Attachment J.3b Final_Tanzania_NRM_IEE_Amendment 2_19August2019.pdf

AFR/TANZANIA/STEWARDSHIP OF NATURAL RESOURCES IMPROVED 1

IEE TEMPLATE VERSION 3.1

INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL

EXAMINATION

PROJECT DATA

Project/Activity Name: Stewardship of Natural Resources Improved Geographic Location(s) (Country/Region): Tanzania/East Africa Amendment (Yes/No), if Yes indicate # (1, 2...): Yes #2 Implementation Start/End Date (FY or M/D/Y):

3/14/14 – 3/31/2020

If Amended, specify New End Date:

Solicitation/Contract/Award Number(s):

Implementing Partner(s):

Bureau Tracking ID: Tanzania NRM IEE Amd. 2 2014 - 2020 https://ecd.usaid.gov/document.php?doc_id=52175 Tracking ID of Related RCE/IEE (if any): Original IEE (expiring 9/20/2018):

https://ecd.usaid.gov/document.php?doc_id=39933 Amendment 1 (expiring 3/30/2020):

https://ecd.usaid.gov/document.php?doc_id=51085

Tracking ID of Other, Related Analyses: FAA 118/119 Analysis:

https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00TP93.pdf Whole of Project Evaluation (WOPE):

http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00N4SR.pdf

ORGANIZATIONAL/ADMINISTRATIVE DATA

Implementing Operating Unit(s):

(e.g. Mission or Bureau or Office)

USAID/Tanzania

Other Affected Operating Unit(s): DO 2, IR 2.3 Lead BEO Bureau: Africa Bureau Funding Account(s) (if available): Program Element 3.1.8; Program Element 4.8.1, Program

Element 4.8.2 Original Funding Amount: $ 104.69 Million If Amended, specify funding amount: $ 26.59 Million If Amended, specify new funding total: $ 131.28 Million Prepared by: Dosteus Lopa, MEO and Jestina Kimbesa, AOR of

LCWT, USAID/Tanzania Date Prepared: 4/15/2019

ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE REVIEW DATA

Analysis Type: ☒Environmental Examination ☐ Deferral Environmental Determination(s): ☒Categorical Exclusion(s)

☒Negative ☒Positive https://ecd.usaid.gov/document.php?doc_id=52175 https://ecd.usaid.gov/document.php?doc_id=39933 https://ecd.usaid.gov/document.php?doc_id=51085 https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00TP93.pdf http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00N4SR.pdf

AFR/TANZANIA/STEWARDSHIP OF NATURAL RESOURCES IMPROVED 2

☐Deferred (per 22 CFR 216.3(a)(7)(iv) IEE Expiration Date (if applicable): 3/31/2020 Additional Analyses/Reporting Required:

Climate Risks Identified (#): 20 Low ______ Moderate ___20___ High ______ Climate Risks Addressed (#): 14 Low ______ Moderate ___14___ High ______

THRESHOLD DETERMINATION AND SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

PROJECT SUMMARY

The purpose of this IEE Amendment is to: 1) add a new activity to the Natural Resources Management (NRM) PAD and 2) to recommend a change in the environmental determinations due to the addition of the new NRM activity. This new environmental determination triggers the requirement of a Scoping Statement and a possible follow-on Environmental Assessment.

New NRM Activity added to the NRM PAD: The original NRM IEE and Amendment #1 did not contemplate adding an additional activity under the NRM PAD. However, on November 2, 2018, the USAID/Tanzania Mission awarded the Landscape Conservation in Western Tanzania (LCWT) activity (Cooperative Agreement # 72062119 CA00001) to the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI). LCWT is a $21.9 million effort ($19.9 million from USAID and $2 million from JGI and partners) designed to consolidate JGI’s community-centered conservation work in Western Tanzania. Implemented over a period of five years (November 2, 2018 – November 1, 2023) LCWT aims to protect chimpanzee populations and their habitat, strengthen local government capacity in NRM, and empower local communities. LCWT will engage implementation partners including Research Triangle Institute (RTI) and Pathfinder International, and will involve other institutions as supporting partners, such as Blue Raster, Carbon Tanzania, FeminaHip, and Impact by Design, among others. The activity will be implemented in four districts covering most of the chimpanzee habitat of the Western Tanzania in close collaboration with key government agencies that include National Land Use Planning Commission, Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI), Tanzania National Park Authority (TANAPA), Ministry of Lands, Tanzania Wildlife Authority (TAWA) and other related ministries and departments. LCWT will enhance NRM in the Gombe-Masito-Ugalla (MGU) landscape through increased local government capacity, state of the art monitoring, and a robust behavior change and communications strategy designed to promote sustainable livelihood practices at scale.

LCWT will achieve five key intermediate results (IRs) that will lead to the protection of chimpanzee populations and habitats. These IRs include a wide range of sub-IRs and activities that align with the activity level theory of change-conceptual model:

1. IR 1: Strengthened local government's ability to support effective NRM:

2. IR 2: Expanded and operationalized Land Use Planning (LUP):

3. IR 3: Increased monitoring of conservation and development targets:

4. IR 4: Improved reproductive health/family planning:

5. IR 5: Strengthened community based environmental education:

Recommended change in environmental determinations

Within the IRs listed above, there are activity interventions that could negatively affect tropical forests and biodiversity. Specifically, LCWT community forestry interventions, under IRs 1 and 2, will include selective timber harvesting from native forest village forest reserves and local authority (district level) forest reserves, and the removal of native forest for agricultural purposes under village land use plans.

