Project
Identification Form (PIF)
Project
Type: Full-sized Project
the
GEF
Trust Fund
Submission Date: 21 January 2008
Re-submission Date: 15 February 2008
Indicative
Calendar Milestones Expected
Dates Work
Program (for FSP) April
2008 CEO
Endorsement/Approval Nov
2008 GEF
Agency Approval Nov
2008 Implementation
Start Dec
2008 Mid-term
Review (if planned) Dec
2010 Implementation
Completion Dec
2012
GEFSEC Project ID1: 3639
gef agency Project ID: pims no. 4164
Project Title: GEF IW:LEARN: Portfolio Learning in International Waters with a Focus on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands and Regional Asia/Pacific and Coral Triangle Learning Processes
GEF Agency(ies): UNDP, AsDB, (select)
Other Executing partner(s): UNOPS
GEF Focal Area (s): Full-sized ProjectInternational Waters,Full-sized Project(select), (select)
GEF-4 Strategic program(S): Strategic Objectives 1 and 2; cross-cutting across all 4 IW Strategic Priorities
Name of parent program/umbrella project: Asia Coral Triangle
Project framework (Expand table as necessary)
-
Project Objective: To advance integrated ecosystem-based management of ocean and coastal areas at global, regional and national levels through coordination of global and regional strategic planning processes, especially in advancing implementation of global commitments for oceans, coasts, and small island developing states (SIDS), and through regional, thematic and portfolio learning and experience-sharing. The project integrates GEF-supported transboundary experiences into global efforts to improve freshwater, coastal and marine resources management in the context of achieving JPOI and MDG targets and adapting to climate variability and change, with a focus on the Asia/Pacific region.
Project Components
Indicate whether Investment, TA, or STA**
Expected Outcomes
Expected Outputs
Indicative GEF Financing*
Indicative Co-financing*
Total ($)
($)
%
($)
%
1. Advancing the global agenda for Oceans, Coasts and Small Island Developing States, especially the JPOI and MDG goals
TA, STA
1) Global oceans strategic planning to 2016 carried out to advance the global oceans agenda: Multinational Working Groups develop JPOI/MDG implementation priority steps for ecosystem-based integrated ocean management;
2) Multi-stakeholder fora mobilize high-level policy attention, action and specific initiatives highlighted at:
a) 2009 World Ocean Conference, Indonesia,
b) 5th Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands, 2011;
3) Partnerships and financial resources are mobilized for adaptation capacity building with emphasis on poor vulnerable countries, providing opportunities for sharing of best management practices and technology, and mechanisms for incorporating available scientific information, risk and uncertainty factors in the management planning process for integrated ocean and coastal management.
1) Strategic guidance and at least 15 Working Group reports published and widely disseminated; evidence of actions based on steps identified by WGs documented in at least 10 GEF IW Experience Notes, and presented in such fora as GEF IWC6 and World Water Forum5; 2) Materials and proceedings produced by Global Oceans fora, documented conclusions and commitments of at least 100 participating governments and organizations; at least 90 countries represented at 5th Global Oceans, Coasts & Islands Conference; 3) Partnerships formed and practical initiatives funded in at least 10 poor vulnerable states.
900,000
43
1, 170,000
57
2,070,000
2. GEF IW Portfolio Learning: Fifth Bienniel GEF IW Conference, 2009 (Australia to sponsor & Great Barrier Reef MPA to co-host)
TA, STA
1) Communities of Practice (CoPs) on www.iwlearn.net, learning exchanges and transfer of practical experiences for scaling up and replication of successful approaches; 2) Asia/Pacific regional learning and leadership on SIDS, oceans and climate impacts shared with global portfolio; 3) Mechanisms for linking GEF portfolio learning cycle with World Water Forum and GEF IW contributions highlighted in WWF5 sessions and in the 5th Global Oceans Conference; 4) Renewed mandate from portfolio for IWC6
1) 5th GEF IWC Portfolio Learning with at least 300 reps of at least 70 IW projects, governments & partners; results disseminated in proceedings; new series of at least 10 GEF IW Experience Notes produced & vetted by GEF IWTF;
2) GEF IW contributions to ecosystem-based mgmt & sust development targets and at least 10 GEF IW project contributions cited in WWF5 proceedings;
3) At least 10 GEF IW projects contribute practical experience to 5th Global Oceans Conf.
