PROJECT IDENTIFICATION FORM (PIF)
PROJECT TYPE: FULL SIZED PROJECT
THE GEF TRUST FUND
Submission Date: 30th Oct 2007
Re-submission Date: 9 January 2008
PART I: PROJECT IDENTIFICATION
GEFSEC PROJECT ID: 3364
GEF AGENCY PROJECT ID: PIMS 2979
COUNTRY: Eritrea
PROJECT TITLE: SIP: Sustainable Land Management Pilot
Project
GEF AGENCY: UNDP
OTHER EXECUTING PARTNERS: GOE
GEF-4 STRATEGIC PROGRAM(S): LD SP 1 and 2
NAME OF PARENT PROGRAM/UMBRELLA PROJECT: SIP
A. PROJECT FRAMEWORK
INDICATIVE CALENDAR
Milestones
Expected Dates
Work Program
June 2007 (SIP)
CEO
September 2008
Endorsement/Approval
GEF Agency Approval
December 2008
Implementation Start
January 2009
Mid-term Review (if
July 2010
planned)
Implementation
July 2012
Completion
Project Objective: Sustainable land management systems that alleviate environmental degradation while improving livelihoods of the
farming communities of the CHZ are adopted
Compon
ents
SLM
model
developed
and
applied to
reduce
land
degradatio
n SIP IR
1
Ty
pe
TA
Expected Outcomes
Expected Outputs
GEF Fin
Co-fin
$
%
$
0.82
45
Total
Replicable models of SLM are
developed and representative
communities use them to manage
land in 15 villages of the central
highland that are representative of
the major agro-ecological zone for
Central highlands), reducing the rate
of land degradation.
SIP indicators –140,000 ha under
direct SLM (project area) and
another 2 million impacted by
upscaling: land degradation rate
reduced by 70% in project area;
biological productivity of land
(vegetation cover enhanced with
rainfall use efficiency) increased by
at least 75% in project area and by
at least 25-50% in adjacent areas. %
change in soil carbon in project area
and adjacent areas; at least 50 %
reduction in vulnerability and food
insecurity for communities in project
area
Sustainable models for agriculture,
grazing lands and forested lands
developed and piloted in 15
villages covering 140,000 ha;
Systems of incentives and penalties
are developed and applied at
multiple levels to further the
adoption of SLM practices;
Regulations and standards for land
redistribution of agricultural lands
under the 1994 Land Proclamation
are developed, approved and
applied; Community-based,
village-level land use planning and
land redistribution methodologies
are developed and piloted in 15
villages; alternative income
generating options piloted and
linked to markets in 15 villages;
Feedback from pilot villages used
to finalize the SLM model and an
extension package to facilitate
replication in 10 villages and
further in the country – potentially
over 2 million ha.
%
1
55
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PIF Template, August 27, 2007
1.82
Capacities
for
replicating
and
adapting
SLM
models
developed
and
applied to
halt land
degradatio
n SIP IR
1,3
TA
Capacity building programs and
adaptive management systems are
developed to support improved
governance of SLM, particularly
enabling grass root communities to
implement SLM: SIP indicators: at
least 50% increase in numbers of
trained farmers, land managers and
personnel in extension, (agriculture,
forestry and livestock); at least 40%
increase in quality, availability,
demand and use of SLM services
(from extensionists, commercial or
NGO providers) in targeted
communities; at least 30% increase
in SLM applications adopted by land
users.