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AFR/TANZANIA/STEWARDSHIP OF NATURAL RESOURCES IMPROVED 3

As per Regulation 216 and Section 118 of the FAA, an environmental assessment is required that shows that the forestry related activities will contributes significantly and directly to improving the livelihoods of rural poor and will be conducted in an environmentally sound manner that supports sustainable development. The threshold determination for LCWT’s community-based forestry activities should be a positive determination. This positive determination triggers a Scoping Statement and possible follow-on Environmental Assessment.

ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATIONS

Categorical Exclusion, Negative Determination with Conditions and Positive Determination are recommended for this activity.

Upon approval of this document, the determinations become affirmed, per Agency regulations (22 CFR 216).

TABLE 1: ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATIONS

Projects/Activities Categorical Exclusion Citation (if applicable)

Negative Determinatio n

Positive Determination

Deferral

IR 1: Strengthened Local Government’s ability to support effective natural resource management

22 CFR 216.2(c)(2)(i) & (xiv)

IR 2: Expanded and operationalized LUP

22 CFR 216.2 (c) (2) (i)

IR 3: Increased monitoring of conservation and development targets

22 CFR 216.2(c) (2)(ii) & (iii)

IR 4: Improved reproductive health/family planning

22 CFR 216.2(c) (2) (viii)

IR 5: Strengthened community based environmental education

22 CFR 216.2(c) (2) (i)

CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT

A recent climate change analysis for Western Tanzania (2012) reported that temperatures have been rising steadily at a rate of 0.12 degrees Centigrade (C) per decade since the 1950s. Temperatures are projected to continue to rise by 1-2 degrees C over the next 50 years and perhaps up to 4 degrees C by 2100. Although annual precipitation may not vary, changes in the frequency, intensity and predictability of rainfall are expected with wet seasons becoming wetter and dry seasons becoming drier, resulting in more arid Western Tanzania due to increased evapotranspiration. These predicted changes are expected to have the following impacts:

● More frequent and severe droughts and floods;

● Higher water temperatures and lower water flows in the dry season;

● Increased erosion of topsoil;

● Changes in vegetation;

1 Positive Determinations require preparation of a Scoping Statement and Environmental Assessment.

2 Deferrals must be cleared through an Amendment to this IEE prior to implementation of any deferred activities.

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● Changes in groundwater and runoff; and

● Increased spread of invasive species and more destructive fires.

These impacts will have a direct effect on forests, woodlands and freshwater systems in western Tanzania and the rural population that rely on natural resources for their livelihoods and survival. With an increase in temperature, population pressures will also intensify resulting in an increased native forest conversion to agriculture and livestock use. Since most farmers in western Tanzania depend on rain-fed agriculture some of the most significant impacts of climate change over the next few years will be on agricultural systems.

BEO SPECIFIED CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL

IMPLEMENTATION

In accordance with 22 CFR 216 and Agency policy, the conditions and requirements of this document become mandatory upon approval. This includes the relevant limitations, conditions and requirements in this document as stated in Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the IEE and any BEO Specified Conditions of Approval.

Activities receiving a positive threshold determination may not commence without completing further analysis. The appropriate process being preparation of a Scoping Statement for an Environmental Assessment, culminating in either a request to the AFR BEO to change the threshold determination to a negative determination with conditions based on the findings of the Scoping Statement or a finding of insufficient available information, in which case the project will prepare a full Environmental Assessment.

In this case, a full Environmental Assessment must be fully approved, including by the AFR BEO, before actions may commence.

Colin Quinn

Cleared by email 8/14/19

8/19/19 https://ecd.usaid.gov/document.php?doc_id=52175

AFR/TANZANIA/STEWARDSHIP OF NATURAL RESOURCES IMPROVED 6

INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL

EXAMINATION

CONTENTS

PROJECT DATA 1

ORGANIZATIONAL/ADMINISTRATIVE DATA 1

ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE REVIEW DATA 1

1.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION 7

1.1 PURPOSE OF THE IEE 7

1.2 PROJECT/ACTIVITY OVERVIEW 8

1.3 PROJECT/ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION 8

TABLE 2: DEFINED LCWT Interventions 8

2.0 BASELINE ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION 13

2.1 LOCATIONS AFFECTED AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT

(ENVIRONMENT, PHYSICAL, CLIMATE, SOCIAL, THREATENED AND

ENDANGERED SPECIES) 13

2.2 APPLICABLE AND APPROPRIATE PARTNER COUNTRY AND OTHER

INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS (E.G. WHO), ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL

