Project Detail

Mainstreaming Community conservation area into national conservation programmes

The proposed intervention will play a critical role in implementing priority actions as identified in Sierra Leones biodiversity strategy and action plan for 2017-2026 related to Public Participation on Biodiversity Conservation. It will significantly improve and contribute to making positive impacts through promoting traditional conservation and best practices for the creation of community conserve areas. Among the objectives of this project are to (ii) raise awareness on the importance of community conservation (ii) revive traditional conservation practices and (iii) support the creation and/or strengthening of community conserves areas. Using participatory approach for the realization of the project objectives, a series of mass community awareness raising sessions will be organized; focus group discussions; community bye-law generation; community level conservation monitoring committees formed, and relevant skills acquired by these committees for their effective operation and linkage created with national or district level conservation authorities. The proposed intervention will be executed over a period of twelve months beginning October 2018. It will be implemented by Agency for Rural Community Development Programmes in Sierra Leone (ARCDeP-SL). Registered as a Community Based Organization in 2011, ARCDep-SL has wealth of experience especially on Biodiversity conservation/Environmental protection projects and other community initiatives. Therefore, ARCDeP-SL has the pre-requisite capacity to execute this project geared towards community owned initiatives and in relationship to the strategic initiatives of GEF-Small Grants Programme.

Loading map...

Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Agency for Rural Community Development Programmes in Sierra Leone

Country:

Sierra Leone

Area Of Work:

Biodiversity

Operational Phase:

OP6 -Y4 (Jul 18 - Jun 19)

Grant Amount:

US$ 19,400.00

Co-Financing Cash:

US$ 2,000.00

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 4,000.00

Project Number:

SLE/SGP/OP6/Y4/STAR/BD/29/08/2018/40

Start Date:

10/2018

End Date:

9/2019

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Photo Gallery

View photo gallery

Project Characteristics and Results

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples

A special meeting was conducted with staff of MAFF and EPA to define social and environmental indicators for the selection of the said communities to be included in the project, as well as to systematize information useful for setting project target. Once the communities were selected, they were visited by ARCDeP staff, along with community technicians who speak mende, the predominant indigenous language in the two gola forest districts of Barri and Kenema. The participants decided to present land use planning, improvement of production systems and avoiding deforestation as project goals. The Plan identifies measures to ensure that indigenous people receive social and economic benefits that are culturally appropriate: Benefits from the sustainable production activities promoted and implemented by the project

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

Influencing public awareness and policies is part of the project strategy, drawing on lessons learned, and know-how generated from local interventions in the project area. The corresponding topics will be divulgated among decision-makers and a broader citizenship, using outreach material, a press and broadcast campaign and special information events like lessons learnt workshop. Target audiences for these events will include various public and civil society organizations. Media representatives will be invited to participate in events organized to present results and exchange experiences between land users, local authorities and local organizations on topics such as impacts of reforestation, soil conservation and sustainable agricultural practices on Biodiversity. To influence public policies, the project will release communication bulletins providing information on persisting problems and challenges, as well as methodologies and experiences regarding Biodiversity programs in the project region. An end of project, report will be prepared and delivered to project donors, community stakeholders and any other institution that would want to use it. The implementation of this GEF project will refine the implementation of the previous conservation methodology, build local and government capacity, and generate tools and lessons learned that will be directly applicable to other key Biodiversity areas. Thus, this project has a great potential to be scaled up not only in Pujehun district but also the region.

Capacity - Building Component

RCDeP-SL has a strong knowledge in implementing community driven interventions. Since its inception, the organization has always been engaged in ensuring that rural communities realize their full potentials. With all its capacity development, in other to fully and efficiently implement this intervention the organization would need. Capacity building will be needed in mapping out this conservation areas. Effective collaboration with line ministries will be needed in order to realize the full implementation of this intervention.

Inovative Financial Mechanisms

The organizations experience in working with these communities and in rural community interventions constitutes a valuable source of knowledge for implementing this project. Furthermore, ARCDeP-SL will draw on its experience acquired over the years in the new thematic areas in this project (climate change, zoning of lands and restoration of plant cover in degraded areas) for the benefit of community who will be trained to scale the knowledge and for stakeholders involved in project implementation.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

The project will focus interventions that will increase food availability and improve production and productivity. The interventions will directly promote alternative livelihood support to 300 vulnerable women and youths residing in the 8 targeted communities in Kenema and Pujehun. Improved access to food through Agriculture will be achieved through increased household income levels, Impact agricultural production and productivity through capacity building training and the use of improved seed and planting materials to restore the capacity of degraded forest land in other to deliver forest products and services.

Policy Impact

This intervention is a direct response to the Government of Sierra Leone Environmental Protection Agency?s document the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) for the year 2017-2026 which addresses the conservation of the Gola Forest. The intervention will be in line with almost all the international environmental protocols and agreements signed by the country. Certain local or community bye laws will be put in place to complement governments efforts in promoting biodiversity conservation.

Gender Focus

To ensure inclusion of a gender perspective in the project, a Gender Mainstreaming Strategy and Action Plan was developed. With these tools, a commitment is built to start a permanent process of inclusion of both genders at all stages of the project to achieve the effective participation of communities in the development of a common conservation and well-being strategy. The objective of the Action Plan is to guide or include specific actions that promote results-oriented project management under a gender perspective.

Notable Community Participation

To obtain the project, designed to allow their free, prior and informed consent (FPIC), the methodology of implementation standard was applied; it allows the planning of land use with the participation of community representatives. The main risks and threats of forest areas (fire, pests, timber extraction, etc.) were identified and actions to minimize or prevent them are marked. These activities are realized in their own language. The participatory consultation included also interviews with Mende leaders and other community representatives to determine what is their perception regarding the social, human, financial, physical and natural capital of their communities. At every stage of this implementation will involve stakeholders especially youths. During the project planning stage, a stakeholders meeting was held and this has o continue throughout the project phase. The youths and other community stakeholders are going to be involved in the day to day running of this intervention. They are part of the project management team, monitoring team and a part of those who will be involved in all capacity building activities.

+ View more

Indicators

Biophysical

Hectares of globally significant biodiversity area protected or sustainably managed by project 200

Biophysical

Number of local policies informed in biodiversity focal area 2

Empowerment

Number of CBOs / NGOs participated / involved in SGP project 4

Empowerment

Number of indigenous people participated/involved in SGP project 300

Livehood

Total monetary value (US dollars) of ecosystem goods sustainably produced and providing benefit to project participants and/or community as a whole (in the biodiversity, international waters, and land degradation focal areas as appropriate) 30000

Back to search results

Countries

Regions

Project Snapshot

Photo Gallery

SGP Country office contact

Address