4) Feedback to GEF from IW portfolio & mandate, identification of host country & priority themes for IWC6
50
800,000
3. Regional Cooperation and Knowledge Sharing to Support the Coral Triangle Initiative
TA, STA
1) Regional learning mechanisms established among CTI partners and programs in Southeast Asia and the Pacific; regional challenges, priorities and opportunities identified and Transboundary Water Resources Management (TWRM) actions, including targeted workshops supported by regional and thematic CoPs (www.iwlearn.net), 2) Learning exchanges initiated to respond to challenges and leverage synergies, and necessary flow of resources mobilized to build up institutional TWRM implementation capability for marine/coastal/SIDS in CTI.
3) Civil society engagement in TWRM and community-based actions in ICM and IWRM in CTI countries
1) Inter-project exchange results, targeted learning proceedings & after-action reports, identifying synergies & resulting partnership aims, activities & outcomes;
2) Online COP/s established & populated w/substantive user-driven info & resources on www.iwlearn.net;
3) Innovative financing mechanisms & IW approaches captured in at least 10 GEF IW Experience Notes;
4) CTI & PAS feedback to GEF and inputs to GEF IWCs, Global Oceans processes & ongoing regional IW learning.
5) Dialogue workshops with NGOs and selected local communities led by WWF
1,200,000
46
1,400,000
54
2,600,000
4. Project management
Oversight and coordination across all component activities and partners
200,000
64
112,500
36
312,500
Total project costs
2,700,000
3,082,500
5,782,500
* List the $ by project components. The percentage is the share of GEF and Co-financing respectively to the total amount for the component.
** TA = Technical Assistance; STA = Scientific & technical analysis.
B.
Indicative
Financing
Plan Summary For The Project ($)
-
Project Preparation*
Project
Agency Fee
Total
GEF
PPG request TBD
2,700,000
270,000
2,970,000
Co-financing
3,082,500
3,082,500
Total
5,782,500
270,000
6,052,500
*
Please
include the previously approved PDFs and planned request for new
PPG, if any. Indicate the amount already approved as
footnote here and if the GEF funding is from GEF-3.
C.
Indicative Co-financing
for the project (including
project preparation amount) by
source and
by
name (in
parenthesis) if
available, ($)
-
Sources of Co-financing
Type of Co-financing
Amount
Project Government Contribution
875,000
UNDP
In-kind
70,000
AsDB
Grant
500,000
AsDB
In-kind
200,000
GEF Agency(ies) (others)
Unknown at this stage
925,000
Bilateral Aid Agency(ies)
Unknown at this stage
Multilateral Agency(ies)
Unknown at this stage
Private Sector
Unknown at this stage
NGO
Unknown at this stage
400,000
Others
Unknown at this stage
112,500
Total co-financing
3,082,500
D. GEF Resources Requested by Focal Area(s), agency (ies) share and country(ies)*
-
GEF Agency
Focal Area
Country Name/
Global
(in $)
Project Preparation
Project
Agency
Fee
Total
UNDP
International Waters
Global
1,500,000
150,000
1,650,000
AsDB
International Waters
Regional CTI
1,200,000
120,000
1,320,000
(select)
(select)
(select)
(select)
(select)
(select)
(select)
(select)
Total GEF Resources
2,700,000
2,70,000
2,970,000
* No need to provide information for this table if it is a single focal area, single country and single GEF Agency project.