LAWS, POLICIES, AND REGULATIONS 14

2.3 COUNTRY/MINISTRY/MUNICIPALITY ENVIRONMENTAL CAPACITY

ANALYSIS (AS APPROPRIATE) 15

3.0 ANALYSIS OF POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL RISK 17

PROJECT/ACTIVITY: LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION IN WESTERN TANZANIA

(LCWT) 17

TABLE 3A. POTENTIAL IMPACTS – Landscape Conservation in Western Tanzania 17

4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATIONS 19

4.1 RECOMMENDED ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATIONS 19

TABLE 4: ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATIONS 19

4.2 CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT 19

5.0 CONDITIONS AND MITIGATION MEASURES 21

5.1 CONDITIONS 21

5.2 AGENCY CONDITIONS 22

5.3 MITIGATION MEASURES 22

TABLE 5A. SUMMARY OF MITIGATION MEASURES FOR LCWT 22

7.0 REVISIONS 26

ATTACHMENTS: 26

Annex 1. Activity Climate Risk Management Summary Table 27

AFR/TANZANIA/STEWARDSHIP OF NATURAL RESOURCES IMPROVED 7

1.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION

1.1 PURPOSE OF THE IEE

The purpose of this document, in accordance with Title 22, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 216 (22 CFR 216), is to amend the original USAID/Tanzania Natural Resources Management (NRM) IEE and subsequent Amendment #1, by: 1) adding a new activity to the NRM PAD and 2) recommending a change in the environmental determinations due to some of the proposed interventions in the new NRM activity. Upon approval, these determinations become affirmed, and specified conditions become mandatory obligations of implementation.

The new NRM activity, Landscape Conservation in Western Tanzania (LCWT) includes interventions that if implemented, could have negative environmental impacts on tropical forestry and biodiversity through 1) selective timber harvesting in village forest reserves within the context of village land use plans (VLUPs), 2) removal of native forest for agricultural purposes within the context of LVUPs, and 3) timber harvesting in district level Local Authority Forest Reserves. The practices of cutting only the most valuable trees and leaving the remaining, and clearcutting, both harm forests and reduce forest productivity and long-term economic potential3. The environmental sector guideline for forestry indicates that agriculture is the most significant threat to forests as it causes deforestation.

The recent USAID/TANZANIA Biodiversity and Tropical Forestry (FAA 118/119) Assessment (February, 2019) conducted to inform the upcoming CDCS in 2020, identified the degradation of Tanzania’s natural resources and biodiversity assets as a critical problem jeopardizing Tanzania’s development potential. Degradation is being driven by factors such as poor natural resource governance, lack of NRM appropriate technologies and population growth. A major trend that underscores the nature of this problem is the conversion, loss, degradation, and fragmentation of natural habitats. Among the highest priority recommended actions, to which the planned actions are responsive, are to conserve tropical forests and biodiversity through the development and implementation of integration and coordinated village-, ward-, district-, and regional/zonal land use and resource management plans as well as to provide support for food security and economic growth initiatives to areas where biodiversity and conservation are target objectives.

The FAA 118/119 further noted that Participatory Forest Management (PFM) was introduced into Tanzanian law with the passing of the Forest Act of 2002, and provides a legal basis for communities, groups or individuals across mainland Tanzania to own, manage, or co-manage forests under a wide range of conditions. The law recognizes two different types of PFM: Community Based Forest Management (CBFM) and Joint Forest Management (JFM). CBFM enables local communities to declare and gazette village land or private forest reserves. In JFM, communities sign joint forest management agreements with government and other forest owners. JFM arrangements occur on land that is owned and managed by either central or local government and involve sharing the costs and benefits between communities and government in an agreed upon manner.

This IEE is a critical element of USAID’s mandatory environmental review and compliance process meant to achieve environmentally sound design and implementation. Potential environmental impacts should be addressed through formal environmental mitigation and monitoring plans (EMMPs) and/or Environmental Assessments (EAs), if needed.

3 USAID Sector Environmental Guideline: Forestry. Full Technical Update 2015.

https://www.usaid.gov/our_work/environment/compliance/22cfr216 https://www.usaid.gov/our_work/environment/compliance/22cfr216

AFR/TANZANIA/STEWARDSHIP OF NATURAL RESOURCES IMPROVED 8

1.2 PROJECT/ACTIVITY OVERVIEW

New Natural Resource Management (NRM) Activity added to the NRM PAD: The original NRM IEE and IEE Amendment #1 did not contemplate adding an additional activity under the NRM PAD. However, on November 2, 2018, the USAID/Tanzania Mission awarded the Landscape Conservation in Western Tanzania (LCWT) activity (Cooperative Agreement # 72062119 CA00001) to the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI). LCWT is a $21.9 million effort ($19.9 million from USAID and $2 million from JGI and partners) designed to consolidate JGI’s community-centered conservation work in Western Tanzania. Implemented over a period of five years (November 2, 2018 – November 1, 2023) LCWT aims to protect chimpanzee populations and their habitat, strengthen local government capacity in NRM, and empower local communities. LCWT will engage implementation partners including, Research Triangle Institute (RTI) and Pathfinder International, and will involve other institutions as supporting partners, such as Blue Raster, Carbon Tanzania, FeminaHip, and Impact by Design, among others. The activity will be implemented in four districts covering most of the chimpanzee habitat of the Western Tanzania in close collaboration with key government agencies that include National Land Use Planning Commission, Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI), Tanzania National Park Authority (TANAPA), Ministry of Lands, Tanzania Wildlife Authority (TAWA) and other related ministries and departments. LCWT will enhance NRM in the Gombe-Masito-Ugalla (MGU) landscape through increased local government capacity, state of the art monitoring, and a robust behavior change and communications strategy designed to promote sustainable livelihood practices at scale.

