MEDIUM-SIZED PROJECT BRIEF
DEVELOPMENT AND PROTECTION OF THE COASTAL AND MARINE ENVIRONMENT IN SUB-
SAHARAN AFRICA
PROJECT SUMMARY
PROJECT IDENTIFIERS
1. Project name: Development and Protection of
2. GEF Implementing Agency:
the Coastal and Marine Environment in Sub-
UNEP
Saharan Africa
3. Country or countries in which the project is
4. Country eligibility: The countries
being implemented: Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya,
are eligible under paragraph 9b of the
Mozambique, Nigeria, Seychelles, South Africa
GEF Instrument
5. GEF focal area(s): International waters, with
6. Operational program/Short-term
relevance to land degradation
measure: Integrated Land and Water
Multiple Focal Area Operational
Programme #9
7. Project linkage to national priorities, action plans, and programs:
One of the principal components of the Cape Town Declaration was the adoption of an
African Action Plan and African Strategy for the Development and Protection of the Coastal
and Marine Environment in sub-Saharan Africa. The Plan and Strategy are closely linked
with national plans and programmes which include support to the objectives of the relevant
regional conventions (Abidjan and Nairobi, respectively). In order to ensure acceptance as
national priorities, they are further linked to the sustainable development component of the
relevant Governmental policies.
8. GEF national operational focal point and date of country endorsement:
Mr. Kone Alimata Diaby, Deputy Director, Caisse Autonome d'Amortissement, Abidjan ,
Cote d'Ivoire, 12th May 2000
Mr. Edwin Barnes, GEF Focal Point, Chief Director, Ministry of Environment, Science and
Technology, Accra, Ghana 14th April 2000
Mr. Michael K. Koech, Director of NEAP, Ministry of Environment & Natural Resources,
Nairobi, Kenya 14th April 2000
Mr. Francisco Mabjaia, GEF Focal Point, Ministry for the Coordination of Environmental
Affairs, Maputo, Mozambique, 17th April 2000
Mrs. Anne Ene-Ita, Acting Director, International and Public Affairs Department, Federal
Ministry of Environment, Nigeria, 6th April 2000
Mr. Allain Butler-Payette, GEF Focal Point, Principal Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Seychelles 13th April 2000
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Dr. Crispian Olver, GEF Focal Point, Director General, Ministry for Environmental Affairs
and Tourism , Pretoria, South Africa 12th April 2000
PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
9. Project rationale and objectives:
Rationale
Indicators:
The proposed activities represent a significant The leveraged co-financing already
opportunity for the GEF to augment existing approved for this project, with further
baseline activities by ensuring improved large-scale funding being organised at
coordination among existing measures to protect present.
the marine and coastal environment of the region
and by initiating actions based on new partnerships
between foreign donors/partners and countries in Identified sites or living resources of
the region.
regional and global significance that
are suffering measurable degradation
Overall objective
and actions agreed by participating
The overall goal of this Project is to assist sub- countries and other partners for
Saharan African countries in achieving sustainable remedial and mitigatory actions to
management of their coastal and marine solve priority environmental
environment and resources.
problems in the marine and coastal
environment of sub-Saharan Africa.
The specific objectives of this Project are to:
a) identify areas, sites or living resources of a) Establishment of a list of regional
regional and global significance that are suffering
priority hot-spots of
measurable degradation (i.e., hot-spots);
environmental degradation;
b) determine the sources/causes of this degradation b) Determination of regional and
and the associated scales of impact (national,
extra-regional incremental costs of
regional and global) to provide a basis for
the elimination, or reduction in
calculating incrementality at regional and extra-
severity of environmental hot-
regional scales;
spots in marine and coastal areas;
c) identify areas, sites and resources of regional c) Establish and adopt the list of
significance that, although not currently
areas, sites and resources which
degraded, are threatened with future
are threatened with future
degradation either because of the sensitivity of
degradation and proposals for
the receptor or the magnitude of the activity
their protection;
posing the threat;
d) use of the results of the root-cause
d) determine, through root-cause analysis, the
analysis for the design of projects;
fundamental causes of the damage or threat
and
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fundamental causes of the damage or threat e) development and adoption by
posed; and
participating countries a
e) design a programme of interventions addressing
programme of interventions for
problems of regional priority that may be
problems of regional priority.
presented to the Partnership Conference.
