Attachment_1._Section_C_-_Statement_Of_Objectives_(SOO).pdf

ATTACHMENT 1. SECTION C—STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES

C.1 Title and Purpose of Activity

The Mikajy (Site-based Interventions for Biodiversity Conservation) activity has been developed as a critical component in support of USAID/Madagascar’s Conservation and Communities Project (CCP).

CCP recognizes that threats to ecosystems in Madagascar must be reduced in order to curb the alarming rates of habitat and biodiversity loss and to ensure human well-being in natural resource-dependent communities. This requires that CCP focus on the most significant threats to biodiversity, which leads to the destruction, degradation, and unsustainable use of forests, fisheries, wildlife, and other natural resources. The operational approach under CCP principally builds on the Nature, Wealth, and Power

(NWP) conceptual framework that has been developed, employed, and adapted by USAID and its development partners over the past 15 years. With this in mind, USAID/Madagascar has designed CCP to respond to a theory of change that combines management, livelihood, and governance interventions in pursuit of the following principal objectives: (1) targeted ecosystems are more sustainably managed through improved Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) and community engagement in protected area management; (2) human wellbeing is 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 is enhanced through more effective environmental policy, tenure security, and civil society engagement. In addition, the following cross-cutting objectives will be incorporated under all of the above objectives in order to achieve more effective and lasting results: (1) improved climate resilience measures; (2) gender and youth inclusion and empowerment; and (3) application of science and technology innovations.

Through Mikajy, USAID will work with local partners in targeted zones of High Biodiversity Value (HBV) to assist local communities in improving their natural resource management practices to reduce threats to biodiversity and establish the groundwork for more sustainable biodiversity-friendly and climate-resilient economic development. The Mikajy activity works directly with these natural resource communities, but will also collaborate with other governmental and non-governmental actors whose assistance and support will be needed to advance the interests of the target communities. Mikajy will collaborate with (1) host government actors such as regional and local personnel of the Ministry of Environment, Ecology, and Forests (MEEF), the Ministry of Aquatic Resources and Fisheries (MRHP), the Secretary of State for Oceans (SEMER), Madagascar National Parks (MNP), and other relevant Government of Madagascar (GOM) agencies; (2) donor partners active in the environment, agriculture, land tenure, and climate change sectors; and (3) non-government actors such as local and international conservation organizations, civil society groups, environmental foundations, private sector actors, academic institutions, and community-based organizations in support of demonstrating options for more effective community-based management and protection of biodiversity resources through a number of targeted interventions. These interventions will take place in targeted communities to promote (1) improved management of protected areas and areas of High Biodiversity Value through co-management or community-based natural resource management approaches; (2) increased sustainable climate-resilient livelihood opportunities for communities that are based on valuing and protecting biodiversity, natural

1 Nature, Wealth, and Power 2.0: Leveraging Natural and Social Capital for Resilient Development, USAID, 2013.

resources, and ecosystem services; and (3) enhanced security of natural resource tenure and property rights and improved application of decentralized environmental policies that validate and enhance community-based management of land and natural resources.

C.2 Development Challenge

Madagascar is home to 5 percent of the Earth’s plants and animals while comprising less than half a percent of the world’s landmass. Ninety million years of geographic isolation have made this island a natural laboratory for evolution that has produced and supported a vast array of life forms, most of which are only native, or endemic, to this island. Madagascar is recognized as the world’s epicenter of primate diversity with over 110 species of lemurs, but many other taxonomic groups such as geckos, chameleons, frogs, bats, baobabs, palms, and orchids are also richly represented here with a surprising number of endemic species. For example, Madagascar harbors five endemic families of birds, which is exceptional in a country of this size. In fact, there are more endemic species of plants and animals living in Madagascar than in any other country in Africa and more than eighty percent of its species can be found nowhere else on Earth.

This exceptional species richness and endemism coupled with the magnitude of threats facing these ecologically, culturally, and economically valuable resources makes Madagascar one of the world’s highest priority countries for biodiversity conservation.