part ii: project JustiFication
A. State the issue, how the project seeks to address it, and the expected global environmental benefits to be delivered:
The Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPOI) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) have set forth tangible targets and timetables for nations to implement regarding oceans, coasts, SIDS, biodiversity, and freshwater. In the past five years, demonstrable progress has been made in achieving some of these goals, especially through the GEF IW projects related to freshwater systems, coasts, oceans and large marine ecosystems; lessons from these projects can usefully be adapted to scale up or apply in other settings and regions. With the increased certainty about likely profound climate changes, as highlighted in the 2007 Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, as national decision makers and the international community work to accelerate their efforts to implement the JPOI and MDG commitments, they will also need to factor in the projected effects of climate change. Climate change is causing a variety of impacts on ecosystems and human communities, which vary by region and will increasingly and especially affect the poorest people on earth, as documented in detail by the 2007 UN Human Development report. These issues must be addressed at the global level to determine strategic next steps that need to be taken by nations and the international community and can be expected to be particularly effective at regional levels as well. Work underway in the Asia-Pacific region and in the Pacific Islands region provides, in particular, useful lessons on nation-to-nation cooperation in transboundary management of marine resources—resources of significant global as well as regional economic and social value which are also especially vulnerable to climate changes.
The project includes three inter-related and mutually supportive components: 1) strategic planning to advance the global oceans agenda and the further implementation of the JPOI and MDG targets, including specific capacity development initiatives in various world regions in the context of climate change; 2) portfolio learning among GEF IW projects to achieve maximum synergy in the further dissemination of lessons learned on integrated, ecosystem-based management; and 3) regional learning mechanisms emanating from initiatives in integrated ecosystem-based management in the Asia-Pacific region.
Component 1: Advancing the global agenda on Oceans, Coasts and Small Island Developing States, especially the JPOI and MDG goals (Component 1 to be carried out by the Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands). This component will organize multi-stakeholder global conferences to mobilize high-level policy attention, action, and specific initiatives to advance ecosystem-based oceans and LME governance in the context of climate variability and change, namely: 1) World Ocean Conference 2009, Manado, Indonesia (Ministerial segment); 2) 5th Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands (2010/2011); and 3) Multi-stakeholder consultation on priority areas of research to support the enhancement of governance of marine areas beyond national jurisdiction that could be supported through GEF5. Multi-stakeholder dialogues will review progress achieved and focus on tangible next steps in advancing the JPOI and MDG goals, in particular the ecosystem management and integrated coastal and ocean management by 2010 targets scheduled for review by the CSD in 2014-15. In preparation for broader discussion and consultation during these dialogues, multinational Ocean Governance Working Groups involving ocean leaders and experts from all sectors and regions of the world will advance strategic planning for the global oceans agenda to 2016 including through the development of priority next steps for JPOI and MDG implementation of ecosystem-based integrated ocean management; SIDS and the Mauritius International Strategy; fisheries and aquaculture; biodiversity and marine protected areas; climate change and practical approaches to adaptation.
Component 1 will foster partnerships and regional learning processes for mobilizing the necessary flow of resources and the institutional implementation capabilities for TWRM in marine and coastal areas and in SIDS in synergy with the GEF IW:LEARN portfolio learning process and the 5th IWC (Component 2) and existing partnerships such as the Pacific Alliance for Sustainability (PAS) and the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) (Component 3). With the aim of achieving ecosystem-based integrated transboundary water and natural resources management as an underpinning of sustainable development and adaptation to climate change impacts, Global Forum activities will target particularly vulnerable groups of countries, to exchange practical approaches on how sea level rise and other climate change-related issues could be incorporated in risk assessments and into planning processes in integrated ocean and coastal management that can be replicated in other regions and countries and scaled up. Significant lessons learned derived through IW:LEARN from the existing and new IW projects (Component 2), including specific outcomes from the Coral Triangle Initiative, and the start-up of PAS activities (Component 3) are expected to contribute substantially to this process. In particular, the CTI could be featured in the Ministerial segment of the World Ocean Conference with subsequent progress achieved to be reported during the 5th Global Oceans Conference.
Global Forum capacity development activities will focus especially on 4 groupings of countries: i) 44 SIDS countries in cooperation with the Alliance of Small Island States; ii) Sub-Saharan countries in cooperation with the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), African Ministerial Council on Water (AMCOW) and the African Development Bank; iii) 8 Portuguese-speaking countries, under the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Nations (CPLP) which includes some of the world’s poorest nations; and iv) countries bordering the Coral Triangle (Indonesia, the Philippines, Timor Leste, the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, and Malaysia.
