COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT to REDUCE DEFORESTATION and BIODIVERSITY LOSS in the GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE Final Report
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
WEST AFRICA BIODIVERSITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE (WA BICC)/THE ROYAL SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS/GOLA RAINFOREST CONSERVATION, CONSERVATION SOCIETY OF SIERRA LEONE/SOCIETY FOR THE CONSERVATION OF NATURE OF LIBERIA COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE Final Report (August 2020) This document was produced by The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, in partnership with Gola Rainforest Conservation Ltd by guarantee, the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone, and the Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia under Grant No. WA BiCC-G-RSPB-001, through WA BiCC through a Task Order under the Restoring the Environment through Prosperity, Livelihoods, and Conserving Ecosystems (REPLACE) Indefinite Quantity Contract (USAID Contract No. AID-OAA-I-13- 00058, Order Number AID-624-TO-15-00002) between USAID and Tetra Tech, Inc. For more information on the West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change program, contact: USAID/West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change Tetra Tech 2nd Labone Link, North Labone Accra, Ghana Tel: +233(0)302 788 600 Email: www.tetratech.com/intdev Website: www.wabicc.org Stephen Kelleher Chief of Party Accra, Ghana Tel: + 233 (0) 302 788 600 Email : [email protected] Vaneska Litz Project Manager Burlington, Vermont Tel: +1. 802.495.0303 Email: [email protected] Citation: USAID/West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change (WA BiCC)/Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), in partnership with Gola Rainforest Conservation Ltd (GRC LG), the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone (CSSL), and the Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia (SCNL). (2020). Community landscape management to reduce deforestation and biodiversity loss in the gola transboundary forest landscape: Final report, 2nd Labone Link, North Labone, Accra – Ghana. 137 pp. Cover photo: Group photo following the signing ceremony, February 2020, of the Revised Memorandum of Understanding between the Governments of Liberia and Sierra Leone for the protection and management of the Gola Forest Peace Park. Photo by Jerry Garteh, Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia. Authors: This report was written by Anne Gardner and Laura Beasley of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) based on reports from Moses Zombo of the Gola Rainforest Conservation LG (GRC LG), Abdul Dumbuya of the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone (CSSL), and Molly Koisee and Michael Taire of the Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia (SCNL). CONTENTS CONTENTS .......................................................................................................................... I ACRONYMS ......................................................................................................................... V EXECUTIVE SUMMARY................................................................................................. VIII 1.0 PROJECT JUSTIFICATION AND OBJECTIVES ................................................... 1 1.1 OVERALL GOAL OF THE REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS ...................................... 1 1.2 OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THE GOLA WA BICC PROJECT ..................................... 1 1.3 DELIVERY OBJECTIVES OF THE GOLA WA BICC PROJECT ................................... 1 1.4 CONTRIBUTION TO THE WA BICC THEORY OF CHANGE ................................ 2 1.5 EVOLUTION OF THE GOLA WA BICC PROJECT ...................................................... 2 1.5.1 Changes in Project target area (PTA) and geographic focus ........................... 2 1.5.2 Changes in Activities ................................................................................................. 3 1.5.3 Changes in Schedule .................................................................................................. 4 2.0 SUMMARY OF PROGRESS ..................................................................................... 5 2.1 SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS ......................................................................................... 5 3.0 PROJECT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ........................................................................... 8 OBJECTIVE 1. ENHANCED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND OTHER SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD ACTIVITIES CONTRIBUTE TO THE IMPROVED WELLBEING OF POPULATIONS WITHIN TWO MODEL SITES. ........................... 8 1.1 Support communities with technical inputs to improve agricultural production including rainforest–friendly cocoa, beekeeping, intensified groundnut production, intensified rice production, vegetable production, improved fallow methods, milling, semi-intensive poultry production ......... 8 1.2 Use Farmer Field Schools and other extension methods to deliver training in rainforest-friendly agricultural practices, tailored to seasonal requirements and support intensification ............................................................ 8 1.3 Establish and support savings and small loan schemes ................................... 23 1.4 Identify opportunities and implement non-agricultural revenue generating activities, including beekeeping and other non-timber forest products ..... 31 OBJECTIVE 2. TWO MODEL SITES DEMONSTRATE EFFECTIVE COMMUNITY FOREST MANAGEMENT THAT SUPPORTS HABITAT CONNECTIVITY ACROSS DIFFERENT TENURES AND INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARIES. ......... 38 2.1 Work with stakeholders to select a second model site in each of Sierra Leone and Liberia .................................................................................................... 38 2.2 Define the rationale and feasibility for each of the second sites .................. 38 2.3 Work with relevant stakeholders to develop road maps for community forest management based on FPIC principles and legal frameworks in each country ............................................................................................................. 41 2.4 Work with relevant stakeholders in Liberia to implement the 9 steps to community forest management, based on the Community Rights Law ..... 41 2.5 Work with relevant stakeholders in SL to implement the road map defined in 2.3 above ................................................................................................ 41 2.7 Develop a roadmap to scale up community forest management across the landscape ............................................................................................................ 41 i | COMMUNITY LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE DEFORESTATION AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN THE GOLA TRANSBOUNDARY FOREST LANDSCAPE: FINAL REPORT 2.8 Carry out biodiversity monitoring with community members to give indications of the abundance, diversity and distribution of species of high conservation value to support adaptive management of the model sites. See also Activity 3.5. .............................................................................................. 41 2.9 Work with relevant stakeholders to develop community based land use plans at each site for the long-term sustainable management of community forests ................................................................................................... 41 2.10 Work with GoSL and GoL and communities at model sites to establish appropriate community forest management systems. .................................... 41 2.11 Produce the necessary forest features and resource maps on which management plans are based. ............................................................................... 41 2.6 Carry out exchange visits with existing community forests: FAO sites in SL, GolaMA in Liberia, SL to GolaMA ....................................................................... 46 2.12 Develop and implement local communications plans to support establishment of CFM. ............................................................................................ 46 2.13 Ensure that community forest management plans include zoning for different uses, including strict conservation ...................................................... 46 2.14 Liaise with REDD stakeholders to ensure lessons from this project strengthen national REDD initiatives in Sierra Leone and Liberia. .............. 46 OBJECTIVE 3. COMMUNITY FOREST MANAGEMENT BODIES (CFMBS), COMMUNITY MEMBERS, REGIONAL STAFF OF THE FORESTRY DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (FDA, LIBERIA), NATIONAL PROTECTED AREA AUTHORITY (NPAA, SIERRA LEONE) AND OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENT STAFF, AND STAFF OF THE GOLA RAINFOREST CONSERVATION LG (GRC LG), CONSERVATION SOCIETY OF SIERRA LEONE (CSSL) AND SCNL HAVE INCREASED CAPACITY TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT COMMUNITY LAND USE PLANS AND COMMUNITY FOREST MANAGEMENT PLANS. ..................................................................................... 47 3.1 Develop training plans for CSSL, SCNL, grc, local npaa, fd and fda staff and key communities as an output of training needs assessment for all .... 47 3.2 Carry out at least 3 training events for SCNL, CSSL, GRC, NPAA, FD and FDA staff on different aspects of CFM ...................................................... 47 3.3 Carry out at least 1 training event for SCNL, CSSL, GRC, NPAA, FD and FDA staff on a landscape approach to forest management and its implementation in a trans-boundary context.................................................... 55 3.4 Provide relevant training to community members on community forest management. ............................................................................................................. 57 3.5 Develop community-based biomonitoring system