The marine ecosystems surrounding Madagascar also harbor some of the richest estuarine, mangrove, seagrass, coastal marsh, and coral reef ecosystems as well as some of the most productive fisheries in the western Indian Ocean, but these habitats face similar threats. Mangrove forests are being decimated for aquaculture and charcoal production, resulting in the loss of not only critical habitats for many species, but also of breeding and nursery areas vital to the replenishment of important fish stocks of high ecological and economic value. As a consequence coastal communities suffer from lower catches, poorer nutrition, reduced incomes, and loss of protective barriers, which are critically important to mitigate the devastating effects of cyclones and other storms. Direct consequences, such as overfishing and destruction of coral reefs, coupled with indirect threats, such as sedimentation from soil erosion in the deforested highlands, result in further degradation of these resources.

Madagascar’s rich and fragile biological heritage 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.

The proportion of people living below the international poverty line increased from 70.9 percent in 2001 to 87.7 percent in 2015, 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, where more than two-thirds of the population resides. Natural areas serve ecological functions and provide resources that are crucial to the well-being

2 Nature Communications Article, Oct 2014 3 World Bank, 2014.

4 World Bank, 2015.

of many people. Notably, 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. However, the country has paid the price for political instability. For example, 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 their investments in this sector.

Persistent political instability, including an illegitimate government that held power for five years until early 2014, has undermined rule of law, increased insecurity, limited economic growth prospects, and severely curtailed the provision of infrastructure and social services needed to promote and ensure a healthy, educated, and productive society. While Madagascar’s rural poor may know the value of their natural resources in sustaining them, with no other alternatives and the threat of outsiders consuming or degrading them with impunity, they are driven to unsustainable uses that lead to widespread habitat destruction and degradation that further exacerbate their poverty. In the process they destroy the rich biodiversity on which they depend with few other safety nets in place to sustain them. This absence of effective rule of law or government responsiveness and accountability in rural areas coupled with grinding poverty, high birth rates, and unsustainable natural resource management practices in farming, forestry, and fishing systems has placed enormous pressures on the country’s natural habitats such that 80% of the original forest cover has been lost and coastal and marine ecosystems have been severely depleted. Maintaining Madagascar’s biodiversity is, therefore, both a critical conservation challenge and a human welfare imperative.

Madagascar’s problems are further compounded by the fact that aside from its renowned biodiversity and mineral wealth the country has largely been forgotten by much of the international community as a development assistance recipient. While Madagascar more than meets thresholds to qualify for international aid, indeed it is among the world’s most needy, it consistently receives a fraction of the assistance that other developing countries receive. This is perhaps due to its geographic isolation, the language barrier it has with trading partners in eastern and southern Africa, and the fact that debilitating and protracted periods of civil unrest do not erupt into the kinds of mass bloodshed events that gain worldwide media attention. As a result, beyond a certain number of intrepid international tourists who come to see its highly threatened biodiversity and some international companies interested in acting in an ethical manner, Madagascar instead has come to the attention of corrupt actors both within and outside of the country. These parties are primarily interested in extracting Madagascar’s resources in a self-serving manner that erodes the rule of law and impedes the broad-based economic growth that the country so desperately needs. These are also the actors responsible for the illicit trade in wildlife that plagues the country leading to illegal and unsustainable harvesting of precious woods, reptiles, and marine species.

More importantly, these actors co-opt the Government of Madagascar (GOM) at multiple levels through political favoritism and bribery and then establish their own parallel illegal structures of governance in many parts of the country that actually threaten the long-term viability of the nation state itself.

At the same time, climate change is an emerging threat that will make biodiversity conservation and human development goals in Madagascar more challenging to achieve and maintain. The international risk analysis firm, Maplecroft, recently ranked Madagascar third highest in its level of climate risk, 5 World Fact Book, 2014.

behind only Bangladesh and India in its 2011 report.

