PRC-GEF Partnership on Combating Land Degradation in Dryland Ecosystems (OP #12) Bruce Carrad and Dr Du Qun Asian Development Bank PRCM, Beijing What is the China-GEF Partnership? A partnership between national and international organizations to support integrated approaches to combat land degradation in the PRC A Country Programming Framework (CPF) covering $150 million grants for GEF-eligible investment projects over 10 years (2003–2012) Approved by GEF Council, Beijing 2002 First such partnership The Partnership ….. Provides sustained support to implement a prioritized medium to long term program (instead of the traditional project by project approach) Builds on the long term nature of the Western Development Strategy, and national biodiversity and desertification action plans Promotes strategic, catalytic and integrated GEF support Promotes best practices: e.g., LADA program Enhances opportunities for leveraging investment and cofinancing Seeks to overcome barriers to combating land degradation Weak policy and legal framework Policies, plans and institutions compartmentalized Gaps and overlaps contained in laws Local regulations not understood fully or enforced Land tenure not clarified Institutional and sector-driven fragmentation Ecosystem elements treated based on institutional mandates (e.g., water erosion (MWR)/wind erosion (SFA) — most degraded ecosystems have both; desertification (SFA)/grasslands (MOA) — the major cause of desertification is degraded grasslands) Compelling need for institutional coordination at all levels Poor application of lessons learned Little systematic monitoring of impact of wide range of different experiences Focus on technical solutions, not sustainable development Undeveloped participatory approaches Top-down “engineering” solutions (“ecological construction” is expensive and dominates government programs) Lack of awareness of root causes of land degradation Poverty closely correlated with environmental degradation Need to mobilize public awareness Perverse incentives groundwater not priced to recover depletion costs increasing salinity due to under pricing of irrigation water fees for communal land leases do not reflect real value Inadequate financial arrangements and incentives government expenditures increased; most affected areas are poor financial reforms/mechanisms needed e.g., levy fees on offsite (downstream) beneficiaries to pay for onsite conservation Poorly developed locality-specific planning greater community participation needed appropriate land use planning needed at local levels An integrated ecosystem management approach Institutions working together Comprehensive, scientific, and participatory approach Better management practices A realistic time frame Outstanding examples are well documented (e.g., USA, Canada, Australia) What does the CPF include? Strengthening enabling environment: consistent policy, legal and institutional framework－ ADB’s project 1: Capacity Building to Combat Land Degradation ($15 million total, $7.7m GEF, $6.6m Govt, $1m ADBTA) Operational arrangements and institutional capacity development for Integrated Ecosystem Management －ADB Project 1 Monitoring and evaluation system for LD－ADB Project 1 Demonstration projects (i) World Bank Gansu-Xinjiang Grassland Development ($111.59m in total, of which $10.50m by GEF, $66.27m by IBRD, $34.82m by Government). August 2003 (ii) IFAD Ecological Rehabilitation (Gansu, Ningxia, Shanxi) ($51.15m proposed in total, $11.00 by GEF, $9.47m by IFAD, $3.23m by WFP, $25.40m by Government). (iii) Loess Plateau, Phase III, World Bank 4 provinces, ADB two new provinces (new request) Project 1: At a Glance Legal/regulatory framework for land degradation Harmonizing Five Year Plans and budget rationalization– a more integrated 11th FYP. Ministry of Finance has the coordination role Upgrade the National Action Plan to Combat Desertification Provincial Strategic Plans and investment for land degradation Training and institutional development Project 1 Goal: Reduce land degradation, alleviate poverty and restore dryland ecosystems in the Western Region Purpose: Strengthen the enabling environment and build institutional capacity Six components: Improving the policies, laws, and regulations for land degradation control; Strengthening national and provincial institutional coordination; Improving operational arrangements at provincial and county level; Building capacity for land degradation investment projects; Monitoring and evaluation system for land degradation; Project implementation arrangements for CPF Improving capacity to combat land degradation Legal Toolbox to guide implementation Mechanism to harmonize key legislation with strategic plans Legal standards to determine the effectiveness of dryland IEM Improved legal procedures for public participation, poverty alleviation, incentive-based instruments Building capacity in legislation, implementation, and policy aspects of LD management Various processes to improve knowledge, awareness, and skills of individuals in all aspects of LD management Education & training programs Institutional review & recommendations-effective inter-sectoral coordination mechanisms for LD control in line with IEM principles Mainstreaming integrated approaches-for LD control into National and Provincial 11th Five Year Plans (2006–2010) Formulate provincial and/or regional LD control strategies and action plans Studies: (i) a national institutional capacity to LD control and improved ecosystem management ; (ii) economic costs and benefits of combating LD Revisiting the National Action Program to Combat Desertification (CCD-NAP) - Harmonize with the OP12 Partnership Assessments of operational arrangements; institutional capacity; training needs for LD at local levels Capacity building/training of the provincial & county level technical bureaux with responsibility for LD control Identification of locally appropriate field level best practices Formulation and Implementation - of community based participatory land degradation control plans Adaptive research - participatory technology development for LD control Public environmental education campaign - on the principles & practice of IEM LD project identification and planning Training and capacity development in LD project design and implementation On-site LD projects and program assessments – learning from past experience Cofinancing options study Preparation of LD projects based on IEM principles to concept level Publications / workshops on best practices National coordination mechanism for sharing and coordinating LD data Provincial GIS database development for LD Documentation & evaluation of successful technologies & approaches for controlling LD Local-level pilot participatory LD monitoring and assessment Pilot LD monitoring & assessment Development & testing of field assessment tools & key indicators Links with global/international programs LADA WOCAT Component 6: Implementation Arrangements for CPF Involved Central Agencies Commission of Legislative Affairs of NPC Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council National Development and Reform Committee Ministry of Finance Ministry of Science and Technology Ministry of Water Resources Ministry of Agriculture Ministry of Land and Resource State Environment Protection Administration State Forestry Administration Chinese Academy of Sciences Involved Provinces / Autonomous Regions Gansu, Inner Mongolia , Ningxia Hui, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Xinjiang Uygur Steering Committee chaired by, Vice Director, Population, Resources, and Environment Commission, CCPCC Project Coordination Office setup under MOF Project Management Office setup under SFA
