IEE_Approved_Hay_Tao_Specific_17JUN2016.pdf

FACESHEET

INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EXAMINATION

Activity/Project Title: Madagascar Conservation and Communities Project (CCP)

SOAG #: 687-006

Contract/Award Number (if known):

Geographic Location : Madagascar

Originating Bureau: USAID/AFR

Supplemental IEE: Yes No

Amendment: Yes No

Programmatic IEE: Yes No

DCN and date of Original document: N/A

DCN and ECD link(s) of Amendment(s): N/A

Amendment No.: N/A

Funding Amount: Life of Project Amount:

Implementation Start/End: June 1, 2016 – September 30, 2021

Date Submitted: 2 June 2016

Prepared By: Tiana Razafimahatratra, MEO/USAID/Madagascar trazafimahatratra@usaid.gov, and Diana Shannon, Regional Environment Officer dshannon@usaid.gov Expiration Date: 30 September 2021 Reporting due dates (if any):

Environmental Media and/or Human Health Potentially Impacted (check all that apply):

None Air Water Land Biodiversity Human Health Other

Recommended Threshold Determination (check all that apply):

Negative Determination with conditions

Categorical Exclusion

Positive Determination

Deferral

Exemption

USG Domestic NEPA action

Additional Elements

Conditions EMMP ESF/ERR WQAP Pesticides Other_________

Climate Change:

GCC/Adaption GCC/Mitigation Climate Change Vulnerability Analysis (to be completed)

Adaptation/Mitigation Measures: See Section 3.2 for a “marker” on E.O. 13677 on Climate-Resilient International Development and Climate Vulnerability Assessment., intended under Activity 2: Hay Tao - Enhanced Enabling Conditions for Biodiversity Conservation.

Other Relevant Environmental Compliance Documentation

• Initial Environmental Examination, Strategic Objective 6: Biologically Diverse Forest Ecosystems (2003-2008), http://gemini.info.usaid.gov/egat/envcomp/repository/pdf/823.pdf

• Request for Categorical Exclusion - Securing Biodiversity and Combating Illegal Logging in Madagascar mailto:trazafimahatratra@usaid.gov mailto:dshannon@usaid.gov http://gemini.info.usaid.gov/egat/envcomp/repository/pdf/823.pdf

PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE IEE:

The purpose of this Initial Environmental Examination (IEE), in accordance with 22 CFR 216, is to provide the first review of the reasonably foreseeable effects on the environment, as well as recommended Threshold Decisions, for Madagascar’s Conservation and Communities Project (CCP).

The objective of the CCP is to conserve biodiversity and secure natural resources while promoting resilient livelihoods. The expected results of the CCP are (1) Targeted ecosystems sustainably managed through improved community-based natural resource management and better protected area management, (2) Human well-being improved near selected areas of high biodiversity value through economic development and social support programs that help protect biodiversity, and (3) Decentralized natural resource governance enhanced through more effective environmental policy, tenure security, and civil society engagement.

The project will then support the protection of Madagascar’s natural capital, a fundamental component of the country’s sustainable development. The project will accomplish this through improved conservation of the country’s unique biodiversity, promotion of resilient livelihoods to provide alternatives to unsustainable natural resource management practices, and concrete actions to secure effective local management and ownership of natural resources.

The CCP will be implemented through two principal activities: (1) Mikajy, which means “taking good care of” in Malagasy, a site-based program to improve management of targeted areas of High Biodiversity Value through support for communities located near protected areas and in areas suitable for community-based natural resource management of landscapes and seascapes, and (2) Hay Tao, meaning “know how” in Malagasy, for a knowledge management program to

(July 1, 2013 – June 30, 2015), http://gemini.info.usaid.gov/egat/envcomp/repository/pdf/39352.pdf

• Request for Categorical Exclusion Amendment 1, 2 and 3, Preserving Madagascar’s Natural Resources (October 23, 2013 – September 30, 2015/December 31, 2015/September 30, 2016), http://gemini.info.usaid.gov/egat/envcomp/repository/pdf/39530.pdf

• United States Peace Corps: Small Project Assistance (SPA) FY 12-17 http://gemini.info.usaid.gov/egat/envcomp/document.php?doc_id=39225

Non-cash benefits activities of CCP coordinate with activities with those already implemented under existing IEEs for the Health Sector Portfolio (HPN) and the Food Security and Disaster Assistance Project (FSDA). Activities coordinated with these programs must be compliant with the determinations and conditions of the applicable governing IEE as noted below. Refer to determinations and conditions in the:

• Madagascar DCHA/FFP FSDA FARARANO and ASOTRY program IEEs, http://gemini.info.usaid.gov/egat/envcomp/repository/pdf/44346.pdf

• Madagascar HPN IEE (FY14) that includes Water Sanitation and Hygiene activities, http://gemini.info.usaid.gov/egat/envcomp/document.php?doc_id=39526

• TCCC/USAID Water and Development Alliance (WADA) Global Development Alliance.

http://gemini.info.usaid.gov/egat/envcomp/repository/pdf/38576.pdf. Valid through the end of WADA I, August 30, 2017.

http://gemini.info.usaid.gov/egat/envcomp/repository/pdf/39352.pdf http://gemini.info.usaid.gov/egat/envcomp/repository/pdf/39530.pdf http://gemini.info.usaid.gov/egat/envcomp/document.php?doc_id=39225 http://gemini.info.usaid.gov/egat/envcomp/repository/pdf/44346.pdf http://gemini.info.usaid.gov/egat/envcomp/document.php?doc_id=39526 http://gemini.info.usaid.gov/egat/envcomp/repository/pdf/38576.pdf provide important training and policy support related to managing biodiversity resources, building the capacity of key institutions, and securing natural resource tenure rights.

