DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT GOVERNMENT OF THE GAMBIA

INTEGRATED COASTAL AND MARINE BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT PROJECT

(ICAM)

PROCESS FRAMEWORK FOR THE RESTRICTION OF ACCESS

TO NATURAL RESOURCES �

BANJUL, THE GAMBIA MARCH 2007

E1701v 1

Pub

lic D

iscl

osur

e A

utho

rized

Pub

lic D

iscl

osur

e A

utho

rized

Pub

lic D

iscl

osur

e A

utho

rized

Pub

lic D

iscl

osur

e A

utho

rized

Pub

lic D

iscl

osur

e A

utho

rized

Pub

lic D

iscl

osur

e A

utho

rized

Pub

lic D

iscl

osur

e A

utho

rized

Pub

lic D

iscl

osur

e A

utho

rized

2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTEGRATED COASTAL AND MARINE BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT PROJECT THE GAMBIA

PROCESS FRAMEWORK

Acronyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv I. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

II. PROJECT DESCRIPTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2A. PROJECT COMPONENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

1. Tanbi Wetlands Complex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

2. The Bolong Fenyo Community Reserve at Gunjur . . . . . . . . . 3

B. Project Impacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41. Tanbi Wetlands Complex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

a. Minimizing Impacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 b. Expected Impacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

2. The Gunjur Community Reserve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

III. LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 A. INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . 10 B. NATIONAL LEGISLATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. .10

IV. INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 12 A. DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT . . . . . . . . . .. . .

12 B. OTHER MINISTRIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 12

C. COMMUNITY PARTICIPATORY STRUCTURES AND THEIR FUNCTIONS . . . . . .12

1. Village Management Committee(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

2. Site Management Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

V. ELEGIBILITY CRITERIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 A. DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE RESIDENT POPULATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 B. PARTICIPATION OF ELIGIBLE RESIDENT POPULATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

VI. REMEDIAL MEASURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 A. POTENTIAL MITIGATIVE MEASURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 17 B. PROCEDURES FOR SUB-GRANT FUNDING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

3

VII. GRIEVANCE RESOLUTION PROCEDURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 A. GRIEVANCE PREVENTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

B. GRIEVANCE RESOLUTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 VIII. MONITORING ARRANGEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

A. MONITORING INCOME RESTORATION MICRO-PROJECTS . . . . . . .. . .23

B. MONITORING ECOLOGICAL IMPACT OF NATURAL RESOURCE MEASURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

.24

IX. DISCLOSURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

TABLES Table 1: Population Centers Abutting TWC, Distance to TWC and Population . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Table 2: Project Impacts, by Type of Activity and Village, TWC . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Table 3: Illustrative List of Restrictions and Possible Remedial Measures . . . . . .19

FIGURES

1. Organizational Structures of Community Participation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

ANNEXES A. Map of the TWC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 B. Map of the Gunjur Community Reserve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

4

ACRONYMS

CAP Community Action Plan (or CCAP: Community Conservation Action Plan) CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species DPWM Department of Parks and Wildlife Management GOTG Government of The Gambia ICAM Integrated Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Management project IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature LB WC Local Biodiversity and Wildlife Committee MDFT Multi-Disciplinary Facilitation Team M & E Monitoring and Evaluation NGO Non-Governmental Organization PA Protected Area PAP Project Affected Person PASC Protected Area Steering Committee PF Process Framework (policy guidelines for the restriction of access to natural resources in protected areas) PMU Project Management Committee (ICAM) PRA Participatory Rapid Appraisal SMC Site Management Committee TWC Tanbi Wetlands Complex VMC Village Management Committee

5

I. INTRODUCTION

The Integrated Coastal and Marine Biodiversity (ICAM) project aims to protect critical ecological areas for the short- and long-term benefit of surrounding populations. More specifically, ICAM will facilitate the establishment of two protected areas in The Gambia, develop two endangered species management plans, and to introduce community resource utilization programs to conserve the protected areas.

The responsibility to develop, manage and conserve Gambia’s biological resources in wildlife protected areas is vested in the hands of the Department of Parks and Wildlife Management (DPWM). Created in 1981, the DPWM currently manages seven wildlife protected areas. These protected areas cover almost five percent (5%) of the total land area of the Gambia, and include a range of designations (e.g., national parks, nature reserves, wetland reserves).

ICAM focuses on two potential protected areas -- the Tanbi Wetland Complex (TWC), now a Ramsar site, and Bolong Fenyo in Gunjur as a community reserve. The process of designating TWC and Bolong Fenyo as protected areas must engage stakeholders in the definition and assessment of impacts on the livelihood of communities in the adjoining areas, particularly on resource users and decision makers. Indeed, consultation and participation are key requirements under the Biodiversity/Wildlife Act 0f 2003, as a means of identifying/clarifying issues and resolving them early when designating a protected area. Communities and stakeholders must participate in consultations to designate the reserve areas (including the delimitation of park boundaries), in the assessment of impacts on the local communities and of the opportunities available, in the definition and implementation of options for livelihood restoration, in the resolution of grievances, and in monitoring the management of the reserve area, as well as the restoration of people’s incomes due to restrictions on access to natural resources in the park area.

This Process Framework (PF) lays out that consultative process. The PF describes the project and its component activities in order to determine the probable impact of restrictions on the neighboring communities (Section II). It also describes the legal framework of the project (Section III) and the administrative arrangements to implement the program (Section IV). It then defines the eligibility criteria for affected persons (Section V), the mitigative measures to be put in place (Section VI), the grievance resolution mechanisms available to affected people (Section VII), and the monitoring system to track program success (Section VIII).

6

II. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

A. PROJECT COMPONENTS

The overall objective of ICAM is to conserve and sustainably manage globally significant biodiversity in coastal, marine and wetland ecosystems in The Gambia. More specifically, the objectives of ICAM are: (1) to strengthen the coastal and marine protected areas system and (2) in situ conservation of globally significant species and habitats in the Gambia. To this latter end, the project aims to increase by almost 25 percent the total coastal and marine area under legal protection through the addition of two protected areas, the Tanbi Wetland Complex (TWC), at the mouth of the River Gambia, which was recently (February 2007) declared a Ramsar site, and the Bolong Fenyo area of Gunjur village, some 30 km south of Banjul, which will be The Gambia’s first community reserve. As part of this work, ICAM will develop endangered species management plans and community development programs for income restoration.