In other years Madagascar has not ranked as high, but is still projected to be among the countries most impacted by climate change in the future. While powerful cyclones, torrential monsoon rains, and severe droughts have routinely pummeled the country, climate change is expected to render these extreme events more unpredictable, frequent, and damaging.

While some models predict that the frequency of cyclones is projected to decrease in the coming decades, their severity is expected 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 intensifies drought in the south and flooding in other areas of the country. These changes will further exacerbate the difficulties faced by poor rural natural resource-dependent communities.

Climate effects will impact the country in numerous ways. For example, as crop production becomes more difficult due to changes in rainfall patterns, temperatures, and pest outbreaks, people are ill prepared to adopt alternative behaviors and practices in response to these pressures. As a result, they may increasingly turn to unsustainable collection of forest products, including wild-caught protein sources and other foods, as well as the collection of rare plants and animals to sell to national and international markets. These methods usually do not enrich the people engaged in these activities, but rather simply enable them to meet their immediate needs. Persistent drought and sea level rise will also produce more out-migration from zones affected by these impacts and these migrants will increase pressures on arable land, biodiversity resources, and social services for existing populations in areas where they re-settle on either a seasonal or permanent basis. In addition, Madagascar has the longest coastline of any African country and its coastal and marine resources and ecosystems will increasingly be impacted by climate change impacts such as sea level rise that inundate coastal habitats and human communities, ocean warming that renders corals reefs more vulnerable to bleaching, and changes in ocean chemistry that affect species abundance. Fisheries may bear the brunt of climate change impacts, as changes in seasonal ocean currents and weather patterns may dramatically affect primary productivity, reproduction, migration of marine species, and overall reef health.

The GOM is aware of these problems, but is incapable of addressing them and has publicly stated that it needs donor assistance to put in place systems to respond to climate change and lessen its impact. In addition, the country’s ecosystems play vital roles in moderating the effects of climate change and these roles need to be recognized, defined, valued, and protected.

Gender concerns in Madagascar present unique challenges in ensuring that natural resource management becomes more equitable and empowering to women. Women have inequitable access to land and their role is often minimized or marginalized in public discussions, community decision-making and governance, and overall 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, are more constrained by customary law, control less income, and are more likely to have lower socio-political status than men.

Women also face particular challenges in accessing forest and fishery resources and cultural differences

6 Climate Change Vulnerability Risk Index 2011, https://maplecroft.com/about/news/ccvi.html .

7 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 affect the manner in which men and women understand and use forest and fishery resources. Inadequate recognition of these differences can result in natural resource policies that create 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 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 long-term efforts to protect biodiversity and natural resources.

Youth concerns are also an extremely important consideration in the country given that over half the Malagasy population is under the age of 25. Across Madagascar youth experience high rates of unemployment and underemployment. Most 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. However, in rural areas where most of the country’s remaining biodiversity can be found youth usually suffer higher rates of unemployment, illiteracy, and poor health than their urban peers.

Younger households also tend to be poorer, more food insecure, and have less access to land in many rural communities due to custom and tradition. Without other livelihood options these households are often forced to clear forests, overharvest fisheries, and unsustainably extract natural resources from all ecosystems.

C.3 Alignment of Activities to US Government and Government of Madagascar Priorities

The Mikajy activity has been designed to align directly with the goals of the Conservation and

Communities Project (CCP). In the absence of a Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS), CCP, and by extension the Mikajy activity, has been designed to directly align with the third goal of the US Government Mission to Madagascar’s Integrated Country Strategy (ICS) under Objective 3.1, “Conserve biodiversity and secure natural resources while promoting resilient livelihoods in Madagascar.” In addition, Mikajy, under CCP, has been developed to respond to the following USAID and US Government policies and priorities: the USAID Biodiversity Policy; the USAID Climate Change and Development Strategy; Executive Order 13677 on Climate-Resilient International Development; the US National Strategy for Combatting Wildlife Trafficking; the US Presidential Task Force on Combatting Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing and Seafood Fraud; the USAID Vision for Ending Extreme Poverty; the USAID Democracy, Human Rights and Governance (DRG) Strategy; USAID Policy on Gender Equity and Female Empowerment; USAID’s Securing the Future: A Strategy for Economic Growth; USAID’s history of Population, Health, and Environment (PHE) initiatives; and USAID Forward principles to promote innovative development approaches and support improved local capacity in Madagascar.