This IEE addresses the entire portfolio of activities anticipated under the CCP. All proposed activities have a primary purpose of biodiversity conservation.

SUMMARY OF PROGRAM ACTIVITIES AND RECOMMENDED THRESHOLD

DECISIONS

The following table summarizes the recommended determinations for the program/project per the intervention categories established by the IEE for purposes of environmental review. The entailed activity descriptions, analysis of potential environmental impacts, and activity-by-activity determinations and conditions appear in Section 3 of the attached IEE.

Intervention Category Categorical Exclusion(s)

Negative Determination(s)

Positive Determination

Deferral of Threshold Decision

1. Mikajy - Conserving Madagascar’s Biodiverse Landscapes and Seascapes

To be provided with the upcoming Mikajy solicitation

2. Hay Tao - Enhanced Enabling Conditions for Biodiversity Conservation

a. Support capacity building for Protected Area (PA) management and Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) in Mikajy sites

b. Improve land tenure and environmental policies to protect biodiversity (National level)

c. Improve availability and use of data for management and decision making

3. Provide Small Project Grants to Peace Corps and other local organizations

(w/ conditions)

4. Mobilize expertise from other programs and/or partners

(w/ conditions)

SUMMARY OF GENERAL PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING

REQUIREMENTS

USAID and the implementing partners (IPs) must fully implement the general implementation and monitoring requirements specified in Section 4 of the attached IEE. In summary, the implementation and monitoring requirements include:

• Briefings on environmental compliance responsibilities;

• Development and implementation of environmental mitigation and monitoring plans

(EMMPs);

• Submission of annual reporting via an Environmental Mitigation and Management

Report (EMMR);

• Integration of compliance responsibilities in prime and sub-contracts and grant agreements;

• Assurance of sub-grantee and sub-contractor capacity and compliance;

• USAID team monitoring responsibility - monitoring and evaluation;

• New or modified activities; and,

• Compliance with host country requirements.

Section 4 of the IEE also establishes the responsibilities of the AOR/COR/Activity Manager.

The full narrative IEE is attached as an annex to this Approval Document.

INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EXAMINATION

Conservation and Communities Project

Madagascar

PROGRAM/ACTIVITY DATA:

Program/Activity Number: TBD Program/Activity Title: Conservation and Communities Project Country/Region: Madagascar

USG Foreign Assistance Framework:

Functional Objective: Economic growth Program Areas: 4.8 Environment Program Elements: 4.8.1 Natural resources and Biodiversity

Period Covered: October 1, 2016 – September 30, 2021

Life of Project Amount:

1.0 BACKGROUND AND ACTIVITY/PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

1.1 Purpose and Scope of IEE

The purpose of this Initial Environmental Examination (IEE), in accordance with 22 CFR 216, is to provide the first review of the reasonably foreseeable effects on the environment, as well as recommended Threshold Decisions, for Madagascar’s Conservation and Communities Project (CCP).

The project will support the protection of Madagascar’s natural capital, a fundamental component of the country’s sustainable development. The project will accomplish this through improved conservation of the country’s unique biodiversity, promotion of resilient livelihoods to provide alternatives to unsustainable natural resource management practices, and concrete actions to secure effective local management and ownership of natural resources.

This IEE addresses the entire portfolio of activities anticipated under the CCP. All proposed activities have a primary purpose of biodiversity conservation.

1.2 Background

Madagascar is one of the world’s, and USAID’s, highest-priority countries for biodiversity conservation due to the many types of plants and animals found here (high biological diversity), a large percentage of which are found nowhere else on earth (high rate of endemism). The country is designated as Tier One under USAID’s Biodiversity Policy. However, Madagascar’s ability to maintain its biodiversity is rapidly diminishing due to damage to landscapes and seascapes that is linked to unsustainable livelihood activities, overexploitation of natural resources, and weak governance.

The USAID/Madagascar Conservation and Communities Project (CCP) contributes to the achievement of the goal 3 of the primary objectives of the U.S. Government’s Integrated Country Strategy (ICS): “The Malagasy and Comorian people benefit from improved social, economic, and environmental wellbeing and build their resilience to climate change and natural disasters.”1 The objective of the CCP is to conserve biodiversity and secure natural resources while promoting resilient livelihoods. The expected results of the CCP, which track closely with the ICS, are (1) Targeted ecosystems sustainably managed through improved community-based natural resource management and better protected area management, (2) Human well-being improved near selected areas of high biodiversity value through economic development and social support programs that help protect biodiversity, and (3) Decentralized natural resource governance enhanced through more effective environmental policy, tenure security, and civil society engagement.

