Usaid/North Macedonia Foreign Assistance Act Section 119 Biodiversity Analysis
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PHOTO BY PAT FOSTER-TURLEY USAID/NORTH MACEDONIA FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT SECTION 119 BIODIVERSITY ANALYSIS USAID/NORTH MACEDONIA FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT SECTION 119 BIODIVERSITY ANALYSIS August 2019 Prepared by: The Cloudburst Group and ICF Analysis Team: Dr. Patricia Foster-Turley, Robertina Brajanoska, Natalija Melovska, Aleksandar Stojanov Contributors: Jeff Ploetz, Paola Bernazzani, Jon Hecht, Molly Helmuth, and Diana Pape The Cloudburst Group 8400 Corporate Drive, Suite 550 Landover, MD 20785-2238 USA +1- 301-918-4400 www.cloudburstgroup.com ICF Incorporated 9300 Lee Highway Fairfax, VA 22031 USA +1-703-934-3000 www.icf.com ACRONYMS CBD Convention on Biological Diversity CDCS Country Development Cooperation Strategy CITES Convention on Trade in Endangered Species DO Development Objective DREM Development of Regional Energy Markets EIA Environmental Impact Assessment FAA Foreign Assistance Act GEF Global Environment Fund GIS Geographic Information Systems GIZ German Corporation for International Cooperation EU European Union IRs Intermediate Results IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature MAFWE Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy MAPs Medicinal and aromatic plants MES Macedonian Ecological Society (MES) MEPP Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning MSMEs Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises NBSAP National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan NGO Non-Governmental Organization NP National Park NTFP Non-timber forest product PA Protected Area SDC Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SIDA Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency USAID.GOV USAID/NORTH MACEDONIA FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT SECTION 119 BIODIVERSITY ANALYSIS | i UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNEP United Nations Environment Programme UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change USAID United States Agency for International Development USAID.GOV USAID/NORTH MACEDONIA FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT SECTION 119 BIODIVERSITY ANALYSIS | ii CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 TOP PRIORITY RECOMMENDATIONS: 2 SECOND PRIORITY RECOMMENDATIONS 3 I. INTRODUCTION 4 1.1 PURPOSE 4 1.2 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE USAID PROGRAM 4 1.3 METHODOLOGY 4 II. COUNTRY CONTEXT 5 2.1 LOCATION AND COUNTRY CONTEXT 5 2.2 BIOPHYSICAL SETTING 6 III. STATUS OF THE NORTH MACEDONIA’S BIODIVERSITY 8 3.1 MAJOR ECOSYSTEM TYPES AND STATUS 8 3.2 SPECIES DIVERSITY AND STATUS 9 3.3 GENETIC DIVERSITY 11 3.4 STATUS AND MANAGEMENT OF PROTECTED AREAS 12 3.5 STATUS AND MANAGEMENT OF KEY NATURAL RESOURCES OUTSIDE PROTECTED AREAS 13 IV. VALUE AND ECONOMIC POTENTIAL 14 4.1 VALUE OF BIODIVERSITY 14 4.2 ECOSYSTEM GOODS AND SERVICES 16 V. LEGAL FRAMEWORK AFFECTING CONSERVATION 16 5.1 NATIONAL LAWS, POLICIES, AND STRATEGIES 16 5.2 INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS 17 5.3 GOVERNMENT AGENCIES 18 5.4 OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS 19 5.5 CONSERVATION INITIATIVES: GAP ANALYSIS 19 VI. THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY 21 6.1 DIRECT THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY 21 6.2 DRIVERS OF THREATS 26 VII. ACTIONS NECESSARY TO CONSERVE BIODIVERSITY 28 VIII. EXTENT TO WHICH THE MISSION MEETS THE IDENTIFIED ACTIONS NEEDED 31 8.1 BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF CURRENT USAID ACTIVITIES 8.2 31 “EXTENT TO WHICH” BY ACTIONS NECESSARY 32 IX. RECOMMENDATIONS 35 9.1 RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON ACTIONS NECESSARY TO CONSERVE BIODIVERSITY 35 9.2 OVERALL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR USAID 36 USAID.GOV USAID/NORTH MACEDONIA FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT SECTION 119 BIODIVERSITY ANALYSIS | iii 9.3 SECTORAL RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON THE CURRENT RESULTS FRAMEWORK 37 ANNEX A. SCOPE OF WORK 40 ANNEX B. ANALYSIS TEAM BIOS 52 ANNEX C. REFERENCES 53 ANNEX D. LIST OF TAXONOMIC GROUPS WITH NUMBER OF SPECIES AND CONSERVATION STATUS IN NORTH MACEDONIA 59 ANNEX E. MAJOR PROTECTED AREAS IN NORTH MACEDONIA 61 ANNEX F. MAJOR DONOR PROJECTS IN NORTH MACEDONIA 69 ANNEX G. LAWS THAT IMPACT BIODIVERSITY IN NORTH MACEDONIA 74 ANNEX H. MAJOR BIODIVERSITY CONVENTIONS TO WHICH NORTH MACEDONIA IS A PARTY 76 ANNEX I. MAPS 78 LIST OF TABLES TABLE 3.1 OVERVIEW OF STATUS OF THE NATURAL RESOURCES OUTSIDE PROTECTED AREAS 13 TABLE 4.1 FISH PRODUCTION IN NORTH MACEDONIA (MAFWE, ONLINE) 15 TABLE 6.1 DAMAGE TO FORESTS 23 TABLE 7.1 ACTIONS NECESSARY TO CONSERVE BIODIVERSITY IN NORTH MACEDONIA AND LINKS TO DIRECT THREATS AND DRIVERS 29 TABLE 8.1 “EXTENT TO WHICH” BY ACTIONS NECESSARY 32 TABLE 9.1 SECTORAL RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON THE CURRENT RESULTS FRAMEWORK 37 LIST OF FIGURES MAP OF NORTH MACEDONIA1 7 MAP 1. MAP OF MAIN ECOSYSTEMS IN THE