8 USAID Madagascar was downgraded to an “Office” by the Africa Bureau on April 23, 2013 and has only recently returned to Mission status. Therefore, USAID Madagascar is only now beginning to develop a Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS).

In terms of alignment with and support for Government of Madagascar (GOM) priorities, Mikajy, under CCP, promotes the overall national priority of conserving biodiversity for sustainable, resilient development. In particular, Mikajy is aligned with the following GOM policies and strategies: State General Policy of 2014; the 2015-2019 National Development Program and its Implementation Plan; the new Environment Plan for Sustainable Development (PEDD); GOM commitments at the Sixth IUCN World Parks Congress of 2014 in Sydney, Australia; national environmental laws and regulations;

decentralization laws and regulations; land policy (especially the 2015 Land Policy Letter); international conventions such as the Algiers Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (Law 70-004); the Convention on Biological Diversity (Law 95-013); the International Convention on Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) (Law 75-014); the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Law 98-004); the World Heritage Convention (ratified 9/12/82); the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (ratified in October 2000;) and the Climate Change Convention (Law 98-020); and the Paris Climate Agreement, including the GOM’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

C.4 Guiding Principles

The Mikajy activity is expected to incorporate the following Guiding Principles into overall activity planning and implementation:

C.4.1 Build on prior experience and promote innovations

Under Mikajy, USAID seeks to apply the lessons learned in Madagascar’s environmental sector, while incorporating innovations from global state of the art biodiversity conservation and development practices as and where appropriate. Madagascar has a rich history of conservation activities led and supported by the GOM, international donors, conservation NGOs, civil society organizations, community institutions, and other partners. Mikajy, therefore, should capitalize wherever possible on effective partnership structures and best practices that have been achieved over many years of engagement in the environment sector while equally learning from failures and setbacks encountered over the same period. Mikajy activities also should seek to support and strengthen existing institutions and management arrangements, build trust with stakeholders, and incorporate evidence-based best practices.

C.4.2 Employ an integrated landscape/seascape approach

Through an integrated landscape/seascape approach, Mikajy will operate to link biodiversity conservation with a variety of development sectors at the local and regional levels in order to influence policy and practice in support of more sustainable use and improved valuation of biodiversity and accompanying ecosystem services in regional and local planning and budget allocations. In Mikajy’s target zones the contractor will assure closer ties to other development sectors such as mining, agricultural, land tenure, health, and water and sanitation acknowledging the interconnections between biodiversity conservation and other important natural resource-based development activities that could impact or be impacted by the status of biodiversity resources in the targeted sites chosen.

C.4.3 Ensure effective coordination between stakeholders

Through the consultative process leading to the development of the Conservation and Communities Project (CCP), USAID/Madagascar reached out to government and non-government actors in Madagascar to learn more about what was being done in the areas of biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services, climate resilience, and sustainable development. Based on the Mission’s dialogues with key donor and conservation partners, the Mikajy activity will actively seek opportunities to coordinate, collaborate, and partner with these actors to form synergistic relationships that leverage additional resources to further the activity’s goals. Mikajy will also support an important objective of CCP to build and contribute to a community of practice that works to improve biodiversity conservation, build climate resilience, reduce poverty, and contribute to economic growth. Coordination with other donors will be particularly important in bridging gaps and addressing concerns that affect Mikajy, but are beyond the scope of the activity (e.g. economic enabling environment, democracy and governance, etc.). Key potential donor partners in the environment sector include: the German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ), the German Development Bank (KfW), the World Bank, the European Union (EU), Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the Embassy of Norway, the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the United Nations Development Programme, and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Important conservation and development organizations that present collaboration opportunities include: Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Conservation International (CI), Blue Ventures (BV), Tany Meva Foundation, and the Biodiversity Foundation (FAPBM).