To contribute to the Government of Madagascar’s (GoM’s) national priority of conserving biodiversity for sustainable, resilient development, the CCP is fully aligned with GoM policies and strategies, as well as other donors’ and conservation organizations’ programs. The CCP integrates with USAID’s existing work in Health, Population, and Nutrition (HPN) and Food Security and Disaster Assistance (FSDA), and relies on close coordination with other USG initiatives. Its work will fully support all relevant USAID policies, including the USAID Biodiversity Policy, gender equality and female empowerment, the Climate Change and Development Strategy, and USAID Forward, as well as the Executive Order 13677 on Climate Resilient International Development.

1.3 Development Objective Framework

An overview of the USAID/Madagascar Development objective Framework is presented below.

The purpose of the CCP is: To conserve biodiversity and secure natural resources while promoting resilient livelihoods.

The Theory of Change indicates that to achieve the Project Purpose, a Results Framework comprised of three intermediate result areas (IRs) must be achieved. Each IR includes two or

1 Note: The Union of the Comoros is only included in Goal 3 for the purposes of disaster response and for some limited State Department assistance in that country. No other USAID non-disaster response resources, including biodiversity resources, will be used in the Comoros.

three sub-IRs that the project will seek to achieve. A summary of the IRs and Sub-IRs in the Results Framework is provided below:

IR1: Targeted ecosystems sustainably managed through improved community-based natural resource management and better protected area management

1.1: Management of targeted protected areas enhanced through effective engagement of neighboring communities, government, and non-governmental partners 1.2: Community-based natural resource management improved in targeted ecosystems of High Biodiversity Value 1.3: Innovative financing mechanisms leveraged for improved management of biodiversity in targeted areas

IR2. Human wellbeing improved near selected areas of High Biodiversity Value through economic development and social support programs that help protect biodiversity

2.1 Community-based, market-driven livelihood and conservation activities expanded

2.2 Leveraging of USAID or other development programs increased for food security and health benefits to targeted communities near areas of High Biodiversity Value

IR3. Decentralized natural resource governance enhanced through more effective environmental policy, tenure security, and civil society engagement

3.1 Decentralized landscape/seascape management and natural resource tenure regimes strengthened

3.2 Civil society capacity improved in support of effective advocacy on decentralized natural resource governance and protection of natural resource tenure rights

Cross-cutting activities

The long-term conservation and development success of CCP also is contingent upon three additional cross-cutting factors that are included in the Results Framework and addressed under each of the three IRs for the program. These are as follows:

• Application of climate adaptation and resilience measures: conservation interventions must be informed by climate resilience considerations to sustainably protect biodiversity.

• Promotion of gender-sensitive and youth-inclusive approaches: inclusion of gender and youth considerations in program planning and implementation will promote more effective stakeholder engagement and help greatly in achieving project goals.

• Introduction of science and technology innovations to improve management, reduce oversight costs, and enhance accountability.

1.4 Summary of Activities and Implementation Mechanisms

The CCP will cover activities implemented during the period 2016-2021.

The CCP encompasses two primary activities: the first will be a site based conservation activity named Mikajy, which means “taking good care of” in Malagasy, that will work to reduce threats to targeted protected areas and High Biodiversity Value (HBV) ecosystems through improved management, increased economic opportunities, access to social services, and support for natural resource tenure and property rights. The second activity named Hay Tao, meaning “know how” in Malagasy, will assist development partners, including the Ministry of Environment, Ecology, and Forests (MEEF), to enhance the enabling conditions and policy frameworks supporting improved management of biodiversity resources, enhanced natural resource tenure security, and effective civil society engagement.

Activity 2: Hay Tao - Enhanced Enabling Conditions for Biodiversity Conservation

The objective of USAID Madagascar’s Hay Tao activity is to promote the enabling conditions for biodiversity conservation.

The knowledge management activity, Hay Tao, will assist development partners, including the Ministry of Environment, Ecology, and Forests (MEEF), to (1) utilize a protected areas system data portal to improve policy/decision-making and implement more effective law enforcement initiatives; (2) enhance the enabling conditions and policy frameworks in support of improved biodiversity protection and management; (3) increase training opportunities to ensure competency for managers of areas of High Biodiversity Value (HBV); (4) promote greater investment opportunities for conservation-friendly enterprises and land management systems; (5) improve information systems to measure changes in the quality and quantity of biodiversity resources and ecosystems services derived from them; (6) assist partners in securing decentralized natural resource tenure and property rights; and (7) support civil society’s role in support of CBNRM and local natural resource and land rights for local communities.