LCWT will achieve five key Intermediate Results (IRs) that will lead to the protection of chimpanzee populations and habitats. However, there are some activity interventions that could negatively affect tropical forests and biodiversity. These interventions include selective timber harvesting from native forest village forest reserves and local authority (district level) forest reserves, and the removal of native forest for agricultural purposes under village land use plans.

1.3 PROJECT/ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION

TABLE 2: DEFINED LCWT INTERVENTIONS

Activity — Landscape Conservation in Western Tanzania (LCWT) Sub-activity 1.1 Strengthened local government's ability to support effective NRM Sub-activity 1.2 Expanded and operationalized Land Use Planning (LUP) Sub-activity 1.3 Increased monitoring of conservation and development targets Sub-activity 1.4 Improved reproductive health/family planning Sub-activity 1.5 Strengthened community based environmental education

These IRs include a wide range of sub-IRs and activities that align with the activity level theory of change-conceptual model:

INTERMEDIATE RESULT 1

Strengthened Local Government’s ability to support effective natural resource management

Local governments are legally mandated4 to provide the bulk of basic social services, such as education and health services, and to oversee natural resources management. However, the general approach to local government planning and budgeting has tended to marginalize natural resources (NR) issues. Local Government Authority (LGA) revenue streams from the central government are largely allocated for

4 Local Government Laws Act (1999).

AFR/TANZANIA/STEWARDSHIP OF NATURAL RESOURCES IMPROVED 9

specific sectors like education and health, leaving LGAs with little room to prioritize resources to NR sectors (although LGAs also have access to local revenues from taxes, fines, etc.). Many NRM projects at the LGA level are donor and/or NGO funded with approaches that are not always fully integrated in LGAs, frequently resulting in parallel planning and implementation procedures that may not be a part of the LGA budgeting and planning processes. JGI and the LCWT implementation partners will institute local government development frameworks to enable local governments to improve service delivery, create new revenue streams to support NRM activities, and improve engagement between governments and communities. New revenue streams could include taxes on the sale of timber from Village Forest Reserves and Local Authority Forest Reserves (LAFR).

The weaknesses in local governance regimes in forestry, wildlife, and fisheries include primarily a lack of transparency and accountability in issuing rights to extract resources and accrue revenues from them;

inequitable sharing of benefits within communities; and weak monitoring and surveillance of stocks.

Local government actors include the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism (MNRT), Local Government (regional and district) officials (including those conducting land use planning), TANAPA, key national parks (Gombe National Park), and forest reserves.

IR 1 Expected Results:

● Strengthened capacity of local government officials and institutions to effectively manage natural resources; including the management of timber extraction from native forests;

● Improved mechanisms at the local government level in place to appropriately cover costs of NRM monitoring and interventions, including revenue from timber sales tax;

and

● Improved engagement between local communities and government actors in NRM.

INTERMEDIATE RESULT 2

Expanded and Operationalized Land Use Planning

JGI has facilitated the improvement in landscape management, and by extension, governance, property and procedural rights, through the use of land use planning in some areas of Western Tanzania. The creation of the forest corridor that connects Gombe National Park and the Burundi border through the development of village land use plans (VLUP) is a key example. In addition, JGI has facilitated the development of 52 village land use plans and two district level land use plans, bringing a significant amount of land under improved management. The two district land use plans alone will convert approximately 500,000 hectares of General Land to District land.

In addition to conservation benefits, these VLUPs offer a broad array of benefits to both communities and districts including, land tenure, economic incentives, basis to form CCROs, long-term zonation, local revenue source for districts, among others. Under LCWT, JGI is supporting the development of landscape-level land use plans which also operationalize existing LUPs. Some of the existing village- and district-level LUPs still require additional effort to finalize by-laws, resolve boundary complaints, or

AFR/TANZANIA/STEWARDSHIP OF NATURAL RESOURCES IMPROVED 10

develop protocols for monitoring. JGI will support LUP expansion into the Mishamo settlement area, as well as other areas within the Gombe-Masito-Ugalla ecosystems.

Established VLUPs have been, and new ones will be, zoned for agriculture, forestry, residential, grazing and water sources with LCWT support. Agricultural areas in some newly established villages may require the clearing of native forests and some village forest reserves may be subjected to selective timber harvesting of native forests. District-level Local Authority Forest Reserves (LAFRs) are zoned by core areas, intermediate areas, and buffer zone areas. Intermediate and Buffer zones will be subjected to timber extraction in some areas.

LCWT should generate a wider scope of benefits, beyond economic benefits through private and public sector actors, as well as mechanisms that ensure those benefits accrue at community, household, and individual levels. Central to reforming the economic framework is broadening the concept of benefits from cash income to recognize a variety of economic and non-economic benefits that can motivate people and drive their behaviors. JGI should build on the significant progress made in land use planning in Western Tanzania that has empowered communities and created common property management systems leading to improved management of natural resources.

IR 2 Expected Results:

● Improved engagement of communities, government and non-governmental partners in land-use planning processes;

● Improved implementation of existing village land use plans and development of district level land use plans, that could include the extraction and sale of timber from native forests;

● Improved natural resource use rights and access to resources for local community members, especially for women and youth;

● Increased benefits to households and communities for the sustainable management of wildlife and use of natural resources; and

● Expanded community-based, market-driven livelihood opportunities for local community members.

