A cross-sector approach supporting the mainstreaming of sustainable forest and land management to enhance ecosystem resilience for improved livelihoods in the Save and Runde Catchments of Zimbabwe 1 FAO-GEF PROJECT DOCUMENT Project Title: A cross-sector approach supporting the mainstreaming of sustainable forest and land management to enhance ecosystem resilience for improved livelihoods in the Save and Runde Catchments of Zimbabwe GEF ID: 10257 FAO Entity Number: 659841 FAO Project Symbol: GCP /ZIM/031/GFF Countries: Zimbabwe EOD (Implementation start): 1 May 2021 NTE (Implementation end): 30 Arpil 2026 Environmental and Social Risk low risk moderate risk x high risk Classification: Gender Marker1: G0 G1 G2a x G2b Contribution to FAO’s Strategic Strategic Objective/Organizational Outcome: Objective #2: Make agriculture, Framework: forestry and fisheries more productive and sustainable. (Indicate as appropriate) Outcome 2.1: Countries adopted practices to increase productivity sustainably while addressing climate change and environmental degradation in agriculture, forestry and fisheries. Country Outcome(s): Increasing resilience and uptake of climate smart agriculture Country Programming Framework(s) Output(s): UNDAF outcome: Communities are equipped to cope with climate change and build resilience for household food and nutrition security. Regional Initiative/Priority Area: SADC RAP priority: Reduce social and economic vulnerability in the context of the changing economic and climatic environment Project Budget (GEF/SCCF/LDCF): $ 10,433,945 Co-financing: $60,691,231 Total Project Budget: $71,125,176 Executive Summary The project entitled “A cross-sector approach supporting the mainstreaming of sustainable forest and land management to enhance ecosystem resilience for improved livelihoods in the Save and Runde Catchments of Zimbabwe” is part of a global program led by FAO, the GEF-7 Sustainable Forest Management Impact Program on Dryland Sustainable Landscapes (SFM/Drylands IP). The Zimbabwe child project was designed together with five other national projects in Southern Africa2 with the aim to overcome common management challenges by pursuing the same overall goal: to support a transformational shift towards a sustainable and integrated management of multi-use dryland landscapes of the Miombo and Mopane ecoregions. In Zimbabwe, FAO will lead and jointly execute the project with Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and the FAO country office in collaboration with other governmental, NGO and private partners. The objective of the project which is led by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) together with other governmental, NGO and private sector partners is to promote the sustainable management of Miombo and Mopane production landscapes in Save and Runde sub-basins following an LDN approach. The project interventions will be implemented in eight districts – including Chivi and Chipinge districts identified as LDN hotspots – of three provinces of Manicaland, Masvingo and Midlands. The project is divided into three components: i) Component 1: Strengthening the enabling environment for the integrated management of natural resources at the national and landscape levels; ii) Component 2: Demonstrating, implementing, and scaling up and out SLM and SFM good practices in Save and Runde basins; and iii) Component 3: Strengthening Knowledge Management, Monitoring and Collaboration for addressing SLM/SFM at landscape, national, regional and global levels. Under Component 1, the enabling environment (necessary structure, processes and targeted capacity building) for the envisaged integrated and participatory landscape assessment and planning at national and landscape level will be 1 See Guidance Note on Gender Mainstreaming in project identification and formulation 2 Angola, Namibia, Tanzania, Malawi and Botswana 2 established. This will result in the development of two Integrated Land-Use Plans (ILUPs) and their action plans to guide LDN activities in Save and Runde basins. Under Component 2, the GEF7 project will implement and scale up and out the selected SLM and SFM interventions in the targeted landscapes – based on the ILUPs and Action Plans developed under Component 1 – to address land degradation issues and support increased agricultural, pastoral and forest productivity. The sustainability of the SLM and SFM interventions will be secured by supporting the targeted Forest and Farm Producer Organisations (FFPOs) in the development of viable business plans that are targeting “baskets” of diverse crop, rangeland and forest products and corresponding business incubation services. Under Component 3, the knowledge and experience generated under the GEF7 project on SLM and SFM practices and on the implementation of an LDN approach in Zimbabwe will be shared as widely as possible to promote a holistic approach to combating land degradation in Miombo and Mopane ecoregion. This includes cross-sectoral knowledge sharing at the national level in support of integrated land-use planning, and at the regional level with support from the Regional knowledge management Exchange Mechanism of the Global Coordination Project and in close collaboration with existing regional knowledge platforms (e.g. Southern African Development Community Great Green Wall Initiative – SADC GGWI, Miombo Network). The project will build on the experience and lessons learned of, and ensure close collaboration with, ongoing and planned initiatives by organizations including the World Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), FAO, SADC, Government of Zimbabwe, Zambezi Watercourse Commission (ZAMCOM), and NGOs such as CTDT and World Vision. The expected results and Global Environmental Benefits (GEBs) of the project are as follows: 2,150 hectares of land restored (in forests and mixed land-use areas); 172,540 hectares of landscapes under improved practices through the implementation of integrated land-use plans promoting SLM and SFM; 1.26 million metric tons of CO2e greenhouse gas emissions mitigated; and 15,000 direct beneficiaries (at least 52% of women). 3 Contents PART I: PROJECT INFORMATION ...................................................................................................................... 9 A. Focal/Non-Focal Area Elements ........................................................................................................................................... 9 B. Project description summary................................................................................................................................................ 9 C. Confirmed sources of Co-financing for the project by name and by type ..................................................................... 15 D. Trust Fund Resources Requested by Agency(ies), Country(ies), Focal Area and the Programming of Funds ....... 16 E. Does the project include a “non-grant” instrument? ................................................................................................... 16 F. Project’s Target Contributions to GEF 7 Core Indicators .............................................................................................. 16 PART II: PROJECT JUSTIFICATION ................................................................................................................. 18 1.a Project Description ................................................................................................................................................................. 18 1) The global environmental and/or adaptation problems, root causes and barriers that need to be addressed (systems description). ................................................................................................................................................................................ 18 2) The baseline scenario and any associated baseline projects.............................................................................................. 35 3) The proposed alternative scenario with a brief description of expected outcomes and components of the project and the project’s Theory of Change. ....................................................................................................................................................... 56 4) Alignment with GEF focal area and/or Impact Program strategies; ................................................................................. 77 5) Incremental/additional cost reasoning and expected contributions from the baseline, the GEFTF, LDCF, SCCF, and co- financing;.................................................................................................................................................................................... 78 6) Global environmental benefits (GEFTF) and/or adaptation benefits (LDCF/SCCF); ...................................................... 80 7) Innovativeness, sustainability, potential for scaling up and capacity development . ....................................................... 81 8) Summary of changes in alignment with the project design with the original PIF ............................................................ 84 1.b Project Map / Location .......................................................................................................................................................... 90 2. Stakeholders. ............................................................................................................................................................................