1. Tanbi Wetlands Complex The 6,304 hectare TWC (Annex A) is an estuarine and intertidal forested wetland primarily of low mangrove forest, with a complex of vegetation types on its northern boundary and along the mangrove fringing the mainland. The TWC functions include coastal stabilisation, fish breeding and recreation. The hydrology of the TWC is important both ecologically and for the city of Banjul. More than 80 percent of the TWC is a mangrove swamp which is under daily tidal scheme. The mangrove mud is not only rich in organic matter, but it also has the capacity to retain as much as 100 times its weight in water. Thus TWC plays a key hydrological role for the greater Banjul area: TWC catches most of the water coming from higher land, and thus mitigates flooding in Banjul, for the Island of Banjul is only one meter above sea level, and the greater Banjul area receives around 850 mm of rain. Ecologically, the TWC has other important functions:

¾ The Tanbi Wetland Complex is home to several vulnerable species such as African manatees (Trichechus senegalensis) and African Clawless otter (Aonyx capensis).1 Bell’s hinged Tortoise Kinixys belliana (CITES App. II) has been recorded on the coastal strip, as well as the Nile crocodile Crocodylus niloticus (CITES App. II). African Rock Python Python sebae and Royal Python P. regius (both on CITES App. II), as well as the Western Red Colobus Piliocolobus badius temminckii (EN according to IUCN Red List) occur at the site too.

¾ The TWC is an important feeding ground for birds. An ecological survey in 1997 counted 362 species from 66 families of birds. A perimeter survey of TWC in December 2006 tabulated 85 species of birds and more than 7800 individual birds in the TWC. o Eurasian species winter in the area, and the mudflat is crucial for their

feeding before returning home to reproduce.2

1 The former is considered vulnerable by IUCN Red List book, and the second an endangered species by 2002 Gambia Wildlife Act and it is listed on CITES App. II. 2 In the neighboring site, the Saloum Delta biosphere reserve (Senegal), which is also a Ramsar site, bird species that are regularly found in both the Saloum Delta and in TWC, migrate from at least 12 European countries.

7

o The site harbors a mixture of Ethiopian birdlife, and during the rains a considerable movement of Africa species occurs with many species utilizing the wetland areas for feeding and breeding. In the early autumn the Palearctic migration gets underway and large numbers of a range of species descend on the Tanbi wetlands. Many of these birds stop off to build up fat reserves after their migration, before dispersing further into the continent. Being located as it is at the mouth of the River Gambia, the Tanbi Wetland Complex thus acts as one of the main staging posts on the Palearctic migration, and the river is apparently used as a corridor to the inland areas of the continent. It is also an extensive wintering grounds for many species. By the time the spring migration north commences, much of the TWC has dried and its feeding value for waders and waterfowl is reduced. Nonetheless, it still holds valuable feeding and roosting conditions for gulls, terns and certain other species.

¾ The shadow of the mangrove trees is a resting ground for many marine and coastal species. Juvenile species nurse at the edge of mangrove shaded waters.

o Research in the neighbouring Saloum Delta site has found that more than 80 marine and deltaic fish species spawn or nurse in the mangrove swamps. It is believed that TWC plays a similar role.

o In particular, critical stages of the shrimp species Panaeus notialis development occur in the area (eggs coming with tidal waves from the ocean are kept in the mud to become larvae, and these stay in the swamps during their juvenile stage.). The Gambia River delta is among key recruitment site of this shrimp species in the Western Africa marine ecoregion.

o One of the two important food chains in the eco-region starts with mangrove ecosystems. Mangrove leaves are cut by crabs and mixed with mud to produce rich organic matter, which is then used by herbivores such as Tilapia (Tilapia spp.) and mullet (Mugil spp.), shrimps and zooplanktons. Primary carnivores and up to the top of the food chain rely heavily or partly on it.

¾ Because the TWC is a feeding ground and nesting area, it is important to various other fish. Atlantic Hump-backed Dolphins Sousa teuszii, and Bottle-nosed Dolphins Tursiops truncates rely to some degree upon the fish that have their nurseries amongst the mangroves of Tanbi.

¾ TWC also has marine functions. Because the Gambia River has its source 1200 km upstream, in an area of high rainfall, the water coming to the delta deposits organic matter that provides basic nutrients of the ecosystem food chain in the ocean. TWC thus plays a role in receiving upland input and releasing it in a regular manner into the sea.

2. The Bolong Fenyo Community Reserve at Gunjur The proposed Gunjur reserve (Annex B) is a 320 ha area being put aside as a reserve by the community, and would be the first community reserve in The Gambia. The reserve centers on the Bolong Fenyo, and includes the mangroves along the lower half of the bolong (inland waterway), as well as some grasslands and palm stands on higher ground. The reserve is home to at least 70 species of birds that winter in the area, and holds great touristic promise, as it is only 30 km south of Banjul and already has two small hotels (six and ten rooms) that cater to the adventuresome, especially birders.

8

Since the outlet of the bolong to the ocean was reportedly filled by a sand dune during a storm in the 1970s, the bolong depends on fresh water run-off for its existence. Encroachment of the town of Gunjur, a major fish processing center, onto the upper reach of the bolong appears to be cutting off part of its watershed, with the result that the bolong now dries up before the onset of the rains. This change in the hydrological regime is not only a threat to the integrity of the bolong (and hence the birdlife and potential tourism), it is also affecting women’s vegetable gardens outside the prospective protected area as the water table falls and becomes more saline. Preservation of the Bolong Fenyo is, therefore, important not only for conservation and potential tourism but also for Gunjur’s water supply and agriculture.

B. PROJECT IMPACTS

The ICAM project will have different socio-economic impacts in each of the two areas in which it is working.

1. Tanbi Wetlands Complex Fifteen communities in Western Division and Kanifing Municipal Council, as well as Banjul City, depend on the TWC for fishing, oyster harvesting, wood supplies, ecotourism, and other activities. All of these communities are relatively close to the TWC: Kerewan, the farthest away, is only two kilometers from the Lamin Bolong. Conservation of this area therefore directly affects the livelihood of these communities.

a. Minimizing Impacts. While important, the impacts on local use of resources in the TWC reserve have been limited by a series of management decisions. First, when the TWC was demarcated as a Ramsar site, the outer boundary of the reserve was established in consultation with local communities in order to avoid all houses and other structures. Thus, there is no involuntary resettlement involved in the delimitation of this protected area as a national park. Second, an internal boundary within the reserve was established in principle between the core zone and the its surrounding buffer zone within the limits of the Ramsar site. Although this internal boundary has yet to be marked out (the outer boundary markers are in place along all but the southernmost bit of the reserve area), the internal boundary is effectively the normal high-water mark. This natural delimitation is important because the water in the TWC bolongs is saline, so the high water mark constitutes the effective limits of agriculture. (Farming below the high water mark creates acid sulphate soils once the land dries out, and this formation renders the area useless to agriculture without costly flushing of the area.) Throughout much of the reserve area, this internal boundary is already marked out by low dikes that the women farmers have built to keep out the saline intrusion. Taking these dikes as the internal boundary between the core and buffer zones recognizes the integrity of the TWC while maintaining local agricultural production. Third, resource utilization zones will be determined within the core park area, where local residents will be able to continue fishing and oyster collecting. The exclusion zones for resource use within the park will be determined by biological studies (e.g., fish