10. Project outcomes:
Indicators:
The main outcomes of activities carried out under a) national authorities endorsing
this Project will be:
proposals for interventions;
a) recommendations to national authorities b) adoption of the Programme of
and the international community on measures
Interventions by the Partnership
and interventions for the development and
Conference; and
protection of the marine and coastal environment c) commitment by partners
in sub-Saharan Africa, in order to deal with the:
(countries, private sector,
· control or elimination of environmental hot-
international organisations) to the
spots in coastal and marine region of sub-
executing Programme of
Saharan Africa;
interventions.
· protection of threatened sensitive areas,
resources and amenities warranting special
protection;
· concrete programme of interventions serving
as the basis for bilateral or multilateral
agreements to be implemented in partnership
between African and non-African countries
and institutions;
b) assessment of the root-causes of the
environmental problems in the marine and
coastal region of sub-Saharan Africa;
c) adoption of the list of hot-spots and
sensitive areas in the marine and coastal region
of sub-Saharan Africa; and
d) adoption of the priority listing and
securing funding for agreed actions as per the
findings of the project.
11. Project activities to achieve outcomes Indicators:
(including cost in US$ or local currency of each a) completion of the project
activity):
according to agreed workplan and
a) Project Coordination (Activity 1, US$ 190,000 of
timetable and within budget;
which 90,000 from GEF and 100,000 from other
partners);
b) Guidelines prepared and used by
b) Criteria and guidelines for the characterisation
participating countries and
of environmental hot-spots (Activity 2, US$
experts;
120,000 of which 70,000 from GEF and 50,000
from other partners) ;
c) Results of root-cause analysis and
c) Root-cause analysis of existing impacts and
condition of environmental
threats to the marine and coastal environment
resources used in the preparation
(Activity 3, US$ 270,000 of which 70,000 from
of project proposals;
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GEF and 200,000 from other partners);
d) Identification and characterisation of d) List of Hot-Spots of regional
environmental hot-spots and threatened
priority and sensitive areas and
sensitive areas, resources and amenities
resources requiring special
warranting special protection (Activity 4, US$
protection adopted by the Steering
420,000 of which 170,000 from GEF and 250,000
Group; and
from other partners); and
e) Programme of interventions for presentation to e) Adopted Programme of
the Partnership Conference (Activity 5, US$
interventions at the Partnership
595,000 of which 280,000 from GEF and 315,000
Conference
from other partners).
12. Estimated budget (in US$ or local currency):
GEF US$ 750,000
Co-financing
ACOPS US$ 75,000 in cash and kind
Cote d'Ivoire US$ 15,000 in kind
Ghana US$ 30,000 in kind
Kenya US$ 30,000 in kind
Mozambique US$ 15,000 in kind
Nigeria US$ 30,000 in kind
Portugal US$ 100,000 in cash
Seychelles US$ 30,000 in kind
South Africa US$ 70,000 in cash and kind
UK US$ 160,000 in cash
U.S.A. US$ 200,000 in cash
UNESCO US$ 70,000 in cash and kind
IUCN US$ 50,000 in kind
UNEP/GPA US$ 100,000 in cash & Kind
Sub-total Co-financing US$ 975,000
TOTAL: US$ 1,725,000
INFORMATION ON INSTITUTION SUBMITTING PROJECT BRIEF
13. Information on project proposer:
The Project Proposer is the Advisory Committee on Protection of the Sea (ACOPS) which
has been designated by the Ministerial session of the Cape Town Conference (through the
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Cape Town Declaration) as the facilitator of the Preparatory Committee. It should be noted
that whilst ACOPS is a global NGO, it operates in Africa under the political leadership of
ministers from Seychelles (Eastern Africa), South Africa, and Senegal and Nigeria (West
Africa). Also, it includes a number of leading African Government officials and experts as
members of its advisory boards who take part as African consultants in projects where
ACOPS act as the executing agency. In addition, other African consultants are co-opted to
take part as experts in its projects. The same modus operandi will apply in this project, thus
guaranteeing both policy controls by Africans and technical excellence.
In addition, ACOPS maintains a network of Vice-Presidents from the northern and southern
hemispheres, who ensure coordination of work Some of the world's leading technical
experts are members of the ACOPS Advisory Boards and many of these have played
important roles in other GEF projects world-wide.
