. Identified financial entities and programs that could incorporate biodiversity conservation criteria as a requirement for issuing credits and are most aligned to Program objectives, including BANCOLOMBIA, BANCOLDEX, FINAGRO, FINDETER and Davivienda as well as microfinance companies that already apply sustainability criteria - Crezcamos, Bancamía, Fundación Amanecer, Fundación IC and Bancompartir. Bancoldex has expressed interest in developing a financial product with special conditions tailored specifically to conditions in the Program landscapes while BANCOLOMBIA is interested in collaborating on PES and promoting sustainable value chains.
Approach for RR 2.3: Development and/or use of mechanisms for paying for environmental services and/or performance payments, to incentivize conservation efforts. This RR is a critical part of the Program’s long-term sustainability strategy as it seeks to promote and pilot PES mechanisms that can generate income and other benefits to communities and families who make a commitment to conservation.
Progress under RR 2.3: Assessed three potential pilot areas for PES PES Messaging activities: i. Montes de María, Maria la Baja; Natural Wealth Program developed with MADS an ii. Perijá, Guatapurí River watershed in overall approach for outreach for PES as per Valledupar; iii. Perijá, Becerril Zone – La Decree 870 based on the following messaging: Jagua de Ibirico, Sub-watershed San Antonio. All three would be viable for PES; PES is an incentive, not a subsidy PES is voluntary for all parties involved however, Montes de Maria presents special PES is not permanent; i.e.; time-bound challenges since the best PES opportunities PES is for specific areas or strategic are associated with the palm oil sector ecosystems; i.e., not applicable everywhere where USAID restrictions apply. PES has an explicit environmental purpose Developed outreach strategy for PES and Resources can be in cash or in kind Funding depends on the specific conservation defined messaging for promoting PES with and/or restoration activities planned MADS (see text box). PES can be considered under different land Identified potential funding sources for PES tenure arrangements – titled landowners and for conservation and restoration as well as untitled occupants mechanisms for implementing PES under the current legal framework, which has been validated with the MADS green business office, ANLA, and private sector firms (Drummond and Ecopetrol). Developed FY18 activities based on the MADS Green Business Office request for support in designing models for PES type projects for all three ecosystem services - water, biodiversity, carbon - specified Decree 870. The model PES projects will provide a replicable mechanism that can be used nationwide and implement in priority landscapes in the Caribbean and Orinoquía. In addition, the MADS requested Program support with operationalizing environmental compensation funds for green businesses and value chains, incorporate PES in environmental planning and management, and outreach for PES mechanisms.
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3.3 Progress under Objective 3: Natural Wealth to Support SIRAP Orinoquía Implement the incorporation of priority conservation areas into territorial organization plans and their management policies to mitigate the main threats to biodiversity
Approach for RR 3.1: National, regional and municipal territorial organization strengthened to support conservation objectives. The approach to RR 3.1 rests on reconciling multiple The Natural Wealth Program participated in the development and conservation agendas based technical committee meeting for SIRAP Orinoquía on a set of core principles that are especially which is made up of a wide range of stakeholders pertinent to GoC priorities outside the from the private and public sector, civil society, and NGOs, as well as RESNATUR, which represents the conservation arena; i.e., implementation of the region’s RNSCs. The Program is committed to peace accords; sustainable and inclusive rural supporting SIRAP Orinoquia’s goals to build local capacity, declare new PAs, generate alternative economic development; climate change. These sustainable livelihoods, and strengthen principles include: i. sustainable production environmental governance. SIRAP Orinoquía will be systems are a function of biodiversity an important partner as the Program commits to supporting declaration of at least one national PA, conservation and sound natural resource one regional PA, and 10 RNSCs in 2018 that will management; ii. value of ecosystem services can expand legal protection of ecosystems, such as be monetized and accrue to local economies; iii. grasslands, wetlands and transitional forests in the Orinoquía, that are under-represented in the National interdependence between biodiversity Protected Area System (SINAP) and provide critical conservation and climate change risk and; iv. habitat for endangered species, such as the jaguar. capable institutions are needed to effectively develop and enforce POTs, zoning ordinances, laws and regulations to protect biologically significant areas and critical ecosystem services that underlay productive systems.
Progress under RR 3.1:
Mapped public, private, and civil society actors in target landscapes to lay foundation for conservation coalitions, as detailed below. In the case of the Montes de Maria and SNMS – Perijá landscapes, several existing fora provide an opportunity for shaping such a coalition. In the Orinoquía landscape, no regional- level stakeholder group was identified. Therefore, the Program will support the establishment of a conservation coalition to articulate efforts of the environmental authorities in terms of environmental zoning (determinantes ambientales) with local stakeholders, in particular those associated with the productive sector.2
2Environmental zoning, according to Article 10 of Law 388 of 1997, supports the incorporation of environmental considerations into municipal and regional land use planning instruments. Environmental zoning is a critical factor in the harmonization of Land Use Plans (POTs) with national and regional environmental planning tools, such as PAs and management plans, POMCAS, amongst others.
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o Montes de María. “La Regional” is made up of diverse stakeholders (national, regional, local public institutions, private sector and community groups), with significant convening power. The Program can participate in the water and productive systems roundtables to strengthen the link between water- productive systems and biodiversity conservation. Fundación Semana invited the Program to officially join the “La Regional”. A meeting will be held in Cartagena in October 2017 with the CARs to address the current state of conservation, value chains and vision for Montes to Maria. The Program identified opportunities to work with local environmental authorities and NGOs in the context of the SILAP to link SILAP’s work to the private sector to reduce land and natural resource use conflicts, and support scaling of conservation efforts by private landowners.
o SNSM-Perijá. The Mesa Interinstitucional del Río Guatapurí is made up of diverse stakeholders (regional and local authorities, private sector, academia), and led by the Guatapurí Plaza Mall. This working group develops strategies to protect the Guatapurí River and watershed where the Program identified opportunities to develop PES, PAs, best agricultural practices, and green markets. The Consejo Desarrollo Agropecuario del Cesar brings together representatives from the productive, financial, academic and environmental authority sectors. As this council provides best management practices guidelines and can influence local policy, the Program identified opportunities to strengthen agricultural policy and practices where biodiversity conservation is treated as a strategy to increase yields. The Consejo Departmental del Riesgo works mainly to prevent and control forest fires that arise from poor agricultural practices. This is an active group that, while composed of only public entity, influences land management practices in local communities. 4) The Departmental Protected Areas System, comprised of local environmental authorities, presents an opportunity to include the private sector to reduce land and natural resource use conflicts and provide support to scale-up private land conservation.
o Orinoquía. Consejos de Cuenca Río Ariporo y Río Cravo Sur are made up of diverse stakeholders that are concerned with watershed protection, where the Program has identified opportunities for land restoration and leveraging funds. The Regional Protected Areas System (SIRAP) Orinoquía is unique in that it is made up of diverse stakeholders, interested in working not only in strengthening the SIRAP, but also in productive systems, complementary conservation strategies, and territorial planning. Alianza para la Conservation is an active group made up of diverse stakeholders with clear objectives to declare two important PAs. The Program has identified opportunities to provide technical assistance to the declaration process.