2.0 BASELINE INFORMATION AND APPLICABLE HOST COUNTRY

REQUIREMENTS

2.1 Locations Affected

This five-year project will be implemented in 2017 – 2021, and will seek to achieve the project objective and goals by working in the results areas outlined above. However, while environmental degradation and species loss are serious issues across Madagascar, the Mission recognizes that attempting to improve this situation everywhere at once is not within its manageable interests (see ADS 200). Therefore, the Mission conducted a rigorous review of possible options for structuring this project in light of USAID’s Biodiversity Policy, and selected a limited number of geographical focal areas according to the following criteria:

1. Areas where high biodiversity and endemism are seriously jeopardized by threats;

2. Areas where other USAID activities (HPN and FSDA) are active and thus offer opportunities for integration with biodiversity conservation;

3. Areas where either the existence or absence of other donor programs in support of biodiversity conservation goals present excellent opportunities for USAID engagement;

and

4. Areas where previous USAID projects were conducted in order to build on prior investments.

After serious consideration of these factors, additional research and analysis, and extensive consultations with governmental and non-governmental entities involved in biodiversity conservation, as well as a review of USAID’s expected biodiversity conservation budget and staff resources, the Mission has prioritized the following four geographies:

1. MAMABAIE Landscape and Seascape: Located in the northeast, the MAMABAIE complex includes Masoala National Park, Makira Natural Park, and the marine ecosystem of Antongil Bay. It contains 10% of the remaining tropical rainforests of Madagascar, which are home to lemurs and other endangered species, as well as important coral reefs, mangroves and wetlands in and around Antongil Bay, a breeding ground and nursery area for humpback whales. In addition, the marine areas of this region contain 13 species of sharks, as well as several species of marine turtles, dugongs, and dolphins, making this area potentially one of Madagascar’s leading tourist attractions. This zone provides important ecological functions, including water provision and carbon sequestration. The biodiversity of this zone also plays a critical socio-economic role for the local population. Because of the increased illegal timber extraction in this zone, and the adjacent Sava region, USAID is currently active here under the Preserving Madagascar Natural Resources (SCAPES) activity, which will end in September 2016.

2. Fandriana-Vondrozo Forest Corridor (COFAV): Located in the hilly escarpment of eastern Madagascar, this is the last vestige of the rainforests that once covered much of the southeast of the country. It connects Ranomafana and Andringitra National Parks and the Pic d’Ivohibe Special Reserve. The corridor’s rich and highly endemic biodiversity includes 17 species of lemurs, 110 species of amphibians, 94 species of birds and 800 species of plants. This rich biodiversity attracts researchers and tourists alike. It also provides important ecological functions including water provision and carbon sequestration, in addition to serving a critical socio-economic role for the local population. COFAV provides critical linkages between ecosystems of northern and southern Madagascar. However, as the corridor becomes more degraded, this essential interconnectivity is at risk of being permanently destroyed, which would result in an increased extinction rate of many of the species that inhabit this area.

3. Atsimo-Andrefana Landscape and Seascape: The dry and mangrove forests, wetlands, and marine and coastal areas of the Atsimo-Andrefana Landscape include the Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve and several new protected areas, giving it great potential to become a prime tourist destination. It is home to many types of plants and animals including lemurs, birds, sea turtles and terrestrial tortoises, which are critically threatened due to collection for the pet trade. Moreover, its seascapes of marine protected areas and bays (Salary Bay, St. Augustin Bay, and others) provide important resources and ecosystem services to the local population, including mangrove forests that supply food, wood, and protection against cyclones, thus making local communities more resilient to climate change; marine areas that provide fish and other seafood species; wetlands that regulate water supplies; and dry forests that offer a range of natural resources and carbon sequestration values. Important biodiversity includes 185 species of fish including the endangered humphead wrasse, 321 coral species, and the critically-endangered hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) and spider tortoise (Pyxis arachnoides). Main threats are destructive fishing practices, overfishing, unsustainable mangrove exploitation, hunting, poaching, unsustainable use of non-timber forest products, and charcoal production.

4. Menabe Landscape and Seascape: This region on the central western coast is comprised of dry forests with unique biodiversity and high endemism including baobabs, lemurs, tortoises, and birds, as well as wetlands and coastal areas harboring mangrove forests where community-based crab farming takes place in collaboration with the private sector.

It includes the emblematic Allée des Baobabs (an important iconic tourism attraction) and other protected areas such as Menabe-Antimena and Kirindy-Mitea (which includes a marine protected area). The Menabe-Antimena protected area alone contains 126 bird species, 40 reptile species, 200 amphibian species, and 200 coral reef fish species. The Malagasy giant rat (Hypogeomys antimena) and Madame Berthe’s mouse lemur (Microcebus berthae) are among the locally endemic and endangered wildlife found there. The natural systems of this zone provide important ecological functions including water provision and carbon sequestration, in addition to critical socio-economic values for the local population. Important threats to biodiversity are many, including slash-and-burn agriculture (the main threat to the dry forest), illegal logging, wildlife poaching (especially lemurs), and over-fishing.