Component 2: GEF IW Portfolio Learning: Fifth Biennial GEF IW Conference (IWC), 2009, Australia(Strong interest expressed from a range of agencies including the expectation of significant financial support from AusAid and indication that it may be possible to seek sponsorship from a number of government, industry and tertiary institutions in the region; the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has offered to co-host. Component 2 will be carried out by IW:LEARN in partnership with the government of Australia and in cooperation with the GEF IW Task Force. Building on the active learning format of the 4th GEF IWC in Cape Town, the 5th GEF IWC will convene about 300 representatives of governments cooperating in strategic transboundary water resources management programs, their GEF IW project managers and implementation partners, and feature an Innovation Marketplace, extensive opportunities for focused learning on scientific and technical innovations, interaction with GEF and Implementing Agencies on policies, procedures and project management, as well as ample time for the highly-rated participant-directed experience-sharing and peer-to-peer inter-project ‘clinic’ sessions, and real-time video reflections. The 5th IWC will mobilize coordination among international and regional strategic planning processes to advance ecosystem-based management of transboundary water and natural resource systems, facilitate identification of synergies and instigate commitments to action, while providing opportunities for GEF to take stock of progress across the IW portfolio, and will consolidate innovative and usefully replicable GEF IW experiences and codify transboundary ecosystem-based management priorities that can be contributed into regional and thematic knowledge-sharing processes and other global fora, including via Components 1 & 3. In particular, the project will facilitate GEF IW participation in and contributions to the 5th World Water Forum and aims to establish GEF IW linkages with the Global Oceans strategic planning to 2016 process and with the 3-year World Water Forum cycle.
Component 3: Regional Cooperation and Knowledge Sharing to Support the Coral Triangle Initiative (Component 3 to be carried out by GEF IW:LEARN with ADB and NGO partners and in synergy with the CTI Monitoring and Knowledge Management component). a) To address the already significant impacts of climate change on ocean, coastal and coral reef ecosystems and the economies and cultures they support, a regional CTI / PAS consultative dialogue process will assess challenges and opportunities for leveraging improved coordination and synergies across international waters, biodiversity, land degradation and adaptation projects and programs, identify partnerships to share, adapt or scale up innovative or practical experiences, and generate feedback to GEF from this group of governments and their partners. b) To establish mechanisms for peer-to-peer exchange of practical experiences and regional learning among Coral Triangle projects, inter-project learning exchanges, and targeted learning activities will address priority challenges and opportunities identified in the regional consultative dialogue, Global Forum working groups (Component 1) and GEF portfolio learning process (Component 2) and the project will support innovative public and private partnership activities to sustain action.
The project will deliver global environmental benefits by creating enabling conditions for strategic planning and facilitating inter- and intra-regional adaptive learning processes necessary to accelerate the achievement of water resources-related WSSD targets, with a particular emphasis on advancing integrated ecosystem-based management for global oceans, coasts, and small island developing states (SIDS) in the context of climate change. The support, through Component 3, to the Coral Triangle Initiative will contribute to the scaling up and replication of good practices in TWRM, ICM and IWRM in the world’s most biodiversity rich marine environment holding more than 75% of the known coral species and about 3,000 species of reef fish.
Building directly on the foundations of the GEF IW portfolio of river and lake basin, groundwater system, and large marine ecosystem (LME) projects, the GEF IW Learning Exchange and Resources Network (IW:LEARN project, 1998-2008), and work carried out under the Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands’ GEF/MSP 2005-2007, this project will accelerate the attainment of JPOI and MDG goals, will raise the profile of transboundary water governance at the international level, and will establish new mechanisms for regional learning among the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) and GEF Pacific Alliance for Sustainability (PAS) groups of projects and countries.
B. Describe the consistency of the project with national priorities/plans:
As a portfolio learning mechanism, the 4th GEF IW conference (IWC) accelerated active and participatory portfolio learning. Government representatives from 70 countries not only cited practical knowledge and skills gained in a strong consensus on the take-home value of the GEF IWC, but also provided detailed comments and suggestions for additional activities and approaches, which will inform the 5th GEF IW conference supported by this project.