INTERMEDIATE RESULT 3

Increased Monitoring of Conservation and Development Targets

In order to support the long-term viability of Tanzania’s wildlife and natural resources, landscape-level chimpanzee (and biodiversity) conservation management efforts are needed to help protect and maintain connectivity in the landscape as well as improve community livelihoods and promote economic growth.

This is especially important given the fact that the majority of chimpanzee populations and habitat destruction occurs outside of Gombe and Mahale National Parks where human populations also occur.

While the proposed threats to chimpanzees are known, there are no data measuring the impacts of these threats on this endangered great ape in this landscape. Robust monitoring systems will be put in place and institutionalized to determine the status of forest cover and connectivity, the status of chimpanzee populations, and the socio-economic status of the people that use the landscape.

IR 3 Expected Results:

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● Regular monitoring system developed to track and inform on key conservation trends at the landscape scale;

● Increased application of monitoring methods and tools for conservation targets, habitats, and threats, including the impact of timber extraction;

● Improved data sharing and access to pertinent knowledge among NRM practitioners; and

● Improved governance at the landscape level through targeted science and technology innovations for land and natural resource tenure (e.g., applied research, new tools, new approaches, enhanced data sharing);

INTERMEDIATE RESULT 4

Improved Reproductive Health/Family Planning

The primary ongoing threats to the biodiversity and remaining forest habitat in the Western Tanzania Landscape and adjacent regions, are the direct result of a rapidly growing local population and its continued reliance on natural resources and unsustainable land use practices. JGI and other partners have increased demand for family planning services in the Western Tanzania Landscape over the past few years. Results from the NRM Whole of Project Evaluation (WOPE) provided data regarding the relationship between family planning and natural resources management in the Gombe-Masito-Ugalla (GMU) landscape, with 56.36% of respondents reporting there was a relationship between the two and explaining the benefits of this linkage. These included a decrease in population growth, a reduction of pressure on natural resources, and an increase of time for women to participate in conservation and development activities (i.e., empowerment). A key family planning issue is the lack of service delivery near villages in the remote GMU landscape.

Under LCWT, JGI and partners are expected to build upon the results of demand creation efforts and to provide service provision interventions within the landscape. JGI is also expected to expand the area under coverage, including the former Mishamo refugee settlement area, and to educate villagers on the linkages between family planning interventions and conservation outcomes in conservation field projects.

IR 4 Expected Results:

● Increased understanding of the value of integrated population-health-environment interventions in terms of improved human wellbeing is documented for wider diffusion in the landscape;

● Increased sensitization and education on family planning;

● Enhanced capacity for counseling on family planning;

● Increased capacity for family referrals and data management; and

● Increased service provision in key areas accessible by local communities.

INTERMEDIATE RESULT 5

Strengthened Community Based Environmental Education

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The majority of the rural populations in western Tanzania rely almost entirely on natural resources for their livelihoods and the growth of these populations continues to be a driver of habitat loss through increased deforestation of habitats for farming, livestock, and human settlement. Community-based environmental education can be an important tool for increasing community participation in biodiversity conservation and to enable resource users to understand the importance of the sustainable uses of natural resources. Community-based environmental education programs provide opportunity to reinforce messages related to other IRs.

Environmental education needs to reach the entire community, working with villages, local schools, and groups or clubs to strengthen community-based education with the youth and adults in the Gombe, Masito and Ugalla ecosystems. Conservation messages should be developed that target and respond to specific threats to chimpanzee conservation.

IR 5 Expected Results:

● Improved knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among local communities regarding the benefits of conservation and sustainable use of forest resources;

● Increased awareness on conservation issues and benefits of CBNRM among local communities;

and

● Communication tools to ensure the broadest possible dissemination of information about conservation and sustainable development developed and implemented.

Will this project/activity involve construction5 as defined by ADS 201 and 303?

Yes ☐ No ☒

5 Construction, as defined by ADS 201 and 303, includes: construction, alteration, or repair (including dredging and excavation) of buildings, structures, or other real property and includes, without limitation, improvements, renovation, alteration and refurbishment. The term includes, without limitation, roads, power plants, buildings, bridges, water treatment facilities, and vertical structures. In the box below, describe any construction planned for this project/activity. Refer to ADS 201maw for required Construction Risk Management procedures.

https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1865/201maw.pdf

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2.0 BASELINE ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION

2.1 LOCATIONS AFFECTED AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT (ENVIRONMENT,

PHYSICAL, CLIMATE, SOCIAL, THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES)

The LCWT activity will be implemented in four districts covering most of the chimpanzee habitat of Western Tanzania which are Kigoma and Uvinza districts from Kigoma region and Tanganyika and Mpanda districts from Katavi region (Map 1). The implementation of LCWT activity will be in close collaboration with key government agencies that include Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI), Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), Ministry of Lands, Tanzania Wildlife Authority (TAWA), and other related ministries and departments.

Miombo woodlands cover about 40% of Tanzania’s land area and are home to chimpanzees, in the Gombe Stream National Park and throughout western Tanzania. The Gombe-Masito-Ugalla ecosystem includes Gombe National Park in the north, Masito and Ugalla forests in the south and the corridor that joins the two ecosystems. The ecosystem provides the habitat for between 600 and 1,000 chimpanzees, which is about 25 - 40% of Tanzania’s entire chimpanzee population. The Chimpanzees serve as a key umbrella or focal species for many other plants and primates such as the red colobus monkey, blue monkey, redtail monkey, vervet monkey, yellow and olive baboons and bushbabies found in this ecosystem.

