Adaptation Priorities and Synergies: FLEG and Clima East Project EU Climate Policy Roadshow of the Clima East project

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1 Adaptation Priorities and Synergies: FLEG and EU Climate Policy Roadshow of the Clima East project GEORGIA NATIONAL WORKSHOP Nino Inasaridze, World Bank Consultant on FLEG II in Georgia EU Climate Policy Roadshow GEORGIA NATIONAL WORKSHOP September, 2013

2 IMPROVING FOREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AND GOVERNANCE IN THE EUROPEAN NEIGHBORHOOD POLICY EAST COUNTRIES PHASE I : January December 2012 PHASE II: October December 2016

3 Funded by European Commission Co-funded by Austrian Development Agency GmbH (ADA) (phase I) Implemented by the World Bank in partnership with the international organizations IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) and WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) and in close coordination with the EC and governmental and nongovernmental stakeholders of the seven participating countries. Participating Countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine

4 SYNERGY KEY to Overall Success Close collaboration Harmonization of approaches Transparency and accountability Coordination and monitoring Strong commitment to achieving the program s development objectives among all of the Implementing Organization s, donors, government agencies and other stakeholders in the participating countries.

5 Development Objective to contribute to legal and sustainable forest management and utilization practices, a strengthened rule of law and improved local livelihoods in the participating countries focusing on environmental sustainability, human rights and gender equity. Specific Purpose to put in place improved forest governance arrangements through the effective implementation of the main priorities set out in the Europe and North Asia (ENA) FLEG Ministerial Declaration, with the support of selected pilot activities and with the active involvement of governments, civil society and the private sector.

6 Results Area 1: Increased awareness and commitment of key stakeholders on FLEG issues Workshops, meetings, conferences public campaigning, training, communication and awareness-raising activities; Quarterly FLEG newsletters and FLEG website in Georgian language; Production of leaflets about FLEG in Georgian and distribution among various stakeholders; Two 30-second video clips prepared and demonstrated on public TV channel in Georgia (Implemented by WWF) dedicated to the importance of forests in general and Negative impacts of unsustainable forestry (flooding, erosion, landslides, desertification etc).

7 Results Area 1: Increased awareness and commitment of key stakeholders on FLEG issues Training on Climate Change Law and Policy hosted by Ilia State University (Tbilisi Georgia) supported by US Civil Research and Development Fund (CRDF) and IUCN/ENPI-FLEG program; topics covered: basics of international climate change law and policy and its implications for Georgia; the role of climate change law in public international law; environmental law and the foundations for a climate change legal system; biodiversity and climate change; climate change and environmentally displaced persons etc, the adaptation to the climate change and planning of practical steps for climate reform.

8 Result Area 2: Effective national and regional FLEG action processes in place Methodology and guidelines for classification of Georgian Forests designed based on internationally acknowledged ecosystem approach and sustainability; Recommendations on forest management planning elaborated at the local level, zoning of forest functions, guiding principles and methods of integrated management of forest ecosystems in Georgia prepared; Study of current practices of forest management conducted and compared with internationally acknowledged sustainable forest management standards (Pilot activity in four pilot areas). Forest Harvesting Guideline prepared, presented to key stakeholders, and included into the course curricula of the Forest Department of Agrarian University,

9 Result Area 3:Increased national ownership and capacity Georgia s current and proposed forest institutional changes reviewed with reference to the impact on Forest Law Enforcement and Governance; Forest Europe Ministerial conference in Oslo attended by a delegation of top-ranking Georgian government officials in charge with forest issues; Trainings in GIS application provided for staff from the central and regional offices of the Forest Department.

10 Result Area 3:Increased national ownership and capacity Alternative forest use by a local community promoted aimed at local livelihood improvement and better forest protection implemented (though promotion of bee-keeping business in selected pilot regions in South Georgia). Supporting forest management at a local (municipal) level. Seedlings and fencing materials purchased to support reforestation of a former landfill site (around five hectares) of Tbilisi Municipality.