Assessed six types of planning instruments:
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o Departmental Land Use Plan (POD). Five regional governments (Bolivar, Cesar, Casanare, Vichada, and Guajira) aim to formulate PODs as part of their development plans. o Municipal planning instruments. Of the 20 municipalities in the 8 conservation corridors, 8 planning and policy instruments are up-to-date (Becerril, El Copey, Aguazul, Orocué, La Jagua de Ibirico, Arauca, Valledupar, and Yopal), 10 are in the process of being updated and have been identified as opportunities for FY18 (La Jagua del Pilar, San Jacinto, Urumita, Cravo Norte, Hato Corozal, Santa Rosalía, San Luis de Palenque, Trinidad, San Juan Nepomuceno, y Paz de Ariporo), and two municipalities plan to update their instruments starting in 2019 (Cumaribo and Maria La Baja). o Department and municipal development plans: The current development plans are in force and will not be updated until 2020, after regional and local elections in 2019. o CAR Territorial Action Plans: The current plans are in force and will not be updated until CAR elections in 2019. o Watershed Planning and Management Plans (POMCAS): 15 POMCAS were identified across the three landscapes of which 6 were identified as opportunities that the Program can support in FY18, and include: two in Montes de María (Arroyos-Magdalena Bajo and Canal del Dique), two in SNSM-Perijá (Calenturita and Guatapurí Rivers), and two in Orinoquía (Ariporo and Cravo Sur Rivers). The remaining nine POMCAS are in the incipient phase of development. o Environmental Zoning: The five CARs (CARDIQUE, CORPORINOQUIA, CORPOCESAR, CARSUCRE and CORPOGUAJIRA) have expressed interest in the Program, specifically supporting environmental zoning.
Analyzed the Land-Use Conflict Identification Strategy (LUCIS) developed under a USAID project in Southern Africa and the Information System for Rural Agricultural Planning (SIPRA) tool used by the UPRA to understand their application in the target landscapes. Both tools are complementary, dovetailing a methodology to define land-use conflict (LUCIS) with a repository for geographic information (SIPRA). However, SIPRA generates geographic information at a scale of 1:100,000, which limits its usefulness for Natural Wealth purpose. On the other hand, LUCIS has the potential to be adapted for use in Program landscapes to assess and develop strategies to mitigate or mediate conflicts over land and resource use.
Identified opportunities defined by national-level institutions that Natural Wealth can support: i. assist MADS to scale-up “bancos de habitat” and legislation on the use of non-timber forest products; ii. assist the DNP to revise the manuals and booklets for preparation of POTs Modernos and strengthen the rural- environmental component; iii. assist ANLA in defining guidelines that would allow compensation funds to be used in conjunction with agricultural projects.
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Natural Wealth continued exploration of opportunities to complement policies and programs: o The post-peace accord Programas de Desarrollo con Enfoque Territorial - under Decree 893, prioritizes funding for sustainable development in Montes de María and SNSM-Perijá. ART has begun outreach to rural neighborhood centers (nucleos veredales) where Natural Wealth will complement efforts in these landscapes. o Decree 870 and the National Council for Economic and Social Policy (CONPES) 3888 provide a legal framework for financing ecosystem conservation through PES. o The legal framework for environmental compensations in Colombia establishes obligations for the private sector to compensate for negative environmental impact, which now includes “bancos de habitat”. o The Colombian Peace Fund created by CONPES 3850 finances sustainable rural development in post-conflict areas.
Approach for RR 3.2 National and regional capabilities for monitoring, analyzing and impacting the mitigation of possible large-scale threats to biodiversity conservation strengthened. Critical to conservation of biodiversity, whether in PAs or private lands in connecting corridors, is the ability of regional and national authorities to monitor large-scale threats and understand the dynamics or drivers behind these threats. This capacity will be critical to support other Natural Wealth RRs, especially management of PAs under RR 1.2, establishment of conservation corridors under RR 2.1 and integrating conservation into land use and development planning under RR 3.1. Such capacity by authorities will also allow for more precise targeting of conservation areas for environmental compensations and PES, and generate information to objectively assess the effectiveness of such schemes.
Progress under RR 3.2: BioTerra-i (see Exhibit 5 below) was presented to regional and local authorities in Valledupar and San Juan Nepomuceno. For FY18, the Program selected Valledupar and San Juan Nepomuceno as the two areas for piloting the tool. Both CARs (CORPOCESAR and CARDIQUE) found the tool extremely helpful in their monitoring efforts, especially for its high temporal resolution and integration of species distribution maps. For the San Juan Nepomuceno and San Jacinto municipalities, the BioTerra-i tool could be used to monitor the compliance of private properties that have received property tax breaks for conserving the forest. The Program is working closely with the B-WISER Program under which SMART-LAWIN was developed to learn from how it has successfully developed and practical, collaborative ways of using high-tech and modern tools, to combat illegal activities as part of a broader PA management strategy.
Exhibit 5. Overview of BioTerra-i
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SECTION 4: PROGRESS WITH CROSS-CUTTING ACTIVITIES
4.1 Gender and Vulnerable Populations Strategy Development Drawing on experience from other projects in Colombia, such as the Human Rights Activity, the M&E/QASP Lead, who serves as the Program’s gender focal point, drafted a gender and vulnerable populations strategy using the template provided by USAID, which was submitted as an annex to the FY18 annual work plan. Currently gender and social inclusion considerations are being integrated into the Program’s M&E tools, the grants Program APS, as well as our technical methodologies, such as those that will be used for green business development and promoting RNSCs. The Program gender focal point is also working closely with the indigenous land conservation specialist to consider gender and social inclusion in the Program’s work with indigenous communities.
To date, four female led associations have been identified as potential grantees: - Asociación veredal de víctimas en el Copey - Cadena de Apicultura del Cesar - Asociación Paseo Vallenato Tour (dedicated to ecoturismo in Valledupar) - Asociación de Mujeres Productoras de Café (supported by the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros in la Jagua del Pilar and Urumita)
4.2 Status of Budget Expenditures
Table 3 summarizes Natural Wealth’s financial performance during FY17 (all figures in US dollars). Financial performance was strong during the reporting period. Expenditures during Quarter 4 totaled US , which brought cumulative expenditures for FY 17 to US . This is % of the US$ anticipated expenditures for FY17 referenced in the IWP. The difference is largely due to slight delays in payments to core partners for deliverables under their sub-TOs, which will be made in FY 18 Q1.
Table 3. Year 1 Spending Breakdown by Quarter (CLIN 1)
Budget item Total FY 1 FY 1 Total Balance Projected Q3 Q4 FY1 Remaining (LOP)
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4.3 Grants Start-up Natural Wealth submitted a draft Grants Manual on June 23, 2017 and received USAID approval on September 19, 2017. The Grants Manual presents the roles and responsibilities, selection criteria, procedures, types of grants to be used, grants cycle, and capacity building mechanisms. The grants team (Grants Specialist and Grants Director) has accomplished the following: Trained staff and partners in Bogota and all three regional offices on Grants under Contract procedures, concepts, and objectives. Developed an Annual Program Statement (APS) to accept applications on a rolling basis. Worked with technical staff to develop scopes of work for potential requests for applications or direct grants.