Knowledg
e
managem
ent
systems
support
supports
mainstrea
ming
SLM into
national
policies SIP IR 2,
4 and 1
TA
A system of knowledge management
(KM) for SLM is developed and used
to mainstream SLM principles into
the regional and national
development programs, projects,
strategies, policies and legislation;
SIP indicators – at least 65% score
on Composite Index for the SLM
Enabling Environment against the
baseline; this includes policy
changes and availability of financial
resources to address SLM at national
level
Training programmes on SLM for
different groups (land managers,
technical officers) available and
training conducted in pilot site;
conditions for dissemination of the
extension package updated with
SLM best practice provided; SLM
awareness package for policy
makers available and being
implemented; input suppliers
strengthened to provide SLM
technologies (seeds, tools, etc.);
financial services providers
strengthened and links to markets
for SLM products provided;
strategy for adapting SLM to
climate change implemented;
carbon finance projects developed
and registered with the CDM
Knowledge management (KM)
network formed of institutions and
projects concerned with SLM in
the Central Highlands; capacity for
research on SLM supported; SLM
M&E established and linked to
SLM country program and SIP;
The national dialogue on
programmatic approach to SLM
and possible CSIF supported in
collaboration with the IFAD SLM
project, leading to SLM principles
integrated into the new national
land use policy; SLM is better
integrated into annual programs
and budgets at zoba and sub-zoba
levels for the Central Highlands;
Project management
Total costs
0.22
31
0.5
69
0.72
0.6
38
1
63
1.6
0.18
1.82
40
40
0.27
2.68
60
60
0.45
4.5
B. INDICATIVE FINANCING PLAN SUMMARY FOR THE PROJECT ($)
Project
Preparation*
GEF
Co-financing
Total
25,000
25,000
50,0001
Project
1,820,000
2,680,000
4,500,000
Agency Fee
180,000
180,000
Total
2,000,000*
2,680,000
4,680,000
C INDICATIVE Co-financing FOR THE PROJECT BY SOURCE AND BY NAME (IN PARENTHESIS) IF
AVAILABLE
1
The PDF from GEF 3 and therefore not included in the total project calculations.
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PIF Template, August 27, 2007
Co-financing Source
Cash
Project Government Contribution
GEF Agency
Bilateral Aid Agency (NORAD)
Bilateral Aid Agency - other
Private Sector
NGO
Total co-financing
In-kind
250,0
00
500,000
1,000,000
930,000
2,430,0
00
250,0
00
Total
250,000
500,000
1,000,00
0
930,000
0
0
2,680,00
0
D. GEF RESOURCES REQUESTED BY FOCAL AREA(S), AGENCY (IES) SHARE AND COUNTRY – N/A
PART II: PROJECT JUSTIFICATION
A. ISSUES,
PROPOSED SOLUTIONS AND EXPECTED GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS TO BE
DELIVERED:
1. Eritrea has serious water and wind erosion, manifested in the widespread degraded agricultural and other
landscapes. Land degradation is mostly manifested in the central and northern highland, with a degraded
area covering 2,420,380 hectares, constituting 19% of the country (NEMP, 1995). Research from Aydeful
indicate that the central highland AEZ loose between 2 and 25 tons of soil per ha annually under different
conditions. Crop yield per unit area of land has declined drastically, and the vegetation cover is decreasing
at an alarming rate. Water is becoming increasingly scarce. In most areas, peasants lack wood for fuel and
construction purposes. Many parts of the country have lost the top soil along with grass seeds and grass has
ceased to regenerate even after sufficient rainfall. As a consequence, livestock and wildlife population are
on the decline, and productive landscapes and natural flora and fauna are threatened. Yet natural resources
are central to the livelihoods of the rural populations in general with over 80% of the rural populations in the
country earning their living from economic activities related directly to the exploitation of land. This
dependency is particularly critical in the Central highland Ecological Zone, where 65% of the population
lives on 16% of the country’s total area. Food security is compromised compounding vulnerability due to
arid climate and recent droughts.
2. Land degradation in Eritrea is driven by a historical policy orientated towards exploitative use of the natural
resources particularly forests and a growing disequilibrium between evolving rural livelihoods and
sustainable land management practices. Poverty levels are high in the central highland zone. Here,
households cultivate on average 0.9 hectares of land. They have few options to diversify agricultural
production and are thus more susceptible to economic shocks and vulnerability to weather patterns and to
climatic change. The situation is worse for the poor with larger families and women headed households who
constitute about 30% of rural households.
