Participatory Land-Use Planning & Resource Management in the Peruvian Andes Project - Phase II

Transcription

1 Participatory Land-Use Planning & Resource Management in the Peruvian Andes Project - Phase II 1. Project Presentation The Participatory Land-Use Planning & Resource Management in the Peruvian Andes Project ( ) aims at improving the resource management process in the project impact areas so that this process becomes anchored in consensus, planning and structure, based on a dialogue between community-based organizations and government authorities, and rests on a land-use planning framework with a gender focus. The overall objective is for land-use planning processes to garner broader social support working towards the sustainable use and allocation of natural resources. The project operates at four levels: Training of leaders in land-use planning (Result 1); Experimenting with land-use planning or resource management activities (R2); Assessment of impacts at a local, regional and national levels to encourage investment into and implementation of participatory land-use planning (R3); Implementation of a coordination and exchange mechanism between institutions & actors (R4). The following organizations have joined their efforts to implement the project: 2. Project Area The project impact areas are: Ancash Cusco Apurímac Huánuco

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3 3. Beneficiaries The direct beneficiaries are: Rural families and households: 70,000 people (Ancash: 10,000; Apurímac-Cusco: 30,000; Huánuco: 30,000); Community-based organizations: leaders and members of community- and ruralbased organizations or of other organizations and structures who give a voice to rural families; Sub-regional government authorities: representatives and officials of sub-regional government authorities (at the district level, interdistrict level or province level) in the areas concerned, or of other local public organizations (such as the police or the governorship); Local committees: These are committees formed by rural families and organizations and local authorities, who have started to implement land-use planning at the local level (Ecological-Economic Zoning (ZEE) committees, oversight committees, etc.) Regional authorities & actors: officials of the regional government, including from the regional presidency, the regional agency of natural resources and environment and its division in charge of land-use planning, and other actors at the regional level involved or interested in land-use planning. 4. Context and Problem The Participatory Land-Use Planning & Natural Resource Management in the Peruvian Alps Project started in a context that has been significantly affected by legislative changes to the way land-use planning is organized. Also, the last few months of 2014 have seen (regional) elections and a growing interest in the topic of climate change, with the Lima COP20 Climate Change Conference taking place between 1-12 December Peru s President Ollanta Humala has made economic recovery his top priority, with major economic stimulus activities enacted to this effect. As part of the third economic stimulus package, three fundamental changes to the way land-use is organized in Peru have been made. To start, final authority regarding land-use planning is no longer with the Ministry of Environment (MINAM) but with the Office of the Prime Minister (PCM). This has made achieving environmental protection and finding the right balance between economic and environmental goals much less of a priority in land-use decisions. The plans established by the Ministry of Environment s existing Ecological-Economic Zoning Land-use Planning division (MINAM/ZEE/OT) have been declared as being non-binding. This not only undermines the principles of land-use planning; it also decreases the value of the studies that have been conducted, and reduces the pressure on local governments to engage participation from the population. Secondly, the amount of time for the approval of Environmental Impact Studies (EIS) has been shortened to 45 days. This gives the technical experts very little time to object to a proposed development project. This new process is of particular relevance for various areas in which the project operates, which include areas with significant extractive

