United Nations Development Programme Country: Kyrgyzstan Project Document Conservation of globally important biodiversity and associated land and Project Title: forest resources of Western Tian Shan mountain ecosystems to support sustainable livelihoods Outcome 6: By the end of 2016 sustainable management of energy, environment and natural resources practices operationalized Country Programme Outcome(s) and Output(s): Output 6.1: Environmental sustainability/eco system approach and adaptation to and mitigation of climate change consequences is reflected and integrated into national, sectoral and local development plans Executing Entity/ UNDP Implementing Partner: Implementing Entity / State Agency for Environment Protection and Forestry (SAEPF) Responsible Partners: Programme Period: 5 years Total budget USD 28,507,758 Atlas Award ID: 00097902 Atlas Project ID: 00101450 GEF PIMS#: 6958 GEF USD 3,988,575 UNDP PIMS #: 5411 National Government USD 14,864,800 Start date: January, 2017 Local Government USD 3,200,000 End Date December, 2021 UNDP USD 5,527,383 Bilateral Partners USD 627,000 Management Arrangements DIM PAC Meeting Date TBD NGOs USD 300,000 Agreed by (UNDP): Mr. Alexander Avanessov Date/Month/Year Resident Representative 1 Brief Description The Western Tian Shan is one of the world’s 200 priority ecoregions and one of 34 global biodiversity hotspots, and has been designated as a natural World Heritage Site. The Tian Shan act as a bridge connecting fauna and flora of Himalayas and Hindu Kush across Pamir with biota of Siberia, and across Dzungar Ala-Tau and Altay with biota of Mongolia, which results in a unique combination of fauna and flora elements. In the Western Tian Shan, fauna and flora are characterized by high diversity and concentration in a relatively small area. In terms of flora, higher plants number more than 2,500 species, and endemism of the flora is 12%; vertebrates number well over 400 species. However, many of the Western Tian Shan’s species and unique ecosystems are threatened by poor forest and land management; the region is home to 54 Red List plant species, and 27 Red List species of fauna, including the snow leopard. The forests of Western Tian Shan have juniper, spruce, maple, nut, fruit, and tugai forest communities, including fruit and nut wild relatives, but the regions forest resources are shrinking. These forests suffer from inadequate forest management and enforcement, and are degraded by intensive land use, such as overgrazing of forest pastures. The rate of natural regeneration and reforestation is unable to keep pace with the rate of forest degradation. The grassland areas of the Western Tian Shan are subject to extensive, uncontrolled agro-pastoral land use. Growing livestock numbers lead to extensive unregulated use of mountainous grasslands for grazing and causes high disturbance to wild ungulates such as argali and ibex, key snow leopard prey species. The rangelands of Western Tian Shan are susceptible to overgrazing, droughts, and inadequate natural regeneration in the face of these pressures. Today, over 60% of pastures in Western Tian are eroded and the quality of pastures has declined by four times compared to 1980s levels. The proposed project draws on a landscape conservation and management approach, understanding that not only Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA), but also buffer zones, corridors and sustainable forest and pasture management in wider landscape are the key to the conservation of biodiversity, and the sustainable use of forest and land resources. This includes the survival of snow leopard and its prey species, as well as sustainable local community development. The project is organized into three components. Component I is focused on key biodiversity areas: PAs and HCVFs. This includes operationalizing two new PAs (87,323 ha) for underrepresented globally significant species that were formally established in anticipation of this project. In addition, the management capacity for four previously established PAs (total of 198,776 ha) in the Western Tian Shan will be strengthened. HCVF areas (40,839 ha) will be formally recognized and conserved, and enhanced forest management capacity will be developed. Component II will ensure continuity and congruence between KBAs and use of land and forest resources in wider productive landscapes. There are two administrative districts adjoining to the PAs in question: Toktogul and Toguz- Toro. The project will assist in integration of SFM and SLM approaches to improve land use practice reducing degradation and erosion. For the two new protected areas buffer zones and corridors (50,000 ha) will be established and integrated in spatial planning (with total indirect coverage of 944,317 ha), with modified resource use in these areas focused on sustainable economic activities, such as managed hunting areas, regulated grazing, and ecotourism. The project aims to institute SLM in pasturelands (147,268 ha) used by four target communities neighboring PAs, which will lead to restoration of least 65,361 ha of degraded pastures in Toktogul and Toguz-Toro districts. Targeted restoration of degraded forest ecosystems will be undertaken of approximately 4,886 ha. Component III links activities supporting snow leopard conservation under Components I and II with relevant activities at the national level. This includes building the capacity of Kyrgyzstan stakeholders with respect to implementation of the National Strategy for Snow Leopard Conservation (NSSLC) for 2013-2023. Support will be provided to deploy unified international snow leopard monitoring standards, with support targeted to priority national snow leopard conservation landscapes. It will also support application of international standards in wildlife trafficking enforcement, and provide opportunities for appropriate trainings and exchange with other countries in the snow leopard range. 2 CONTENTS Contents ............................................................................................................................................... 3 Acronyms ............................................................................................................................................ 4 Section I: Elaboration of the Narrative ............................................................................................ 7 PART I: Situation Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 7 Context and Global Significance ................................................................................................................ 7 Threats, Root Causes, and Impacts........................................................................................................... 24 Long-Term Solution and Barriers to Achieving the Solution .................................................................. 28 Stakeholder Analysis ................................................................................................................................ 31 Baseline Analysis ..................................................................................................................................... 32 Part II. Strategy .......................................................................................................................................... 36 Project Rationale and Policy Conformity ................................................................................................. 36 Rationale and Summary of GEF Alternative ............................................................................................ 38 Project Goal, Objective, Outcomes and Outputs/Activities ..................................................................... 43 Risk Assessment and Management .......................................................................................................... 57 Cost-Effectiveness .................................................................................................................................... 60 Country Ownership: Country Eligibility and Country Drivenness .......................................................... 61 Project Consistency with National Priorities / Plans ................................................................................ 62 Sustainability and Replicability ................................................................................................................ 63 Coordination with Other Related Initiatives ............................................................................................. 64 Gender Considerations ............................................................................................................................. 66 PART III. MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS ........................................................................ 69 Part IV. Monitoring and Evaluation Framework ................................................................................... 72 Monitoring and Reporting ........................................................................................................................ 72 Costed M&E Work Plan, with Roles, Responsibilities and Timing ........................................................ 74 Part V. Legal Context ................................................................................................................................ 75 AUDIT CLAUSE .......................................................................................................................................