9

breeding areas, fish and shrimp nurseries, manatee areas) and agreed upon with the surrounding communities. Thus local resource users will be able to continue most of their activities, under a new management regime to be agreed upon through communitiy consultation.

b. Expected Impacts The implementation of resource utilization zones within the core park area and of land use rules in the buffer zone will affect fishing and shrimping, as well as oyster collection and wood collection, in the core area, and agriculture in the buffer zone. Fishing in the core area is widespread. Many people in the local communities fish for subsistence and for semi-commercial purposes at a number of locations. While fishing will continue in the reserve area, new rules to be agreed upon by DPWM and the communities may limit the fishing season, the type of equipment that may be used, and the type and size of catch that will be allowed. Also, although most commercial fishing takes place in the River Gambia proper, there is some commercial fishing in the area by outside fishermen and shrimpers. A proposed licensing system, with different fees for local and outside fishermen, may effectively restrict outside (non-resident) fishermen’s access to the reserve area. Oyster collection is widespread throughout the wetland and is mainly undertaken by several hundred women. The oyster harvest is processed at the landing site, and some is sold while the rest is used for domestic consumption, therefore providing a valuable protein source for low-income families. Also, the shells are burnt for the production of lime, which is used in agriculture and the construction industry. Again, oyster harvesting by community members will continue within the reserve area, although new rules on off-take may restrict the collecting season and/or oyster size. An important point about both fishing and oyster collection is that local fishermen and oyster collectors recognize that the fishery and the oyster fields are being overused, with the consequence that fishermen and collectors must go farther out and the catch is getting smaller in size and in quantity. As a result, as the community consultations documented, these resource users are already concerned by the loss of these resources and interested in finding solutions to maintain their industries. Wood is the main energy source for cooking purposes within the urban area. The high cost of firewood within the urban area has led to the use of mangrove as an alternative supply. A few small areas of mangrove swamp have been clear-cut by a handful of professional woodcutters; these activities will have to stop. Harvesting in others areas within the wetland complex by surrounding communities is, however, mostly for timber for household construction. These activities will also have to stop, and options found for the local population. Other activities carried out in the area include bee-keeping, the harvesting of wild fruits and other plant parts for consumption, medicinal purposes etc. Except for honey-collection, these activities are not carried out on a commercial basis, and they appear to be declining activities in the urban area.

10

Agriculture and market gardening is carried out at various locations in the wetlands. Rice is cultivated over the rainy season and market gardening during the dry season. The most evident of these is the Bakau Horticultural Project located at Mile 7 where an area of approximately 5ha is under cultivation. There are also a large number of orchards in the Tanbi Wetland Complex which have appeared over recent years. As mentioned, the buffer zone is effectively defined as the area from the outer boundary of the Ramsar site (which excluded all habitation) to the usual high-water mark of the saline intrusion; in other word, the buffer zone comprises the entire agricultural area where production may continue even as rules on input use (e.g., fertilizer, pesticides) remain to be agreed upon. In addition, tourism is a major activity in TWC, and there are two major tourist sites within TWC area, at Sarraut and Lamin Lodge. These facilities can remain. Nevertheless, rules on use of the park area (e.g., elimination of speed boats whose wake erodes the shoreline) and fees must be determined in close consultation with the tour operators. Finally, there is, at the Camalo end (NW) of the wetland, a Jola Shrine which is notable for the multitude of people who seek its help. This shrine will remain, while access and activities in the immediate area will be agreed to with local communities.

11

Table 1: Population Centers Abutting TWC,

Distance to TWC and Population (1993)

Distance to TWC

Population (1993 Census)

Female Male

Banul 0Wasulung Kunda 8.5 2,195 1.091 1,104 Old Jeshwang 3 8,480 4,216 4,264 New Jeshwang 2 21,656 10,397 11,254 Eboe Town 1 2,563 1,235 1,328 Talinding Kunjang 1 19,773 9,443 10,330 Faji-Kunda 1 12,744 6,176 6,568 Abuko 2.5 4,345 2,096 2,249 Lamin 1 10,668 5,310 5,358 Daranka 1 368 188 175 Kerewan 1 458 221 237

Mandinari 2.5 3,423 1,706 1,717 Makumbaya 4 655 320 355 Galoya 0.5 177 79 98 Kunkujang Jatta Jatta 3 1,457 722 825 Kubuneh 6 1,233 572 661

Table 2: Project Impacts, by Type of Activity and Village *

Fishing OysterCollect’n

AnimalGrazing

Rice/Ground-

nuts

SeasonalGardens

Firewoodwild fruitcollect’n

Sellingmangr’vefirewood

Palmwine

tapping

Construc-tion

Materials

HerbalMedicine

Refusedumping

Factorysludge

WasulungKunda

X X X X X X X X X X X X

OldJeshwang

X X X X X X X X X X X X

NewJeshwang

X X X X X X X X X X X

EboeTown

X X X X X X X X X X X

TalindingKunjang

X X X X X X X X X X X

Faji-Kunda X X X X X X X X X X XAbuko X X X X X X X X X X XLamin X X X X X X X X X X XDaranka X X X X X X X X X X XKerewan X X X X X X X X X X

Mandinari X X X X X X X X XMakumbaya

X X X X X X X X X X X

Galoya X X X X X X X X X XKunkujangJatta Jatta

X X X X X X X X X

Kubuneh X X X X X X X X X* Sand mining was eliminated in the 1990s due to its deleterious effects on the Gambian coast.

Because the wetland is located within an area of high population density, being fringed by Banjul to the east, and Bakau, Jeshwang, Serrekunda, Tallinging and Lamin to the west, the area is subject to considerable agricultural activity on its landward side and industrial development along the Banjul Highway. The Wetland’s proximity to the urban area and its bisection by the Banjul highway create a number of challenges:

¾ The land has a high potential value for development. ¾ The entire wetland fringe is subjected to increasing agricultural and horticultural

expansion and intensification that is diminishing the diversity of habitat and associated fauna.

¾ Coastal erosion is rapidly altering the morphology of the coastal strip and threatening both infrastructure and habitat. The multiple causative factors have not been adequately addressed to date.

¾ The destructions to mangrove habitats being used as breeding and roosting sites by water birds are indications of the community’s need for these resources, and thus present the need to control their over-exploitation.