14. Information on proposed executing agency (if different from above):
15. Date of initial submission of project concept: December 1999
INFORMATION TO BE COMPLETED BY IMPLEMENTING AGENCY:
16. Project identification number: Not yet assigned
17. Implementing Agency contact person:
Mr Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Coordinator, UNEP/GEF Coordination Office, UNEP,
Nairobi, Tel 254-2-624166; Fax 254-2-623557, E-mail: Ahmed.Djoghlaf@unep.org
18. Project linkage to Implementing Agency program(s): The project complements moves
within UNEP to strengthen and support the further development of the Abidjan and Nairobi
Convention Secretariats and the corresponding Action Plans. UNEP provides the Secretariat
for the Convention for Co-operation in the Protection and Development of the Marine and
Coastal Environment of the West and Central African Region (Abidjan Convention: adopted
1981, entered into force 1984) and its associated Action Plan (adopted in 1981), restructured
in 1993 by the Third Meeting of Contracting Parties). UNEP also provides the Secretariat for
the Convention for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal
Environment of the East African Region and its associated action plan which calls for shared
management between the countries on the management of the coastal and marine
environments in the western, central and eastern African sub-regions. The project will work
closely with the Secretariats for these two Conventions which will be intimately involved in
all aspects of the project. The management of the ecosystems of concern here all suffer from
weak institutional frameworks including insufficient capacity, inadequate consideration of
the environmental issues surrounding management rationale of these ecosystems relevant
national sectoral plans and policies, and in turn, slow progress in addressing issues of
transboundary concern. The proposed activity provides the necessary political backing and
commitment to ensure that these issues are addressed with the utmost urgency by putting in
place the framework needed within Africa to ensure that the gaps, such as those identified
above, are addressed at the highest political level.
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PROJECT DESCRIPTION
PROJECT RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES
Rationale
1. Protection of the environment, while high on the international political agenda, is still
considered by most African countries as an issue of secondary importance compared with the
necessity for enhancing education, medical and other social services. Africa's foreign direct
investment (FDI) inflow averaged US$ 1.9 billion in the mid-1980s. By the mid-1990s, it had
risen to 6 billion, however, FDI flows to other developing countries rose much more, and
Africa's share of all FDI flows to developing countries fell from 9% over the period 1981-85
to only 3% in 1996-97 (UNCTAD). International assistance in the form of official
development assistance (ODA) to countries of the region is declining. Even when such
assistance is provided, rarely is it used to solve or mitigate environmental problems.
2. There is poor co-ordination and co-operation among existing programmes. This leads to
duplication of efforts and waste of financial and human resources. A major contributing factor
to this situation is the uncoordinated and fragmented approach of national administrations to
environmental protection and the adoption of programmes and projects more often reflecting
the views and interests of foreign donors than the real needs of recipient countries.
3. UNEP is a partner of the GEF Land/Water Initiative in Africa. The Governing Council of
UNEP has also placed African issues as one of its five top priority areas including the
reinvigoration of the African Regional Seas Conventions
4. There are significant opportunities for the GEF to augment the baseline activities and ensure an
improvement in the coordination among existing measures to protect the marine and coastal
environment of the region and others based on new partnerships between foreign
donors/partners and countries in the region. GEF intervention is needed to inspire confidence
among African political leaders regarding the willingness of the international community to
respond to the crisis facing coastal and marine areas and resources in sub-Saharan Africa.
Intervention at this time would result in the GEF taking maximum advantage of the emerging
political consensus for action among African leaders and foster the newly emerging concept of
partnership among international financial institutions, bilateral donors and countries of the
African continent.
5. Endorsement of the African Process for the Development and Protection of the Coastal and
Marine Environment has been achieved at the highest political level, through the OAU
Summit, which was held in Algiers in July 1999. An appropriate OAU Resolution not only
endorses the African process itself, but also the forthcoming application to GEF.
Objective
6. The overall goal of this Project is to assist sub-Saharan African countries in achieving
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sustainable management of their coastal and marine environment and resources.
