Government of Algeria United Nations Development Programme SIGNATURE PAGE Number: ALG/02/G31/A/1G/01 Title: Conservation and sustainable use of globally significant biodiversity in the Tassili and Ahaggar National Parks UNDP and Cost-Sharing Financing for the project first phase (in US$): Duration: 3 years TOTAL: 6,065,720 Countries: Algeria UNDP TRAC: 185,100 ACC/UNDP (Sub) Sector: G3: Environment UNDP-GEF: 3,540,620 GEF Focal Area: Biological Diversity Sub-total: 3,725,720 Parallel financing: GEF Operational Programme: 1 Government (in kind): 2,340,000 GEF Implementing Agency: UNDP Sub-Total: 2,340,000 LPAC Review Date: 16 July 2003 Executing Agency: UNDP-DEX Program Officer: Djahida Boukhalfa Coordinating & Supervising Ministry of Foreign Affairs Agency Brief Description: The Tassili n'Ajjer and Ahaggar National Parks cover a area of 452,000 km2, constituting the largest contiguous protected area in Africa and a site of global significance for conservation of biodiversity in the central Saharan ecosystem. There is now considerable opportunity for achieving cost-effective conservation of the Tassili-Ahaggar ecosystem, with low background levels of threats to biota, strong commitment to conservation by national and local government and fast- improving law and order fundamentals in Algeria. However, stakeholder capacity to manage biodiversity is weak creating the danger of biodiversity loss as such risk-prone and fragile environments are uniquely vulnerable to adverse externalities. A comprehensive package of measures is proposed to enable an effective country-driven conservation initiative that secures global environmental benefits in desert ecosystems. The project will support a approach, enabling the development of new forms of local governance, based on flexible and plural legal frameworks and institutions that are rooted in appreciation of the consequences of ecological uncertainty in desert ecosystems. Final outcomes would include permanently staffed, technically autonomous and financially sustainable Protected Area Management Units with clear mandates and appropriate planning, monitoring and law enforcement prerogatives. Collaborative management agreements would involve key stakeholders in the adaptive, equitable and sustainable use of biodiversity resources and the development of innovative, environmentally-compatible, economic activities which meet livelihood needs. An adaptive management planning process will formalize operational links between the two Protected Area Management Units, integrate PA management with local and national cross-sectoral development plans and policies and provide a basis for future bio-regional planning and transnational biodiversity conservation and sustainable use initiatives. The project is composed of two phases with funds approved by GEF-UNDP only for the first phase. Resources for phase 2 are fully conditional upon a positive evaluation of phase 1 against established benchmarks, and a resubmission of a request for funding of phase 2 to the GEF Council. UNDP CO will directly execute the first phase of the project in coordination with the national implementing agency (Ministry of Communication and Culture) under overall supervision and backstopping of UNDP- GEF. The Government of Algeria is aware of this modality and hence is entering into commitment with UNDP based on rules and procedures for DEX arrangements and the attached first phase budget and described activities. Approved on behalf of the Government _______________________________________________________Date: ___________________ Approved on behalf of UNDP Algeria: _______________________________________________________Date: ___________________ LIST OF ACRONYMS ANP Ahaggar National Park APR Annual Project Report BMU Biodiversity Monitoring Unit CBD Convention on Biological Diversity CBO Community Based Organisation CM Collaborative Management COP Conference of Parties CRSTRA Centre de Recherche Scientifique et Technique sur les Régions Arides EIA Environmental Impact Assessment GEF Global Environment Facility GOA Government of Algeria IEC Information, Education, Communication INRF Institut national de la recherche forestière IUCN The World Conservation Union M&E Monitoring & Evaluation NGO Non Governmental Organisation NP National Park PA Protected Area PAMB Protected Area Management Board PAMU Protected Area Management Unit PDF Project Development Fund PSC Project Steering Committee TNP Tassili National Park UN United Nations UNDP United Nations Development Programme WWF World Wildlife Fund (i) TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ACRONYMS.................................................................................................................... I TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................................................................................. II A. SITUATION ANALYSIS.....................................................................................................1 1. COUNTRY AND SITE PROFILE ...................................................................................... 1 Socio-economic context..........................................................................................................2 Policy context........................................................................................................................3 Institutional context ...............................................................................................................6 2. PROBLEM TO BE ADDRESSED – THE PRESENT SITUATION ...................................... 7 Threats to Biodiversity...........................................................................................................7 Baseline................................................................................................................................8 B. PROJECT STRATEGY AND OBJECTIVES................................................................10 1. EXPECTED END OF PROJECT SITUATION.................................................................. 11 2. TARGET BENEFICIARIES ............................................................................................ 12 3. PROJECT OUTPUTS, INDICATORS AND ACTIVITIES............................................. 12 Output 1. Institutional capacity for field conservation enabled through legal, human resources and infrastructure development. ...........................................................................................12 Output 2. Collaborative management of protected areas is operational based on the adaptive, equitable and sustainable use of biodiversity resources. .........................................................15 Output 3. Ecotourism is managed to demonstrate innovative, environmentally compatible, economic activities meeting sustainable livelihood needs........................................................17 Output 4. Information Education Communication (IEC) efforts are building local and national constituencies for biodiversity conservation...........................................................................18 Output 5. Monitoring and evaluation of biodiversity resources, their utilisation and management has been tested, and a system is operational. .........................................................................19 Output 6. Management plans are developed and biodiversity conservation is firmly inscribed on the local development agenda...............................................................................................21 Output 7. Eco-development and sustainable livelihoods are supported through financial and human resources targeted by government, development agencies and communities..................22 4. RISKS AND PRIOR OBLIGATIONS ............................................................................ 24 C. INPUTS .............................................................................................................................25 GOVERNMENT INPUTS:....................................................................................................25 GEF Inputs .........................................................................................................................25 UNDP Inputs.......................................................................................................................26 D. PROJECT MANAGEMENT.............................................................................................26 1. IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS....................................................................... 26 2. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS......................................................... 28 3. SUSTAINABILITY OF PROJECT RESULTS.................................................................. 29 E. MONITORING, EVALUATION AND LESSONS LEARNED..........................................30 F. LEGAL CONTEXT...........................................................................................................32 G. BUDGET .......................................................................................................................33 (ii) 1. GEF ............................................................................................................................... 38 2. UNDP............................................................................................................................. 43 3. GOVERNMENT OF ALGERIA-OUTPUT BUDGET.................................................................... 45 4. GEF OUTPUT BUDGET .....................................................................................................