3. The root causes of land degradation include inherently poor infertile and poorly developed soils,
inappropriate agricultural practices, poorly coordinated land use planning, overuse of many natural
resources manifested in overgrazed rangelands and deforested forests and woodlands, and limited
application of knowledge and technologies by farmers to enhance productivity. This is all further
exacerbated by an insecure land tenure system which acts as a disincentive to investing in sustainable
practices. There’s very little investment in erosion control measures and productivity declines after a few
cropping cycles. More land is cleared to compensate for the loss of productivity; leading to a vicious cycle
of clearing and abandoning land, further exposing it to wind and water erosion and fueling ecosystem
instability.
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4. Under poor agricultural practices, a variety of agronomic mal-practices have become more apparent: lack of
crop rotations, shortening or elimination of the fallow period, insufficient use of manure and inorganic
fertilizers, removal of the crop residues for fodder, and use of animal dung for fuel. Due to the general
shortage of grazing lands, crop residues are removed or grazed by livestock soon after harvest, causing
further nutrient mining and aggravating soil infertility. A ministry of agriculture study recently estimated
that farmers take about 90 % of the crop resides in order to feed their livestock. The multiple advantages of
crop residues (soil cover to reduce soil erosion, improve soil structure and increase soil fertility as they
decay) are lost and unfortunately no substitute management practices are put in place. MOA (2001) reports
indicate that, in the CHZ there is minimum or no use of fertilizers or other technologies in agriculture, due
to a combination of facts; poor access to extension and information, compounded by inaccessibility of input
markets (high costs and poor infrastructure). Lack of wood and existing traditional land tenure system is
stated as a main reason for not using cattle dung to fertilize their farm land (FAO 2000).
5. The traditional land tenure system particularly Diessa (where land is under village ownership and is
redistributed every 5-7 years) acts as a disincentive to investing in any form of long-term land improvement
practices. In addition it promotes high levels of land fragmentation, particularly in the densely populated
highlands. In order to arrest the further deterioration of land and to improve land use, the Government
promulgated a comprehensive land reform law in 1994. The new land law will permit the classification and
allocation of land on a more rational and scientific basis, avoiding fragmentation, and ensuring the
establishment of appropriately-sized reserves for woodlots, grazing, and communal, housing and urban
facilities. The policy is aimed at eliminating periodic redistribution, curtailing land disputes, enhancing
exclusivity and transferability rights. These measures should provide land owners with more secure land
rights, contributing to boosting long-tem investment, improved land husbandry and better environmental
conservation.
6. In addition to the land proclamation, the government also introduced Legal Notice No. 31/1997, which
provided the legal basis for methods of land allocation and land administration. This Legal Notice mandates
the Ministry of Land, Water and Environment, in collaboration with other ministries, to prepare land use and
area development plans. The preparation of land use plans at national, regional and sub-regional levels is
therefore critical to the introduction of any proper land management practices. However, although some
progress has been made towards the implementation of the provisions of the new Land Proclamation, no
usufruct rights over agricultural land have yet been allocated under it. The main barriers to implementing
the new land law are inadequate institutional capacity and technical limitations. Consequently, land tenure
in Eritrea is stalled in a transition phase where, in large part, traditional systems of land tenure continue in
sometimes modified form and the State has granted leasehold concessions to commercial ventures in some
parts of the country.
7. The government and the people of Eritrea are aware of the threat land degradation poses to national
development and have invested considerably in improved practices. Assisted by several development
partners, they have strived for an ideal long-term condition where Sustainable land management alleviates
environmental degradation while improving livelihoods of the farming communities. Under this ideal
condition, it is hoped that sustainable land management will overcome the challenge of reversing land
degradation while meeting increasing demands on the land for national development, such that better
managed land is the basis for ecosystems to provide services (regulating, provisioning, supporting, and
cultural) and for meeting national development needs.