¾ Agriculture inorganic fertilizers, persistent pesticides and then domestic and commercial waste pollution of the water bodies are destructive to water quality, and ways of controlling these must be explored.

The objective of establishing TWC as a national park is to eliminate further land development and to control other resource uses within this ecologically important area. The basic approach of DPWM is to engage the surrounding communities in discussions on the importance of the area and on the nature and extent of changes in resource use, without eliminating or banning marine resource use (i.e., fishing, oyster collection) in the core area and agricultural use in the buffer zone. This approach not only greatly reduces the severity of impacts on the local population but also importantly increases the possibility of collaborative co-management of the resources.

2. The Gunjur Community Reserve

The Gunjur Community Reserve has relatively limited impacts in terms of current resource use. A few women (reportedly six) farm rice in the rainy season and vegetables in the dry season at one end of the proposed reserve, but only one of the fields is actually inside the reserve area. Cattle are grazed in the area during the dry season. And, there is some wood cutting, which would have to be eliminated. There is, however, no fishing, shrimping or oyster collection as the bolong is not open to the ocean, and now dries up from March to June. The major issue over the establishment of the Bolong Fenyo reserve has been the rights of the one family, who has not already subdivided its lands into individual holdings, to allocate their lands to family members and to sell their parcels to outsiders, if desired. This question has been complicated by confusion over the management structure of the reserve area (the community Site Management Committee [see below] rather than DPWM or a NGO) and the actual extent of the reserve area (the immediate area centered on the bolong rather than the area from the bolong to the ocean). Since no action can be taken without a consensual decision by the community, clarification and

14

specification of these concerns will be important factors in bringing the community together in support of the reserve area.

III. LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK

A. INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS

The Gambia, although small in size, is extremely rich in biodiversity, harboring a wide range of terrestrial, coastal, marine and wetland habitats and species, including several species and habitats of global significance. The Gambia is therefore a signatory to a number of international environmental conventions, including: the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention for the Conservation of Migratory Species (Bonn Convention), CITGES, Ramsar, and the African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (Algiers convention).

B. NATIONAL LEGISLATION

Commitment to protect and manage the country’s natural environment dates back to the Banjul Declaration and the Wildlife Conservation Act of 1977, which laid down the basis for conservation and sustainable use of biological resources. The National Mission Statement, The Gambia Incorporated Vision 2020, sees “a well balanced ecosystem” as fundamental to achieving the national goal of Middle Income Country status by 2020.

The Gambia Environmental Action Plan (GEAP, 1992), and the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP, 1999), both emphasize biodiversity conservation as a critical element of achieving this goal. NBSAP’s identified priorities for biodiversity conservation include, inter alia:

• increasing national capacity to support biodiversity conservation and sustainable use efforts (scientific and technical);

• increasing the representativeness of protected area coverage, specifically coastal and marine habitats; and

• Promoting a multi-sectoral integrated approach that emphasizes the involvement of local communities in the protection and management activities.

These priorities were taken into consideration during the preparation of the revised national biodiversity/wildlife policy objectives, as well as DPWM’s strategic plan for 2000-2005. The Biodiversity and Wildlife Bill (2002) establishes the procedures for protected areas.3 The Secretary of State responsible for biodiversity and wildlife may, on the recommendation of the Directors, declare an area to be a Protected Area for the purposes of biodiversity, wildlife conservation, and sustainable use. In so deciding, the Secretary of Sate must take into consideration the following factors: (a) the importance

3 Protected Areas are classified into: national parks, national reserves, fisheries protected areas, local sanctuaries, and cultural and heritage sites (Part III, para. 14, section 5). It does not specifically cover community reserves.

15

of the area for the conservation of biodiversity and wildlife; (b) an evaluation of the current and potential value of the economic activities to be carried out in the area; (c) the human settlement and the regime of land tenure governing the area; and (d) the social benefits to be derived from the management of the area. Importantly, the Secretary of State must, when declaring a Protected Area, “recognise the rights of the communities and indigenous peoples traditionally settled in the area” (Part II, para. 14[3]). The declaration of a Protected Area is made by order of the Secretary of State published in the Gazette, and, in the case of a national park, must be approved by the Cabinet. The preliminary notification of the intention to create a Protected Area (PA) must specify, as closely as possible, the location and boundaries of the PA, state whether its purpose is for the general good or for the particular use and benefit, wholly or in part, of a class of persons or for the benefit of a community, and declare that the land will form a Protected Area. In addition, the Secretary of State must appoint a Protected Area Settlement Committee (PASC), composed of: the Attorney General or his designated representative, the Divisional Commissioner, the District Seyfo (chief), the Alkalou (land chief) of the villages concerned, a member of the Area Council, the Divisional technical officers of the Departments concerned, and, where appropriate, other technical experts. Upon official publication of the intent to create a PA, the PASC must make the notice known in all the areas in which the land is situated. The law specifies that the intent will “be read and interpreted into the local language in every court in the area” (Part III, Para 16). In addition, the PASC may inform in writing the Seyfo of the communities dwelling on, and the Area council or local authority having jurisdiction over, the land. This general dissemination of the intent to create a PA must also make known how and when claimants may present a case. The PASC keeps a record in writing of any claim or alleged right, any objection made to a claim or alleged right, and any evidence in support or in opposition to the claim or alleged right, and the Committee has judicial powers to decide claims. The PASC submits its report to the Director for the consideration of the Secretary of Sate, and is obligated to set out “all such particulars as may be necessary to define the nature, duration, incidence and extent, of any claim and alleged right referred or brought to its notice in respect of the land; and admitting or rejecting the claim or alleged right wholly or in part” (Part III, para. 20). In the instance a claim is admitted in whole or in part, the Secretary of State may, on receiving the Directors report, “extinguish the claim or right and may give monetary compensation or grant in exchange similar right on other land either within or outside the final boundaries of the Protected Area or may ‘make an enclave or so amend the boundaries of the proposed Protected Areas so as to exclude from the Protected Area, an area over which the claim or right has been admitted.” Once these procedures are completed, the Secretary of State publishes a second notice in the Gazette to specify the land finally intended to be designated as a Protected Area, the rights which may be exercised within the PA, and any special conditions affecting the PA (Part III, para. 22). The second notice is also publicized in the local areas concerned through posters, public meetings and formal notification. Thereupon, the Secretary of State publishes the Order to constitute a Protected Area in the Gazette. The date of publication of the Order in the Gazette constitutes the date that the land in question comes into effect as a PA.