C.4.4 Focus on sustainability from the start of the activity

Mikajy will work to provide lessons learned and best practices related to community-based biodiversity conservation for the Hay Tao activity to share in national level discussions and policy development including climate resilience, valuation of biodiversity and related ecosystem services, gender and youth inclusion and empowerment, conservation and climate finance, private sector-led livelihood development, community-based management of biodiversity resources, and natural resource tenure security and governance. In addition, though a Grants Under Contract mechanism, Mikajy will help USAID target more sustainable outcomes through capacity building of important local organizations in such a way that they can take ownership of the development objectives under CCP and, in certain cases, potentially be eligible to receive direct grants from USAID at some point in the future.

C.4.5 Plan strategically to share knowledge and learning and to document lessons learned

The implementing partner is expected to share project effectiveness information, research, and monitoring data with other partners, particularly with USAID’s Hay Tao activity, in a timely manner so that this information can be incorporated into a central database and/or information management systems and that USAID can be assured that lessons learned under the Mikajy activity are shared with other partners in the community of practice mentioned under C.4.3. As applicable, improved tools and knowledge products supported under Mikajy will be incorporated into interventions supported by Mikajy and other donor, conservation, and/or private sector partners.

C.4.6 Follow an adaptive management approach

Utilizing an adaptive management approach, Mikajy can better respond to the evolution of relevant policy reforms and developments in Madagascar as well as the changes occurring in the biodiversity, natural resources, and climate change sectors. In this way, Mikajy can best adapt to changes in its external environment in order to respond to opportunities and challenges as they arise. If programmatic assumptions prove to be impractical or unwise to implement given changes outside of the control of USAID or the Mikajy Prime and its partners, USAID will need to work with the Mikajy team to identify flexible and responsive approaches to take advantage of lessons learned and realign activities as needed to meet programmatic objectives.

C.5 Other technical considerations

C.5.1 Engagement with other US Government programs

Mikajy also will build on and partner with other USAID/Madagascar and US Government programs as appropriate in meeting the goals of the activity. Within the Conservation and Communities Project (CCP), Mikajy will collaborate closely with the Mission’s Hay Tao activity, which works to improve knowledge management for biodiversity conservation, as well as related programs of Peace Corps Madagascar, US Forest Service, and the National Academies of Sciences through the Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) program. In addition, Mikajy will build on results and lessons learned from the Preserving Madagascar’s Natural Resources (SCAPES) Activity, which operated from 2013- 2016 and worked to enhance the capabilities of communities, civil society organizations (CSOs), the GOM, and other partners to combat the illegal exploitation of Madagascar’s natural resources through improved understanding of illegal practices, standardized community-based monitoring systems, CSO-led advocacy efforts, and increased exposure of abusive practices. Mikajy’s potential target sites also have been chosen to promote synergies with USAID/Madagascar’s health, nutrition, water and sanitation, food security, and governance programs. These integrated approaches include building on the Mission’s prior experience with Population-Health-Environment (PHE) programs for improved environmental and health outcomes. For example, Mikajy will work on management of forested watersheds in close collaboration with the new RANOWASH rural water, sanitation, and hygiene activity. These collaborative efforts will require joint work planning and monitoring of field activities to ensure effective engagement..

In terms of other USG programs not managed by USAID/Madagascar, the Mission will work with the Mikajy contractor to facilitate opportunities for collaboration with USAID regional programs and other USG agencies operating in Madagascar. USAID regional programs could include USAID’s East Africa Trade Hub, new USAID/Southern Africa regional biodiversity and energy programs, and Power Africa.

In addition to Peace Corps, other USG agencies in Madagascar may include the Department of Defense’s Office of Security Cooperation, the US Embassy’s Political/Economic Section, and the US Embassy’s Public Affairs Section.

