Caatinga Conservation and Management - Mata Branca - (GEF)

closed

The project's global environmental objective and its development objective are the same: to contribute to the preservation, conservation, and sustainable management of the biodiversity of the Caatinga in the states of Bahia and Ceara, while improving the quality of life of its inhabitants, through the introduction of sustainable development practices. There are 2 components to the project. Component 1, Institutional and Policy Support for Integrated Ecosystem Management, will act as a catalyst to strengthen local institutions committed to integrated ecosystem management and conservation of the Caatinga biome in Bahia and Ceara. The component is divided in to three sub-components: a) Participatory Institutional and Policy Framework for Integrated Ecosystem Management (IEM); b) Integrated Management of Protected Areas; c) Development of Institutional Capacity and Knowledge for Integrated Ecosystem Management. The first subcomponent would support: a) a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in each state to systematically evaluate the environmental and social implications of government policies and programs; assess existing state environmental policies and legislation to determine whether they are conducive to an IEM approach and, if they aren't, propose new policies supportive of an IEM approach; b) the creation or implementation of new instruments, policies or incentive to promote IEM approach and biodiversity conservation; c) on-going efforts to reduce threats to the biome. The second subcomponent would support the consolidation and expansion of the states' protected areas system. The third subcomponent would support institutional strengthening of relevant stakeholders and develop the capacity of agencies, NGOs, and indigenous and quilombola communities to implement activities that protect ecosystems. Component 2, Promotion of Integrated Ecosystem Management Practices, supports implementation of cost-effective and replicable Integrated Ecosystem Management (IEM) practices at the local level to ensure sustainability of conservation efforts and prevention of land degradation in the Caatinga Biome, including: (a) landscape planning and land use changes; (b) on the ground conservation and sustainable land use practices; and, (c) engagement of the local population and government to change behaviors.