Socio-Environmental Impacts of Ecosystem Projects in Africa

1. Socio-Environmental Impacts of Ecosystem Projects in Africa CaseStudies

2. The ARES Region & World Bank • ARES region comprises nearly all of Sub-Saharan Africa • 682.1 million people • Economic growth and livelihoods are contingent on the provision of natural resources such as land, water and forests. • African ecosystems are a key source of water supply for agro-development • ARES ecosystem absorbs large amounts of carbon emissions • Mismanaged environment has negative impacts on health, economic growth, and the global environment.

3. World Bank Key ARES Goals • Ensure Sustainable Livelihoods • Improve Environmental Health • Reduce Vulnerability to Natural Disasters and Extreme Climate Events • Maintain Global Ecosystems and Values

4. Key ARES Challenges • High population growth • Widespread poverty • HIV-AIDS • Political fragmentation and instability • Low levels of investment in human resources and development • Immigration • Rapid and unplanned urbanization • Extreme climate variations • Deteriorating natural eco-systems

5. Environmental Resource Management • Objectives • Methodologies • Strategy • Implementation • Performance Indicators & Assessment

6. Zimbabwe Community Action Project Objective: • Poverty Reduction • Complete the macroeconomic agenda for reform and private sector development in order to foster sustained growth • Strengthening rural development and natural resources management including empowerment of local communities to manage economic and social development • Promote poverty reduction through human resources investments, effective social safety nets, improved targeting and regular monitoring of welfare indicators. Methodology: • Community sub-projects (including social mobilization, infrastructure, improved natural resources management, training and capacity building for local communities) • Poverty monitoring and analysis (technical assistance, study fund, survey enhancement, training and capacity-building, workshops, dissemination); and • Community Action Project (CAP) institutional support (administration and operating costs, beneficiary assessments, Environmental Impact Assessment, training and capacity building for CAP staff).

7. Zimbabwe Community Action Project Strategy: • Channel of financial resources directly to the beneficiary communities. • Targeted 26 of the poorest districts of Zimbabwe and is support of Government of Zimbabwe's Poverty Alleviation Action Plan (PAAP) • Empowerment of poor communities and monitoring of poverty • Objective and design were consistent with Zimbabwe's Country Assistance Strategy (CAS 1997) on poverty reduction. Implementation: • CAP became effective in 1998 but 18 months later, disbursements to the project were suspended because the Government of Zimbabwe defaulted on its loans to the Bank and other international financial institutions. • In 2000, the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare (MPSLSW) gave CAP an additional loan, but the project had to be significantly scaled down and project employees released. the local level also released the officers responsible for CAP. • In October 2000, the Bank cancelled the project because of Zimbabwe’s default on international loans

8. Zimbabwe Community Action Project Outcome: • The design of the project was appropriate for achieving the objective and outputs. • Project was unable to achieve its objectives in its shortened timeframe. • All structures were dismantled and work suspended • Financial default was the primary reason for failure. • Final assessment is unsatisfactory

9. Mauritania Rainfed Natural Resource Management Project (NRMP) Objectives: • To break the poverty cycle by improving basic ecological functions (water and mineral cycles, ecological succession) and managing resources • Sustainable yield increases in crops and livestock • Increased incomes for participating communities Methodology: • Financial investments in 250 villages chosen from representative agro-ecological zones in the country’s rainfed area • Strengthen government services to support community organization, improve the legal framework for local empowerment, and finance government's technical support to beneficiaries • Enhance skills, including developing and disseminating required technologies (research, short- and medium-term technical assistance)

10. Mauritania Rainfed Natural Resource Management Project (NRMP) Strategy: • Empower local communities and decentralize services of the Ministry of Rural Development and Environment (MDRE); • Implement recommendations of the country environmental strategy paper (CESP) concerning more efficient management of natural resources • Coordinate with existing extension services, devising a domestic energy strategy, and cooperating with the Mauritanian Integrated Development Program of Irrigated Agriculture (PDIAIM) Implementation: • Sought to address rural development in an integrated approach • Combat the underlying causes of environmental degradation (i.e., mainly the overuse of resources) • Used a bottom-up, participatory approach that empowered communities to determine their own development needs. (d) carried out in close coordination with ongoing programs and projects to avoid duplication of efforts; and • Supported Mauritania’s existing communal development policy

11. Mauritania Rainfed Natural Resource Management Project (NRMP) Outcome: • In the 295 villages, 120,000 people affected by NRMP. Investments in soil and water conservation (e.g., aerial tree seeding, rehabilitation and protection of retention dams) visibly improved the re-growth of natural vegetation and soil fertility, resulting decreased rate of degradatio. • Increased the available natural resource base. Fencing of crop area against animal intrusion cut production losses by 30%. • Yield from livestock increased, new crops were planted. • Empowerment of village communities through participatory approach has had a positive impact on social organization and change in attitudes among rural communities. • Project received overal rating of satisfactory in achieving its development objective of sustainable yield increases and increased incomes for participating communities. • Social objective of empowerment was rated Highly Satisfactory

12. Conclusions & Recommendations • Close monitoring of multiple participants and agencies is necessary to avoid duplication of work • Local participation and decentralization critical success factors • Government and agency financial stability is necessary • Flexible, community level programs that can be adapted to local situations increase probability of success • Long-term commitment instead of short-term projects.