11 Result Area 4: Improved regional and sub-regional collaboration and knowledge sharing Regional workshop on Transboundary Timber Flow organized and successfully implemented in 2010 and attended by nearly 50 participants (FLEG program countries and Turkey). Regional Workshop on Voluntary Forest Certification and Sustainable Forest Management Standards held in Batumi, Georgia in 2012 and attended by about 45 representatives from various stakeholders.

12 Result Area 7: Sustainable forest management practices implemented through pilot activities Four Pilot project implemented in Borjomi and Sagarejo on strengthening of capacity of the local communities for revenue collection from utilization of timber and non-timber (Wood art workshop and Training Center, bee-keeping training, trainings on basics of small business management, accounting, taxes, and marketing, on-site consultations on the relationship with commercial banks and various donor organizations) Training of forest inventory specialists (introducing more advanced and efficient methods of assessment of wood volumes in the field) from private and state sectors conducted.

13 Result Area 7: Sustainable forest management practices implemented through pilot activities Assessment of the economic and social impact of inefficient, unsustainable forest practices and illegal logging on rural populations of Georgia conducted and report published and disseminated among stakeholders and made available electronically; Assessment of Georgian legislation within the context of Verification of the Origin of Wood Harvested and Processed by Logging and Timber Processing Companies carried out and specific recommendations on how to improve the control system and relevant legislation prepared; Technical Report on Forestry Standards and Practices in Georgia elaborated.

14 Phase II - continuation from Phase I The overall development objective in the Phase II remains the same but it is more descriptive and specific: to promote sustainable forest governance, management, and protection of forests in the participating Program countries, ensuring the contribution of the region's forests to climate change adaptation and mitigation, to ecosystems and biodiversity protection, and to sustainable livelihoods and income sources for local populations and national economies

15 Program is aligned with the strategic priorities of the Country Assistance Strategies (CAS) or Country Partnership Strategies (CPS) in all seven participating countries: Georgia (CPS FY10-FY13): Rural development for employment generation and poverty reduction; Strengthened partnership with the EU in the environmental field; Continued involvement in administering the FLEG Program to provide advice and assistance in forest management.

16 The specific Program Development Objectives: to make progress implementing the 2005 St. Petersburg FLEG Ministerial Declaration in the participating countries and support the participating countries commit to a time-bound action plan to ensure its implementation and follow-up activities (regional level);. to review or revise (or establish a time-bound action plan to review or revise) forest sector policies and legal and administrative structures; improve knowledge of and support for sustainable forest management and good forest governance (including the impact of related EU regulations) in the participating countries (national level); to test and demonstrate best practices for sustainable forest management and the feasibility of improved forest governance practices at the field-level on a pilot basis in all participating countries (sub-national level). Follow-up to the 2005 St. Petersburg conference could also include organisation of and/or contribution to a new or a follow-up conference.

17 Expected Results Regional level Reforms in forest policy, legislation or other regulations supported Credible process toward the implementation of the St. Petersburg declaration launched National Level Government institutions provided with capacity building support to improve management of forest resources Forest users trained Understanding and implementation of FLEG principles by forest practitioners and other stakeholders improved; Subnational level Uptake of best practice models on sustainable forest management and improved forest governance Increased awareness of decision makers of modern technology and information to improve forest law enforcement and forest governance

18 Scope of Key Activities Regional level Strengthening the policy dialogue between participating countries and institutions, Monitoring the implementation of the St. Petersburg Declaration, Conducting regional studies and developing publications Providing regional support to the implementation of the FLEG country work plans based on partner government requests National Level Supporting, continuation from Phase I, the formulation and implementation of forest policy, legal, administrative and institutional reforms on the national and sub-national levels Promoting a good investment climate for credible private sector operators, Providing capacity building, training and advice on administrative/institutional reforms and on forest governance issues more directly,( Liaising and co-operating with forest sector experts from EU member states, and Formulating national workplans and ensuring compliance with safeguards.