7. The main objectives of this Project are as follows:
a) to identify areas, sites or living resources of regional and global significance that are
suffering measurable degradation (i.e., hot-spots);
b) to determine the sources/causes of this degradation and the associated scales of impact
(national, regional and global) to provide a basis for calculating incrementality at regional
and extra-regional scales;
c) to identify areas, sites and resources of regional significance that, although not currently
degraded, are threatened with future degradation either because of the sensitivity of the
receptor or the magnitude of the activity posing the threat;
d) to determine, through root-cause analysis, the fundamental causes of the damage or
threat posed;
e) to design a programme of interventions, including demonstration projects and pre-
investment studies, addressing problems of regional priority that may be presented to the
partnership conference; and
f) to present the programme of interventions at the Partnership Conference for the
Development and Protection of the Coastal and Marine Environment in sub-Saharan Africa,
in order to solicit support for the implementation of the programme.
8. The programme is envisaged as a range of interlinked regionally co-ordinated country-driven
activities focusing on the priorities established in this Project. The subsequent interventions to
be supported via commitments made during the partnership conference will be directed
towards:
a) ameliorating the extent of contemporary degradation of areas, resources and amenities
that have been assigned priority at a regional level. Initial emphasis will be devoted to pre-
investment studies designed to determine the efficacy and value of larger-scale interventions
for which funding can then be attracted; and
b) increasing the margin of safety for the protection of areas, resources and amenities
threatened with future degradation because of continued or envisaged human activities in
sub-Saharan Africa. The application of integrated coastal management including river
catchment basins in demonstration projects will be considered as a unifying approach to
developing the mechanisms for such increased protection.
CURRENT SITUATION
9. The aggregate coastline of the 32 sub-Saharan states exceeds 12,000 km. The southern and
northern parts of the West African coast are dominated by desert conditions with an
intermediate zone of humid tropical conditions centred on the Gulf of Guinea in the West. The
climate of East Africa is influenced by two distinct seasons, the southern and northern
monsoon.
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10. Sub-Saharan African coastal ecosystems include barrier/lagoons, deltas, wetlands, mangroves, coral
reefs, and seagrass meadows. Disregarding amenity values, the most important resources from an
economic standpoint are fisheries, oil and gas and other minerals including sand, limestone and
diamonds. Tourism also makes an important contribution to the economy of the region. Coastal
areas are the most densely inhabited and industrialised parts of almost every sub-Saharan
country with approximately 50% of the population residing within 100 km of the coastline.
The coastal areas are also the location of the main import and export centres and provide food
supplies for the landlocked countries of Africa.
11. The total salt-water fish harvested by countries of the region was 3.9 million tonnes in 1994
but this figure excludes the catch of foreign fleets that is not landed in the region. FAO has
estimated the total potential fisheries yield as 7.8 million tonnes per year. This is consistent
with almost half of the total regional marine production being harvested by foreign fleets,
predominantly in the Atlantic. Inland fisheries are much less important. In 1996, ECOWAS
(Economic Community of West African States) production was 395,000 tonnes and COMESA
(Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) production was 1.25 million tonnes
corresponding to an aggregate of 21.8% of global freshwater production.
12. Aquaculture production in ECOWAS in 1996 was 19,000 tonnes (0.1 % of the world total) all
of it from freshwater culture. In the same year COMESA production was 79,000 tonnes (0.5
% of the world total) with 10,000 tonnes derived from marine culture.
13. Oil and gas exploitation, although limited to a few countries, principally Nigeria, Gabon,
Benin, Cameroon, Senegal and Cote d'Ivoire, is a mineral resource of major economic
importance to the region. For example, revenues from oil and gas production account for 90%
of foreign exchange earnings of Nigeria. Although oil and gas form the most important mineral
reserves in the coastal zone, other minerals including hematite, goethite, illmenite, magnetite,
zircon, limestone, sand and diamonds are also exploited.
14. The Western Indian Ocean contains one of the world's busiest oil transportation routes
between the Gulf States and the Western Hemisphere. Accordingly, while the shipping industry
in Africa is not large by world standards, some of the world's major tanker routes are located
off the East African coast. Regionally important levels of shipping traffic also occur between
the West African ports of Lagos, Accra and Dakar and Europe and North America.
15. The rate of industrial development in the region during the previous four decades has been
substantial especially in West Africa. According to a UNDP/GEF 1993 report, about 60% of
the industries in Gulf of Guinea States are located within the coastal zone.