4.4 Communications and Outreach
Communications and Outreach plans are presented on a quarterly basis along with the quarterly performance reports to present updates regarding communications priorities, resources, events, and messaging. As contemplated in the IWP and quarterly communications and outreach plans, during FY17 the Program developed outreach
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strategies for RNSCs and PES mechanisms. It also developed and distributed two newsletters and a pamphlet in Spanish and English. The first newsletter presented infographics on the Program’s overall strategy, partners, landscapes, and expected results. The same content was used to develop the Program’s pamphlet. The second newsletter highlighted the Program’s evolving partnerships, the location and selection criteria for its 8 conservation corridors, and the vision for BioTerra-i as an innovative monitoring tool. The Program also worked with USAID to finalize Fact Sheets in Spanish and English. Outreach efforts have remained central to implementation in FY17 to build strategic partnerships and have been closely coordinated with the COR. In accordance with the second newsletter, the Program’s scope and mission are currently being presented as follows:
“The Natural Wealth Program offers an untraditional approach to conservation in and around protected areas, working in partnership with private companies, local producer groups, municipalities, and other key stakeholders. Our mission is to support the Government of Colombia in achieving its biodiversity conservation goals. Furthermore, by protecting natural resources, the Program helps improve social equality, human wellbeing, and rural economic development and, by doing so, contributes to the implementation of the peace accord in the Caribbean and Orinoquía regions of Colombia.” To build team capacity in branding expectations, Program leadership has provided continual guidance and mentorship to staff and partners on USAID requirements and compliance with the approved Branding and Marking Plan for Natural Wealth to assure that the Program and its activities are clearly communicated as being support from the American people and that the USAID logo is used appropriately. Lastly, the Program participated in several events to facilitate outreach, including: International Congress for Conservation Biology in Cartagena where it hosted a stand with PNN. Agricultural, Business, and Tourism Fair in Yopal that aimed to support economic growth across a wide range of sectors. “Intercambio de saberes, intercambio de conocimientos” was an event to disseminate knowledge surrounding sustainable practices for bird-friendly rice production, hosted by the Calidris Foundation and Arroz Blanquita. VII Regional Environmental Education Forum and the VI Environmental Fair, hosted by CARDIQUE on September 28-29, 2017, provided a venue to meet with an expanded group of private sector stakeholders, identify opportunities to leverage funding, and identify market opportunities for inclusive green businesses as a platform for supporting sustainable rural development.
4.5 Safety and Security Management
Chemonics Home Office Security Director conducted a Security Risk Assessment (SRA) to reevaluate threats and vulnerabilities, assess their likelihood and impact, and determine the project’s risks. Based on this information, a risk mitigation strategy has been developed
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with specific measures to reduce, transfer, or avoid risks that the project should not accept. The regional offices, Bogota office, and expatriate residences were evaluated as part of the SRA and staff were trained on incident reporting. The most prominent threats to Natural Wealth project staff are accidents, crime (with subsets of violent crime, robbery and theft, kidnapping, incidental casualties, extortion, and corruption), injuries and disease, and natural disasters. Key findings for location based threats consisted of:
Bogota: Colombia’s capital and largest city is also one of its highest, located at about 8,661 feet above sea level. The threat of altitude sickness can impact those not accustomed to the elevation. The city sits along one of the southeastern most seismic faults in the country. Most buildings in the city were built before the series of seismic building codes implemented by the Colombian government. Bogota is a city of over 8 million people located in a relatively small area. This dense concentration of people negatively impacts traffic flow and poses a threat to transportation viability, especially during emergencies. Also regarding transportation, the ride sharing app, Uber, is neither legal, nor illegal. This has caused conflict to arise between Uber drivers (and passengers, at times), taxi drivers, and police. Most incidents of conflict have occurred at the Bogota International Airport. Though some areas (in Southern Bogota) are characterized as having greater levels of crime, in reality, crime and violence can occur anywhere. In June 2017, an explosion occurred at a mall frequented by home office and project personnel in the Chapinero neighborhood of Bogota.
San Juan Nepomuceno: San Juan Nepomuceno is in northern Colombia, in Bolivar Department. The small town is situated in the Montes de Maria region, historically affected by armed conflict with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and other organizations. Due to the significant conflict in the past, unexploded ordinance and anti-personnel mines are present in undeveloped areas. Though armed conflict no longer affects the area, common crime, micro trafficking, and extortion are all locally present threats. Cellular signals are limited to nonexistent on routes leading to and from the city. The relative proximity to the Caribbean coast portends that hurricanes and tropical storms pose a greater risk. Lightning storms also regularly impact the town. Natural threats ranging from flooding, storms, disease (water-, food-, and vector-borne), and fires exist in this region.
Valledupar: Valledupar is also located in northern Colombia, in the Cesar Department. Similar to San Juan Nepomuceno, Valledupar was significantly affected by the historic armed conflict in Colombia. Until the early 2000’s, combatants forcibly displaced and kidnapped citizens. Violence and crime have dramatically decreased since then yet the area still contends with fallout and potential threats from the deteriorating situation in Venezuela. Staff travel to municipalities in La Guajira and cities near the border to Venezuela. Cellular signals are limited to nonexistent on routes leading to and from the city. Though not as
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close to the Caribbean as San Juan, this city has been impacted by hurricanes and tropical storms. In 2013, the Colombian Meteorological Institute, IDEAM, ranked Valledupar as the hottest place on average in Colombia. Transportation, and the threat of accidents in particular, is negatively impacted by the extensive use of rickshaws. These are not safe to use and are considered illegal by the local government. One of Colombia’s most notorious maximum security penitentiaries is located in the city. The prison is infamous for the inhumane conditions for inmates. Natural threats ranging from flooding, storms, disease (water-, food-, and vector-borne), and fires exist in this region.
Yopal: Yopal is located east of Bogota, is the capital of the Casanare Department. Staff (though all subcontractors) have plans to visit municipalities located in Arauca near the border to Venezuela. This is a very high risk area with ELN presence. The risk is currently too high to conduct project activities and the security coordinator has restricted visits in the area. Just as in other areas of Colombia with significant ELN or other armed group and criminal presence, security forces regularly conduct operations aimed at interdicting the organizations. The threat of incidental casualties is a very real one especially given that Natural Wealth staff travel in many of the same areas as the groups. Yopal also faces various natural disaster threats including earthquakes, flooding, and lightning storms. Various water-, food-, and vector-borne diseases are endemic to the area.
4.6 Use of Small and Disadvantaged Businesses
In accordance with the Subcontracting Plan and Small Business Concerns Plan submitted with Chemonics’ proposal, Natural Wealth is using the following small businesses:
AdTravel Travel, which is Chemonics’ in-house travel agency responsible for all international travel. Preferred Communications, which is Chemonics’ provider of satellite phone communications services.
