Fao/Global Environment Facility Project Document
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FAO/GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY PROJECT DOCUMENT PROJECT TITLE:Conservation of biodiversity and mitigation of land degradation through adaptive management of agricultural heritage systems. PROJECT SYMBOL: GCP/MOR/045/GFF Recipient Country/ies: Morocco Resource Partner: GEF FAO project ID: 629911 GEF Project ID: 5481 EXECUTING PARTNER(S):National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Fisheries (MAPM) Expected EOD (starting date): March 2015 Expected NTE (End date): December 2018 Contribution to FAO’s a. Strategic objective/Organizational Result: Strategic Framework1 SO2: OO1 b. Regional Result/Priority Area: Promote Sustainable Use and Management of Natural Resources2 c. Country Programming Framework Outcome: CPF- Priority area 1; Outcome 1.2: Small Scale Family Farming is improved and diversified in the context of Green Morocco Plan, Pillar II. CPF- Priority area 2; Outcome 2.4: The standard of living of vulnerable populations is improved. GEF Focal Area: Land Degradation; Biodiversity GEF Strategic Objectives: BD-2– Mainstreaming biodiversity in production landscapes/sectors LD-1– Ecosystem services in production landscapes (agriculture, rangeland) LD-3 – SLM in wider landscapes (integrated management) Environmental Impact Assessment Category (insert √): A B C √ Financing Plan: GEF allocation: USD 771 918 Co-financing: FAO USD 350 000 ADA – Green Morocco Plan (PMV), Pillar II USD 2 000 000 ANDZOA – Improvement of Agricultural Production in Oasis USD 4 000 000 1 For projects operated by country offices, it is necessary to link projects in FPMIS at OR level. For all other projects, linkage at product/service level is necessary 2Based on the Priorities for FAO activities in the Africa region, Focus areas of work for 2014-2015 and beyond, 28th Regional Conference for Africa.Tunis, Tunisia, 2014 Source: http://www.fao.org/docrep/meeting/030/mj777e.pdf 1 INRA – Agricultural and Environmental Research Programme USD 500 000 APDESPS - Development of the Southern Oasis Programme USD 1 000 000 Sub-total co-financing: USD 7 850 000 Total Budget: USD 8 621 918 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Morocco has a diverse and varied landscape and, as part of the Mediterranean basin, is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world and a 'hotspot' for conservation priority. However, the valuable biodiversity in the country and more specifically the Atlas Mountains and its oases systems is being lost. Increasing pressure on the Atlas’ mountains and oases multiple resources has led to deterioration of biodiversity, and gradual simplification and loss of uniqueness in the ecosystem. As a result, there has been a depletion of natural productivity, mostly a reduction in biodiversity. On estimate, 25% of the endangered plant species (1700 taxa) and nearly 600 animal species have reached the threshold of non-renewal and are registered as endangered species. This has negatively impacted the life quality standards and sustainability and livelihoods of the traditional communities in Morocco. In turn, their pressure on natural resources is increasing. Overgrazing, unsustainable harvesting, unregulated hunting, increased urbanization, all contribute to the loss of local plant and animal species. Moreover, 30,000 hectares of vegetal cover is lost every year, which has significant implications for the various species protected by this cover. Although the national government is implementing various initiatives to respond to the growing environmental problems in the country and, in particular, in the oasis systems, further efforts are needed to meet the challenges to ensure integrated approaches for sustainable development and biodiversity conservation. The package of engineering and technology solutions, long put forward to solve the problems in these areas have demonstrated failure. These solutions, sometimes conceived outside of the socio-cultural context of the people concerned and their practices, have resulted in adverse negative effects. Without a GEF intervention, continued survival of oasis agro-biodiversity will be threatened by various factors such as the loss of customary institutions and forms of social organization that underpin the management of oasis systems; abandonment of the traditional cultivation and farming systems; conversion of land and habitat in and around traditionally managed fields to alternative uses such as unsustainable intensive farming, plantations; and the displacement and dilution of traditional varieties cultivated in these systems. The proposed GEF project is a joint effort by the National Institute of Agricultural Research (INRA), the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Fisheries (MAPM), local stakeholders, FAO and the GEF to support the above mentioned areas of intervention and the improvement of the populations’ standard of living in fragile oasis systems. The project will partially be blended with and co-financed by the MAPM flagship program, the Green Morocco Plan and associated partners. The project areas include five oasis systems located in the High Atlas (Imilchil- Amellago), the Anti-Atlas (Ait Mansour) and the pre-saharan (Figuig, Assa and Akka) agro-ecological zones. The project will adopt a holistic approach, aimed at enhancing the sustainable management of the ecosystems and their natural resources, while focusing on a balance between conservation, adaptation and socio-economic development. Enhanced coordination between traditional institutions and regulations with ‘modern’ ones will be promoted. The proposed project has potentialities of up-scaling the approach in a broader landscape, and provides the necessary focus to the once valued oases agricultural practices which include conserving ancient efficient irrigation and water management 2 systems, farming and sheep breeding practices, and strengthen the customary community participatory management practices for natural resources. The project will be implemented through the following components: Component 1: The enabling environment to support the conservation of agro biodiversity has been enhanced through targeting regulatory frameworks, local institution building and collection and storage of data. This component will enhance the capacity of government and local institutions in their efforts to promote oasis agricultural biodiversity conservation and strengthen local seed supply and distribution systems. Component 2: Reducing pressures on natural resources from competing land uses, to reverse land degradation trends in the Oases landscapes through the application of good agricultural practices and agro-ecology. Interventions will focus on the improvement and rehabilitation of crop systems, control of water and soil salinity, protection and management of floodwaters and protection against silting. Component 3: Mainstreaming of the biodiversity conservation and sustainable use into the local communities’ strategies for economic diversification in Oases landscapes. This component will focus on product or service labelling according to standards of sustainable production, biodiversity conservation, and market access development. Component 4: M&E and information dissemination. The objective of this component is to ensure a systematic results-based monitoring and evaluation of project progress. Thus achieving project outputs and outcome targets that are established in the Project Results Framework, as well as promoting the wider dissemination of project information, data and lessons learned for replication in other areas. By supporting an improved soil health and fertility and promoting sustainable management of land and water resources and agricultural practices, the project will enhance food production and improve the livelihood of the local communities. Moreover, the project will improve the sustainability of highly valuable oasis systems by supporting the conservation of biodiversity in the selected project sites, which are located in natural reserves. More specifically, the project will deliver the following GEBs: i) in situ conservation of selected pollinators and crops/plants including staple foods such as local durum wheat, local vegetables, leguminous crops which are important for nutrition and food security; ii) improvement of soil health and fertility, enhancement of soil resilience to increase organic matter; iii) reduction of soil erosion in mountain valleys, iv) mainstreaming of conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity into regulatory frameworks, v) mainstreaming of biodiversity considerations into market mechanisms and increased investments in SLM (product labelling). The benefits will be verified by monitoring: i) at least 500qx local seed varieties conserved, ii) five drafted and submitted applications for product labelling; ii) 650ha of agricultural land benefitting from improved agricultural practices and labelled production standards, iii) 1117 ha of agricultural land protected against flooding iv) the adoption of SLM and sustainable production intensification practices by at least 500 rural farmers in the 5 selected sites. This project will also generate GEBs by contributing to Aichi Targets #1 and 2 by i) raising awareness on the value of biodiversity and the necessary steps to safeguard it and sustainably manage it, ii) supporting the integration of biodiversity conservation and its value into national policies and strategies in Morocco, through policy recommendations and advocacy. 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS ..............................................................................................