16. Tourism is a growing industry in some sub-Saharan countries. The natural beauty of the
coastline, combined with favourable climate conditions, results in coastal tourism being an
important foreign exchange earner for such countries as Gambia, Senegal, Mauritius, Tanzania
and Namibia. In the Seychelles, tourism accounts for 18.5% of the GDP and more than 70% of
foreign exchange earnings. In South Africa, tourism generates more than US $ 1.2 billion
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dollars annually with over 20 million international and domestic visitors to coastal areas each
year.
17. The region is facing a multitude of problems threatening natural resources some stemming
from existing resource exploitation practices. The over-exploitation of fishery stocks is caused
mainly by poor regulation, inappropriate quotas, selective harvesting of preferred species, use
of inappropriate gear and harvesting of small size classes and reproductive females. High rates
of mineral exploitation in the region are causing widespread degradation of coastal areas with
concomitant effects on living resources.
18. In addition, poorly planned coastal development is leading to increased pollution of coastal
areas of the region. The degraded quality of coastal waters and coastal landscapes seriously
threatens some traditional tourist destinations and is becoming an impediment to further
tourism development. Coastal development is also the dominant cause of the accelerating loss
of many natural ecosystems and wetland habitats with significant but often unrecognized
amenity values. The further development of aquaculture is limited by deteriorating water
quality, destruction of critical habitat for recruitment of stock and the lack of financial and
human resources.
19. These various trends and problems reflect the increasing stress on coastal and marine areas of
the sub-Saharan region. Land degradation, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, loss of wetlands
and threats to fisheries and other living resources, and the pollution of coastal waters with
sewage and industrial effluents are continuing. The lack of institutional capacity, adequate
infrastructure and financial resources continue to frustrate the reversal of fortunes in the
region.
20. Thus, current trends in sub-Saharan Africa undermine the maintenance of the resource-base
essential for sustainable social and economic development of the region. Essentially all of the
sub-Saharan countries are under increasing economic stress derived from global and regional
economic driving forces. Under such circumstances, the limited resources of many countries
are forcing the assignment of relatively low priorities to health, education, housing, let alone
environmental protection and the conservation of natural resources. Significant improvements
in environmental quality and the protection of natural resources are ultimately contingent on
improved economic conditions of people inhabiting sub-Saharan Africa. Recognition of this is
essential if any long-term progress is to be made in the improvement of socio-economic
conditions in the region.
21. The Conventions on Cooperation in the Protection and Development of the Marine and
Coastal Environment of the West and Central African Region (Abidjan, 1981) and the
Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the
Eastern African Region (Nairobi, 1985) and their implementation activities constitute the
principal baseline for the proposed GEF project. There are also several other sub-regional and
Pan-African ventures, albeit many with limited goals and duration, that also constitute elements
of this baseline.
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22. The proposed GEF project is wholly complementary and incremental to these existing
programmes and activities within sub-Saharan Africa. A major challenge in this project is to
ensure that the resources and external assistance provided to sub-regions, including those to
the Nairobi and Abidjan Conventions, are focussed on priority issues whose solution offers the
greatest net benefits to the region. This, in turn, requires that assessments of damage and
impediments to environmental improvements be holistic and consider all causes of degradation.
23. In recognition of the common nature of the most pressing environmental problems, and of their
underlying social and economic causes, as well as their transboundary implications, early
attempts were made by the sub-Saharan countries to mitigate and reverse the spreading
degradation of the coastal and marine environment and their resources. The adoption of the
Abidjan Convention in 1981, and the Nairobi Convention in 1985 were a clear indication of the
political will of the sub-Saharan countries to join forces in efforts to counter the degradation of
coastal and marine resources. The initial focus of the corresponding Action Plans was on
marine pollution control, a subject of immediate high priority requiring a harmonised regional
policy and strategy. However, experience soon confirmed that underdevelopment, or improper
development and resource use, are at the root of most environmental problems and that
meaningful and lasting environmental protection is inseparably linked with social and economic
development. Therefore, the foci of the Action Plans gradually shifted from a sectoral
approach have focusing on pollution control to integrated coastal zone planning and
management as the key tool through which solutions are being sought.