Throughout FY17, Chemonics invoiced US$8,538.40 to AdTravel and US$4,598.96 to Preferred Communications, for a total of US$13,137.36 invoiced to small businesses.
4.7 Progress with Short-term Consultants
Short-term technical assistance. During FY 2017, Natural Wealth contracted the services of international and Colombian short-term technical experts to advance key Program activities and required results as outlined in the IWP. In support of Required Result 1.1 “Management and financing of legally protected areas in the sub-regions of interest strengthened”, determined the feasibility of adapting the PA Management Operational Manual developed under USAID’s Costas y Bosques Program in target landscapes at the local and regional levels to build on
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ongoing efforts by PNN to improve the efficiency, efficacy, and community participation ion protect area management. Specifically, , worked directly with Objective 1 Lead to organize meetings and workshops with key actors and analyze PA management needs for RNSCs and regional and national PAs. also carried out a comparative analysis of existing PA management tools in Colombia and the applicability of the PA Management Operational Manual to the Colombian context. As a result of the consultancy, and the Natural Wealth team achieved the following: Established a working relationship with RESNATUR through meetings to lay out a work plan to adapt and pilot the Operational Manual for select RNSCs in the Orinoquía region. Met with CORPORINOQUIA to assess PA management needs. Met with PA Management and Planning division of PNN and assessed operative planning and budgeting processes to determine needs and applicability of Operational Manual. Assessed existing PA management tools in Colombia, including: i. the guide to developing PA management plans for RNSCs; ii. Decree 2372 which regulates the SINAP; iii. PNN’s Management Plan Guidelines; iv. existing PA management plans for national PAs Chingaza, Picachos, Sumapaz, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, and SFF Los Colorados, and regional PAs Farallones, Banaderos and Rancheria; and v. PA operative planning, budgeting, and monitoring processes utilized by PNN. Provided concrete inputs for Natural Wealth’s FY18 Annual Work Plan, including roadmaps to adapt and pilot the Operational Manual for select RNSCs and regional and national PAs. Building off of the results of the consultancy, will lead the Natural Wealth team during FY18 to: Pilot adaption of Operational Manual to PA management plans for the Palmita and Palmarito RNSCs in the Orinoquía, in coordination with RESNATUR. Organize workshop with PNN officials and carry out diagnostic of PNN operative planning, budgeting, monitoring, and automation of processes to inform the application of the Operational Manual’s methodology to PA planning and management practices at the national level. Pilot the application of the Operational Manual methodology for SFF Los Colorados. . consultancy directly supported the advancement of “Required Result 1.1: Increase the Area under Legal Protection for Priority Ecosystems,” as it relates to the development of alternative categories for conservation, such as the ICCAs. Specifically, the objectives of the consultancy were to: i. identify potential indigenous territories, or resguardos, that could declare ICCA status and
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layout roadmap for declaration; ii. recommend two areas to declare under the ICCA category or a similar alternate conservation/governance PA category; and iii. assess participatory methodologies in PA declaration processes.
’ consultancy directly supported the advancement of “Required Result 1.1: Increase the Area under Legal Protection for Priority Ecosystems,” as it relates to PA declaration processes on indigenous lands in the target landscapes. Specifically, conducted an analysis of key actors and the status of the declaration process of the national PA Selvas Transicionales de Cumaribo in the Orinoquía, as well as identified opportunities for Natural Wealth support of the declaration process. Mr. Riascos also conducted an analysis of opportunities to declare PAs in the Caribbean with indigenous groups including the Confederación Indígena Tayrona and the Wiwa peoples in La Guajira.
consultancy directly supported Natural Wealth Program communications. Specifically, developed the 1st Natural Wealth Newsletter, supported the communications strategy and designed the stand at the International Congress for Conservation Biology in Cartagena, and supported the RNSC and PES outreach/communications strategy.
Chemonics Home Office Support. Upon award of the Natural Wealth contract, several Chemonics Home Office staff were mobilized to support critical start-up activities, including opening of offices, recruiting staff, negotiating subcontracts with core implementing partners, and initial work planning.
, Technical Start-up Specialist. worked closely with the COP and the technical staff to provide strategic technical guidance to work planning and the development of key deliverables, including the Rapid Mobilization Plan, the Monitoring and Evaluation Plan, the Initial Work Plan, and the FY 18 Annual Work Plan.
Compliance Specialist. worked closely with Natural Wealth staff and partners to negotiate and fully execute 5 IQS and the 1st sub-TOs covering the period from April to September 2017 for each core implementing partner: CIAT, FP, IAvH, CPR, and E3.
, Administrative and Procurement Start-up Specialist. worked closely with the COP and Operations Director to lead the HO start-up team and identify and secure Bogota offices, carry out procurements necessary for office- make ready and operations, and provide employee orientation to and onboard key personnel and other technical staff.
Administrative, Legal, and Finance & Accounting Start-up Specialist. worked closely with and the Operations Director to provide employee orientation to and onboard temporary and long-term administrative staff, develop the Field Office’s Emergency Contact Plan, ensure that the Natural Wealth
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activity and project office is registered under the Chemonics Colombia branch, and organize the Inception Workshop with Natural Wealth core implementing partners.
, Security Assessment Specialist. worked closely with Natural Wealth leadership and the Security Coordinator to carry out a Security Risk Assessment which made recommendations for mitigating measures to address the most critical issues faced by Colombia Natural Wealth Program. In addition, the Chemonics Security Coordinator, staff, and project leadership were provided with safety and security training.
4.8 Upcoming Approvals
The Natural Wealth Program anticipates requesting approvals for:
- Field Accounting Support Team (FAST) Manager to provide start-up support for new field team finance and accounting staff, as well as update information and procedures with current staff. Activities will include installing ABACUS accounting software, training on updates to the functionality and utilization of the software, reviewing the accounting practices to be used in the Program office, in particular cash management and internal controls, to ensure compliance with Chemonics’ standard practices and policies as well as USAID regulations. - COP Candidate for Key Personnel Approval. - International Travel Approval to support onboarding of new COP and transition period. - International Travel Approval, contingent on techncial staff’s determination of the need for follow-on work regarding the Operational Manual piloting in Colombia. - International Travel Approval for observational study tours related to SMART- LAWIN for Natural Wealth technical staff.
4.9 Status of Implementing Conditions of the IEE
The Program presented “Implementation of its FY17 Initial Work Plan” in MONITOR (under code FY14 (DO4)-NW-58304) for the identification of PAs and conservation corridors for the three target landscapes, in order to develop the FY18 work plan. It was reviewed and approved by the MEO with a categorical exclusion.