5. Anosy Landscape and Seascape: Located in the southeast with Andohahela, Mandena, and Forêt de Tsitongambarika protected areas as core zones. Key ecosystems and species targeted include spiny forests, humid rainforests, coral reefs, beaches, marine and coastal areas, lemurs, tortoises, and other endangered species. The rainforest areas in this zone is home to 27 species of mammals, 56 species of amphibians, 70 species of reptiles, 104 species of birds and over 1000 species of plants. This unique region is the only selected zone that is home to both humid rainforests and spiny forests, making its species richness particularly important. There are also important remaining stands of coastal rainforest on the east side of this area. This zone provides important ecological functions including water provision and carbon sequestration, in addition to critical socio-economic values for the local population.

These eco-regions have been defined as potential USAID focus areas. Their specific boundaries are not definitive, but rather flexible and may change over time depending on evolution of the actual landscape interventions employed. The geographical focus will not apply for overall institutional capacity building, however, development activities though targeted zones will be included in and directly benefit from them. In addition, CCP will provide some scope for investment in exceptional targets of opportunity located outside of these zones provided that these interventions can benefit activities undertaken in the priority geographies in a concrete and timely manner.

2.2 Madagascar Physical and Socio-Economic Profile

Madagascar is one of the world and USAID’s highest-priority countries for conservation due to:

• Its incredible variety of plant and animal species (high biological diversity). Madagascar is home to 5 percent of the world’s plants and animals yet makes up just 0.4 percent of the world’s landmass.2 There are more unique species of plants and animals in Madagascar than on the entire African continent.3 Eighty percent of its plant and animal species are species found nowhere else (a high rate of endemism); therefore, a hectare of forest lost in Madagascar has a greater adverse impact on global biodiversity than one lost anywhere else on Earth.

• The severity of threats to biodiversity, including rapid population growth and high demand for land and resources; destructive slash and burn agriculture and mining practices; illegal logging; and the harvesting of threatened plant and animal species - all of which can be linked to weak governance and corruption.

Madagascar’s unique and fragile environment is home to one of the poorest populations in the world, which is regularly devastated by destructive cyclones, droughts, locusts, food insecurity and stagnant economic growth linked to political instability. The country ranked 154 out of 188 countries in the 2015 Human Development Index and 175 out of 188 countries in terms of GDP per capita. Per capita income is only $440/year.4 The proportion of people living below the

2 USAID/Madagascar, Update to Environmental Threats and Opportunities Assessment, September 2014 3 Nature Communications Article, Oct 2014 4 World Bank, 2014 http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2014/141009/ncomms6046/full/ncomms6046.html international poverty line increased from 70.9 percent in 2001 to 87.7 percent in 2015,5 indicating that political instability undermined economic progress for the majority of the population during much of that decade.

The national poverty rate climbs even higher in rural areas,6 where more than two-thirds of the population resides. Natural areas serve ecological functions and provide resources that are crucial to the well-being of many people. More than 25 percent of GDP in the country is based on agriculture, fishing, and forestry, and these activities employ more than 80 percent of the population; therefore, the natural resource base must be maintained for Madagascar to develop economically. With such a large proportion of the population directly depending on natural resources for their livelihoods, the human-environment balance is vital yet precarious. In addition, the country has paid the price for political instability; in 2009, tourism dropped by more than 50 percent compared with the previous year subsequent to the political crisis, and as a result investors began decreasing investment. 7

Madagascar’s approaches for income generation have focused on micro-scale enterprises, which ultimately fail to meet either their livelihood or biodiversity conservation objectives. Often, these enterprises engage limited numbers of families or communities (predominantly mature male heads of household) and are based on an incomplete understanding of the relationship between the enterprise and other contextual drivers, or are based on faulty or incomplete market and value-chain analyses. Therefore, approaches should: (1) demonstrate the potential to realistically and meaningfully improve the livelihoods of communities, including women and youth; and (2) be based on rigorous market and value-chain analyses which demonstrate feasibility and potential for scalability or replication.

Gender relations in Madagascar present unique challenges to CCP’s goal of ensuring that natural resource management becomes more equitable and empowering to women. Women’s access to land is compromised and their role minimized or marginalized in public discussions, community decision-making and governance, and control of household resources. Culture and tradition tend to favor the education of males over females, and as a result, more women are illiterate and impoverished. This is particularly evident in rural areas, given that rural women generally are less educated and more affected by customary law, control less income, and are more likely to have lower socio-political status than men. Additionally, women are significantly underrepresented in Madagascar’s political parties and are rarely elected as high-level political leaders.

However, women often face particular challenges in accessing the forest and fishery resources they need. Differences in the ways men and women understand and use forests and fisheries mean natural resource policies can result in significant gender-differentiated impacts that oftentimes put women at a disadvantage. Women’s lack of secure access to forest and fishery resources can lead to a variety of inequities, including limited decision-making power; more vulnerability for women who are unmarried, divorced, or widowed; and greater likelihood that

5 World Bank, 2015 6 Madagascar Country Environmental Assessment, World Bank; 2013 7 World Fact Book, 2014 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/05/17759163/madagascar-country-environmental-analysis-cea-taking-stock-moving-forward forest or fisheries conservation schemes like REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) or Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs) will not benefit women and men equitably. Failure to engage and include women can, therefore, lead to unsuccessful efforts to protect biodiversity.