8. There are however several barriers that prevent the achievement of this ideal condition; there is inadequate
capacity to implement the new land policy which would improve land tenure considerably and provide
incentives for some level of investment in long-term improvement practices. In addition, there are no proven
SLM models that can address the current set of complex suite of root causes to halt land degradation while
meeting increased demands on the land. This has constrained the effectiveness of the limited extension
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PIF Template, August 27, 2007
service which is still using outdated material, inadvertently becoming agents of land degradation. This
barrier is compounded by very poorly developed human and institutional capacities for SLM research,
planning and governance amongst technical staff, communal authorities and village leaders. The institutions
are weak in terms of mandates, shortage of technical staff and have limited funding for research. Present
SLM efforts are uncoordinated and fragmented, and there is no system for capturing and disseminating
lessons learned and best practices for sustainable land management. Inadequate data and information (in
terms of quality, quantity and access) constrain decision making and the knowledge needed for effective
practice of integrated land and natural resources management. It is the lack of knowledge on the
methodology, financial and human resources that has for example delayed the implementation of the 1994
land proclamation, which proposed a new land tenure system.
9. The project is designed to undertake pilot, scalable activities to overcome these barriers and reverse land
degradation, particularly by piloting the implementation of the land proclamation as a model for sustainable
land management. It will identify institutional arrangements and capacities necessary for the successful
implementation of the land proclamation and pilot implementation in the Central highlands. Using 15
villages in the Central highlands, the project will strengthen the institutional and human resources capacity
to improve sustainable land management planning and implementation and demonstrate innovative
practices, including indigenous management systems. It will strengthen policy, regulatory and economic
incentive frameworks to facilitate wider adoption of the land tenure proclamation and therefore sustainable
land management practices across sectors. It will introduce appropriate land management practices and
promote alternative livelihoods to reduce pressure on natural resources and broaden income base for
households thereby reducing vulnerability. Working together with the IFAD supported project and other
development partners the project will ensure that tested locally appropriate sustainable land management
models applicable to the Central Highland are systematically integrated into regional and national
development policies, strategies, and programs. In addition, capacity of SLM service providers will be
strengthened to ensure that demand for services will be met sustainably. Once the model has been finalized,
it will be replicated in similar villages, communes and districts.
10. Global benefits: The project will contribute significantly to the development of SLM models based on
improving land governance as an incentive for SLM that will orient future initiatives under the SIP and LD
Focal Area. Implementation of the model will increase soil fertility, stabilize cropping and reduce soil
erosion in the highlands and other areas. This will create better conditions for more vegetative cover on the
land. Reduced soil erosion will protect water sources and reduce nutrient loading in the red sea and other
water bodies, while improved soil quality and vegetation cover will provide better carbon sequestration
services. The long-term goal is to ensure that the sustainable management of lands and resources in Eritrea
provides a resilient base for ecosystem integrity, stability and functions that support provision of services
and goods to both the environment and the population in perpetuity.
B
CONSISTENCY OF PROJECT WITH NATIONAL PRIORITIES/PLANS
11. The project will make tangible contributions to a number of national action plans and programs focusing on
poverty reduction, environmental management, and food security, and contribute to the improvement of
synergies and compatibility amongst the action plans and programs. Under its Interim-Poverty Reduction
Strategy Paper (I-PRSP), the government of Eritrea has formulated a comprehensive economic revival
program aimed at reinvigorating economic growth. The I-PRSP recognizes that the achievement of rapid,
broad-based and sustainable growth and poverty reduction requires enhanced investment in sectors such as
in agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing and tourism, where Eritrea has a comparative advantage. Focus has
been given to increased farm productivity by introducing modern farming techniques and sustainable land
management methods. The adoption of soil conservation measures is identified as one of the priority
measures necessary to improve soil fertility and productivity. The GoE agricultural sector review conducted
in 2001/02 recognized the importance of agriculture to the reduction of poverty, to the enhancement of
national food security to increased exports earnings and as a support for industrialization.
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PIF Template, August 27, 2007
12. The sector review identifies limited water resources availability – emanating from deficiencies in storage
capacity and poor on-farm water use efficiency, lack of application of modern and appropriate farming
techniques, poor marketing channels and limited access to credit as some of the critical challenges facing the
sector. The National Environment Action Plan for Eritrea (NEMP-E) adopted in 1995, provides the basic
policy for action in the environment sector and lays out a strategy for action on conservation activities. Its
guiding principles include the strategic importance of conserving natural resources and maintaining
environmental quality as part of the national economic growth and development process. Local
involvement, equitable sharing of costs and benefits, sustainable land management and integrated, multiple
use planning of natural resources are other principles developed under the NEMP-E. The project focuses on
mitigating the causes and effects of land degradation through institutional strengthening and sustainable land
management interventions while contributing to poverty alleviation and improving local livelihoods and
economic well-being.