This natural landscape of Western Tanzania is seriously threatened by unchecked development, unsustainable farming practices, rising population growth, and destructive and uncontrolled wildfires that negatively impact, directly or indirectly, the conservation and survival rate of the endangered

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chimpanzee, Pans troglodytes, which is found in this part of Tanzania. According to the Tanzania Chimpanzee Conservation Action Plan 2018-2023 (TCCAP), the major threats to chimpanzees in Tanzania are:

• Habitat loss and fragmentation, resulting in isolated populations and low genetic diversity.

• Rapidly growing human populations dependent on natural resources that have accelerated pressure placed on the landscape from human settlement.

• Expansion and unsustainable land use practices that result in the conversion of habitat, including conversion to food crops through small-scale agriculture, livestock overgrazing, and illegal logging.

• At the community level, a lack of understanding of chimpanzees and of conservation best practices that has also led to direct threats to chimpanzees through disease transmission and from human-wildlife conflict caused by fear of chimpanzees, while also exacerbating the aforementioned destruction of habitat.

• Weak local government capacity to effectively manage natural resources and establish and implement environmentally friendly land use policies and practices.

• Political will that fully supports conservation and policies/strategies in place to manage natural resources.

2.2 APPLICABLE AND APPROPRIATE PARTNER COUNTRY AND OTHER

INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS (E.G. WHO), ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL LAWS,

POLICIES, AND REGULATIONS

Biologically, Tanzania is one of the wealthiest nations on earth. Its diverse terrestrial, marine, and freshwater landscapes provide habitat for an array of plant and animal species: it is home to the fifth largest number of species and the third largest elephant population in Africa. Tanzania boasts many internationally recognized biologically rich areas, including several World Heritage Sites, Man and Biosphere Reserves, and Ramsar Wetlands. It is a “megadiversity” country – one of a few nations that together account for a disproportionately large percentage of global biodiversity. Over 25% of Tanzania’s territory enjoys some level of protective status, including nearly 15% of which has been set aside for the express purpose of biodiversity conservation. The country’s well-protected, spectacular wildlife estate places it among Africa’s premiere tourism destinations, with the sector’s average annual growth currently at 20%, and its contribution to GDP was about 17.5% in 2012. Eighty-five percent of Tanzanians depend entirely on the management of natural resources for their livelihood. Natural resource-based activities such as agriculture, livestock-raising, forestry, fisheries, mining, hunting, wild-food gathering, and nature based tourism have promising futures as engines for Tanzania’s long-term economic growth, but only if Tanzania invests in these sectors in a sustainable fashion. The importance of biodiversity and wildlife to Tanzania’s development is understood at a fundamental level by Tanzanian policy makers and farmers alike. This recognition – from topmost levels of government (see Nyerere’s renowned 1961 Arusha Manifesto), to an appreciation and awareness by the citizenry on their interdependence with Tanzania’s natural resources, has created a national pride by Tanzanians for their country’s natural resource endowment – at a level that has few peers in Africa.

Over the past twelve years the Government of Tanzania has embarked on a process of policy reform that had led to local communities having greater involvement and authority in the management of natural resources - including wildlife. The approach has significant lead to the modification of existing legal and structural relationships, requiring changes in laws and land use designations to accommodate greater local control. The Government recognizes that decentralization and devolution of governance and fiscal powers and responsibilities to lower levels of government and rural communities - would, on balance, be better for natural resources management and sustainable economic development. The Government recognizes that it has insufficient human and financial resources to manage resources that are becoming increasingly under threat from a growing population. The Government also understands

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that moving toward a new management process requires building capacity of local governments and communities in resource management and defining the roles and relationships of local organizations vis-à-vis central government.

Under the previous Country Strategic Plan for Tanzania USAID worked with the Government of Tanzania and other donors to support implementation of the Wildlife Policy (1998) and Environmental Policy (1997) by promoting policy development and capacity building at both central and decentralized levels for improved environmental management and sustainable development. The Policy objective was to foster the involvement of local communities in the management of wildlife through the establishment and functioning of Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs).

However, the USAID Tanzania NRM strategy and portfolio underwent a mid-term Whole of Project Evaluation (WOPE) in 2017. As a result of the WOPE, USAID modified its NRM strategy, reviewing the project assumptions and sub-purposes. The goal of the NRM strategy remained the same but the overall Community Based (CB) NRM approach was broadened, placing less emphasis on Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs), and a more expanded approach that incorporates other community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) approaches such as village land use plans (VLUPs), Certificate of Customary Right of Occupancy (CCROs), Beach Management Units (BMUs), Participatory Forest Management (PFM), wildlife corridors and habitat connectivity.

Significant progress has been made over the past years, in strengthening institutional and legal framework for environmental management in Tanzania. A number of progressive NRM policies, laws and devolution of authorities have been promulgated, and several key sector policies to better reflect environmental concerns, including biodiversity conservation were revised. A National Environmental Action Plan and National Environmental Policy, key foundational pieces of the improved framework, were adopted in 1997. An Institutional and Legal Framework for Environmental Management was adopted in 2002. Local government reform has increased responsibilities of local authorities, so that most services, including environmental management, are to be delivered at the district level or below.