16

Park management is under the Department of Parks and Wildlife Management. “The Director of Parks and Wildlife Management shall encourage community participation, in the form of a Local Biodiversity and Wildlife Committee (BLWC) in the management of a Protected Area, particularly the communities in the Area and its immediate surrounding” (Part III, Para. 34-1). The BLWC is empowered to “decide, in collaboration with the DPWM, the type and number of licenses and permits to be issued in the Area; monitor the activities of license and permit holders in the Area, prevent any illegal act in the Area, and administer the revenues collected from the Area in accordance with the Act (Part III, para. 35). The law recognizes that the Secretary of State may, if the Biological Resource Management Plan so permits, declare an open season during which it is lawful to hunt or harvest within the PA (Part III, papa. 47) for non-commercial purposes. The Secretary of State shall, by regulations, prescribe the type, form of and the terms and conditions attaching to hunting or harvesting licenses.

IV. INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

A. DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT

The responsibility to develop, manage and conserve Gambia’s biological resources in wildlife protected areas is vested in the Department of Parks and Wildlife Management (DPWM). The Department has created the ICAM Project Management Unit (PMU) to coordinate and oversee project activities.

B. OTHER MINISTRIES

The DPWM ICAM PMU coordinates with liaison officers in the Department of State for Fisheries and Water Resources, the Department of State for Forestry and the Environment, and the Department of Defense (Navy Department) in the implementation of its program. The Department of Fisheries provides technical assistance on all aquatic resources (fish, shrimp, oysters), and will collaborate in the monitoring of ecological restoration (see Section VIII, Monitoring, below). The Department of Forestry has established, and provides assistance, for community woodlots over the past 30 years. The community woodlot program can be established with Ministry of Forestry assistance in those communities in the surrounding the project in order to help meet the demand for wood for house construction and for cooking fuel. Finally, the Gambian Navy will provide assistance in protecting the integrity of the TWC fishing zones. For this purpose, a guard post may be established on one of the islands in the TWC that gives access to much of the reserve area.

C. COMMUNITY PARTICIPATORY STRUCTURES AND THEIR FUNCTIONS

Community participatory structures exist at two levels: the grass-roots village community levels, where Village Management Committees (VMCs) will be established, and the PA where a Site Management Committees (SMCs) will be formed with representatives of

17

the various VMCs and the DPWM. The participatory process will be technically supported by the PMU, Park Management Team and multi-disciplinary facilitation team from the technical departments. (Figure 1 presents the organisational structure of this community participation process.)

1. Village Management Committee(s) The VMC comprise elected representatives of all identifiable village interest groups (e.g., resource users, women, youth); an elected representative of the Village Development Committee; and, a member of a Multi-Disciplinary Facilitation Team (preferably Site Management Staff), who will serve as secretary.

The VMC performs the following functions:

• Assist the SMC and the ICAM PMU in the mobilization of stakeholders for the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) exercise for preparing the Village or Cluster Village Community Conservation Action Plan;

• Participate in the preparation and implementation of project conservation action plans;

• Prepare village sub-project applications for livelihood restoration measures and submit to the SMC Chairman for submission to the PSC;

• Oversee and monitor the implementation of approved individual and group sub-projects within the village;

• Seek and solicit technical and financial assistance from other donors in replicating successful sub-projects and other important conservation measures identified in the Conservation Action Plan; and,

• Arbitrate and resolve all conflict and disputes arising in respect of the site between individuals and groups within the village.

2. Site Management Committees

The role of the Site Management Committee (SMC) varies in accord with the level of PA. For the TWC national park, the SMC comprises representatives of the stakeholder villages around the PA, i.e., villages located within the environs that have traditional use right claims on the resources of the site; and the head warden of the Site will serve as Secretary to the SMC. The role of the SMC at TWC national park, which involves 15 communities and Banjul City, involves co-management with the DPWM. The SMC performs the following functions:

• Participate in the PRA to collate and synthesize individual villages’/cluster villages’ Community Conservation Action plans into a consolidated Site Community Conservation Action Plan with the technical support of the Project Management Unit;

• Participate in the preparation of Project Site Work plans; • Submit through the Chairman all sub-project applications to the Standing

Working Group of the Project Steering Committee; and, • Arbitrate and resolve all conflict and disputes arising in respect of the site

between individuals, groups, villages and groups of villages.

By contrast, the Gunjur Community Reserve SMC (which is equivalent to the VMC because only one community is involved) will manage the reserve in consultation with

18

DPWM because the reserve remains community property. In addition to the above functions, the community reserve SMC involves:

¾ Determining the rules on restriction of access to resources within the reserve area;

¾ Surveillance of the implementation of the rules and their enforcement, including local penalties; and,

¾ Contracting collaborating groups to assist in the implementation of the park management plan and associated income restoration measures.

Figure 1: Organizational Structures of Community Participation Process

Instruments of Community Community Participatory Technical SupportParticipation Structures Services

Site Level ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Grassroots Level

Resident populations are fully entitled to participate integrally and meaningfully in the determination of restrictions on natural resource use, the assessment of the impact of such restrictions, the definition of remedial measures to redress those impacts, and the monitoring of the remedial measures to ensure that all persons affected are assisted to restore their previous standard of living in as short a period of time as possible.

Annual Work Plan

DPWM Site Management Team

Multi-DisciplinaryFacilitation Teams (MDFT)

Site Community A tion

PMU

Village/cluster Village CAP

Sub-Projects

Village Management Committee

MDFT

DPWM Park Management Team

Site Management Committee (SMC)

19

These discussions may be facilitated by an intermediary organization with experience in the area, such as an NGO. In such instances, the intermediary organization will provide, as necessary, technical experts, who can advise on the utility of specific measures proposed. The decisions of the community meetings will be recorded, and copies kept by the VMC and SMC.

V. ELEGIBILITY CRITERIA

This section defines the eligibility criteria for people’s participation in the identification of potential impacts, the assessment the significance of the impacts, and determination of necessary mitigating or compensating measures. ICAM involves no involuntary resettlement as an unavoidable outcome of its activities. In the case of TWC, the outer boundary of the reserve area was purposively drawn beyond all settled areas, so there are no households within the outer boundary. In the case of the Gunjur Community Reserve, no populations reside within the reserve area or are completely encircled the community reserve areas.

A. DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE RESIDENT POPULATIONS

Any community or individual established permanently that exercises either customary or legal use-rights within a protected area or in the legally defined buffer zone around a protected area, constitutes a Project Affected Population (PAP). In other words, the communities near the buffer zone of the protected areas constitute the eligible resident population. A protected area is any demarcated zone set aside by national or local legislation for the specific purpose of natural resource conservation. In ICAM, protected area includes both a national park (TWC) and a community reserve (Gunjur). For the purposes of this PF, the eligible population are people who use resources within the protected area. These users include, but are not limited to: fishermen (including shrimpers), oyster collectors, wood cutters and collectors, animal grazers, rice and garden cultivators. (Tour guide operators are not eligible resident populations, although they do make use of the area, and must be consulted in the determination of park visitation regulations.) The eligible population may be represented, in whole or in part, by: local communities, resource-user groups and associations, local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other such bodies.

