Linking Biodiversity with Inclusive

Development: Why it Matters (3/3)

Humanity & Nature: Building a key

strategic alliance for the future

Dr Mark SmithIntegrated Water Management Institute

(IWMI)

Mr Paul Sein TwaDirector and Founding Member, Karen

Environmental and Social Action Network

Paul Sein Twa, Salween Peace Park President &

KESAN Director

“Humanity and Nature Building a Key Strategic Alliance for the Future”

- SIWI World Water Week. Aug 28, 2019

Salween Peace ParkA place for all living things to share

Context: Karen and the Salween River• The Salween River basin is the “Territory of

Life” of Indigenous Karen people in southeastern Burma/Myanmar

• 70 years of armed conflict have had massive impacts on communities and their natural heritage

• Under threats from destructive development projects: hydropower dams, mining, ELCs, etc.

• The government’s reforms since 2011 fail to recognize customary land rights, and thus exacerbated land grabbing

• Ceasefire agreements signed and peace process has begun but militarization and “development for peace” continue

About the Salween Peace Park

Salween Peace Park Vision:

The SPP vision is to foster peace, cooperation, cultural resilience, sustainable natural resource management, biodiversity conservation and local livelihood improvement through a bottom-up, people-centered approach to forest and landscape

management and enterprise development.

Objectives

1. Peace and self-determination- right to govern their lands and natural

resources- right to participate in and make decisions

in a collective and democratic manner- right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent

(FPIC) by affected people on development projects

2. Environment and biodiversity protection

3. Preservation of cultural heritage and practices

Fulfilling indigenous Karen people’s aspirations:

SPP governance is built upon Kaw systems, a Karen version of ICCA-Territory of Life

Kaw is both a physical space as well as a social system integrating indigenous ecological knowledge, wildlife conservation, forest and water management, swidden agriculture, and conflict resolution mechanisms

Governance decisions &

management efforts lead to

Conservation of Nature and

Community Wellbeing

v

Functioning Governance

Institution

(de facto capacity / power to take

and enforce decisions)

2

3

The Linkages between Kaw customary territory, biodiversity conservation and community wellbeing

(the 3 common elements of ICCAs-Territories of Life)

Natural area/territory

1

Community

Close & deep connection

custodians & defenders

The Salween Peace Park

- an inclusive governance of Kaw, protected areas and other community conserved areas

- builds upon the Kaws as building blocks towards a landscape conservation by IPs and local communities

Inclusive Governance Structure of the SPP

Kaw customary territorial rules and regulations regarding natural resource governance

KNU: policy and laws re: land, forests, agriculture, water, etc.

SPP Establishment Process & Progress

2012-2015

2016-2017

2018-2019

2020-2025

- Drafting concept note

- Concept note consultations with stakeholders

- Concept note finalized and approved by the KNU

- District, township and village tract level consultations

- Charter drafting committee formed

- Agreed on SPP boundaries

- Kaw customary territory demarcation started

- Governance capacity building

- Conducted Charter referendum

- Charter adoption and Self-Declaration of the SPP

- Elections of SPP General Assembly members and Governing Committee members

- Held 1st SPP GA- Kaw customary

demarcation continued

- Tenure mapping and territorial planning

- Governance & institutional strengthening

- Natural resource management, conservation and enterprise

- Advocacy, alliances and learning

- Global ICCA registration

Our Key Takeaways

- Regaining, or retaining, collective control (governance) over our territories in order to govern and manage them effectively and sustainably

- Self-strengthening processes grounded in mapping, resource inventories and self-documentation of Kaw customary land and local communities’ own rules, protocols, institutions and values

- Indigenous Karen people and local communities are the key actors governing, managing and conserving their lands, waters, and other gifts of nature

Our Key Takeaways

- Defending our ancestral land and its custodian communitiesfrom disempowerment, encroachment, unauthorized occupation, displacement and other threats such as development aggressions

- Sustaining livelihood practices while maintaining Kaw’s biodiversity (sustainable self-determination)

- Scaling up indigenous conservation through inclusive governance and landscape approach (to save our planet earth from climate crisis)

- Inspiring others and jointly advocating for appropriate recognition of our ICCAs-Territories of Life governance systems

Thank You!