The value of the Global Oceans Conferences organized by the Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands, as well as of the strategic policy discussions involving multiple stakeholders from close to 100 countries and also of periodic report cards tracking progress (or lack thereof) on global goals in advancing the ecosystem-based governance agenda, have been emphasized by policymakers and stakeholders from around the world (See comments by experts from European Commission, UNDOALOS, Australia, Japan, International Ocean Institute, Mexico, Canada, Tuvalu, Denmark, Indonesia, Vietnam, France) (noted in the Appendix).
Since the 2005 Mauritius International Meeting, the need to enhance the long-term capacity of SIDS nations on ocean and coastal management, especially in terms of adaptation to climate change, has been emphasized and reiterated by SIDS leaders at the 2006 Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands at UNESCO, Paris, and detailed in the regional capacity assessment reports produced for Pacific SIDS, Caribbean SIDS, and Atlantic SIDS, and Indian Ocean SIDS produced by the Global Forum’s GEF/MSP (2005-2007). Regional capacity assessment reports in Latin America, Africa, and East Asia (produced by the GEF/MSP 2005-2007) similarly call for focused in-country capacity building mechanisms and strategies to accelerate the achievement of WSSD and MDG goals, while anticipating and responding to climate change effects.
More specifically, the need to enhance the capacity of nations in Sub-Sahara Africa, especially with regard to integration of groundwater in river and where relevant also with lake basin with coastal and LME management, as well as managing Exclusive Economic Zones and enhancing ocean use agreements has been emphasized by Ministers from African nations at the 2006 Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands at UNESCO, Paris, and at the AMCOW (African Ministerial Council on Water) meeting in Brazzaville, Congo in 2007.
The capacity needs of 8 Portuguese-Speaking nations regarding ocean and coastal management were described in detail at The Ocean Policy Summit in Lisbon, Portugal, in October 2005, organized by the Global Forum with the Portuguese government and other partners.
The cross-learning between and among CTI and PAS projects covered by this proposal would also benefit nations whose Exclusive Economic Zones are part of the Coral Triangle (Indonesia, East Timor, the Philippines, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands), which is threatened by over-fishing, destructive fishing practices, pollution and climate change. This project will complement and support the CTI, recently endorsed by Asia-Pacific APEC member nations, in addressing these threats and help to ensure long-term benefits from the marine biological resources of the region.
C. Describe the consistency of the project with gef strategies and strategic programs:
The project meets GEF IW Strategic long-term Objective 1 to foster international, multi-state cooperation on priority transboundary water concerns through more comprehensive, ecosystem-based approaches to management, and Objective 2 to catalyze transboundary action addressing water concerns, by assisting countries to utilize the full range of technical assistance, economic, financial, regulatory and institutional reforms that are needed, and in particular by supporting activities that enable countries to:
* Learn to work together on their key transboundary concerns
* Set priorities for joint action
* Implement those actions if a political commitment to sustainability is shown
Through targeted experience-sharing and learning among the new and existing GEF IW projects in the portfolio--as well as across marine, coastal and LME projects under the thematic umbrella of the Global Oceans Forum, and at the regional level among the Coral Triangle group of projects-- the capacity of projects to achieve objectives and replicate good practices before project completion can be enhanced. Building on the foundations of the GEF IW:LEARN program, its web-based resource center (www.iwlearn.net), and in consultation with the GEF IW Task Force, the project carries forward the South-to-South experience sharing among IW projects and their partners that contributes to quality enhancement for the GEF IW portfolio, establishment of knowledge management tools to transfer and adapt good practices, and institutional capacity building for accelerated replication and scaling up.
The project is cross-cutting across all four GEF strategic programs:
1. Restoring and sustaining coastal and marine fish stocks and associated biological diversity, which is linked to the GEF Biodiversity strategic program on marine protected areas;
2. Reducing nutrient over-enrichment and oxygen depletion from land-based pollution of coastal waters in LMEs consistent with the GPA;
3. Balancing overuse and conflicting uses of water resources in transboundary surface and groundwater basins;
4. Reducing persistent toxic substances and promoting adaptive management of waters in areas with melting ice.
Adaptation to climate change is addressed as a cross-cutting issue, and the principle of 'climate-proofing' is reflected in priority areas such as the need to build capacity to design resilient systems for adaptive management of LMEs and SIDs.