Coordination will be promoted by (1) requiring Mikajy’s implementing partners to outline their areas of collaboration with other USAID programs, particularly with the contractor for the Hay Tao activity, in annual work planning exercises, and (2) by regularly convening implementing partners through the auspices of Mikajy to meet with other USAID program leads and key donor representatives. This will take the form of an Advisory Group that will meet regularly with USAID, sub-contractors/grantees under Mikajy to discuss strategic and programmatic issues, including field-based collaboration.

C.5.2 Public-Private partnerships

During the consultative process leading to the development of the Conservation and Communities Project CCP), USAID/Madagascar contacted a number of private sector actors to better gauge opportunities to collaborate with them on livelihood activities that can result in transformational and equitable increases in household incomes for communities located in and near areas of high biodiversity value while also achieving important biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services, climate resilience, and sustainable development goals. Mikajy will work to coordinate, collaborate, and partner with private sector actors to identify avenues for collaboration that can leverage resources needed to achieve the Mikajy’s goals, in particular the livelihood objectives of the activity. Private sector partners could include ecotourism operators, biodiversity-friendly and climate smart agricultural enterprises, conservation and climate finance institutions, off-grid renewable energy actors, or others.

C.5.3 Implementation Site Selection

USAID provided five broad potential priority zones for the Mikajy activity under RFI-687-16-001 of March 18, 2016. In terms of geographic focus for Mikajy in this RFP, the activity will implement site-based interventions in 2 of the 5 proposed priority zones included in RFI-687-16-001. USAID is requesting offerors to propose one zone in the eastern rainforest area that is aligned with engagement opportunities in downstream marine/coastal ecosystems (i.e., MAMABAIE, COFAV, or Anosy) and one zone in the western dry forest area that is aligned with engagement opportunities in downstream marine/coastal ecosystems (i.e., Menabe or Atsimo Andrefana). Additional details about these five zones are as follows:

1. MAMABAIE Landscape and Seascape: Located in the northeast and straddling the regions of Sava, Sofia, and Analanjirofo, the MAMABAIE (MAsoala-MAkira-BAIE d’Antongil) 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 socioeconomic role for the local population. Because of the increased illegal timber extraction in this zone, and the adjacent SAVA region, USAID was active here under the Preserving Madagascar’s Natural Resources (SCAPES) activity, which ended 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. This corridor connects Ranomafana and Andringitra National Parks and the Pic d’Ivohibe Special Reserve and is contained within the regions of Amoron’i Mania, Haute Matsiatra, Vatovavy Fitovinany, Atsimo Atsinanana, and Ihorombe. 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 increasingly degraded, this essential interconnectivity is at risk of being permanently lost, which could result in an increased extinction rate of many of the species that inhabit it.

3. Anosy Landscape and Seascape: Located in the southeast with Andohahela, Mandena, and

Forêt de Tsitongambarika protected areas as core zones of the Anosy region. 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 are 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. Important threats to biodiversity included slash and burn agriculture, wildlife poaching, and overfishing.

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 iconic tourism attraction) and other protected areas such as Menabe-Antimena and Kirindy-Mitea (which includes a marine protected area). 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. Atsimo-Andrefana Landscape and Seascape: The dry and mangrove forests, wetlands, and marine and coastal areas of the Atsimo-Andrefana region 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 in critically threatened due to collection for the pet trade.

Moreover, its seascape of marine protected areas and bays (Salary Bay, St. Augustin Bay and others) provides 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 and spider tortoise. Main threats are destructive fishing practices, overfishing, unsustainable mangrove exploitation, hunting, poaching, unsustainable use of non-timber forest products, and charcoal production. This region is home to the highest deforestation rates in the country.