For more info contact:Saw Paul Sein Twa

Email: paulkesan@gmail.comwww.kesan.asia

Ms Caroline BrownClimate Resilient Infrastructure

Development Facility

Dr Deepthi WickramasingheUniversity of Colombo

Dr Diana Suhardiman andDr Mark SmithIWMI

Dr Jorge Werneck LimaADASA, Brazil

Abstract Presentations

Pathways to Resilient Livelihoods in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier

Conservation Area

World Water Week 2019Linking biodiversity with inclusive development: why it matters

28 August 2019

Caroline Brown

The Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area

(KAZA TFCA)

The goal of the KAZA TFCA is “To sustainably manage the Kavango Zambezi ecosystem, its heritage and cultural

resources based on best conservation and tourism models for the socio-economic wellbeing of the communities and

other stakeholders in and around the eco-region through harmonization of policies, strategies and practices.”

World's largest transfrontier

conservation area, spanning five

countries.

It contains high biodiversity and wilderness

assets, including the largest contiguous

population of the African elephant, and is

considered a premier tourist destination

It is also home to an estimated 2.7 million people, mostly subsistence farmers. Relatively few benefit directly from the lucrative international and regional tourism industry.

Subsistence

Tourism

Wildlife

Tourism

Tourism

Tourism

Tourism

Tourism

Subsistence

Subsistence

Subsistence

Subsistence

Wildlife

WildlifeWildlife

Wildlife

Wildlife

Subsistence

Subsistence

Subsistence

Subsistence

Commercial agriculture

Commercial agriculture

Commercial agriculture

Commercial agriculture

Commercial agriculture

Wildlife

Wildlife

Tourism

Tourism

TourismTourism

Where is the benefit to the local

communities?

The current situation

With no significant direct

benefits, communities

experience a NET LOSS in

quality of life and there is no

incentive to protect the

natural resource base

The TFCA is in an area of high and increasing climate variability, exposing already marginalised

communities to climate vulnerability.

This exacerbates human wildlife conflict, especially in the riverine zones during drought periods,

and leads to the unsustainable use of the region’s precious natural resources.

To overcome this and foster coexistence between humans and wildlife, communities need

sustainable livelihood opportunities outside wildlife dispersal zones and away from riverine areas

– which the tourism industry could potentially provide

The impacts of climate change on humans, wildlife and

biodiversity

Can tourism be the catalyst for change?

• What is the estimated net consumption of fresh produce, meat and associated processed products

by the tourism sector within KAZA?

• How much of this produce is imported into KAZA from further afield?

• Are there opportunities for import substitution to boost the local economy and livelihoods through

opportunities for communities to enter the tourism value chain?

• What is the economic potential and water consumption implications – is it sustainable?

Distribute questionnaires to 150 tourism facilities

1

Distribute questionnaires to 40 suppliers & intermediaries

2

Conduct site visits to select tourism hubs

3

• For the purposes of this investigation, six tourism ‘clusters’ were selected

• From the analysis, it was estimated that about 44 000 tons of primary produce is consumed in KAZA by the tourism sector in a year, much of which is imported from outside of the KAZA region – valued at

US$ 64.2 million

Identifying potential markets: what is the scale of demand and where does it exits?