24. In 1998, realisation that the existing situation was untenable and that new initiatives would be
required to revitalise the existing arrangements and programmes through an overarching
political support, particularly those supported by legally binding international agreements,
resulted in several decisive steps being taken at the highest political levels. The Pan-African
Conference on Sustainable Integrated Coastal Management (PACSICOM) (Maputo, 18-24
July 1998) and the ACOPS Conference on Cooperation for the Development and Protection of
the Coastal and Marine Environment in sub-Saharan Africa (Cape Town, 30 November - 4
December, 1998) reviewed the problems associated with the use of coastal and marine
resources and evaluated the adequacy of existing regional and sub-regional arrangements,
mechanisms and programmes relevant to the protection and development of marine and coastal
areas. The ministerial segment of the Cape Town Conference adopted the Cape Town
Declaration on an African Process for the Development and Protection of the Coastal and
Marine Environment with particular reference to sub-Saharan Africa (see Annex 1). The
ACOPS/GLOBE Conference Towards Enhanced Ocean Security into the Third Millennium
(Stockholm, 31 January 2 February 1998) recommended that urgent action be taken to
strengthen the Nairobi and Abidjan Conventions and improve the co-ordination and
implementation of other regional programmes and action plans.
25. The Summit of the Organisation of African Unity (Algiers, 12-14 July 1999), the Heads of
State considered the report submitted by the Government of South Africa on the results of the
Maputo and the Cape Town Conferences and endorsed the Cape Town Declaration and
adopted a resolution (see Annex 2) recognising the importance of the Abidjan, Barcelona,
Jeddah and Nairobi Conventions as frameworks for action.
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26. In addition to the Action Plans of the Abidjan and Nairobi Conventions, there are a number of
sub-regional programmes and arrangements, most of them in the form of projects with specific
limited goals and duration. Among those that are more relevant to the subject of the present
proposal are: the GEF-supported projects on Water Pollution control and Biodiversity
Conservation in the Gulf of Guinea Large Marine Ecosystem, the Benguela Current Large
Marine Ecosystem Project, the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis for the Protection of the
Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem, and the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis and
Strategic Action Programme for Marine and Coastal Environment of the West Indian Ocean;
UNESCO's COMAR project on management of African coasts and marine areas; the
SIDA/SAREC-supported Eastern African Coastal Area Management (SEACAM) Programme
and the associated Marine Science Programme for Eastern Africa; IUCN's Regional
Programme in Eastern Africa focusing on protection of coral reefs, conservation of turtles and
marine areas requiring special protection; IMO's regional and country programmes promoting
integrated waste management and response capabilities to oil pollution; IOC's Regional
Committee for the Cooperative Investigation in the North and Central Western Indian Ocean;
the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) promoting cooperation in sustainable utilisation of
tuna fishery; the European Union's Integrated Fisheries Management Project in Eastern Africa;
the European Union's Regional Environment Programme of the Indian Ocean Commission
(IOC); the GEF-supported World Bank project on Oil Spill Contingency Planning in Eastern
African countries; the Fisheries Surveillance Project in selected Western African countries with
support of the World Bank and the Government of Luxembourg; and the CIDA- supported
Support Programme for Fisheries Management in West Africa in the framework of the Sub-
regional Fisheries Commission.
27. Co-ordination with the programmes quoted above will be ensured in the following manner.
· as far as the existing GEF programmes are concerned, links will be established via
the Nairobi and Abidjan Convention Secretariats, between this, all-comprehensive Africa
programme, and other GEF activities in Africa to ensure the flow of information in both
directions. Above all, the political interest in this all-Africa programme (proposed
herewith) should assist in greater acceptance of the existing GEF project outcomes;
· as far as the programmes operated by other agencies, also quoted in the preceding
paragraph, are concerned, the following procedures will be utilised to ensure co-
ordination:
· the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC): The former Secretary General of IOC is
ACOPS' current Vice-President from Eastern Africa (Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Seychelles). Co-ordination of the two programmes will be ensured through him;
· SEACAM Programme: ACOPS has co-operated with SEACAM ever since the
Cape Town Conference which SEACAM addressed. This network will be used to
ensure co-operation during the operation of this programme;
· UNESCO COMAR project on management of African coasts and marine areas:
ACOPS has an MOU on co-operation in Africa with IOC and the organisations have
already agreed to co-operate on specific aspects of this project;
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· IUCN's Regional Programme in Eastern Africa: Under the arrangement
between the IUCN Director General and ACOPS, the two organisations co-operate in
their African programmes (ACOPS is also a member of IUCN). So, the co-operation
between the two organisations has already been agreed; and
· INDIAN Ocean Tuna Commission: ACOPS will ensure co-ordination with the
work of this organisation through its Eastern African desk which is situated at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Seychelles, which is also the venue of the Indian Ocean
Tuna Commission.