The development of sectoral platforms under the GEF strategy to enhance engagement with the private sector PPP (Public/Private Sector Partnership fund) will also be of interest to GEF IW and Global Oceans Forum strategic processes and Working Groups.
As noted in the GEF Revised Focal Area Strategies (paragraph 31), "Knowledge management and systematic learning is equally important to ensure that insights generated through project interventions add value internally and externally." Portfolio-wide, regional and targeted learning activities will strengthen--and measure--gains in institutional capacity of regional and national level partners, and the establishment of learning outcomes indicators is expected to enable project partners on the ground to continue building implementation capacity in water governance beyond completion of the project.
D. Outline the Coordination with other related initiatives:
Since this project will involve a strategic planning process to advance the global ecosystem-based management agenda, it will promote initiatives that target gaps in the achievement of JPOI/MDG targets, complementing what is already being implemented by other programs and projects. It will build on existing programs and projects addressing integrated coastal and ocean management, ecosystem-based management and institutional capacity building, such as the work of UN-Water and the UN-OCEANS in coordinating global UN initiatives; the Global Marine Assessment; the University Consortium of Small Island States’ ongoing work on capacity development; the Africa Water Vision 2025; the framework agreement among the Community of Portuguese-speaking countries (CPLP) on integrated coastal management; the UN Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and Law of the Sea; the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) and GEF Pacific Alliance for Sustainability (GPAS) regional groups of projects, as well as the various GEF regional programs and projects implemented by UNDP, UNEP and the World Bank on integrated freshwater, and LME management.
E. Discuss the value-added of GEF involvement in the project demonstrated through incremental reasoning :
This project represents a modest incremental cost which aims to leverage a greater return on GEF IW investments across the GEF portfolio. Through regional, thematic and portfolio learning and experience-sharing the project integrates GEF-supported transboundary experiences into global efforts to improve freshwater, coastal and marine resources management in the context of achieving JPOI and MDG Goals and adapting to climate variability and change. As GEF Council documentation has emphasized, facilitating transfer of lessons and experiences between projects is an important investment: potential yields are large in terms of improvements in replication efficiency and scaling up successful approaches. Over the long term, the regional, LME or basin system multi-use management approach, stakeholder engagement and proliferation of partnerships to share transboundary water and natural resource system benefits will reduce the recurrent costs to GEF, governments and other donor partners of "reinventing the wheel" while strengthening water governance across basins and oceans, and from community through regional scales. By complementing existing global initiatives on river and lake basins, shared groundwater, LMEs and SIDS, the project addresses needs identified by governments and stakeholder groups in GEF project regions, and draws high-level political attention, resources, and initiative to those needs. By developing a course of action for achieving shared water resources-related targets as set forth in the JPOI through a strategic planning process and multi-stakeholder dialogues, the project helps to build institutional implementation capacity and establish sustainable financing through partnerships. National governments, regional organizations, agencies of the UN system, and international and bilateral donors maintain a priority interest in, and commitment to, activities aimed at implementing the JPOI and MDG targets. By providing necessary resources for multi-stakeholder dialogues, associated policy analyses, regional learning exchanges and partnership building, where participation of developing country experts and other personnel who otherwise could not participate without travel support, are ensured, this project assists IW stakeholders in putting greater emphasis on ecosystem-based water and natural resources management and policies in national, regional, and international agendas, and facilitates further analytical and development initiatives towards the implementation of JPOI and MDG targets. The series of multi-stakeholder dialogues under Component 1 will allow developing country participants to realize and reconfirm the significance of their work and contribution to the broader process of achieving the global oceans agenda. Furthermore, the project will serve as a channel for wider dissemination of the outcomes of GEF International Waters projects to others that may benefit from the experiences in further replicating and scaling up implementation of these approaches. The expansion of stakeholders to be included in the Global Forum and the formulation of a long-term strategic plan for advancing the global oceans agenda are useful in leveraging additional involvement, innovation and widespread support and in mobilizing sources of additional funding for further future activities.