B. PARTICIPATION OF ELIGIBLE RESIDENT POPULATIONS

The participation of eligible resident populations is critical for the success of the conservation programs. The communities will be integrally in the delimitation of the reserve areas, in the assessment of socio-economic impacts and their mitigation, in the resolution of grievances, and in the monitoring of program activities

20

The ICAM PMU, the SMC staff and all stakeholders will carry out PRAs that will focus on four major aspects of the sites:

• Assessment of the site; • Assessment of the social and environmental impact of the protected area; • Design Conservation and Community Action (or Development) Plans; and, • Commitments and expectations of stakeholders.

The PRA will take the form of a workshop and will proceed through eight sessions and each session will be conducted at two levels: plenary and working group levels. The eight sessions will be topically organized as follows:

• Session 1: Introducing the Workshop; • Session 2: Generalities; • Session 3: Protected area issues; • Session 4: Resource Assessment; • Session 5: Community Conservation Action Plan; • Session 6: Socioeconomic assessment and community development action

plan; • Session 7: Expectations and commitments; and, • Session 8: Consolidated Community Conservation Action Plans.

At TWC, 15 villages and Banjul City abut the PA. Participatory Rural Assessment techniques were used in each of the centers in order to consult with community members and resource users during the drafting of a consolidated PA plan that was subsequently validated by community representatives during a meeting facilitated by DPWM.4

4 In 2005, DPWM through the ICAM conducted a community sensitization programs in communities living around the Tanbi wetland complex. This was aimed at informing stakeholders about the importance of the wetland and the department’s mandate to protect and conserve this important area as a national park. Local community members, opinion leaders, government department representatives, NGOs and private operatives were involved during the meetings and discussions. The process was then taken further in June 2006 by ICAM, by the way of conducting participatory rural appraisal (PRA) in the same local communities. This exercise was initiated among other things to:

• solicit community participation in the planning process of the parks development, • elicit indigenous knowledge about the wetland complex and its associated

resources, and finally • use the information collected to update the existing management plan for the

development and management of the wetland complex with the participation of the communities.

These consultations involved decision makers, resource users, and the larger community in separate sessions. Eventually the process was successfully completed and the information compiled and synthesized into a draft management plan to be submitted for validation to local communities.

21

Bolong Fenyo is a village initiative to foster tourism and to preserve the community water supply. All decisions made in village meetings are consensual, so everyone must agree with the initiative and its details before it can be implemented.

Regardless of the area of the reserve and the number of communities involved, the Community Action Plan or consolidated Community Plan treats the following:

• Community assessment of the site including species status, hotspots habitats;

• Protected Area social and ecological impact; • Community Action Plan and commitment to conserve the site; and, • Community development constraints and action plan.

The constraints and action plan constitutes the basis for sub-project proposals. The community development action plan, with sub-projects, responds to the following general questions:

• What sub-project(s) will be implemented to meet local demand for alternative resources?

• How will ICAM and the community carry-out the sub-project(s)? • How will the project be implemented (what actions are to be taken, where and

by whom). This includes the needs for capacity building, which will be assessed and costed in the budget.

• The resources needed to implement the sub-project, the cost, the community contribution and the amount requested from ICAM.

• The action plan will also clearly identify the beneficiaries that will later apply.

The action plan will be approved at the site level by representatives of cluster villages. The ICAM PMU will review and approve the Community Conservation and Development plan. The SMC and the VMC in partnership with ICAM and DPWM staff will be responsible for its implementation, in particular for grants and sub-project management. To this end, the SMC will work with MDFT members, ICAM and DPWM staff to strategize on grant management.

The technical support of Multi-Disciplinary Facilitation Teams (MDFTs) and ICAM will be available at all stages of the implementation of subprojects as and when requested by the SMC or VMC. The sub-project implementers may benefit from technical training and networking to strengthen their capacities to manage their activities. The SMCs with the support of their partners will use the mass media and organize regular meetings to inform the public and decision-makers about the project.

The community conservation and development plans are a part of the Site Management Plans. Ecological studies will be conducted at the same time. The community findings and the ecological outcomes will be consolidated to update Site Management Plans.

VII. REMEDIAL MEASURES

This section lays out the methods and procedures by which communities will identify and choose potential mitigating or compensating measures provided to those adversely

22

affected, and procedures by which adversely affected community members will decide on the options available to them.

A. POTENTIAL MITIGATIVE MEASURES

Long term conservation of natural resources requires rapid material benefits that facilitate continued participation of individuals, families and villages in the effort to promote sustainable natural resource use. The first priority is thus village support funds, short and long term employment in the management areas, as well as direct interventions in current production systems. Further, all communities living around protected areas are eligible to participate in the identification of potential impacts, the assessment of their consequences and the determination of mitigating measures, as well as the monitoring program. A major component of ICAM is community economic development based on the sustainable utilization of natural resources. As has been described above, both the determination of restrictions on access to natural resources and the definition of remedial measures will be decided locally, with the people directly affected having a major voice, especially in the determination of measures to restore income. Once the restrictions have been decided collectively, definition of income-restoration measures may proceed in either of several ways. All or some of the affected people may , as a group, suggest measures that they reasonably believe would replace their lost income or asset; or, individuals not members of such a group may propose measures directly related to, and responding to, their loss. In either case, the affected people must accept the measures and be willing to implement them. All resident resource users in communities abutting reserve areas, except wood cutters, will have continued access to resources within the wetlands that are integral to daily subsistence, under rules that will be defined and enforced by the communities. By contrast, all commercial activities (other than semi-commercial fishing by resident fishermen and oyster collectors) will be prohibited in the exclusion zones in the reserve areas, but local use will continue on a sustainable basis elsewhere in the reserve. Under these conditions, the extent of income loss suffered by resident resource users should be limited, but it will not be completely avoidable. For this reason, a number of income-restoration measures can be contemplated by the communities.

Fishing and oyster collection. Whether restricted open seasons and size requirements for fish and oysters actually reduce fishermen and collectors’ incomes is a matter that must be closely monitored. The expectation is that income loss should be small, if any. If that proves not to be the case in the event, the ICAM program can consider pisciculture and oyster-growing programs to supplement these resource users’ incomes.