4.10 Analysis on the Changes in the Activity Context and Assumptions
During the initial implementation period, the Program has adapted to the following changes to the context and assumptions in which it was designed and operates:
Political context and peace agreement. Negotiation of the peace accord was still ongoing at the time of Program design. Failure of the public referendum to ratify the original agreement required a renegotiation of key points and underscored the
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divisions within Colombia society about the peace process, which will undoubtedly carry over into the upcoming presidential election in 2018. The revised peace accord was subsequently ratified by the Colombian Congress and implementation started in earnest with strong support of the international community, including the USG. Consequently, during the initial implementation period, the Program has moved to hone its strategy and activities to align even more closely with these new priorities. PES Decree. Decree No. 870/2017 was issued to facilitate PES mechanisms within the context of the peace agreement (and under the Presidential State of Exception); however, there are questions about the institutional capacity and lack of clarity on legal framework/regulations to fully implement the decree. This presents both opportunities and challenges for Natural Wealth in promoting and support PES. Land tenure and post-conflict challenges. Given USAID’s past due diligence that uncovered suspected linkages between some agro-industries and forced displacement and/or illegal land appropriation, the Program has been restricted from collaborating with the following important value chains and private sector firms: o Palm Sector Restrictions. The palm sector is one of the main value chains included in the Program design (i.e., Oleoflores SAS palm-processing firm was originally envisioned as a key private sector partner). Palm is a key sector given its large presence and impact on biodiversity conservation in Orinoquía and Montes de María; however, collaboration with the sector has been restricted unless the USAID Mission Director provides written approval. o Private sector stakeholders. Argos and Poligrow were identified as potential firms for collaborating with coalitions, sustainable practices, and/or leveraging funding for conservation. Rice over-production. In 2017, there is an unexpected over-production of rice. This poses a huge challenge for promoting bird-friendly rice production, which was originally envisioned under the Program. National priorities for PAs. The Program was designed to support the national priority for declaring 2.5 ha million of new PAs. This initially was expected to include areas in Program landscapes; however, this goal has been met primarily with marine PAs. This means that political support and capital will be focused on other unmet targets. Declaring new areas remains a Program priority for ecosystems that are under-represented in the SINAP. Cumaribo. The consultation process with the resguardos indígenas proved, not unexpectedly, to be very complicated given the fraught social and political dynamic in this area, requiring a more cautious approach for possible support by Natural Wealth. Changing in USG priorities. Current political priorities in the United States manifested by an “America First” agenda are being reflected in its cooperation to the GoC with a focus on national security, licit economies, and economic development that transcend Colombia to positively impact investment, jobs and economic development in the United States.
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4.11 Status of Ongoing Assessments
The assessments contemplated in the IWP have been reported on in Section 3 and further summarized in Annex A.
4.12 Monitoring and Evaluation and Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan
During FY17, the Program developed the MEL Plan and presented indicator targets for the life of the Program, which were approved by USAID and subsequently uploaded to MONITOR. Life of Program indicator targets have been disaggregated by fiscal year and included in the FY18 Annual Work Plan. Similarly, the majority of milestones in the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) for the first six months have been completed and proposed updates included in the FY18 Annual Work Plan.
For FY17, given that indicator targets were not established or required, there is nothing to report to date in regard to:
The status of progress against annual targets for each indicators included in the Activity MEL Plan, and detailed narratives for any deviation by 10% above or below The appropriateness of the data collected to measure Activity impact; The identification of unanticipated challenges in the collection of evaluation data; The appropriateness of the overall Activity MEL Plan to measure impact and any proposed revisions thereto; Practical or political factors that should be considered when analyzing the performance data; and The effectiveness of the evaluation activities to inform Programming positive or negative impacts to the environment (as related to the IEE).
4.13 Major Interventions Planned for Next Quarter
The revised FY18 Annual Work Plan submitted on October 9, 2017 outlines the major interventions planned for the first quarter of FY18 for CLIN 01. With regards to CLIN 02, the Program anticipates issuance of a TO in November 2017 by USAID to provide up to 14 specialists to support the DNP in the development and implementation of Orinoquia’s Master Plan.
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ANNEX A: INITIAL WORK PLAN PROGRESS REPORT SUMMARY
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Purpose: Promotion of Biodiversity Conservation Objective 1: Conserve Colombian biodiversity through more effective protections for priority species and ecosystems
Required result 1.1: Area of priority ecosystems under legal protection increased
Performance standards for Required Services Progress/Main Activities from FY17 Status of Milestone Team Lead and Support measuring progress (milestones)
- Prepared draft MOUs with CARs (Corporinoquia, Carsucre and At least 5 MOUs with PNN and Completed/Ongoing and Cardique) as well as Gobernacion Casanare and Gobernacion Cesar. CARs under negotiation and/or included in FY18 work
signed plan
- Collaborated with PNN and Alliance for New Areas (PNN, WWF, WCS, and Argos, and Fundación Santo Domingo) and determined status of FPIC for Selvas Transicionales de Cumaribo, which has made little progress given that they need to strengthen their relationship with the National and regional Status of Free, Prior, and indigenous communities and develop a roadmap.
Protected Areas (PAs) Informed Consent (FPIC) declared in “consulta previa” processes for -Leaders and authorities from the Resguardo Caño Mochuelo requested Completed SNSM-PP and the the declaration of protected Program support for their “consulta previa”. A follow on site visit is
Orinoquía areas (PAs) analyzed planned to travel throughout the resguardo and reach out to
community members to introduce the Program and the purpose of our collaboration.
-Determined that the process for consultations with the Resguardos Program strategy to support Indígenas proved, not unexpectedly, to be very complicated in roadmaps for national and Cumaribo given the fraught social and political dynamic in this area. regional PA declaration in FY 18 Completed -Included priority opportunities in the FY18 Annual Work Plan, which defined includes: Cinaruco is a national level (In Aurauca) and Caño Mochuelo
at the regional level (Casanare)
Initial mapping of existing and NSCs registered in potential RNSCs in the 3 target - Prioritized RNSCs and other complementary conservation strategies in Completed the RUNAP landscapes initiated the conservation corridors in Orinoquia (Caño Mochuelo, Cumaribo,
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Yopal-Orocue and Cravo Norte), SNSM-Perijá (Valledupar, Urumita-La Jagua del Pilar, Becerril, and Copey), and Montes de María (San Juan de Nepomuceno).
- Identified potential areas for ecological restoration activities in existing and future RNSCs in the Tropical Dry Forest (TDF) that can be supported in FY18 in the Caribbean. A more detailed scale will be developed in FY18
-Prioritized areas and identified potential stakeholders for creating RNSCs.
-Identified ongoing efforts that the Program can Socialization strategy for RNSCs complement/strengthen, such as SIRAP Orinoquia and GEF for with landowners defined and connectivity, Tropical Dry Forests and others. Completed/on-going initiated - Defined a socialization strategy for promoting RNSCs with input from SIRAP Orinoquia and with GEF in the Caribbean.
-Prioritized areas and identified potential stakeholders for creating RNSC.
-Explored (in July) how the Program can complement USAID’s Land and Rural Development Program (LRDP) and initiatives from government entities in the agricultural sector such as the National Land Agency. Roadmap for providing technical Completed
assistance to landowners for - Agreed on roadmap with PNN for providing technical assistance RNSC registration developed (technical and legal support for the registration process) to landowners interested in establishing RNSCs to ensure timely processing and registry in the RUNAP and met with PNN to identify how to overcome bottlenecks and build institutional capacity for registering RNSCs more efficiently.