Youth concerns are also an important consideration given that over half the population in under the age of 25. All over the country youth experience high rates of unemployment and underemployment. Many youth have also received poor social services historically, particularly during the coup period from 2009-2014, and educational attainment and health statistics reflect this fact. Youth in the rural areas usually suffer higher rates of unemployment, illiteracy, and poor health than their urban peers. Younger households tend to be poorer, more food insecure, and have less access to land in many rural communities. Without other options these poor households are often forced to cut down forests and overharvest resources from all ecosystems.

Climate change is another significant factor in planning to protect Madagascar’s biodiversity, both now and into the future. The international risk analysis firm, Maplecroft, recently ranked Madagascar third highest in its level of climate risk, behind only Bangladesh and India in its 2011 report.8 In other years Madagascar does not rank as high, but is still projected to be among the countries most impacted by climate change in the future. Storms including cyclones have caused severe flooding in each of the past 30 years. Drought conditions occur with similar frequency, particularly in the south of the country. While the frequency of cyclones is projected to decrease in the coming decades, their severity is likely to increase and shift north, increasing risks to both human populations and ecosystems. In addition, Madagascar is significantly affected by the ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation), which exacerbates drought in the south and flooding in other areas of the country. As a result, wetland and mangrove ecosystems that line the western coast are vulnerable to sea level rise caused by climate change and corals and the ecosystems they support are vulnerable to bleaching and changes in ocean chemistry that are also ultimately linked to climate change. Fisheries may bear the brunt of climate change impacts, as changes in seasonal current and weather patterns may dramatically affect primary productivity, reproduction, migration of whales and turtles, and reef health.9

Additional information about Madagascar’s biophysical and socio-economic profile can be found in the update of the Environmental Threats and Opportunities Assessment issued in October 2014.

2.3 Applicable Host Country Environmental and Social Laws, Regulations and Policies

The Constitution of the Republic of Madagascar, Article 39, states that “Everyone shall have the duty to respect the environment; the State shall ensure its protection.” The concept of sustainable development underpins all environmental policy and legal documents; three objectives are encompassed in the notion of sustainable development: 1) Maintenance of ecological integrity; 2) Improvement of economic efficiency; and 3) Improvement in social equity. Madagascar’s environmental policy is further informed by the Environmental Charter

8 Climate Change Vulnerability Risk Index 2011, https://maplecroft.com/about/news/ccvi.html 9 World Bank Climate Change Portal for Madagascar, http://sdwebx.worldbank.org/climateportalb/home.cfm?page=country_profile&CCode=MDG&ThisTab=Dashboard https://maplecroft.com/about/news/ccvi.html http://sdwebx.worldbank.org/climateportalb/home.cfm?page=country_profile&CCode=MDG&ThisTab=Dashboard that requires an environmental and social impact assessment (EIA) for all investment projects through the Decree on Compatibility of Investments with the Environment (MECIE).

In order to carry out the intent of Article 39, environmental policy, and sustainable development, several institutions and administrative structures are involved, including the following: Ministry of the Environment - Ocean and Forests; the National Office for the Environment, the Technical Evaluation Committee (an ad hoc committee charged with evaluation of EIA requirements) and mandated inter-sectorial cooperation among ministries to control and monitor the implementation of the environmental management plan.

Several related orders, technical directives, and guidelines support the implementation of the MECIE decree as well as sectoral EIA guidelines for tourism, roads, aquaculture, on-and off-shore petroleum developments, textiles, forestry, mines, wetlands, and sensitive areas. An EIA is required for public or private development projects that could affect sensitive environments as defined in Order No 4355/97, types of developments that may, by its nature, size, and scale, cause an adverse impact on the environment. The related EIA must include an Environmental Management Plan. Madagascar’s EIA framework is described in detail here (http://www.saiea.com/dbsa_book/madagascar.pdf).

Details about the Country’s laws, regulations and institutions, including national environmental laws, forest policies and legislation, protected are code, community-based natural resource management, water regulation, etc. are seen under the Madagascar Environmental Threats and Opportunities Assessment updated in October 2014.

3.0 POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS & RECOMMENDED

DETERMINATIONS, INCLUDING CONDITIONS

The activities described in section 1.3, are further detailed below for the purpose of environmental review. Each section which follows describes the category/activity, evaluates the potential adverse impacts, and on that basis, recommends determinations, including conditions, as appropriate for the illustrative activities.