28. The gaps between existing GEF projects are generally known on the basis of assessments,
which have been carried out so far. In fact, the ongoing follow-up projects for some of the
regional GEF projects (e.g. Gulf of Guinea) specifically incorporate assessment workshops to
identify gaps emanating from the original projects so that their proper follow-up is ensured.
However, in order to ensure that this umbrella trans-regional project also may assist each
individual GEF regional African project, a mechanism will be developed with a view to
assuring appropriate liaison. In the past, there was no mechanism which would ensure that
either mistakes are avoided or good practices from one area are replicated in other areas. This
project will attempt to ensure a link to address this important issue and thus assist protection
of environment across the sub-Saharan mega region.
EXPECTED PROJECT OUTCOMES
29. This Project will provide a foundation both for the future rational allocation of limited national
resources of the developing countries within the sub-Saharan region and for securing support
from external partners for priority actions. Rational prioritisation is the sine qua non for
optimising the effectiveness of both remedial and preventative actions. An essential element of
this project is therefore the convening, with external assistance, of a Partnership Conference to
attract partners and co-financing for priority actions. This course of action was agreed and
endorsed by both African Ministers and external partners at the Cape Town Conference.
30. Implementation of the project will therefore lead to the following outcomes that would not be
otherwise achieved:
a) recommendations to national authorities and international community on measures
and interventions for the development and protection of the marine and coastal environment
in sub-Saharan Africa, in order to deal with the following problems and issues:
· control or elimination of environmental hot-spots in coastal and marine region of sub-
Saharan Africa;
· protection of threatened sensitive areas, resources and amenities warranting special
protection;
· concrete project proposals serving as the basis for bilateral or multilateral projects to be
implemented in partnership between African and non-African countries and institutions;
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b) assessment of the root-causes of the environmental problems in the marine and
coastal region of sub-Saharan Africa;
c) adoption of the list of internationally agreed priority hot-spots and sensitive areas in
the marine and coastal region of sub-Saharan Africa; and
d) adoption of the priority listing and securing funding for agreed actions as per the
findings of the project.
31. This course of actions was endorsed by the Preparatory Committee for Partnership Conference
on behalf of African countries.
ACTIVITIES AND FINANCIAL INPUTS NEEDED TO ENABLE CHANGES
Activity 1: Project Coordination - Project Steering Group
32. A Steering Group will be established, under the chairmanship of ACOPS, to guide and
supervise the operational implementation of this Project. The Steering Group will comprise:
International Waters specialists from each of the three GEF Implementing Agencies;
representatives of IUCN, the Secretariats of the Abidjan and Nairobi Conventions and
UNESCO; representatives of countries and organisations with major financial contributions to
this Project; and members of the Preparatory Committee for the Partnership Conference,
established by the Cape Town Conference. The countries represented on the Preparatory
Committee for the Cape Town Preparatory Process were designated in Cape Town as
representatives of the Contracting Parties to the Abidjan and Nairobi Conventions.. ACOPS as
the designated Secretariat for the Cape Town Process will also provide the Secretariat for the
Steering Group that will meet first in October 2000 at the inception of the Project, in April
2001 to review progress in the implementation of this Project and finally in November 2001 to
review the outputs of the Project and the progress in the preparation of documents for the
Partnership Conference. During the intersessional period the Steering Group will work through
correspondence and periodic tele-conference calls, as required.
33. The first Steering Group meeting will be held in London or Cape Town in October 2000
and will be of three working days duration. Its purpose will be to:
a) confirm and document detailed workplan and timetable for the activities in this Project,
including assignment of responsibilities among participants;
b) agree on the topics, dates, venues and the participants to be invited to workshops; and
c) consider and approve any relevant administrative arrangements.