Producing locally:✓ creates business opportunities &

employment, improves livelihoods and boosts the local economy

✓ reduces transport costs and related carbon emissions

✓ optimizes local water consumption, if good technologies and practices are adopted

Jobs

Loca

l eco

no

my

Findings from the Okavango Delta: import substitution & value chain partnership opportunities

Subsistence

Tourism

Wildlife

Tourism

Tourism

Tourism

Tourism

Tourism

Subsistence

Subsistence

Subsistence

Subsistence

Wildlife

WildlifeWildlife

Wildlife

Wildlife

Subsistence

Subsistence

Subsistence

Subsistence

Commercial agriculture

Commercial agriculture

Commercial agriculture

Commercial agriculture

Commercial agriculture

Wildlife

Wildlife

Tourism

Tourism

TourismTourism

Commercial agriculture

$

$

$

Strategically located livelihood / business interventions can help catalyse change

Reduced environmental degradation

Potential for increased wildlife & tourism

driving inclusive local economic growth

Local Economic growth

What next?Coexisting towards sustainable pathways

A range of key regional actors are piloting this approach in Maun, Botswana - the largest settlement in the Okavango Delta tourism cluster. Together, they are working with ‘champion’ community farmers to prove that growing certain produce locally can intercept existing lines of supply and introduce local communal farmers into tourism and other value chains - without placing undue strain on local water, land and wildlife.

Combating Climate Change with

SIT-IN for Wetland Conservation

Prof. Deepthi Wickramasinghe

University of Colombo/ Sri Lanka Water Partnership

Sri Lanka

Wetland ecosystems are part of our natural wealth – can be used

easily to combat impacts of Climate Change

“The kidneys of the landscape”- because of the cleaning functions they perform in the hydrological and

chemical cycles

“The lungs of the landscape” – because they provide oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide from the air

“Nature store” – storage of “Carbon” in algae, plants and in soil

*A key stakeholder is missing in the loop of conservation action : Leaders of tomorrow - The school children

SIT-IN (School Initiative for

Training, Interaction and

Networking for wetland

conservation) program

Innovative responses to combat climate

change impacts within the context of

available natural resources.

Holistic approach

https://www.srilankan.com/environment/Home/WhatWeDoItem?id=52

https://www.srilankan.com/environment/Home/WhatWeDoItem?id=52

The Base Training Programmes

Actions to combat Climate

Change

Interactive sessions

Networking opportunity SIT-IN

Training programmes

Demonstration of how these habitats

contribute to provide provisional,

regulatory, cultural and supporting

services.

A special focus is on how habitats help

combatting “carbon issues” by

reducing greenhouse gases as well as

acting as a carbon reservoir.

A hands on training is provided with

studies on biodiversity, soil and water,

using wetland as “nature

laboratories”.https://www.roomtoread.org/countries/sri-lanka/

Interactive sessions

The participants express their

experience as posters, poems, essays

at the site itself under the guidance of

organizers.

The Interactions generated many soft

skills of participants:

Communicating knowledge and

translation to action,

Developing leadership

Generating novel ideas

Networking - Sustainable links

To connect the dots distributed

everywhere, a newsletter is

created.

Presentations of participants, and

is distributed among selected

schools.

Views and opinions of the

participants to the other school

mates – educate and motivate

them for wetland conservation

Humanity and Nature: Building a Key Strategic Alliance for the Future

Linking Biodiversity with Inclusive Development: Why it matters

Jorge Enoch Furquim Werneck LimaPhD Hydrology - Director of Adasa

Session 3

Pipiripau’s Project

❑ Part of the Water Producer Program, developed by National Water Agency (ANA/Brazil).

❑Main objectives:

▪ Regulation of the water supply (baseflow);▪ Water quality improvement ;▪ Erosion Control (runoff).

❑Main tools:

▪ Payment for Environmental Services (PES);▪ Implementation of BMPs;▪ Involvement and participation of all.