USAID will assess offers on the quality of choices for site-based implementation within the two priority zones chosen by the offeror based on the offeror’s responses to the following criteria:

1. Selection of implementation sites with high potential to translate USAID support into effective co-management approaches for protected area management and community-based natural resource management for areas of High Biodiversity Value outside of the protected area network over the life of the program in terms of reduced threats to biodiversity as well as the capacity and motivation of local partners;

2. Potential in implementation sites to optimize opportunities for public-private partnerships wherein private sector partners can lead on livelihood and economic growth activities while Mikajy assists with identification of more biodiversity-friendly approaches and the development of improved monitoring systems to measure impacts on biodiversity;

3. Presence within the implementation sites of a sufficient enabling environment in local government and non-government spheres that allows for effective engagement of Mikajy across all three objective areas of the activity as stated under Section C.6.2 of the RFP;

4. Likelihood in the implementation sites that Mikajy can optimize its impact in the cross-cutting areas of increased climate resilience, gender and youth engagement, and utilization of innovative science and technology approaches;

5. Balance of support in implementation sites for engagement in both terrestrial and marine ecosystems

The threats and drivers of biodiversity loss will vary between the proposed zones and in selected intervention sites within these zones as well, but offerors should focus on specific, significant threats in each landscape or seascape and propose targeted, effective solutions to address them. Interventions, therefore, will be tailored to local conservation conditions and opportunities and will seek to identify local partners with complementary strengths. For example, there are a number of strong research and educational institutions working throughout Madagascar, as well as local organizations with specific capabilities and geographic presence that can be engaged in the program. Also, the relevant products and associated value chains that support conservation and livelihoods may be quite different between implementation sites. The connectivity of protected areas and other areas of High Biodiversity Value varies between landscapes and seascapes and so will the importance of working in lands and seas adjacent to these areas.

C.5.4 Targets of Opportunity

Where important targets of opportunity to increase Mikajy’s impact exist in areas outside the selected priority zones and implementation sites chosen by the offeror, the offeror is encouraged to propose an engagement rationale in these areas and USAID will assess the value of these targets of opportunity in contributing to successful program performance based on the following criteria: (1) the degree to which they are consistent with and contribute to the goals of Mikajy; (2) the extent to which they can produce tangible results of their own within the lifetime of the Mikajy activity; and (3) the likelihood that they can demonstrate achievements that can inform and augment results in support of the criteria for implementation sites as defined above in Section C.5.3 during the lifetime of Mikajy. Any proposed targets of opportunity proposed will not utilize more than 20% of the total funding available for engagement in the activity’s selected implementation sites. Targets of opportunity may include building engagement with private sector actors, civil society, community-based organizations, local/regional government structures, other USAID programs, other donor programs, and potentially other options.

C.6 Activity objectives, expected results, and key deliverables

C.6.1 Mikajy Objectives

Through the Mikajy activity USAID/Madagascar will support site-based interventions that foster improved community-based biodiversity conservation, enhanced climate resilience, and more sustainable development approaches for natural resource-dependent communities in a way that can be shared broadly with a wide range of partners and interested parties in Madagascar and internationally. Mikajy will also work to ensure that programmatic interventions complement and support other activities under the Conservation and Communities Project (CCP), and in particular the knowledge management work to be implemented under the Hay Tao activity. Through Mikajy, USAID will meet the following overall development objective for USAID/Madagascar’s Conservation and Communities Project (CCP):

Conserve biodiversity and secure natural resources while promoting resilient livelihoods

In the achievement of this objective, Mikajy will support the following Intermediate Results (IRs) as activity objectives:

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

Critical cross-cutting considerations for Mikajy that are included under each Intermediate Result are the following: (1) increased climate resilience of target communities and ecosystems of concern; (2) enhanced gender inclusion and youth engagement; and (3) introduction of science and technology innovations to augment the program’s performance.