13. The project will support in implementing the 1994 proclamation on land tenure in the pilot area which is
expected to create incentives to farmers to invest in land improvement owing to secured tenure rights. The
project conforms to the vision, objectives and identified priority areas for immediate action of the NAP for
combating desertification and mitigating impact of drought. Interventions for the project have emerged from
the priorities identified within the NAP. The project addresses many of the goals of global environmental
conventions, including United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
C. CONSISTENCY OF PROJECT WITH GEFSEC STRATEGIES AND STRATEGIC PROGRAMMES
14. The project will address the barriers to SLM and alleviate the effects of land degradation on the functional
and structural integrity of arid lands in Eritrea. As part of the GEF Strategic Investment Program for SLM
in Sub-Saharan Africa (SIP), the project will contribute to the SIP’s Goal, by contributing to reduce land
degradation in Eritrea. This will support the country in improving its natural resource based livelihoods.
More specifically, the project will foster system-wide change through the removal of policy, institutional,
technical, capacity and financial barriers to SLM, in line with the LD SO 1, 2 and 3. It will build capacity
for achievement of SIP Intermediate Result 1: SLM applications on the ground are scaled up in countrydefined priority agro-ecological zones. It will work directly towards Intermediate Result 2: effective and
inclusive dialogue and advocacy on SLM strategic priorities, enabling conditions, and delivery mechanisms
established and ongoing. It will contribute to Intermediate results 3 and 4: Commercial and advisory
services for SLM are strengthened and readily available to land users, and Targeted knowledge generated
and disseminated; monitoring and evaluation systems established and strengthened at all levels
respectively.
D.
COORDINATION WITH OTHER INITIATIVES
15. GEF-SIP support in Eritrea is channeled through two partner agencies in the country, UNDP and the IFAD,
together promoting a strategic package of investment designed to catalyze SLM scale up, build operational
alliances, and improve enabling environments. IFAD is focusing on the upland watersheds linked to priority
production zones, while the UNDP is working in the central highlands where land degradation has reached
critical levels. Both interventions address local institutions to improve the enabling conditions for SLM upscaling. The Government of Eritrea, with assistance from the Global Mechanism, IFAD and other SIP
Partners is in the process of forming a National SLM Platform (comprising of a multi-sectoral and multistakeholder National Steering Committee and Technical Committee, and supported by a Secretariat). This
Platform will oversee and coordinate the development and implementation of the National Framework for
SLM, which this project will be a part. The SLM platform will also be a critical tool for coordinating all
other development partners support to SLM, through the national level dialogue process which will support
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PIF Template, August 27, 2007
the government to adopt a coordinated programmatic approach to SLM articulated in a CSIF (Country
Strategic Investment Framework). This project will coordinate very closely with other partners investing in
SLM through the Platform. The project will also coordinate closely with other GEF initiatives, particularly
the developing GEF Biodiversity and IFAD’s Catchments and Landscape Management projects to ensure no
duplication.
E. RISKS INCLUDING CLIMATE CHANGE AND RISK MANAGEMENT MEASURES TO BE UNDERTAKEN
16. There are several risks that may prevent the proposed project from achieving its objectives: at the national
level, competing priorities that may alter the political and financial support given to SLM; potentially slow
pace of achieving the conditions needed to progress with alignment and harmonization, and challenges faced
in engaging in programmatic approaches: at the local level, the local economies may be slow in
demonstrating economic returns on SLM investments thereby promoting short term decisions of survival
over investment into good practices by both land managers and their leaders, resource users may therefore
reduce their commitment to SLM and some groups and agencies may be unwilling to participate proactively
in knowledge management processes. At both scales there are risks associated to climate change, that may
undermine the gains made from SLM related investments, and/or may render proposed
strategies/technologies for pursuing SLM obsolete.