1.Mikajy - Conserving Madagascar’s Biodiverse Landscapes and Seascapes

To be provided with the upcoming Mikajy solicitation

2. Hay Tao - Enhanced Enabling Conditions for Biodiversity Conservation

a. Support capacity building for PA management and CBNRM in Mikajy sites

b. Improve land tenure and environmental policies to protect biodiversity (National level)

c. Improve availability and use of data for management and decision making

3. Provide Small Project Grants to Peace Corps and other local organizations

4. Mobilize expertise from other programs and/or partners http://www.saiea.com/dbsa_book/madagascar.pdf

3.1 Activity 1: Mikajy - Conserving Madagascar’s Biodiverse Landscapes and Seascapes

To be provided with upcoming Mikajy solicitation

3.2 Activity 2: Hay Tao - Enhanced Enabling Conditions for Biodiversity Conservation

a. Support capacity building for PA management and CBNRM in Mikajy sites

Hay Tao will pay a strong role in assuring the enabling environment and conditions to support activities under Mikajy are developed for use in targeted priority zones, but also more broadly in Madagascar as applicable. Hay Tao will establish critical linkages to the principal development partners of concern under IR 1 in order to build a community of practice for improved management of biodiversity in Madagascar. Hay Tao will also inform partners about the successes and lessons learned of our activities under Mikajy while also sharing lessons learned from other partners with the Mikajy activity managers to help increase the success of biodiversity conservation in Madagascar as a whole.

In addition, under this IR Hay Tao will provide support to improve capacity building for long-term biodiversity conservation through supporting knowledge management systems and centralized databases to track management in the target zones of Mikajy, but also across the country; training programs and training opportunities to enhance management capabilities at all levels for protected area staff, community-based natural resource managers; and support innovative initiatives to improve the management of biodiversity. These initiatives could include

(1) developing approaches to improve management technologies and systems, (2) introducing climate-resilient biodiversity conservation management actions; (3) promoting effective engagement strategies to ensure that women and youth are more engaged in and benefit from management in areas of high biodiversity value; (4) strengthening civil society’s national role in support of CBNRM and effective protected area management for local communities around the country.

The following activities are centered on education, technical assistance, training, analyses, studies, coordinating activities, workshops and meetings, document and information transfers, and studies without any adverse environmental impacts. Activities are then considered as Categorically excluded:

• Undertake a number of targeted assessments to inform programmatic development including needs assessment for the development of the national database for biodiversity tracking; needs assessment for civil society engagement strategy; and a needs assessment for biodiversity conservation training needs for a variety of stakeholders, including community members

• Provide technical assistance for design support and staff training to assist partners in refining or developing a national biodiversity database, likely housed with both government and non-government partners, to improve data collection, data quality standards, analysis and use of data products to better inform decision makers and investors on the biodiversity status and progress on threat reduction for any given terrestrial or marine protected area with emphasis on areas supported by Mikajy

• Provide technical assistance in how to use data from the national biodiversity database to present information in useful ways for a wide variety of users and for multiple purposes

• Support the development of training materials for Mikajy target zones and broad distribution, including for women and youth, to (1) create or strengthen community-based management of terrestrial protected areas to conserve critical biodiversity, and (2) build capacity to manage those areas for biodiversity and ecosystem services, while realizing economic benefits from good management

• Provide Training of Trainers in core competencies for protected area and community-based natural resource management, building on prior experiences and new knowledge and approaches

• Provide technical assistance in the development and operationalization of the legal and policy framework for coastal and marine protected areas, including marine sanctuaries and locally-managed marine areas (LMMAs)

• Support the development of training materials on how to incorporate appropriate climate resilience measures in management of protected areas and community-based natural resource management areas of high biodiversity value

• Support data management package for individual protected areas and community-based natural resource management zones supported under Mikajy, including data collection, analyses, storage, and reporting protocols

• Provide technical assistance to improve national guidelines for monitoring, resource protection, and law enforcement capabilities for national parks and other protected areas, including the scaled-up use of law enforcement monitoring (LEM) systems as a critical component of sound management

• Work with partners to establish a rating system for protected area management effectiveness that builds on IUCN/World Commission of Protected Areas best practices

• Improve coordination and exchange of best practices between organizations working on marine conservation

• Translate learning from Mikajy target zones to a national and international audience in how to develop, update, and implement approved management plans for protected areas including community managed or co-managed areas that are based on sound scientific evidence for the sustainable management and use of forest and marine resources, including a focus on climate resilience and gender and youth considerations

• Deploy existing or new science and technology solutions for Mikajy sites to improve protected area management/CBNRM approaches and prioritize conservation actions, including support to (1) enhance the effectiveness of conservation approaches; (2) better understand the socio-economic drivers of biodiversity loss; (3) identify and deploy viable climate resilience responses; (4) increase opportunities to effectively engage women and youth in biodiversity conservation

Recommended Determinations. Per the above analysis, the following determinations are recommended for activities in this intervention category:

Activity or Activity Sub-category

Recommended Determination

Provide technical assistance on:

-needs assessments, design support, and staff training to assist partners in developing a national

Categorical Exclusion, per §216.2(c)2(i): Education, technical assistance, or training programs except to the extent such programs include activities directly affecting the environment (such as construction of facilities, etc.);

Activity or Activity Sub-category

Recommended Determination biodiversity database -how to use data from the national biodiversity database to present information in useful ways -data management package for individual protected areas and community-based natural resource management zones