C.6.2 Expected Results and Key Deliverables under Mikajy

Objective 1: Targeted ecosystems sustainably managed through improved community-based natural resource management and better protected area management

Sub-objectives include:

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

Protected areas conserve many of the most significant biodiversity in the country, particularly in terrestrial ecosystems. During the World Parks Congress of 2014 in Sydney Australia, the President of Madagascar followed up on the commitments made by his predecessor at the World Parks Congress in Durban South Africa in 2003 to expand Madagascar’s protected areas from 1.7 to 7 million hectares. With the Promise of Sydney Agreement, the president vowed to: (1) complete the process to permanently preserve 7 million ha across 94 protected areas; (2) triple the number of marine protected areas within the next decade (later amending this to tripling the area of marine/coastal environments under protected area management); (3) ensure sustainable financing for its protected area system through the existing Biodiversity Foundation and other innovative conservation financing mechanisms, such as ecotourism and carbon markets; and (4) stem the trafficking of the country’s natural resources with a zero tolerance policy and forums for international cooperation.

The GOM and its partners are working to achieve these commitments, improve the governance of natural resources, and better enforce their protection and sustainable use, which have suffered severe setbacks following the 2009 coup d’état. Serious challenges remain given that national parks and other protected areas are hampered by numerous constraints, including low technical capacity, limited financial resources, and increasing threats such as illegal logging and wildlife poaching. Deforestation, which had been reduced somewhat during the decade prior to the coup, now poses a major and resurgent threat.

At the same time, the intention of the GOM to triple the surface area of marine protected areas in the country offers a significant opportunity to address critical threats facing these ecosystems. Given that coastal and marine fisheries provide significant benefits for human well-being in terms of income and food security for local communities, appropriately managed marine areas can help secure important development outcomes in addition to conservation goals. There is also great potential for improving and expanding terrestrial community-managed protected areas as part of a larger landscape approach to conserving critical biodiversity.

Mikajy’s role in interventions under Objective 1 will focus on improving sustainable management of key ecosystems in Madagascar with a focus on areas of High Biodiversity Value (HBV) given that they are the foundation for biodiversity conservation in the country and offer the greatest chances for success in the near term under the CCP’s Theory of Change. Mikajy will work with a wide array of partners to reduce threats to targeted ecosystems, both terrestrial and coastal/marine, by improving co-management of protected areas, including grounding management protocols in robust science and best management practices. Under community-based natural resource management (CBNRM), Mikajy will engage with natural resource users and community-based managers of biodiversity resources who live near protected areas and other areas of High Biodiversity Value so that they will be able to increasingly use resources more sustainably and reduce adverse effects on biodiversity resources and ecosystem services. Under Objective 1, Mikajy will implement capacity building programs to improve the effectiveness of management systems for areas of high biodiversity and key species of concern. Mikajy will also provide important feedback for knowledge management systems developed or improved through support from Hay Tao that are designed to (1) develop core competencies of community-based natural resource managers of biodiversity resources and their protected area management counterparts in CBNRM and co-management approaches; (2) improve oversight of biodiversity activities including monitoring, verification, and reporting systems; and (3) contribute to the exchange of emerging best practices in the country. In addition, Mikajy will build and strengthen public-private partnerships in target zones to increase financing for biodiversity conservation through the protected area network or CBNRM areas.

Mikajy will pay particular attention to the constraints faced by women and youth in forest, coastal, and near-shore marine environments and within the cultural and economic structures of these areas. For example, it is customary practice that women utilize natural resources differently than men, and that environmental degradation affects them in different ways, indicating that approaches to curbing illegal and/or destructive activities must be tailored to their concerns. Youth traditionally have limited access to land and resources and are, therefore, often forced into clearing forested areas in order to establish land ownership and overharvesting natural resources in order to maintain themselves and their families. Give these conditions, interventions have to be designed to constructively and effectively address these challenges to ensure program success.

The communities and biodiverse ecosystems that will be supported by Mikajy will face important climate-related challenges such as sea-level rise and ocean acidification in coastal and marine areas and more irregular rainfall patterns and severe weather events in terrestrial areas. However, these same communities and ecosystems can serve as important buffers to climate change impacts provided that they are better informed and prepared. Communities supported by Mikajy will need to improve their natural resource management capacity in light of predicted climate change impacts in order that the ecosystems that they are managing can continue to provide the ecosystem services required to moderate climate change effects.