Climate Change and Environment

Provision of TA to MEW to contribute to better management and sustainable protection of water and land use throughout the Panj-Amu Darya River Basin

The overall objective of the Project, of which this contract is part, is ‘to contribute to the improvement of rural livelihoods (food security and farm incomes) and thus to the overall economic recovery of Afghanistan, respectfully of the natural resource base.’. The purpose of this TA contract, which will contribute to the overall Project objective, is: ‘Water and land resources are more economically and equitably managed and sustainably protected.’

Results to be achieved through the contract include:

• Result 1: Integrated River Basin (RB) and project management capacity at central government, Panj-Amu River Basin and Upper & Lower Kunduz / Taloqan Sub-basin levels is further enhanced:
• Result 1.1: Basin and sub-basin organisations are in place while project management capacity is enhanced at central government level in relation to river basin;
• Result 1.2: Capacity for integrated river basin management further enhanced;
• Result 1.3: Land and water planning tools at basin level are operational;
• Result 2: Hydraulic systems are sustainably improved and Water Users' Associations / Groups (WUA/Gs) strengthen the existing Mirab system to allow a more equitable distribution of irrigation water and more efficient Operation & Maintenance (O&M) by the water users:
• Result 2.1: Irrigation, drainage and water flow control assets and structures in selected hydraulic systems in the Upper & Lower Kunduz and Taloqan sub-basins are rehabilitated and sustainably improved where appropriate;
• Result 2.2: Targeted communities represented by their WUAs have the technical, business and management skills required to improve the management of irrigation water and enhance its equitable distribution and ensure the application of their agreed O&M plans;
• Result 3: Biomass increases and physical and biological erosion control measures are adopted and replicated in selected sub-catchments;
• Result 4 (horizontal):
• Result 4.1: Any necessary administrative assistance is provided to the Contracting Authority in the management of the Programme;
• Result 4.2: Liaison, synergies and complementarities within the Programme and between the Programme and other similar initiatives are developed and lessons learned through programme implementation serve to improve the relevant sector policy development and programming (incl. institutional replication in other basins);
• Result 4.3: Local and governmental monitoring capacity is strengthened.

• Management of large-scale EC projects, preferably in a post-conflict environment and/or in Central or South-Asia, with a focus on institution building

Forest Sector Development Project (FSDP): Project Management

Forest Sector Development Project (FSDP): Smallholder Plantation Forestry and Land Allocation Management

The Forest Sector Development Project (FSDP) operates in four provinces of Central Vietnam: Binh Dinh, Quang Ngai, Quang Nam and Thua Thien/Hue. The Project consists of four broad components, including, Component 1: Institutional Development; Component 2: Smallholder Plantation Forest; Component 3: Special Use Forest; and Component 4: Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation.

The overall objective of the FSDP is to ‘…achieve sustainable management of forests and the conservation of biodiversity in special use forests, enhancing the contribution of forestry to rural poverty reduction and global environmental protection.’ This objective is being pursued through the following measures:

• Improving the enabling environment for sustainable forestry development and biodiversity conservation;
• Providing attractive packages to mainly poor farming households to plant trees on a sustainable basis, generating additional income and employment;
• Providing small competitive grants for managing priority special use forests of international importance effectively; and
• Enhancing authoritative capacity in regional, provincial, district and site-levels to provide needed support services and monitor and evaluate impacts and outcomes.

Establishing and Strengthening of Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) System in Fisheries

The overall objective of the project is to establish a sustainable fisheries sector by strengthening the capacity of authorities to protect marine resources and enforce appropriate fishing management practices. To achieve this, a central national system of water area surveillance will be established in the framework of the European Common Fisheries Policies (CFP).

Results to be achieved:

1. Strengthen the Fishery Directorate’s capacity to manage MCS in fisheries. Build effectiveness in prevention of damage to marine resources and coastal ecosystems due to inappropriate or illegal fishing practices through restructuring and training of staff;
2. Ensure compliance of all authorities with the legal framework and EC Regulations;
3. Establish a functional Information Communication Plan and Vessel Monitoring System within the Coastal Guard and Ministry of Environment Forestry and Water Administration;
4. Establish and ensure the compliance of responsible fishing principles and norms within the fishermen community.