Indigenous and - Reviewed new decree together with PNN and other stakeholders for community Needs and support required to adopting an ICCA category and provided feedback. conservation complement PNN efforts to Completed governance category establish an ICCA category - Identified opportunities with Arhuaco communities from 3 (ICCA) adopted by identified departments. (1) Expand PNN-SNSM by complementing compilation of PNN field level data with TA to support them in finalizing technical report
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(2) Strengthen management: Patrimonio Natural worked with Sabana Crespo and feline management (explore approach with Plan Panera); (3) water management (4) Strengthen public policy
-Identified Sabana Crespo in Valledupar (in Cesar) and Morichales in Paz de Ariporo (Casanare) as potential areas for developing ICCAs.
-Identified the following two indigenous resguardos to pilot collaboration with: one with Arhuacos in SNSM and another with ethnic groups in Caño Mochuelo (including Tsiripu, Waüpijiwi, Yaruro, Amorúa, Yamalero, Maibén Masiware, At least 2 potential areas for Sikuani, Cuiba Wamonae and Sáliba) establishing ICCA (one in the Completed
Caribbean one in the Orinoquía) - Evaluated potential participatory approaches and methodologies, identified such as COAIT, that will support the establishment of ICCAs beginning in FY18
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Purpose: Promotion of Biodiversity Conservation Objective 1: Conserve Colombian biodiversity through more effective protections for priority species and ecosystems
Required Result 1.2: Management and financing of legally protected areas in the sub-regions of interest strengthened
Performance standards for Status of Milestones Team Lead and Required Services Progress/Main Activities from FY17 measuring progress (milestones) Support
-Obtained results of the management effectiveness analysis from PNN for PAs within Program Landscapes and began assessing.
-Identified opportunity to update Management Plan for Los Besotes.
Institutional strengthening approach - Conducted site visits to priority PAs in target landscapes for regional and national PAs Completed defined based on outcomes of the - Determined action plan and capacity building priorities to be “effective management analyses” supported in FY18 with PNN and CARs for SNSM as well as for indigenous communities. Inter-institutional coordination and -Reviewed results of assessments (using the AEMAPPS tool) for SFF capacity to manage Los Colorados and PNN SNSM, to determine the management protected areas needs that the Program could support. For example, for SNSM a strengthened monitoring system to detect threats is needed.
- STTA conducted by to assess feasibility of adapting the Operational Manual and/or tools for PA Management that was developed in Ecuador under the USAID Sustainable Forests and Feasibility of adapting the Coasts project. Operational Manual for Protected Completed Areas Management (developed -Presented methodology from Ecuador for improving operational under USAID’s Sustainable Forests management to a range of stakeholders and Coasts Program) at the regional/local level analyzed -Worked with RESNATUR (Red Nacional de Reservas Naturales de la Sociedad Civil) to explore feasibility of adapting/integrating methodology from Ecuador to the guide that they are developing for management plans for civil society nature reserves
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-The main sources for financing consists of (1)other donors/programs, such as GEF SINAP, Conexcion Biocaribe, and GEF Bosque Seco (2) regalias, and (3) compensation funds.
- Assessed legal frameworks for environmental finance to identify the latest updates, which could provide opportunities for the project, such as the carbon tax, and carbon tax offsets, etc. Financing for Rapid assessment of existing and Completed implementation of PA potential funding sources for PA - Assessed budgets in Program landscapes under the 4-year management plans management conducted municipal work plans (for 2016-2019). identified and mobilized -Began collaboration with ANDI opportunities to leverage their relationships with the private sector firms in Program landscapes through their roundtables.
- Mapped out opportunities to leverage funds from international, multi-lateral, bi-lateral, national and local, public and private sector organizations.
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Purpose: Promotion of Biodiversity Conservation Objective 1: Conserve Colombian biodiversity through more effective protections for priority species and ecosystems Required Result 1.3: Design and application of regulatory and voluntary services for private sector contributions to national and regional conservation objectives
Performance standards for Status of Milestones Team Lead and Required Services Progress/Main Activities from FY17 measuring progress (milestones) Support
-CIAT assessed opportunities for the Program to collaborate with the BioCarbon fund and support agribusiness in the development and implementation of net-zero deforestation agreements under Colombia’s Low Carbon Development Strategy. Determined that there are synergies with the municipality of Paz de Ariporo in Orinoquia.
-Identified opportunities with Drummond for leveraging resources for training local organizations in best practices; TA for developing tools for management landscapes, restoration and reforestation; training and TA to producers.
-Conducted search in Agronet (the Ministry of Agriculture’s Voluntary and platform) to tabulate the areas under agricultural production for regulatory 2016 in the municipalities where we’ll be working. The project mechanisms to Completed now has a database showing the product and how many increase private Identification of private sector hectares of production, and production yield. sector contribution to finance opportunities initiated conservation goals -Drafted an MOU with the Ministerio de Minas y Energia that implemented outlines collaboration for assuring implementation of
environmental compensation funds in Program corridors. The Program has the opportunity to leverage resources (up to US$700,000 over the next 3 years), which could potentially be channeled through CIAT. In 2018 the Ministry plans to contribute approximately USD $20,000 for assessing the status of regulatory and voluntary Programs being implementing by the mining and energy sector and defining monitoring and evaluation indicators.
-Mapped potential opportunities for leveraging funds from international and national private sector entities. The national and international private sector funding sources identified either have a Fund to distribute the resources, or those that use the
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resources directly with neighboring communities. The following companies fall under this first category: CI PRODECO, Drummond, Cerrejón, CANACOL, Hocol, Ecopetrol, Gold Oil, Equion Energy, and Manuelita. Under the second category are: Alpina, Colanta, Unilever Oleoflores, Arroz Blanquita, Bavaria, Grupo Argos-Celsia, Nestlé, Riopaila, and Nutresa.
-Assessed synergies with the BioCarbon Fund – Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Sustainable Low-Carbon Development in Orinoquia Region Project.
-Based on the resolution for “bancos de habitat,” assessed potential opportunities and bottlenecks (such as the requirement for MADS to develop a system for registering the banks).
-Identified opportunities for supporting pending or future projects funded with environmental compensation payments under environmental licenses granted by the Autoridad Nacional de Licencias Ambientales (ANLA) in Program landscapes.
-Developed a strategic partnership with the National Business and Industry Association (ANDI).
Outreach to at least 5 companies to -Initiated outreach to potential partners, including Equion, ISA, Completed/On-going explore opportunities for ISA Interconexion, Promigas and Drummond for demonstration implementing demonstration projects projects. conducted
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Purpose: Promotion of Biodiversity Conservation Objective 2: Establish financial incentives for populations living in conservation corridors, linked to their commitment to conservation activities
Required Result 2.1: Conservation corridors defined and implemented
Performance standards for Status of Milestone Team Lead and Required Services Progress/Main Activities from FY17 measuring progress (milestones) Support
-Held initial meeting in CALI in June to set criteria and define the corridors, which for the Program in addition to involving connectivity, is a geographic area where activities will be concentrated.
