PROJECT IDENTIFICATION FORM (PIF) PROJECT TYPE: Full-sized Project THE GEF TRUST FUND Submission Date: 17 January 2008 Re-submission Date: PART I: PROJECT IDENTIFICATION GEFSEC PROJECT ID: INDICATIVE CALENDAR GEF AGENCY PROJECT ID: Milestones Expected COUNTRY (IES ): Morocco Dates PROJECT TITLE : Participatory Control of Desertification and Work Program (for FSP) April 2008 Poverty Reduction in the Arid and Semi-Arid High Plateau CEO Endorsement/Approval June 2008 Ecosystems of Eastern Morocco GEF Agency Approval July 2008 GEF AGENCY (IES ): IFAD and UNIDO Implementation Start June 2009 OTHER EXECUTING PARTNERS : Haut Commissariat aux Eaux et Mid-term Review June 2011 Forets et à la Lutte Contre la Désertification (HCEFLCD) Implementation Completion July 2014 GEF FOCAL AREAS : Land degradation and International waters. GEF-4 STRATEGIC PROGRAM(S) : LD SP 1 and IW SP3 A. PROJECT FRAMEWORK Project Objective : Combat desertification, protect the ecosystem functions and productivity of the pastoral resources, and improve the livelihoods of the rural poor in the Eastern High Plateaus of Morocco. Inv, Indicative GEF Indicative Co- TA, Expected Outcomes Expected Outputs Financing* financing* Total ($) Project Components or ($) % ($) % STA ** 1. Enabling policy Inv. 1. Regulations a) Revision of key sectoral 377,199 37 631,017 63 1,008,216 environment and TA improved and programs for SLM/IWRM SLM/IWRM coordination mainstreaming mainstreaming in mechanisms b) Inter-ministerial rangeland strengthened agreements and practical ecosystems among line directives and regulations ministries for ATP implementation c) Decentralization of Land 2. Policies for basin- and water use decision- scale IWRM making processes supported d) Capacity enhanced for 45 ATP (Tri-partite RUA 1’s for decentralized accord) finalized decision-making and implemented 6. Authority for land and water use decisions decentralized to provincial and local levels 2. Capacity building Inv. 1. Institutional a) A minimum of 3 training 425,444 30 1,014,322 70 1,439,767 for SLM and IWRM TA capacity sessions/yr on enhanced to SLM/IWRM support SLM and b) SLM/IWRM training IWRM provided manuals widely 2. Operational early disseminated drought and c) A minimum of 45 RUAs2 climatic warning trained to incorporate system for SLM/IWRM decision making d) Database for bio-physical is supported monitoring available 1 Range User Associations. 1 e) Improved readiness to drought 3. Up-scaling best Inv 1. Large scale areas a. 3 sites (35 000 ha each) 3,766,987 23 12,952,711 77 16,719,698 practices for SLM for pilot have Participatory and water SLM/IWRM SLM/IWRM plans conservation practices b. 100 000 ha of rangelands practices for established under good management rangeland practices ecosystems c. 5 000 ha of protected 2. SLM and IWRM areas for seed production best management d. 120 ha put under control practices up- measures for sand scaled stabilization e. 15 000 ha for water 3. Farmer/herder harvesting, catchments knowledge ponds, and rehabilitated management and Sigas in the Ain Bni information Mathar and Moulouya system for SLM basins established f. 20 % improvement in supply of potable water g. Establishment of one community-led knowledge management and Training Center 4. Local communities Inv 1. Environmental a) A minimum of 5 441,630 19 1,817,008 81 2,258,638 livelihoods Income innovative/environmenta improvement generating lly friendly small activities enterprises promoted promoted b) A minimum of 20% increase farmers’ income 2. Eco-tourism through value-added and potentialities market access for local supported products c) A minimum of 3 pilot 3. Capacity building ecotourism enterprises for environmental developed services d) Innovative types of supported environmental services supported 5. Project monitoring Inv. 1. Results based a) An operational M&E 397,475 24 1,263,610 76 1,661,084 and evaluation TA system for system established project b) Projects technical monitoring and reports , results, and evaluation is lesson learned developed and disseminated implemented 6. Project 591,266 33 1,206,497 77 1,797,763 management Total project cost 6,000,000 24 18,885,165 76 24,885,165 B. INDICATIVE FINANCING PLAN SUMMARY FOR THE PROJECT ($) Project Preparation Project Agency Fee* Total GEF Grant 350,000** 6,000,000 635,000 6,985,000 Co-financing 150,000 18,885,165 19,035,165 Total 500,000 24,885,165 635,000 26,020,165 • *Fees to be equally sheared between IFAD and UNIDO • ** already received (without fees) 2 The 45 RUAs represent approximately 14,000 farmer/herders 2 C. INDICATIVE CO -FINANCING FOR THE PROJECT (INCLUDING PROJECT PREPARATION AMOUNT ) BY SOURCE AND BY NAME (IN PARENTHESIS ) IF AVAILABLE , ($) Sources of Co-financing Type of Co-financing Amount Project Government Contribution