17. National level risks will be mitigated by continuous policy dialogue with the Government and other
Development Partners. The Government has expressed commitment towards a more programmatic approach
to address land degradation. GEF partners have agreed to align and support the implementation of a more
programmatic approach to SLM scale-up. Risks associated to climate change will be mitigated by
integrating climate change concerns and adaptation issues into the formulation and implementation of SLM
strategies and activities. The proposed project will indeed provide the government with an additional tool
to address the root causes of climate change (through, for instance, increased carbon sequestration) and
reduce the negative effects of climate change. At local level, the project will work closely with the civil
society organizations and local leaders to help build national and community support for SLM. Training
programmes will aim to maximize human resources for SLM. By enhancing natural resource management,
the project will enhance the economic and other benefits flowing from the natural resource base and thus
stimulate a stronger commitment to SLM. This will be supported by work on sustainable economic options
and linkages to markets. The project will demonstrate the benefits of participating in SLM knowledge
management and will make such participation easy and attractive for all stakeholders.
F.
INCREMENTAL RESONING
18. Without the GEF investment, unsustainable agricultural practices and deforestation will continue to threaten
ecosystem integrity and function in Eritrea. Resource management will continue with the current level of
poor policies, inadequate policy implementation, poverty and population pressure. Further reduction in
productivity, loss of biodiversity (as well as agro biodiversity) and loss of household income will continue
to aggravate overall poverty and further diminishes the livelihood base of million’s of people who depend
on the natural resources for their survival. The risks of increased land degradation are therefore substantial
if nothing is done.
19. The GEF alternative is to increase the effectiveness of land management by strengthening incentives for
sustainable land management, particularly land tenure and the required technical and institutional capacities.
This will complement the considerable effort by government and its development partners currently being
directed at improving land management practices and improving agriculture as the basis of economic
development. The GEF investment will ensure global environmental benefits by improving ability of the
soil and vegetation to sequester carbon and reducing soil erosion and the related nutrient loading of water
bodies.
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G.
COST EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROJECT
20. An analysis of past and ongoing experiences and lessons learned shows clear evidence that land degradation
can be reversed through sustainable land management. This project will focus on addressing the key barriers
identified through the development of SLM models and governance systems in targeted communities. The
development of knowledge management for SLM will be accomplished in an integrated and collaborative
manner working with other field partners and donor programs across the Central Highland. The Project will
work within Toker catchment, which is representative of ecological and socio-economic conditions of the
Central Highlands Agro-ecological Zone. It will be implemented within fifteen villages within the Sub-Zoba
Serejeka in Zoba Maakel administrative unit, and replicated in another 10 villages, putting nearly 1 million
ha of land under SLM and affecting millions of people. At the operational level, project implementation
arrangements will minimize bureaucracy, administrative and managerial wastage, and follow UNDP
standard rules and procedures for procurement and recruitment. A cost effectiveness appraisal will be made
prior to final approval by the executing agency. The project will build local capacity for replicating and
adapting the new participatory management models; the most cost-effective approach for ensuring the
sustainability and replicability of the project.
21.
H. COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE OF GEF AGENCY:
22. This is a national capacity building project for which UNDP has considerable comparative advantage.
PART III: APPROVAL/ENDORSEMENT BY GEF OPERATIONAL FOCAL POINT(S) AND GEF
AGENCY(IES)
A. RECORD OF ENDORSEMENT OF GEF OPERATIONAL FOCAL POINT (S) ON BEHALF OF THE
GOVERNMENT(S): (Please attach the country endorsement letter(s) or regional endorsement letter(s) with
this template).
Mogos, Wolde Yohannis. DG, Environment
Date: Feb 27th 2007
(Enter Name, Position, Ministry)
Date: (Month, day, year)
B. GEF AGENCY CERTIFICATION
This request has been prepared in accordance with GEF policies and procedures and meets the GEF
criteria for project identification and preparation.
Yannick Glemarec
UNDP GEF Executive Coordinator
Date: 9 January 2008
Project Contact Person:
UNDP - Veronica Muthui, RTA - SLM Pretoria.
Tel: +27 12 354 8124
Email:veronica.muthui@undp.org
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