-Held a workshop on July 10-11 with CIAT and IAvH to select focal areas within each landscape. One of the major inputs included CIAT’s data from Terra-I regarding what changes land coverage changes. The process involved assess four main criteria for prioritizing sites, which included the policy framework, bio- physical aspects, level of conflict, and amount of the human footprint, which resulted in identifying areas with greatest potential for supporting sustainable productive activities and Completed Conservation conservation. Input received from the key government corridors identified, At least 1 initial mapping exercise to counterparts (CARs, local governments, MADS and PNN, among validated, define potential conservation others) was essential in defining the focal points in each characterized, and corridors in each landscape conducted landscape, as follows: implemented
1. Orinoquia: Caño Mochuelo, Cumaribo, Yopal-Orocue and Cravo Norte 2. SNSM-Perijá: Valledupar, Urumita-La Jagua del Pilar, Becerril, and Copey 3. Montes de María: San Juan Nepomuceno
Coordinate with key actors to identify opportunities to complement ongoing conservation corridor initiatives (GEF, Natural Heritage, the Jaguar Corridor, etc.) in target landscapes
Identified initial opportunities for ecological restoration activities in the conservation corridors of the TDF that the Program can support in FY18
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- Performed preliminary mapping of local actors in proposed Strategy for socializing the biological corridors, including prioritized RNSCs
conservation corridor proposals with
local actors (including the - Developed a socialization strategy for the Program’s Completed socialization strategy for RNSCs) conservation corridors for RNSC and PES. Defined, together with
designed the MADS, clear and concise messaging for promoting PES mechanisms. - Designed proposal for integrating CIAT’s “Terra-i” system, IAvH’s participatory community monitoring/citizen science initiatives
Preliminary proposal for community and Biomodelos tool, and the USAID SMART-LAWIN tool. Completed monitoring systems developed
- identified preliminary sites and communities to serve as pilots for BioTerra-i in FY18 - Identified priority sites for restoration activities for FY18 at the
landscape level, which will be further defined in more detail for Restoration processes in target Completed the conservation corridors (and coordinated with activities under landscapes identified Objective 1)
Restoration of dry tropical, riparian and gallery forests incentivized and - Assessed public and private funding sources (as part of the Completed Mapping of financial opportunities to supported analysis and mapping under 1.2). fund or leverage funds for restoration
activities initiated
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Purpose: Promotion of Biodiversity Conservation Objective 2: Establish financial incentives for populations living in conservation corridors, linked to their commitment to conservation activities Required Result 2.2: Development and expansion of new and existing market-based economic opportunities, as an incentive for people to adopt best practices in conservation corridors
Performance standards for Required Services Progress/Main Activities from FY17 Status of Milestone Team Lead and Support measuring progress (milestones)
- Established key aspects to use for analyzing value chains with input from CIAT’s research team from their Linking Farmers to Markers Program. The protocol developed is based on analyzing secondary information takes into consideration volume/supply (international and national), environmental impacts, demand (international and national), linkage to biodiversity conservation.
- Conducted preliminary mapping of actors and identified opportunities and limitations for 10 value chains:
Orinoquia: livestock, nature-based tourism, rice, palm Completed At least 2 potential sustainable value Montes de Maria: cacao, livestock, avocado chains identified in each landscape SNSM-PP: cacao, livestock, coffee that can be supported during FY 18
Sustainable and - Identified opportunities for collaboration with local and inclusive value chains in target national, public and private actors, civil society organizations, and other USAID initiatives corridors and buffer zones developed that benefit biodiversity conservation -Assessed potential opportunities for levering funds with the public and private sector for value chains (in rapid assessment under 1.2)
-Reached out to at Arroz Blanquita and Drummond, which were contacted during the proposal stage for exploring sustainable Outreach to at least 5 companies business models. In addition, contacted Nestle and Almidones de Completed contacted during the proposal stage Sucre to explore collaboration with green business practices.
that are interested in exploring RioPaila Castilla and Oleoflores were not contacted given that
sustainable business models they are related to the palm sector and, in addition, RioPaila
conducted Castilla is not with the priority conservation corridors. -Defined strategies for transferring knowledge of sustainable agricultural and livestock practices for developing environmentally sustainable and inclusive value chains.
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Partnerships are being explored with Corpoica in Montes de Maria, Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje (SENA), Comite de Ganaderos del Casanare y Cadena Carnica Bovina (for sustainable livestock practices in Yopal) and private sector firms (such as Nestle for sustainable livestock practices in Cesar).
- Identified financial entities and Programs to identify lines of credit that could include biodiversity conservation criteria as a requirement for issuing credits, that the Program could support during FY 18.
- The financial entities aligned to the Program objectives (including: green products, whose products analyze environmental risks with clear protocols, and provide technical Completed At least 3 financial entities/ Programs willing to include environmental or assistance, among others) are BANCOLOMBIA , BANCOLDEX,
biodiversity conservation criteria as FINAGRO, FINDETER and Davivienda. The microfinance
part of their lending requirements, companies with sustainability criteria are Crezcamos, Bancamía, Fundación Amanecer, Fundación IC and Bancompartir. Bancoldex is interested in developing a product with special conditions in the Program landscapes, and BANCOLOMBIA is interested in starting PSA and productive chain products.
- Conducted outreach to gremios (FEDEARROZ, FEDEGAN,
Potential opportunities with at least 3 FEDECACAO, etc.), agribusinesses, and producer associations Sustainable agricultural practices gremios to promote sustainable regarding opportunities to promote sustainable agricultural Completed and conservation strategies for agricultural practices identified agro-industries widely adopted. practices in target landscapes in FY18.
- Identified over 20 potential green businesses to work with based on consultations with the DNP, the Ministry of Agriculture Existing and potential green Green community and Rural Development (MADR), the Ministry of Trade, Industry, community enterprises and value enterprises promoted and Tourism, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Completed chains in target landscapes and established Development (MADS), CARs, and regional governments, amongst preliminarily identified others.
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-Identified and analyzed 18 financing sources for green
Identification and analysis of at least enterprises (including Fundacion Bancolombia, Fundacion Alpina, Completed 3 of financing sources for green FINAGRO, CANACOL, Fundacion Manuelita, Hocol, Nestle,
enterprises initiated Nutresa, Fundacion Caicedo Gonzalez, and CI Prodeco, among others).