19 Scope of Key Activities Sub-national and Local Program: Providing support on forest governance techniques to enable forest staff ensure law enforcement; Documenting and communicating concrete local results on forest governance and forest law enforcement; Supporting the use of modern technology (timber tracking, GPS, and other ICT) through pilot activities addressing FLEG issues; Involving local communities in policy development and in sustainable forest management and providing the appropriate information that is accessible, easy to use and relevant for local decision makers, and Uncreasing public awareness and participation.

20 Program Management and Implementation Steering Committee (ST) the highest Coordinating body, established and consists of FLEG National Focal points, representatives of EU, WB, IUCN, and WWF. Country Program Coordination Team (PCT) established and composed of the Country Program Coordinators representing implementing organizations (the World Bank, IUCN and the WWF). An EC representative will soon be assigned to join the PCT National Program Advisory Committee (NPAC) set up and consists of - ENA-FLEG National Focal Point, Head, National Forest Agency (NFA); - Senior Advisor, NFA; Head, Forest Maintenance and Reforestation Department, NFA; NGOs: Nacres, Green Movement of Georgia; Green Alternatives.

21 National Priority areas Identified and agreed: Priority Area 1 - Improving Forest Law and Policy; Current legislation contains some drawbacks that create a ground for illegal logging and other forms of forest crimes. It does not reflect the country Forest sector needs. Priority Area 2 - Improving sustainable forest management; not sufficient capacities and infrastructure, absence of sustainable/multipurpose forest management plans including protected areas, outdated forest inventory data, which prevents from sustainable and rational forest management, very limited forest restoration activities in the past years; Priority Area 3 - Improving sustainable use of forest resources; the true value of timber and non-timber forest resources for community development note defined which prevents to help decision-makers sort through the complexities created by the interaction of economics, broad ranges of social issues, and environmental management. Poor rural population is highly dependent on forest resources resulted in people are using forest resources illegally and unsustainably; lack of affordable alternatives to fuel wood, conflicting interests between livestock grazing and forest management

22 National Priority areas Identified and agreed: Priority Area 4 - Human resource capacity building; inadequate staffing, shortage of qualified forestry professionals and staff. Priority Area 5 - Increasing communication/visibility and raising awareness. Lack of forest related education in general, The public is not aware of the importance of forests and their functions (protection of water catchment areas, protection against land slides and avalanches, conservation of biodiversity, provision with timber, firewood, absorbing and binding carbon, etc.) WORK Plan drafted - to be approved during the 1 st Steering Committee meeting in Minsk, October 1-3, 2013.

23 Complementary Measures for Georgia and Armenia supported by Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) Purpose: to supplement resources available for Georgia and Armenia from FLEG II Program in order to broaden coverage of these countries needs and enhance results. Intended duration and dates: three- year program, from December 2013 to December 2016 Partners/Implementers: The World Bank (grant recipient), WWF International and IUCN; Preparatory stage: series of consultations with stakeholders from the partner countries, and with donors currently providing assistance to forestry sectors in Georgia and Armenia. Including: WWF, IUCN, top level and technical level representatives of the national forestry agencies, FLEG Focal Points, NGOs, and forestry specialists.

24 Scope of proposed ADC funded activities : Support for the development of policy and legislation through Technical assistance Participatory processes Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment Capacity building and training Forest inventory support Forestry Case Studies Pilot activities for sustainable forest management Public awareness and dissemination of results

25 The Government of Germany, through GIZ supports in: capacity building of the newly re-established National Forest Agency (NFA) NFA needs assessment, and advises on the policy as well as on the longterm and short-term action planning. optimizing and improving forest inventory techniques. The Government of the USA, through USAID, intends to: put the NFA in touch with the US Forest Service that may result in a significant contribution to training and skills improvement of the Georgian forest rangers. The EU has committed to place an advisor into the Ministry of Environment and National Resources Protection (MENRP), whose tasks will include coordination of the foreign assistance in the forest sector Some other bilateral and multilateral donors consider helping Georgia in the sustainable forest management..

26 Best forest management practices and good governance is essential to both mitigation of climate change effects, and for adaptation to the effects of climate change Synergy and harmonized approaches among all Stakeholders are the key factors toward achieving the Global Environmental Goals THANK YOU!