COUNTRY 79 MAP 2. MAP OF THE FORESTED AREAS AND LAND USES 79 MAP 3. MAP OF PROTECTED AREAS, INCLUDING FOREST RESERVES 79 MAP 4. MAP OF AQUATIC RESOURCES 79 USAID.GOV USAID/NORTH MACEDONIA FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT SECTION 119 BIODIVERSITY ANALYSIS | iv EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Biodiversity Analysis has been prepared for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/North Macedonia as they begin the process of developing their Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) which will run from 2020 to 2025. This analysis fulfills Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) Section 119 which requires that each country development strategy, statement, or other country plan prepared by USAID shall include an analysis of: • the actions necessary in that country to conserve biological diversity, and • the extent to which the actions proposed for support by the Agency meet the needs thus identified. In addition, this analysis provides an overview of the conservation status of biodiversity in North Macedonia, the stakeholders involved, and a series of recommendations that USAID/North Macedonia can consider as they formulate their new strategy. It is not expected that the new strategy will differ substantially from the Strategic Framework 2018-2020 that the Mission is currently operating under which has one Development (DO) Objective with four Intermediate Results (IRs). The IRs focus on increased private sector growth, enhanced participation by informed citizens, strengthened good governance, and improved social cohesion. North Macedonia is a land-locked country in the central part of the Balkan Peninsula with ample freshwater resources in the form of lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, and springs. Forests cover about 40% of the country. The terrain includes mountains, gorges, caves, and other ecosystems harboring local and regional endemic species. North Macedonia occupies only a tiny portion of the European continent, but a large portion of European biodiversity is concentrated within this small territory. The protected areas of North Macedonia include three national parks and a number of areas protected under various other designations (see Annex E). The national parks and most other protected areas are supported primarily through cutting timber—the central government provides no additional support. A solid framework of laws and policies protects species of international and national importance in the country. There are a number of local, national and transboundary nature-related NGOs and some strong academic institutions but few have sufficient capacity to be effective without donor support. The biodiversity of North Macedonia faces a number of direct threats and drivers (indirect threats) that challenge species and ecosystems throughout the country. This analysis team conducted a desk study of available documents and online sources, interviewed stakeholders, and visited key conservation areas and habitats to formulate these lists of direct threats and drivers. Major direct threats to North Macedonia’s biodiversity include the interrelated factors of 1) conversion of native habitats; 2) agricultural practices; 3) fires; 4) alteration to flow regimes of natural waterways; 5) timber and fuelwood extraction; 6) mining; 7) overexploitation and illegal harvest of plant and wildlife species; 8) air and water pollution; 9) invasive, non-native species; and 10) climate change. The drivers behind these threats are factors at the policy, institutional, and economic levels and are often those best addressed by donors like USAID. In North Macedonia these include the following: 1. Lack of Sustainable Biodiversity Financing Mechanisms USAID.GOV USAID/NORTH MACEDONIA FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT SECTION 119 BIODIVERSITY ANALYSIS | 1 2. Weak Enforcement and Implementation of Existing Mechanisms 3. Lack of Capacity in Biodiversity Conservation Efforts 4. Lack of Accessible and Shareable Data 5. Lack of Administrative and Management Coordination 6. Ineffective Management of Protected Areas 7. Poverty in Rural Areas 8. Low Level of Awareness of the Importance of Biodiversity The actions necessary to address these direct threats and drivers in North Macedonia are given in Chapter VII and include 33 items derived from stakeholder consultations, site visits, literature review and the analysis team’s expertise. Most of these are very specific and can only be targeted by organizations focusing on biodiversity conservation. Some of the suggested actions necessary, however, relate or could relate to USAID/North Macedonia’s existing IRs. The final two chapters of this report look at these possible connections. At present the “extent to which” the Mission addresses the actions necessary for biodiversity conservation is minimal. On the other hand, no potential negative effects on biodiversity are evident in Mission activities. Specific recommendations for activities that could fit within the existing Mission IRs are provided under three conditions: opportunistic, proactive and direct threat reduction