- development and operationalization of the legal and policy framework

- improve national guidelines for monitoring, resource protection, and law enforcement capabilities -translate learning from Mikajy target zones to a national and international audience -establishment of a rating system for protected area management effectiveness

- coordination and exchange of best practices between organizations working on marine conservation per §216.2(c)2(v): Document and information transfers per §216.2(c)2 (xiv): Studies, projects or programs intended to develop the capability of recipient countries to engage in development planning, except to the extent designed to result in activities directly affecting the environment (such as construction of facilities, etc.);

Support the development of training and educational materials for:

-Mikajy target zones and broad distribution -incorporating appropriate climate resilience measures in management of protected areas and community-based natural resource management areas of high biodiversity value

Categorical Exclusion, per §216.2(c)2(i): Education, technical assistance, or training programs except to the extent such programs include activities directly affecting the environment (such as construction of facilities, etc.);

per §216.2(c)2(iii): Analyses, studies, academic or research workshops and meetings per §216.2(c)2(v): Document and information transfers

Science and technology solutions researched and deployment assured under Mikajy sites to improve protected area management/CBNRM approaches and prioritize conservation actions.

Categorical Exclusion, per §216.2(c)2(i): Education, technical assistance, or training programs except to the extent such programs include activities directly affecting the environment (such as construction of facilities, etc.);

per §216.2(c)2(v): Document and information transfers

If sub-grants or sub-projects will be included in this activity that are no explicitly analyzed under Activity 2a, the following will apply. A Negative Determination subject to the following conditions.

The formal AFR subproject/sub grant review process, as set out by the AFR Environmental Review Form [ERF] (available at www.usaidgems.org/subsidiary.htm) must be completed and approved by the A/COR, MEO and REA prior to each new science and technology innovation activity (see Annex 2-3, as applicable).

http://www.usaidgems.org/subsidiary.htm

b. Improve land tenure and environmental policies to protect biodiversity

Communities will be supported to shift into more biodiversity-friendly climate-resilient approaches and will increasingly be engaged in ways of earning a living that do not harm biodiversity (i.e., sustainable or alternative livelihoods). In support of this objective Hay Tao will promote efforts to improve the policy and legal framework for sustainable uses of biodiversity.

This will include the economic valuation of biodiversity resources and related ecosystem services that are crucial in identifying the actual benefits that stem from these resources and the ecological processes that they support. With this information, Hay Tao can help partners to increase economic returns from their non-destructive use and leverage additional financing to further protect them. In addition, the monitoring, reporting, and valuation (MRV) systems that will be promoted in Hay Tao and (and utilized and refined in Mikajy) will be important aspects of assessing the value of biodiversity resources and ecological services over time. The data portal supported under Hay Tao will enable better tracking of biodiversity resources and could help regroup sites of high biodiversity value into areas of a size large enough to attract serious amounts of conservation investment dollars. Obviously, Hay Tao’s work on improved natural resource and land tenure security through support to policy development and civil society engagement can help clarify rights and responsibilities, which would serve to promote biodiversity-friendly enterprises and green investing opportunities.

The following activities could be granted Categorical Exclusion because they entail education, technical assistance, training, analyses, studies, coordinating activities, workshops and meetings, document and information transfers, and studies without any environmental impacts:

• Conduct and implement climate vulnerability assessment that analyzes options and proposes promotion of viable biodiversity-friendly climate-resilient livelihood activities

• Provide technical support to partners to improve how information derived from the database can be used to better inform private sector actors and investment decisions that favor biodiversity-friendly climate-resilient enterprises and investment structures

• Provide technical assistance to partners improve GOM policies concerning natural capital valuation and the implementation of these policies for more accurate development planning and private sector engagement

• Create and diffuse outreach materials for civil society based on experiences from the Mikajy activity and other partners in enterprise development that is biodiversity-friendly, climate-resilient, and inclusive of women and youth

• Provide technical assistance to support efforts of the GOM and other partners in accurate valuation of natural capital such as biodiversity and related ecosystem services and the costs of maintaining their value vis-à-vis other competing uses

• Provide technical assistance and training for various partners the development and operation of MRV systems that can inform market information on natural capital stocks over time

• Support policy actions that clarify natural resource and land tenure rights and responsibilities and help to stimulate private sector investments that reduce threats to biodiversity and assure long-term sustainability to climate change shocks

• Develop strategies for use in Mikajy sites for how to best engage women and youth in social and economic development activities to better protect biodiversity resources

Recommended Determinations. Per the above analysis, the following determinations are recommended for activities in this intervention category:

Activity or Activity Sub-category

Recommended Determination

Conduct studies, analyses, and collect data for:

-climate change vulnerability assessments

- Strategies developed for use in Mikajy sites for how to best engage women and youth

Categorical Exclusion, per §216.2(c)2(iii): Analyses, studies, academic or research workshops and meetings per §216.2(c)2(v): Document and information transfers

Provide technical assistance on:

- how information derived from the database…