F. Indicate risks, including climate change risks, that might prevent the project objective(s) from being achieved, and if possible including risk measures that will be taken:
The project’s focus on practical approaches to adaptation to climate change impacts will be especially useful to SIDS and developing countries, and the Coral Triangle states in particular in their struggle to address the additional social, political and environmental risks imposed by climate variability and change. The possibility of extreme events triggered by climate or in conjunction with other environmental, economic or political shocks could put achievement of project objectives at risk, however it would be hoped that the broader contributions of the project to adaptation and development would help to mitigate the impact of any such unforeseen events in the countries of the project partners.
G. describe, if possible, the expected cost-effectiveness of the project:
The cost-effectiveness of the project components draws upon partnerships to effect efficiencies in implementation. A partnership is under discussion with the government of Australia over the possible hosting of the next IWC and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has already offered to co-host the IWC5 in 2009. Drawing upon local logistical and technical expertise could reduce operational costs relative to prior conferences, and GEF IW conferences (IWCs) have been ‘mainstreamed’ into GEF IW project operations and budgets. Development and implementation of a strategic oceans agenda through the Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands, will map initiatives that need to be carried out in order to achieve the JPOI targets on oceans, coasts, and SIDS, providing participating governments, non-governmental organizations, international and intergovernmental organizations, science groups, and the private sector with a systematic framework and an action plan targeting crucial intermediate objectives to be addressed by organizations identified as having the best comparative advantage in implementing the specific activities. Strategic planning processes will be informed by matrices of “who is doing what,” in order to enable coordination and minimize or avoid duplication of efforts. GEF and other donors and sponsoring partners will be able to use the GEF IW conference outcomes, the strategic oceans agenda and the results of the Coral Triangle regional dialogue as common basis for decision-making toward harmonizing, streamlining and programming funding priorities.
H. Justify the comparative advantage of GEF agency:
The GEF International Waters Task Force (IWTF) will work closely with project management to balance and leverage Implementing Agency participation in the respective areas of comparative advantage, to ensure GEF IW project involvement in the globally influential fora targeted by the project, and will also take an active role in working with the host government’s team to formulate the agenda for the next GEF IWC. The Global Forum will be working with UNDP, UNEP, and the World Bank as well as with IOC/UNESCO, FAO, and UNIDO on the ocean governance initiatives supported by the project. The Coral Triangle group of projects will benefit from the opportunity to leverage regional synergies across GEF focal areas under the coordination of AsDB. Project initiatives on strategic planning, multi-stakeholder dialogue, and capacity building through partnerships will be utilizing the comparative advantages of the GEF implementing and executing agencies, especially in the areas of: 1) integrated policy development and policy reform (UNDP, UNEP, World Bank, AsDB); 2) best available science and knowledge (UNEP, IOC/UNESCO, FAO); 3) multi-stakeholder consultations (UNDP, UNEP and UNIDO); 4) human resources development (UNDP); 5) technical capacity and experience in fisheries and natural resources management (UNEP, FAO); 6) institution building and strengthening (World Bank, UNDP, AsDB); and 7) sustainable development of resources (UNDP, FAO); 8) ability to coordinate UN agencies’ work on the environment at the global and regional level (UNEP); 9) global network of country offices (UNDP), and strong presence in the region (AsDB).
part iii: approval/endorsement by gef operational focal point(s) and GEF agency(ies)
A. Record of Endorsement of GEF Operational Focal Point (S) on Behalf of the Government(S): (Please attach the country endorsement letter(s) or regional endorsement letter(s) with this template).
B. GEF Agency(ies) Certification
-
This request has been prepared in accordance with GEF policies and procedures and meets the GEF criteria for project identification and preparation.
John Hough
UNDP/GEF Deputy Executive Coordinator, a.i.
Anna Tengberg & Andrew Hudson Project Contact Person
Date: 15 February 2008
Tel. and Email:Tel + 66 2 288 2730/ +1 212 906 6228 email: anna.tengberg@undp.org/ andrew.hudson@undp.org