GMS BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION CORRIDORS INITIATIVE STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK AND TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT May 2005 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................................................. 1 A. Biodiversity, an Essential Development Asset in the GMS ........................................................... 1 B. Threats to Biodiversity and Natural Resources ............................................................................. 2 C. Biodiversity Conservation Corridors: a Development Strategy ..................................................... 2 D. Priority GMS Biodiversity Conservation Landscapes .................................................................... 3 E. Protected Areas in the Biodiversity Conservation Landscapes..................................................... 3 F. Population and Poverty in the Biodiversity Landscapes................................................................ 4 G. Key Governance Opportunities for Effective Biodiversity Corridor Management.......................... 4 H. The Biodiversity Conservation Corridors Initiative......................................................................... 5 I. Partnerships and Sustainable Financing.......................................................................................8 J. Expected Benefits of the Initiative ................................................................................................. 8 I. BACKGROUND...................................................................................................................................... 9 A. Greater Mekong Subregion ........................................................................................................... 9 B. Development Program in the GMS Economic Corridors.............................................................10 C. Critical Value of the GMS Environment and Natural Resources.................................................11 D. Socioeconomic Context in the GMS............................................................................................12 E. Policy, Legal, and Institutional Framework..................................................................................16 II. THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY AND NATURAL RESOURCES .......................................................... 21 A. Overexploitation of Natural Resources and Habitat Loss............................................................21 B. Wildlife Trade...............................................................................................................................22 C. Construction of Transnational Roads ..........................................................................................23 D. Other Economic Activities............................................................................................................23 E. Weak Capacity in Biodiversity Conservation Management.........................................................24 F. Critical Governance Issues and Opportunities ............................................................................24 III. JUSTIFICATION FOR BIODIVERSITY LANDSCAPES AND CORRIDORS....................................... 26 A. Relevance of Biodiversity Conservation Landscapes and Corridors ..........................................26 B. Economic Benefits of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.......................................................30 IV. BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION LANDSCAPES IN THE GMS ....................................................... 31 A. Selection of Priority Landscapes .................................................................................................31 B. Priority GMS Biodiversity Conservation Landscapes ..................................................................32 C. Protected Areas in the GMS Biodiversity Conservation Landscapes .........................................36 D. Transnational Roads Affecting the Priority Biodiversity Conservation Landscapes....................37 V. THE BCI PROPOSAL........................................................................................................................... 37 A. Objectives and Scope..................................................................................................................37 B. BCI Approach ..............................................................................................................................41 C. Selection of Pilot Sites .................................................................................................................44 VI. IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS .............................................................................................. 46 A. Program Management at Regional Level....................................................................................46 B. Program Management at National Level.....................................................................................48 C. Site-level Project Management....................................................................................................49 D. Operationalizing BCI program and Pilot Site Projects.................................................................50 E. Disbursement Arrangements and Fund Flows ............................................................................51 F. Accounting, Auditing, and Reporting ...........................................................................................51 G. Program Performance Monitoring and Evaluation ......................................................................52 VII. PROGRAM FUNDING.......................................................................................................................... 53 A. Cost Estimate ..............................................................................................................................53 B. Financing Sources .......................................................................................................................54 VIII.PROGRAM BENEFITS, IMPACTS AND RISKS.................................................................................. 55 A. Benefits........................................................................................................................................55 B. Impacts ........................................................................................................................................55 C. Risks and Assumptions ...............................................................................................................56 2 IX. PROGRAM SUSTAINABILITY............................................................................................................. 56 A. National Economic Instruments...................................................................................................57 B. Domestic Private Sector Investment ...........................................................................................58 C. Innovative International Financial Flows......................................................................................58 ANNEXES Annex 1: Logframe of the GMS BCI Program Annex 2: GMS BCI Action Plan (2005–2008) Annex 3: Pilot Site Proposals Annex 3-1: Cardamoms Biodiversity Conservation Corridors, Cambodia Annex 3-2: Xe Pian–Dong Hua Sao–Dong Ampham Biodiversity Conservation Corridors, Lao People’s Democratic Republic Annex 3-3: Xishuangbanna Biodiversity Conservation Corridors, People’s Republic of China Annex 3-4: The Tenasserim Biodiversity Conservation Corridors, Western Forest Complex - Kaeng Krachan Complex, Thailand Annex 3-5: Ngoc Linh–Xe Sap Biodiversity Conservation Corridors, Viet Nam Annex 4: Administrative, Legal, and Institutional Context Annex 5: BCI GIS Database: Current Status and Gaps ABBREVIATIONS ADB – Asian Development Bank BCI – Biodiversity Conservation Corridors Initiative BCL – biodiversity conservation landscape BI – BirdLife International CBD – Convention on Biological Diversity CCICED – China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development CEP – core environment program CEPF – Critical Ecosystems Partnership Fund EC – economic corridor EOC – environment operations center GIS – geographic information system GMS – Greater Mekong Subregion GPS – geographic positioning system IBA – important bird area IUCN – World Conservation Union LUP – land-use planning NBCA – national biodiversity conservation area NGO – nongovernment organization PA – protected area PATF – Protected Areas Task Force of the CCICED PCU – regional program coordination unit PDR – People's Democratic Republic (Lao) PRC – People's Republic of China RCC – regional coordination committee RCSP – regional cooperation strategy and program SDF – Strategic Development Framework SEF – strategic environmental framework TAP – technical advisory panel UNEP – United Nations Environment Programme WCS – Wildlife Conservation Society WGE – Working Group on Environment (GMS) WWF – World Wide Fund for Nature NOTE In this report, “$”refers to US dollars, unless otherwise noted. 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Economic Cooperation Program is an association of six countries, namely, Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic [Lao PDR], Myanmar, the People’s Republic of China (PRC; Yunnan and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region), Thailand, and Viet Nam. The GMS is an informal group, guided by a set of principles and institutional arrangements