Furthermore, key policies and laws pertaining to management and sustainable utilization of natural resources and devolution of authority have been promulgated, including: Wildlife Policy 1998; Land Act 1999; Village Land Act 1999; National Tourism Policy 1999; Forest and Bees Acts 2002; and the National Coastal Strategy 2002. The National REDD+ Strategy 2010, and an array of subsidiary legislation to implement these new policies is in place.

Notwithstanding such impressive progress on a sound and progressive legal framework, implementation on the ground has been uneven. While local authorities welcome an increased role in natural resource governance, their performance is severely hampered by limited human and financial capacity. In addition, given the highly lucrative nature of some natural resource sub sectors, not all stakeholders of the “old” paradigm are anxious to see a new status quo.

In Tanzania, recognition of environmental impact assessment (EIA) in supporting sustainable development is demonstrated in a series of official policies and strategies, such as the 2004 Environmental Management Act, the National Conservation Strategy for Sustainable Development (NCSSD), the National Environmental Action Plan, the National Environmental Policy (December 1997), National Parks Policy, Wildlife Policy and Forest Policy. All call for the use of EIA as a key policy implementation and development tool. Several initiatives have also been taken by government institutions and donors to operationalize the use of EIA in development planning.

2.3 COUNTRY/MINISTRY/MUNICIPALITY ENVIRONMENTAL CAPACITY ANALYSIS

There is a perceived capacity weakness in the ability of Local Government Authorities (LGA) in Tanzania to govern forestry, wildlife, and fisheries regimes due to primarily: 1) a lack of transparency and

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accountability in issuing rights to extract resources and accrue revenues from them; 2) inequitable sharing of benefits within communities; and 3) weak monitoring and surveillance of stocks.

These nation-wide LGA generalizations were corroborated by a recent political environmental assessment (PEA) that was conducted by the Jane Goodall Institute in March 2019 in the four districts where the LCWT activity is implemented. The PEA included the Kigoma, Uvinza, Nsimbo and Mpanda District councils and six villages. Some of the objectives of the PEA were to determine why local governments do not prioritize natural resources management (NRM) and not allocate financial resources to NRM and environmental activities. Results demonstrated that while some local government officials and politicians do try to leverage their authority for NRM and environmental issues, most do not for various reasons. These reasons include: 1) it is difficult to quantify and communicate conservation outcomes as opposed to more tangible outcomes such as classrooms and health centers built, 2) NRM is currently not perceived as a national priority and local governments pay it cursory attention, 3) NRM results are long-term and politicians need short-term results to satisfy electorate and political party expectations, and 4) there seems a greater need to meet survival or livelihood needs which appear to be in contradiction to conservation needs.

The PEA further demonstrated that the enforcement of natural resource or environmental regulations brings the local governmental officials into conflict with the electorate. This challenge is expected to grow with the oncoming election cycle. In addition, personal economic gain in harvesting natural resources or protecting violators keeps some officials inactive and unresponsive. Lastly, the need to conserve the environment is currently largely not a felt need. Many leaders simply do not see the urgency.

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3.0 ANALYSIS OF POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL RISK

PROJECT/ACTIVITY: LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION IN WESTERN TANZANIA

(LCWT)

TABLE 3A. POTENTIAL IMPACTS – LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION IN WESTERN TANZANIA

Activity/Interventions Potential environmental and social impacts Landscape Conservation in Western Tanzania (LCWT) Intervention 1: Land improvement and watershed management (CBNRM interventions in general)

Inequitable distribution of CBNRM benefits Inadequate community experience managing funds generated through CBNRM interventions Internal conflict at the local level Need for technical assistance Little genuine ecological monitoring Lack of power to control resource use by outsiders (see USAID SEG: CBNRM)

Intervention 2: Credit or Community Conservation Banks (CoCoBAs)

Inequitable distribution of CBNRM benefits Inadequate community experience managing funds generated through CBNRM interventions Internal conflict at the local level Need for technical assistance Little genuine ecological monitoring Lack of power to control resource use by outsiders (see USAID SEG: CBNRM)

Intervention 3: Selective timber harvesting in forest reserves in village land use plans

Disturbance of fragile plant and animal communities and the biological processes that sustain them. Harvesting timber and non-wood forest products may adversely affect biodiversity by harming fragile or endangered species of plants and animals and their habitats.

Timber production can destroy or disrupt wildlife habitat and biological diversity.

Direct and indirect overexploitation can fragment forests, disrupting animal behavior and migration patterns.

Soil and site degradation.

Damage from land clearing.

Forest roads and access (skidding) trails.

Damage to the residual stand after logging.

(see USAID Sectoral Environmental Guidelines: Forestry)

Intervention 4: Clearing of native forests for agricultural purposes

Biodiversity loss Soil erosion Soil fertility loss Run off from land use Exacerbate siltation of water bodies Land degradation Degradation of protected habitat Greenhouse gas emissions (see USAID Sectoral Environmental Guidelines: Agriculture)

Intervention 5: Timber harvesting in local authority forest reserves

Disturbance of fragile plant and animal communities and the biological processes that sustain them. Harvesting timber and non-wood forest products may adversely affect biodiversity by harming fragile or endangered species of plants and animals and their habitats.