The Enabling Climate Change Interventions in Central and West Asia (CICWA) initiative is intended to enhance the ADB’s assistance to Central and West Asian countries in moving towards low-carbon economies whilst sustaining economic growth. This involves assisting countries to increase economic output whilst: i) becoming more efficient in their use of energy; ii) using renewable energy to replace carbon-based fuels in the electrical power sector; iii) accelerating development of low-carbon technologies; iv) changing the behaviour of business and consumers, and; v) preserving and expanding carbon sinks. Six pre-qualified firms/consortia are retained under this indefinite delivery contract (IDC) to receive tender notices for IDC assignments (IDCAs).

Landell Mills has recently been awarded one of the first two IDCAs, Renewable Energy Policy Formulation in Pakistan. The AEDB has initiated a five-year Medium Term renewable energy (RE) policy to take over from the short-term policy which expires at the end of January 2010. This policy envisions a more competitive and deregulated RE market environment, and lays out strategies and policies to exploit various RE resources. The scope of the project is to help formulate this Medium Term policy.

formerly Silk Road Ecosystem Restoration Project

The Project positively impacts poverty and land degradation through targeted interventions to restore the productive and protective functions of the natural ecosystem along the old Silk Road covering three provinces in north-western China (Xinjiang, Gansu and Shaanxi). Interventions are designed following the Integrated Ecosystem Management (IEM) approach to include:

• sustainable livelihood development (through economic tree crop development, agro-ecotourism, etc);
• protection and management of rainfed and oasis areas (through sustainable forest management, reforestation and protection area management), and;
• strengthening local institutional capacity for effective project implementation.

1. determine the land eligibility for carbon sequestration and possible trading using existing data and maps of the natural or ecological forest areas under the management of SFFs;
2. determine the carbon pools and sign agreements between EFC and each participating SFF on the ownership of the carbon for possible trade;
3. determine the carbon sub-project boundaries and areas;
4. establish the carbon sub-project baseline data (stocks) and enter the data in the management information system (MIS);
5. assess and manage the baseline data and MIS, including the impacts on local forest communities and biodiversity;
6. estimate and monitor greenhouse gas benefits in CO2 equivalents with annual projections;
7. conduct a carbon risk assessment from pest attacks, forest fires, etc. and propose appropriate buffers;
8. administer and monitor carbon trades according to the MIS and distribute funds to SFFs based on carbon rights.

The Project will yield significant benefits in terms of climate change mitigation and adaption. All tree planting activities, both ecological forestry and economic tree crops components, will significantly support the reduction of carbon sequestration, even if these benefits will not be registered under one of the carbon market schemes. Also, through a combination of sustainable land management practices, soil erosion will reduce, the coverage of biomass (trees, plants, and grasses) will improve, and subsequently soil organic matter will increase. Attempts will be made to quantify the estimates of sequestrated carbon for all components. Adaptation to the impacts of climate change will be supported through assistance to farmers in the planting of more drought and flood resistant crops (as compared to annual crops), reducing reliance on scare water resources, and introducing more sustainable land management practices including sand fixation, re-vegetation of barren lands, reduced wind erosion (shelter belts), improved pest management, and reduced tillage.

Landell Mills Ltd was requested to conduct the final evaluation of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Programme. The purposes were (i) the strengthening of parks and reserves management through improved capacity of Department of Wildlife and National Park, and (ii) increasing capacity of local communities to participate in management planning and resource management within and outside parks and reserves.

The global objective of the assignment is to provide the Government of Botswana (GoB) and the European Commission with sufficient information to make an informed judgment about the performance and impact of the 8th EDF Wildlife Conservation Management Programme.

The specific objective is to evaluate the programme using the key evaluation criteria (relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, potential impact and sustainability). Particular attention was paid to the impact of the programme based on its proposed objectives.