Wood collection. Within the reserve area, in those cases where a limited number

of resource users seriously affect the reserve (e.g., mangrove cutters), it may be possible to provide permanent and/and or seasonal employment as junior wardens charged with monitoring specific resources and ensuring that they are used (or not) in accord with VMC rules. To reduce community reliance on mangroves for fuel and construction materials, communities may, with the technical assistance of the Department of Forestry, establish

23

community woodlots with fruit and fodder trees in order to reduce pressure on the mangroves.

Agriculture. In the area of controlled utilization (buffer zone), the longer term measures involve introducing measures for sustainable agriculture and natural resource management practices. Soil enrichment (to enhance water retention capacity and soil moisture), contour planting, well-lining, bio-pesticides and other measures, such as water retention or diversion structures, are possible interventions to improve rice and vegetable production.

Tourism. Importantly, the establishment of a reserve that that attracts birds will also attract tourists, which can make possible a range of local initiatives, such as village accommodations, craft production, fishing, local tour guide programs. Because remedial measures will be determined locally, it is not possible or appropriate to determine a fixed list of restrictions and remedial measures. It is, nonetheless, possible and appropriate to provide a partial, illustrative list of restrictions and measures that can serve as a jumping-off point for subsequent deliberations. Table 3 provides such a list of restrictions and possible remedial measures.

Table 3: Illustrative List of Restrictions and Possible Remedial Measures

Restriction Affected

Persons Possible Remedial Measures

Agriculture—annual crops (rainy season rice and dry season vegetables)

Farmers o Composting o Bio-pesticides o Well-lining o Beehives

Fishing Fishermen o Improved technologies (motors, nets) in compensation for enforced fishing rules

o Pisciculture

Shellfish collection

Shellfish collectors o Oyster-growing o Processing techniques to assist

in preservation

Wood collection Wood collectors (women) Fishermen and fish processors Charcoal makers

o Provide more fuel-efficient stoves o Alternative preservative

techniques (e.g., solar drying units, salt)

o Community woodlots

24

Secondary Forest Product Collection (e.g., dye stuffs, medicines, vines)

Secondary Forest Product Collectors

o Provide assistance to establish nurseries for production of secondary forest products

o Food processing (e.g., wild fruit)

Animal Grazing in Protected Area

Herders Animal owners

o Cattle: alternative grazing areas, if available; tether grazing animals

o Sheep and Goats: grazing methods

o Pigs: improved sties and food (to reduce reliance on mangrove wood for fences)

New opportunities related to enhanced ecological status of the reserve areas

o Lodging o Tour guides o Craft production

25

B. PROCEDURES FOR SUB-GRANT FUNDING

Resource users and villages will identify and develop, in a participatory manner, the income restoration or mitigative measures that will be financed through the ICAM project. The procedures for the development, submission for approval and implementation of sub-projects are better conceived in terms of a project cycle, as follows.

1. Indicative Planning

The indicative planning exercise will define a broad Community Conservation Action Plan (CCAP) for each site. The CCAP will define the problems the community faces (e.g., increasing scarcity of specific natural resources, lack of water, loss of woodlots), and will propose feasible measures that, with community cooperation, could reverse those trends. As far as possible, the CCAP will be the framework for all proposed sub-projects for sub-grant funding. The CCAP may aggregate individual village plans into a cluster of villages’ Conservation Action Plan.

The CCAP will be prepared by all stakeholders in the locality using participatory techniques. The exercise will be organized by the PMU, assisted by the Village Management Committees and facilitated by MDFT’s and DWPM’s management team.

2. IDENTIFICATION PROCESS

On the basis of the CCAP, resource users and villages (or village clusters) will identify specific sub-projects, prioritize these, and develop the high-priority measures in the format for sub-project applications. This process too will involve all stakeholders in a participatory manner, with the VMC facilitating the process and drawing as much as possible from the CCAP.

3. Formulation/Appraisal Process

The formulation process of all sub-project proposals will be guided by the sub-project application form. Except for group applications, which will go first through the screening of the VMCs, the appraisal process will be undertaken by the ICAM PMU.

• The Secretaries to the SMCs will submit the applications of their respective Sites to the PMU within five working days of their receipt; and,

• The Standing Working Group of the PMU will screen and approve all sub-project applications within the framework of the guidelines within one calendar month of their receipt.

The Technical Support Services especially the MDFTs and DPWM Site Management Staff will assist groups, villages and village clusters in the completion of sub-project application forms.

4. FINANCING PROCESS

Sub-projects approved by the ICAM PMU will be financed through project funding. The SMC and the VMC will monitor the implementation of all sub-projects under their respective purview to ensure that resources are utilized effectively and for objectives set.

5. IMPLEMENTATION/MONITORING PROCESS

26

The implementation and monitoring of all projects and sub-projects will be the purview of the VMC, SMC and the Technical Support Services mentioned earlier. The Director DPWM and the PSC will provide overall guidance during the implementation process.

VII. GRIEVANCE RESOLUTION PROCEDURES

This section defines the process for resolving disputes relating to resource use restrictions that may arise among members of communities who are dissatisfied with the eligibility criteria, community measures, or their implementation. The grievance resolution process that is described below provides a general framework for conflict resolution premised, first, on finding mutually satisfactory solutions within the local traditions and authority of the community or communities involved, and the, failing that, within the project framework. Nevertheless, the specific details of grievance resolution must be tailored to the traditions and customs of each group and each area. Further, reliance on local systems of grievance resolution in no way precludes the intervention of administrative, police, or juridical authorities in the exercise of their stated powers. Where intense grievances arise, particularly in the instance of conflict between resident users and outside users, the only solution may be the intervention of public authorities to decide upon the matter.

A. GRIEVANCE PREVENTION

The ICAM project has emphasized, and will continue to support, integral participation in reserve area definition and implementation as a means to foster local ownership and minimize, if not eliminate, grievances. In the case of Tanbi Wetlands Complex, the ICAM PMU carried out an extensive series of consultations with each of the villages and towns abutting the future reserve area. These consultations had multiple objectives: to inform the communities about the intent to create a national park, to ascertain from the villagers who were the resource users within the park area, to gauge the villagers’ perceptions on trends in resource use and their views on ways to remedy deteriorating resources, and, last but by no means least, to engage the villagers in a constructive and strategic planning for sustainable resource use. The ICAM project has undertaken or will undertake other measures to reduce the extent grievances. In the first instance, after the village consultations, the project agreed with the villagers on the outer limits of the Ramsar reserve area. In all instances, the proposed boundary lies beyond the populated or residential area, so there is no physical dislocation of population. Subsequently, during the series of community consultations that culminated in the March 2007 ‘validation workshop,’ the ICAM PMU agreed with the communities to take the high water mark as the terrestrial limit of the core park area, thus effectively defining the entire agricultural area as in the controlled use zone (or buffer zone). Finally, the project is working with the VMC and the SMC to develop rules for the sustainable use of natural resources in both the buffer zone and the larger reserve area.