Purpose: Promotion of Biodiversity Conservation Objective 2: Establish financial incentives for populations living in conservation corridors, linked to their commitment to conservation activities
Required Result 2.3: Development and/or use of mechanisms for paying for environmental services and/or performance payments, to incentivize conservation efforts
Performance standards for Required Services Progress/Main Activities from FY17 Status of Milestone Team Lead and Support measuring progress (milestones)
-Made site visits to assess the following three potential pilot areas for PES activities: 1) Corredor Montes de María, Maria la Baja; 2) Corredor de Perijá, Cuenca del Río Guatapurí en Valledupar; 3) Corredor de Perijá, Zona Becerril – La Jagua de Ibirico, Sub cuenca San Antonio. All At least 3 pilot PES projects for three would be viable, however, Montes de Maria is on hold given its Completed implementation in FY 18 or other relationship with the Palm sector.
potential financing mechanisms -Identified potential funding sources for PES for conservation and PES schemes in identified restoration as well as mechanisms for implementing PES under the target landscapes current legal framework, which has been validated with the MADS designed and green business office, ANLA, and private sector firms (Drummond and implemented EcoPetrol). -Developed FY18 activities based on the MADS Green Business Office request for Program’s partnership Socialization strategy to promote PES and/or other financing mechanisms designed, for -Defined outreach approach for promoting PES type mechanisms and Completed implementation in FY 18 validated messaging with MADS.
Purpose: Promotion of Biodiversity Conservation Objective 3: Implement the incorporation of priority conservation areas into territorial organization plans and their management policies to mitigate the main threats to biodiversity
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Required Result 3.1: National, regional and municipal territorial organization strengthened to support conservation objectives
Performance standards for Required Services Progress/Main Activities from FY17 Milestone Status Team Lead and Support measuring progress (milestones) -Developed spreadsheet detailing public and private stakeholders for each landscape (their areas of influence, synergies with Natural Wealth, level of actions/power/leadership/interest), which includes their contact information. Includes municipalities, regional governments, planning secretaries; civil society (particularly indigenous groups, producers’ and women’s organizations, and NGOs); and the private sector. Slides summarizing stakeholders are underway.
- Presented the Program and initiated collaboration with key stakeholders in each landscape, Roadmap for creating 3 prioritizing CARs and local governments (Gobernación de Cesar, Corpocesar, Gobernación de
conservation coalitions in target Sucre, Carsucre, Corpoguajira, Corporinoquia, Cámara de Comercio de la Orinoquia, Completed
landscapes designed Gobernación del Casanare)
-Roadmap developed for strengthening/creating the following coalitions, which are the most appropriate for supporting Program goals:
o Montes de Maria: La Regional National, regional and o SNSM-Perijá: Mesa Interinstitucional del Río Guatapurí municipal territorial o Orinoquia: Mesa público-privada (nueva) organization planning strengthened to support conservation objectives
- Following the GOC’s launch of the PDET Programs on July 17th, the Program engaged with Opportunities to support PDET local stakeholders in Montes de Maria and SNSM-PP and will be participating in the regional development in the Caribbean and local meetings to identify rural development activities that the Program can support Completed identified that align with the Program’s scope and indicators.
- Conducted an initial inventory of the municipal and regional governments whose development, environmental action, watershed management, land-use plans, etc. will be modified and/or reformulated during FY18. Also, identified which updates have been hired At least one local and/or regional and are underway. It is approximately 80% complete and will be finalized in Q4. Looked at land-use plan that will be modified Planes de Ordenamiento Territorial (POT) for areas with over100,00 people in population; and/or formulated/reformulated Esquema de Ordenamiento Territorial (EOT) for 30,000-100,00 people, Plan Básico de identified per landscape Ordenamiento Territorial (PBOT) for areas with less than 30,000 people as well as Planes de Completed Desarrollo from Department and municipalities and Planes de Acción from CARs. Assessed the legal instruments, budget, strategic objectives, and duration/validity. Looked at topics of
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Program interest, such as restoration, gender integration, greed business, sustainable production, eco-tourism, etc. and have identified/complied synergies for each one of Natural Wealth’s components/objectives.
-The Program identified 10 municipalities that require updating their planning tools (POT, EOT, PBOT) in FY18 (La Jagua del Pilar, San Jacinto, Urumita, Cravo Norte, Hato Corozal, Santa Rosalía, San Luis de Palenque, Trinidad, San Juan Nepomuceno, and Paz de Ariporo). Within this group, to date least three municipalities accepted Program support and in the Program, will offer the same support to all ten for FY18.
-Also identified POMCAs in Montes de María (Arroyos-Magdalena Bajo and Canal del Dique), SNSM-Perijá (Río Calenturita and Río Guatapurí), and Orinoquia (Rio Ariporo and Rio Cravo Sur) as well as PODs in Bolivar, Casanare and César.
-Analyzed LUCIS and UPRA’s “Sistema de Información para Planificación Rural Agropecuaria (SIPRA). The tools complement each other: LUCIS provides a methodology to identify land use conflicts, while SIPRA is a repository of geographic data that could be used within the LUCIS framework. However, the DNP is promoting POTs Modernos and prior to launching its Analysis of at least 2 identified land- tools and methodologies that will form part of their toolkit has requested that the Program Completed use planning methodologies and review/comment prior to launching publicly. Two of the municipalities that have been tools conducted prioritized by the GOC for the POTs Modernos are within Program conservation corridors, however, the tools (and aspects of LUCIS) could be applied to all of the municipalities that the Program supports.
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Purpose: Promotion of Biodiversity Conservation Objective 3: Implement the incorporation of priority conservation areas into territorial organization plans and their management policies to mitigate the main threats to biodiversity Required Result 3.2.: National and regional capabilities for monitoring, analyzing and impacting the mitigation of possible large-scale threats to biodiversity conservation strengthened
Performance standards for Main Activities from FY17 Team Lead and Required Services Milestone Status measuring progress (milestones) Support
- Conducted working sessions with system operators to determine the feasibility of linking CIAT’s “Terra-i” system and IAvH’s participatory community monitoring/citizen science methodologies
-Developed approach for combining monitoring tools between Terra-I and Biomodelos and LAWIN for participatory community monitoring. Developed concept paper and methodology for combining.
-Selected 2 pilot locations where the integrated monitoring tool can be applied and tested in FY18: San Juan Nepomuceno and Proposal to integrate CIAT and IAvH’s Access to and quality of Valledupar. monitoring tools, combined to create information on the main high quality data sources for end Completed threats to biodiversity - Reexamined the main threats to biodiversity conservation and users and to better detect changes in conservation and habitat drivers of habitat loss in selected pilot sites forest cover and large-scale threats loss improved to biodiversity, developed - Consulted with CARs and selected municipalities in pilot areas to understand biodiversity and land use information needs and how that information could be integrated into planning processes.
-Determined that key potential users are the CARs, however, with the municipalities of San Jacinto and San Juan Nepomuceno also identified that the tool could be used to monitor properties that receive tax exemptions for conservation efforts.
YEAR 1 ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT: APRIL – SEPTEMBER 2017 | 49
ANNEX B. STAFFING STRUCTURE
EAR 1 ANNUAL P CE REPORT: EMBER 2017 | 50
ANNEX C. CONSERVATION CORRIDOR MAPS
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AREA DE CONSERVACION CUMARIBO
AREA DE CONSERVACION CAÑO MOCHUELO
AREA DE CONSERVACION YOPAL