Guarantee 13,571,694 GEF Agency IFAD Soft loan 5,174,029 GEF Agency (UNIDO, IFAD and GM) Grant (PDF-B co financing) 80,000 Others – Beneficiaries Guarantee (in kind) 209,442 Total co-financing 19,035,165 D. GEF RESOURCES REQUESTED BY FOCAL AREA (S), AGENCY (IES ) SHARE AND COUNTRY (IES )* (in $) GEF Country Name/ Focal Area Agency Global Project Agency Preparation Project Fee Total IFAD LD Morocco 350,000 5,000,000 535,000 5,535,000 IFAD IW Morocco (received) 1,000,000 100,000 1,100,000 PART II: PROJECT JUSTIFICATION A. STATE THE ISSUE , HOW THE PROJECT SEEKS TO SOLVE IT , AND THE EXPECTED GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS TO BE DELIVERED: Land degradation affects the livelihoods and food security of about 1.5 million households in Morocco, and is undermining the carrying capacity of the ecosystems of the country. It is forcing farmers to extend production to marginal and fragile lands, thus seriously degrading the natural resource base. At the same time, rangeland quality is being depleted due to increasing herd size and prolonged drought. The majority of Morocco climatic zones fall under semi-arid and arid ecosystems (93%). These ecosystems, rich with diverse habitats and species heterogeneity, are of high international importance. However, the pervasive poverty, the increasing pressure on the land and its inadequate management, are leading to wide scale land degradation, depletion of water resources, loss of wildlife habitat, and increased susceptibility to droughts and climate change. The use, management and control of degradation of common lands are serious issues in Morocco. In the Eastern Region, about 70% of the land is collectively used by local tribes and communities, and land use conflicts over access to grazing areas and water are regular features, seriously contributing to continual and often intensive degradation of the land. This combination of factors result in a spiral of increasing rural poverty and continual degradation of natural resources, with increasing outward migration of poor people to urban areas and elsewhere. Related to the issues of land degradation and rural poverty is the major issue of water scarcity, with the Eastern High Plateaus being one of the most deprived regions in the country. Groundwater resources exist in several basins, Ain Bni Mathar, and the Moulouya basins, as well as several smaller basins, but the groundwatwers are found at great depths and yields are often quite low. Surface water resources, estimated at 1.65 M m 3/yr, are highly irregular and unreliable, and related mostly to sporadic winter and some spring and summer storms. These normally drain and/or runoff very quickly, and in the absence of water harvesting and constructed water catchments, they do not provide much relief to the perennial problems of water deficits and the frequent droughts (annual rainfall has been decreasing in the region, and there have been five major droughts since 1975). The application of SLM technologies, including mechanized water harvesting, catchment ponds, and rehabilitated Sigas, are some of the only viable options for the sustainable management of the land and water resources of the region The GEF project concurrently addresses the major problems of the region, namely land degradation, rural poverty, and water management. This is achieved through an integrated approach by (i): Mainstreaming SLM/IWRM at national, provincial, and local levels; (ii) specific investments to mobilize and empower range users as partners in managing the natural resources, and (iii) specific investments to improve the ecosystem integrity and diversify the income potentials 3 of the local populations. The philosophy is to create and promote investment opportunities for land resource management which provide concurrent environmental and economic benefits. Mitigation of a process as complex as desertification can only be achieved by building partnerships with local beneficiaries whose livelihoods and economic well being depend on the sustainable management and conservation of their resources. Thus, the project will be articulated around five interlinked components to deliver an integrated approach for SLM and IWRM. These are the following: • Mainstreaming SLM principles and IWRM for rangeland ecosystems : This will be achieved through interventions consisting of: (i) sensitizing relevant sector ministries to incorporate SLM and IWRM principles into their major programmes and local initiatives; (ii) establishing inter-institutional agreements as necessary for networking SLM/IWRM and national/regional integrated development; (iii) developing partnerships and procedures to resolve conflicting jurisdictions in land and water use and tenure (Accord Tripartite) for commonly used lands, including devolving