27

It is important to underscore that decision making in the villages is consensual. If an individual or a family in a village objects to a proposal, be it the boundaries of the park, the internal zonage within the reserve area, or the use rules for each zone, no decision is taken until a solution is found that is acceptable to all. There is no attempt to force a decision through even though one party still objects. Rather, various alternatives are explored until an option that is acceptable to everyone is found.

B . GRIEVANCE RESOLUTION

Despite the strong emphasis on universal acceptance and consensual decision making, it may be that, for one reason or another; people may not respect the boundaries or observe the rules on resource use. In such situations, grievances are optimally resolved early on and at the local level. If local resolution of a grievance is not possible at the village level, it may be referred to project for consideration. If it is still not possible to resolve the issue, the complainant, whether an individual or a group, has the right to take the matter to court, although, admittedly, this is a long and costly procedure. At the local level, the aggrieved party can bring his or her complaint to the attention of the council of village elders, which is represented on the VMC. Every effort will be made at this level to resolve the matter. If the village elders cannot bring the matter to resolution, they will refer it to the program

manager. If after due consultation and deliberation, the program manager finds it impossible to resolve the matter, the issue will be taken up by the ICAM project management unit. Should the matter remain unresolved, the aggrieved party may take the matter to court. In fact, at any point in this process, the complainant has the prerogative of filing a court case, if he or she so wishes. However, it is incumbent on project officials to deal as efficaciously as possible with all complaints over restriction on access to natural resources.

VIII. MONITORING ARRANGEMENTS

This section reviews the arrangements for participatory monitoring of project activities as they relate to impacts on persons within the project area, and for monitoring the effectiveness of the measures taken to improve, or at a minimum restore, incomes and living standards

The monitoring and evaluation of the Community Conservation Action Plans (CCAPs) and sub-projects funded from ICAM sub-grant will be the responsibility of the PMU and the community participatory structures at the grass-roots levels and the site levels, with assistance from the cooperating technical departments (e.g., Forestry, Fisheries). The indicative budgets and the proposed implementation schedules for each CAP and its sub-project will be a required section in the project proposal, and will constitute the framework for monitoring and evaluating implementation.

28

Assessment of the implementation of the CCAPs will basically aim at ascertaining the degree of success to which the specific objectives of the project are being realized. The realization of the specific objectives should translate into achievement of the primary objectives which in turn are expected to contribute to the overall goal of the project. The outcome of the evaluation process should establish the need or otherwise for any further corrective action in the design of the project.

The regular reviews are designed to provide essential monitoring and evaluation information to the PMU, , SMCs, VMCs and the general public at large. Thus it is essential that data provided through routine data collection are accurate and complete. The overall M & E strategy is to provide on-going feedback to the PMU, beneficiary communities and all stakeholders regarding the effectiveness of the implementation activities so that improvements can be made and future conservation planning and programming exercises incorporate lessons learnt from these experiences.

The PMU has primary authority for implementing a mechanism to monitor and evaluate all project activities. The monitoring system will have three basic objectives: 1) to ensure that no populations are dislocated from their present residences by the economic impact of restrictions on natural resources; 2) to ensure that project-affected people participate integrally in and benefit fully from the income-restoration program; and, 3) to involve the local populations as fully as possible in the implementation of the monitoring system.

A. MONITORING INCOME-RESTORATION OF MICRO-PROJECTS

Monitoring of the micro-project program will track both administrative and substantive activities. As for administrative activities, the monitoring program will review, each year, the number of proposals for remedial measures, the type of measures, and their level of financing. The monitoring program will also track the proposals for community-level measures, their type and level of funding. The concern here is that remedial measures always receive priority attention in the context of the project. Monitoring of substantive activities will focus on the participatory nature of the project of remedial measures, and the progress, to date, of the different activities. Participatory monitoring will be used whenever possible, to create a sense of ownership and to promote community understanding of project objectives. Impact indicators will be developed, and will include both biological/ecological and socio-economic parameters. Independent consultants, in consultation with the affected communities and ICAM project management, will develop a detailed monitoring and evaluation plan for measuring project implementation progress and impact. This plan will clearly specify the key indicators and data needs and sources, who will collect the data, and how frequently for each component as well as for the project as a whole. Further, each annual monitoring report will append the list of community and focus group meetings to define restrictions on natural resource use, determine remedial measures, and define indicators to track income restoration. To facilitate this work, all community meetings to consider restrictions on natural resource use, as well as the impact assessment and remedial measures, will maintain a register that records all persons present and their interest in the issue. The register, which will be kept both in the

29

community and by the project PMU, will be complemented by a detailed minutes of each meeting.

B. MONITORING ECOLOGICAL IMPACT OF NATURAL RESOURCE MEASURES

Local monitoring of natural resource use and the ecological status of their area will provide a useful complement to the formal monitoring system proposed above. Local populations are already aware of what the restrictions are and how well they are observed. Local populations are also able and willing to monitor the status of the natural resources in their areas – and in doing so will be able to correlate the impact of the restrictions with the improvement or degradation of their local resources. To this end, each community will define a map and other recording forms to assess the present state of the ecosystem in their area at the outset of the project. The community will assess the state of natural resources each year, e.g., the extension or degradation of mangroves in their area, the number of shellfish of each type found in each area, the number and size of fish caught over the year in each locality. These specialized production assessments are best undertaken by focus groups organized by production role, as was done initially for the assessment of resources and the definition of restrictions and remedial measures. Each production group will report to the community, in a general meeting facilitated by the collaborating intermediary organization, on its findings and recommendations for future action. The community will redefine its action plan for the coming year on the basis of these specialized local reports. Technical staff from the collaborating ministries (Fisheries, Forestry) will assist in this work. Further, and as an adjunct to this participatory monitoring component, ICAM will ensure that every scientific investigation will include capable local people, not only in the role of data collection but also in the role of data analysis. For example, biomass studies in mangrove areas typically hire local staff to collect samples in designated areas. These staff are also capable, with adequate training, of processing the samples and carrying out the initial analyses. Local populations can also carry out inventories of flora and fauna, including counts of shellfish and crustaceans that provide a good indication of future stocks. Such integral participation of local populations in scientific studies not only provides employment, it also provides a window, and a control, on the work of the various scientists whose studies will constitute one basis for the definition of future restrictions on natural resources.

IX. DISCLOSURE This Process Framework will be disseminated locally in the same manner as is legally required for the announcement of the intent to declare a Protected Area A (Section III-B, above).

30

31

ANNEX B:

MAP OF THE BOLONG FENYO

COMMUNITY RESERVE AT GUNJ