Project Document for the Purposes of CEO Endorsement Only
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Note: This GEF project (GEF ID: 10235) is supported by UNDP and WWF as GEF Agencies. This template shows the full GEF project in a combined way in a base UNDP Project Document for the purposes of CEO Endorsement only. Following CEO Endorsement, the government will sign separate project documents with UNDP (Components 1 and 4) and WWF (Components 2 and 3) covering the respective components of the project that will fall under each GEF Agency. The respective documents will be completed in adherence with the requirements and templates of each GEF Agency, although there will be no substantive changes to the project detail presented in this joint document for CEO Endorsement. Project title: Strengthening conservation and resilience of globally-significant wild cat landscapes through a focus on small cat and leopard conservation A child project under the GEF-7 Global Wildlife Program Country: India Implementing Partner (GEF Executing Execution Modality: NIM (UNDP) Entity): Ministry of Environment Government-executed (WWF) Forests and Climate Change Contributing Outcome (UNDAF/CPD, RPD, GPD): UNDP CPD Outcome: Energy, environment and resilience; Output 3.2: Effective solutions developed at national and subnational levels for sustainable management of natural resources and ecosystems, ozone depleting substances, chemicals and wastes. UNDP Social and Environmental Screening Category: UNDP Gender Marker: GEN-2 Moderate WWF equivalent: Categorization B UNDP Atlas Award ID: 00111018 UNDP Atlas Project/Output ID: 00110188 UNDP-GEF PIMS ID number: 6355 GEF Project ID number: 10235 WWF Agency ID: G0025 LPAC meeting date: 25 June 2021 (tentative) Latest possible date to submit to GEF: 13 Dec 2020 Latest possible CEO endorsement date: 13 June 2021 Planned start date: 8 July 2021 (25 days after CEO Planned end date: 8 July 2027 Endorsement) Expected date of Mid-Term Review: 8 January 2024 Expected date of Terminal Evaluation: 8 April 2027 (30 months after project starts) Brief project description: i | P a g e This project will secure the conservation of globally-significant wild cat landscapes in northern, north-eastern and western India through a landscape conservation approach for wild cats that brings together species conservation programs, connects stakeholders and empowers communities, and operates across PAs, tiger corridors and buffer zones. It will aim to integrate small cat needs into existing large cat conservation initiatives so that all wild cats are considered together. The project will focus on the Dudhwa landscape in Uttar Pradesh and Pakke-Eaglenest landscape in Arunachal Pradesh, with further limited intervention in Ranthambhore landscape in Rajasthan. Barriers to achieving wild cat conservation at the landscape level include: 1) gaps in the policy, planning and procedural framework, 2) limited capacity at State, landscape and site levels, 3) lack of understanding and incentives to support community engagement in wild cat conservation, and 4) insufficient partnerships, regional coordination and outreach to engage the corporate sector, strengthen transboundary collaboration and support knowledge exchange. To address the above-mentioned barriers, the proposed project will support the Government of India to put in place an integrated model for wild cat conservation at landscape scale that can be replicated nationally and in other range states. The project objective is to secure populations and habitats of wild cats subject to habitat encroachment, human-wildlife conflict, poaching and illegal trade in priority landscapes of northern, north- eastern and western India. This will be achieved through four complementary components that aim to build the required enabling policy framework and institutional capacity (Component 1); strengthen government management of wild cats and habitats (Component 2) and build community stewardship (Component 3) at landscape level; and enhance corporate sector partnerships, regional collaboration, and knowledge transfer and learning (Component 4). The project is a child project of the GEF-7 Global Wildlife Program. (1) FINANCING PLAN GEF Trust Fund USD 4,500,000 UNDP TRAC resources USD 0 Confirmed cash co-financing to be administered by USD 0 UNDP (1) Total Budget administered by UNDP and WWF USD 4,500,000 UNDP: USD 1,975,000 WWF: USD 2,525,000 (2) CONFIRMED CO-FINANCING Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, USD 23,308,327 In-kind State Governments of Uttar Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh (relevant depts) USD 30,624,406 Investment Mobilized Global Tiger Forum USD 120,250 In-kind USD 310,750 Investment Mobilized WWF India USD 90,000 In-kind USD 270,000 Investment Mobilized UNDP USD 250,000 In-kind USD 550,000 Investment Mobilized WWF-US USD 303,000 In-kind (3) Total confirmed co-financing USD 55,826,733 (4) Grand-Total Project Financing (1)+(2) USD 60,326,733 ii | P a g e SIGNATURES Note: Separate Project Documents will be signed between Government of India and UNDP (in UNDP Project Document template covering Components 1 and 4) and Government of India and WWF (in WWF Grant Agreement template covering Components 2 and 3), with respective signature blocks. Signature: print name below Agreed by Date/Month/Year: Government Development Coordination Authority Signature: print name below Agreed by Date/Month/Year: Implementing Partner Signature: print name below Agreed by GEF Date/Month/Year: Agency Key GEF Project Cycle Milestones: Project document signature: within 25 days of GEF CEO endorsement First disbursement date: within 40 days of GEF CEO endorsement Inception workshop date: within 60 days of GEF CEO endorsement Operational closure: within 3 months of posting of TE to UNDP ERC Financial closure: within 6 months of operational closure iii | P a g e TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................................. iv Table of Figures and Tables .................................................................................................................................... v Complete List of Annexes ...................................................................................................................................... vi Acronyms and Abbreviations ................................................................................................................................. vii I. Development Challenge ............................................................................................................................... 1 Problem Statement ............................................................................................................................................ 1 Threats and Root Causes .................................................................................................................................... 3 Barriers ............................................................................................................................................................. 10 Consistency with National Priorities and Relevant Conventions ..................................................................... 12 II. Strategy ...................................................................................................................................................... 14 Project Theory of Change ................................................................................................................................. 14 Alignment with GEF-7 Focal Area Strategy ...................................................................................................... 30 III. Results and Partnerships............................................................................................................................ 32 Expected Results .............................................................................................................................................. 32 Partnerships ..................................................................................................................................................... 68 Risks .................................................................................................................................................................. 74 Social and Environmental Safeguard Risks ........................................................................................................ 76 Stakeholder Engagement and South – South Cooperation .............................................................................. 79 South – South Cooperation .............................................................................................................................. 83 Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment................................................................................................ 84 Innovation, Sustainability and Potential for Scaling Up ................................................................................... 86 IV. Project Results Framework ........................................................................................................................ 88 V. Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Plan ..................................................................................................... 93 VI. Governance and Management Arrangements .......................................................................................... 96 VII. Financial Planning and Management ......................................................................................................