Timber production can destroy or disrupt wildlife habitat and biological diversity.

Direct and indirect overexploitation can fragment forests, disrupting animal behavior and migration patterns.

Soil and site degradation.

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Damage from land clearing.

Forest roads and access (skidding) trails.

Damage to the residual stand after logging.

(see USAID Sectoral Environmental Guidelines: Forestry)

Intervention 6: Reproductive Health and Family Planning

Transmission of disease through infectious healthcare waste Contamination of water supply from untreated healthcare waste (see USAID Sectoral Environmental Guidelines: Healthcare Waste)

Intervention 7: Road Rehabilitation Soil erosion Degradation of water quality Adverse effect on water quantity Deforestation Damage to ecosystem and habitat Adverse impacts on human health and safety especially by dust and noise produced during construction (see USAID Sectoral Environmental Guidelines: Rural Roads)

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4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATIONS

4.1 RECOMMENDED ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATIONS

The following table summarizes the recommended determinations based on the environmental analysis conducted. Upon approval, these determinations become affirmed, per 22 CFR 216. Specified conditions, detailed in Section 5, become mandatory obligations of implementation, per ADS 204.

TABLE 4: ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATIONS

Projects/Activities Categorical Exclusion

Citation (if applicable) Negative Determinatio n

Positive Determination

Deferral

IR 1: Strengthened Local Government’s ability to support effective natural resource management

X §216.2(c)(2)(i) & (xiv)

X §216.3(a)(2)(iii) and §216.5

IR 2: Expanded and operationalized Land Use Planning (LUP)

X §216.2 (c) (2) (i)

X §216.3(a)(2)(iii)

X and §216.5

IR 3: Increased monitoring of conservation and development targets

X §216.2(c) (2)(ii) & (iii)

IR 4: Improved reproductive health/family planning

X §216.2(c) (2) (viii)

IR 5: Strengthened community based environmental education

§216.2(c) (2) (i)

4.2 CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT

This section summarizes the methodology used and findings of the CRM Screening, in accordance with ADS 201mal. The project design team, in consultation with the CIL, considered the potential effect of climate risks/stressors on the sustainability of the project (changing precipitation patterns, rising temperature, floods, droughts, fires, landslides, etc.) in addition to the impact of project activities on the climate (increased greenhouse gas emissions, land use changes, etc.). See Annex 1 for the complete CRM table.

A recent climate change analysis for Western Tanzania (2012) reported that temperatures have been rising steadily at a rate of 0.12 degrees C per decade since the 1950s. Temperatures are projected to continue to rise by 1-2 degrees C over the next 50 years and perhaps up to 4 degrees C by 2100.

Although annual precipitation may not vary, changes in the frequency, intensity and predictability of rainfall are expected with wet seasons becoming wetter and dry seasons becoming drier, resulting in more arid Western Tanzania due to increased evapotranspiration. These predicted changes are expected to have the following impacts:

● More frequent and severe droughts and floods;

● Higher water temperatures and lower water flows in the dry season;

6 Positive Determinations require preparation of a Scoping Statement and Environmental Assessment.

7 Deferrals must be cleared through an Amendment to this IEE prior to implementation of any deferred activities.

https://www.usaid.gov/ads/policy/200/201mal

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● Increased erosion of topsoil;

● Changes in vegetation;

● Changes in groundwater and runoff; and

● Increased spread of invasive species and more destructive fires.

These impacts will have a direct effect on forests, woodlands and freshwater systems in western Tanzania and the rural population that rely on natural resources for their livelihoods and survival. With an increase in temperature, population pressures will also intensify resulting in an increased native forest conversion to agriculture and livestock use. Since most farmers in western Tanzania depend on rain-fed agriculture some of the most significant impacts of climate change over the next few years will be on agricultural systems.

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5.0 CONDITIONS AND MITIGATION MEASURES

5.1 CONDITIONS

The environmental determinations in this IEE are contingent upon full implementation of the following general implementation and monitoring requirements, as well as ADS 204 and other relevant requirements.

5.1.1 During Pre-Award:

5.1.1.1 Pre-Award Briefings: As feasible, the design team and/or the cognizant environmental officer(s) (e.g., MEO, REA, BEO) will provide a pre-award briefing for potential offerors on environmental compliance expectations/responsibilities at bidders’ conferences.

5.1.1.2 Solicitations: The design team, in coordination with the A/CO, will ensure solicitations include environmental compliance requirements and evaluation criteria. A/CO will ensure technical and cost proposal requirements include approach, staffing, and budget sufficient for complying with the terms of this IEE.

5.1.1.3 Awards: The A/COR, in coordination with the A/CO, will ensure all awards and sub-awards, include environmental compliance requirements.

5.1.2 During Post-Award:

5.1.2.1 Post-Award Briefings: The A/COR and/or the cognizant environmental officer(s) (e.g., MEO, REA, BEO) will provide post-award briefings for the Implementing Partner (IP) on environmental compliance responsibilities.

5.1.2.3 Work plans and Budgeting: The A/COR will ensure the IP integrates environmental compliance requirements in work plans and budgets to comply with requirements, including EMMP implementation and monitoring.

5.1.2.4 Staffing: The A/COR, in coordination with the IP, will ensure all awards have staffing capacity to implement environmental compliance requirements.

5.1.2.5 Records…