38 pilot projects

Source: https://www.ana.gov.br/programas-e-projetos/programa-produtor-de-agua

Pipiripau’s ProjectProblem characterization

❑ Pipiripau Basin covers 235 km²

❑ Extensive agriculture and cattleraising activities

❑ Historical conflicts for water (urban xrural)

❑ Supply water to 180,000 inhabitants

❑ On rainy season, the total waterconsumption is 400 L/s, and itdoubles up to 800 – 900 L/s duringthe dry period

❑ Small farmers are particularlyvulnerable

Lima &

Ram

os, 201

8

Pipiripau’s ProjectGovernance and partners

Pipiripau’s ProjectMajor outcomes

❑ 380,000 native trees seedlings were planted (~250 ha in restoration process);

❑ Terraces implemented in 1,400 ha;

❑ Interventions in 134 km of rural roads;

❑ 1,200 small water retention basins;

❑ 1,858 transverse undulations;

❑ Today, about 1/3 (200) of the basin farmers (590) are participating in the Project and receiving Payment for Environmental Services (PES);

❑ 8 km of the Santos Dumont Canal were reconstructed (total length: 17 km);

❑ Many events, visits, seminars were promoted involving farmers, technicians, journalists, politicians, students and others;

Source: Lima & Ramos, 2018

Pipiripau’s ProjectMajor outcomes

❑ After only 5 years, it is not yet possible to scientifically verify any impact on water quantity and quality (watershed scale);

❑ Despite this, in farm scale people are very satisfied and proud of being a Water Producer. Farmers with advanced actions highlight the following benefits: more water for the plants (resilience and production), less runoff, better roads, return of wild animals, microclimate impacts, feeling of being environmentally friendly, and others);

❑ Under the Project environment, many farmers have organized themselves into organic producers associations, undergoing an ecological transformation;

❑ In terms of governance, the project was fundamental in connecting the small farmers with the water management agency (Adasa) and the sanitation company (Caesb), what was central for overcoming the 2016-2018 water crises.

❑ 40% of the rural producers of thePipiripau Basin are part of the PESproject.

❑ ~200 PES contracts were signed with local producers in 5 years

❑ Agreement between Adasa and Caesb (Water and SanitationCompany for the Federal District) to ensure € 90,000/yearalong 10 years.

Pipiripau’s ProjectMajor outcomes

Source: Lima & Ramos, 2018

Pipiripau’s ProjectSensibilization and mobilization

Source: Lima & Ramos, 2018

Pipiripau’s ProjectSensibilization and mobilization

❑ “The Junior WaterProducer”

❑ 350 students from 13public and privateschools planted 1500seedlings in the projectsites

Pipiripau’s Project

“My neighbors need to share thesame consciousness because the birdthat visits my house also passes bythe house next door, so all thosearound me need to think similarlyfor the program to work. And it hasbeen working”.

Mr. Gilmar Pio Fernandes

“The Project went far beyond what I expected at its beginning. It opened the door to many other initiatives:• Nursery garden project with plants from the Brazilian

Savanna;• Demonstration unit of agroecological practices;• Alliance among a group of small farmers that want to

work more connected with the nature, based on solidary economy.

• Community-Supported Agriculture system (CSA-Brazil);• And others”

Ms. Fátima Cabral

Pipiripau’s Project

http://www.produtordeaguapipiripau.df.gov.br/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/livro.pdf

Humanity and Nature: Building a Key Strategic Alliance for the Future

Linking Biodiversity with Inclusive Development: Why it matters

Jorge Enoch Furquim Werneck LimaPhD Hydrology - Director of Adasa

Session 3

Ms Caroline BrownClimate Resilient Infrastructure

Development Facility

Mr Paul Sein TwaDirector and Founding Member, Karen

Environmental and Social Action Network Dr Deepthi WickramasingheUniversity of Colombo

Dr Diana Suhardiman andDr Mark SmithIWMI

Dr Jorge Werneck LimaADASA, Brazil

Ms Karin Lexén

Dr Jenny Grönwall

Mr Francois BrikkéScientific Programme Committee Members

Dr James DaltonIUCN

Fishbowl Discussion

THANK YOU!