4 industries (Ancash, Apurímac, Cuzco) and where the stakes around resource management process are particularly high. Thirdly, eminent domain provisions facilitating the nationalization of areas for resource development projects have been enacted. However, there is a lot of ambiguity in terms of how these areas should be used before or after such (sometimes hypothetical) development projects occur. Moreover, regional, provincial and local elections have also had a significant bearing on the way this project can be achieved. They have each highlighted like never before the extent to which national political parties have been discredited in Peru and how regionalist or localist visions seem to have supplanted expressions of national solidarity. Regional elections have seen a high number candidates (sometimes up to 15) compete for the same position. This high level of social fragmentation makes it harder to build a collective vision around improving the quality of life of the population. The regional and local electoral context has seen the coming into office of individuals who already have powerful connections, such as families involved in the informal sector (mining, trade...). It is difficult in such a context to articulate a collective vision about landuse and resource allocation aimed at the general welfare of the population. Instead, the political scene is heavily influenced by interest groups, and economic power holds a considerable sway over political power. Furthermore, discussion and approval of a proposed comprehensive land-use planning bill has been postponed and is still in limbo. And though a Climate Change law has been approved, along with the National Climate Change Strategy, these have been significantly criticized by civil society groups for being too weak and failing to properly establish measures to deal with the causes or consequences of climate change. One aspect of the problem, which affects the roll-out of this project, is the relationship between land-use planning processes and large-scale extractive industries (minerals, oil & gas, agriculture...). While development projects have helped to institutionalize land-use planning processes, it is also important to ensure that the land-use planning process is also responsive to the wishes of the population, communities, and civil society. Also, it is regrettable that these processes are developed in an isolated way. Land-use planning could play a greater, more pivotal role in articulating different approaches and ideas from different sectors, in establishing links between different levels of government, between different interests that exist in a same area, between private and public needs. Unfortunately, this potential for conflict management remains largely untapped. As of mid-2015, the context will be influenced by the 2016 national elections, which could represent an opportunity to showcase the land-use planning processes that will have been strengthened thanks to this project. Successful local experiences could be the stepping stone for developing a much-needed national vision regarding land-use and land occupation.

5 5. Specific Objectives and Expected Results Specific objective That the community-based organizations and government authorities manage natural resources in a manner that is consensus-based, planned and structured through land-use planning processes that take into account the preoccupations and specific needs of the women and men in the community: Expected Results Result 1: The community-based organizations and government authorities have the capacity and skills to participate in land-use and natural resource management planning processes, taking into account the preoccupations and specific needs of the women and men in the community. Training for members of community-based organizations and officials of government authorities will be rolled-out in two stages: (1) A number of participants will be trained together in land-use planning techniques. (2) They will be asked in turn to train others upon returning to their respective regions of origin, the objective being to make them into advocates and leaders of land-use planning. Methodological sequence for community-based land-use planning Result 2: Community-based organizations and government authorities experiment and evaluate participatory land-use planning and resource management mechanisms in their area, taking into account the views of both women and men in these communities. That land-use planning processes be developed at a local level at Huánuco.

6 That specific actions relating to land-use planning or resource management be taken in the different regions based on the Ecological-Economic Zoning process, building upon the experience from the first phase that has demonstrated the importance of involving community-based organizations in land-use planning processes. Result 3: The local, regional and national government authorities develop land-use planning and resource management processes that encourage the effective involvement of community-based organizations that most tend to closest to the men and women who live in such communities. That, at a local, regional and national level, awareness is raised and political momentum is generated around the need to ensure the involvement of diverse actors in landuse planning, so that they may contribute suggestions and a have say in the land-use planning and resource management process. The aim is to convince political decisionmakers that the effective participation of community-based organizations is vital to achieve sustainability. Result 4: A mechanism for coordination and exchange of lessons-learned is at the disposal of the organizations involved in this project, with the view that they may communicate more easily between themselves and with other actors involved in land-use planning and resource management. One of the challenges of the project is that it promotes participatory land-use planning in different regions. The experience being generated in one region, even if highly particular and context-specific, may still be highly relevant for people in other regions. This is why the aim is to reinforce communication between institutions working in different regions, and with other local, regional and national actors, so that lessonslearned may be exchanged more widely. The aim is also to develop internships, forums, information-sharing meetings, and to seek a greater equality in participation between women and men. 6. Project Timeline Project Start Date: 1 May Project End Date: 30 April Technical Partners Centro de Estudios Regionales Andinos Bartolomé de Las Casas - CBC CooperAcción

7 Asociación Evangélica Luterana de Ayuda para el Desarrollo Comunal DIACONIA 8. Total cost and financial contributions Total cost of the project: EUR: 526, Financial contribution Belgian Development Aid DGD 80 % ADG Broederlijk Delen Iglesia Sueca Iles de Paix 20 %