34. The cost of this activity will be US$ 190,000, of which 90,000 from GEF and 100,000 from
other partners.
Activity 2: Criteria and guidelines for the identification and characterisation of
environmental hot-spots and sensitive areas, resources and amenities
Page 13 of 31
35. The objectives of this activity are to:
a) devise a procedure for the identification and characterisation of environmental hot-spots in
the sub-Saharan region of Africa in particular transboundary hot-spots and transboundary
sources and causes of degradation of marine and coastal areas;
b) devise a procedure for identification and characterisation of threatened sensitive areas,
resources and amenities in the sub-Saharan region of Africa, warranting special protection;
and
c) establish criteria and procedures for the assignment of priorities among the sources and
causes of existing degradation of the marine and coastal environment in the region.
35. These criteria, subject to review and adoption by the Steering Group, will form the basis for
the conduct of Activity 3.
36. Two internationally recognised consultants will be engaged to develop criteria for the
identification and characterisation of environmental hot-spots and threatened sensitive areas,
resources and amenities, and elaborate the methodology for their application. The consultants
will be supported by up to six selected local experts remunerated on an honorarium basis.
37. This work will be conducted in consultation with the Secretariats of the Abidjan and Nairobi
Conventions as well as through contacts with individuals in countries of the region regarding
criteria suitable or established for national application.
38. In order to set the ground for the implementation of the project and to review the progress in
the implementation of the project, two evaluation missions will be carried-out in Eastern Africa
and two in West Africa.
39. The cost of this activity will be US$ 120,000, of which 70,000 from GEF and 50,000 from
other partners.
Activity 3: Root-cause analysis of existing impacts and threats to the marine and coastal
environment
40. The objective of this activity is to undertake a root-cause analysis for causes of environmental
damage and threat to the marine and coastal environment in the sub-Saharan region.
41. Following activities will be carried-out:
a) assemble information on the distribution of coastal resources and amenities of sub-Saharan
Africa;
b) assemble information on the distribution of anthropogenic activities of all types affecting or
potentially affecting coastal areas of sub-Saharan Africa;
c) analyse the characteristics and distribution of coastal resources and amenities on a region-
wide basis;
d) determine the locations and nature of existing damage and compromise to coastal resources
Page 14 of 31
and amenities resulting from anthropogenic activities;
e) identify areas, resources and/or amenities sensitive to specific types of anthropogenic
disturbance;
f) analyse the proximity and potential interactions among sensitive areas, resources and
amenities and anthropogenic sources and activities;
g) summarise the distribution of currently damaged or depleted resources and amenities in the
region;
h) summarise threats posed to sensitive areas by existing or planned anthropogenic activities;
and
i) provide a root-cause analysis of environmental compromise and threat for participating
countries of the sub-Saharan region.
35. This evaluation will provide a basis for subsequent activities to prioritise both contemporary
and potential environmental damage and for determining the options for intervention.
36. The importance of sensitive areas in the context of the need for protection will depend on the
degree to which they are threatened by anthropogenic activities in the region or elsewhere. The
analysis will therefore include an evaluation of the nature and location of sensitive areas in
relation to the sources of human activities potentially affecting such areas.
37. This activity will be carried out by UNESCO, through funding contributed by UNESCO, a
bilateral donor brought on board by UNESCO and by ACOPS, in consultation with IUCN and
ACOPS, supported by two consultants to acquire relevant data and information from a wide
variety of sources. Such data will provide a broad-based characterisation of the coastal zones
of sub-Saharan Africa and their associated resources in the context of the distribution of
anthropogenic activities in the region as a catalogue of background information to the more
detailed analyses to be conducted by UNESCO. The two consultants will be supported by up
to six additional regional experts paid on an honorarium basis.
38. The two consultants engaged to undertake the basic fact-finding work in this activity will liase
with IUCN, the LOICZ, GPA and GIWA Secretariats, relevant GEF projects and the
Secretariats of the Nairobi and Abidjan Conventions to ensure the use of data and information
acquired during the course of this work. The root-cause analysis will be conducted by
UNESCO, in consultation with ACOPS and GIWA, in conjunction with the acquisition of
information from the region. The report of this work will form the basis, together with the
results of Activity 2, for convening a regional Workshop to identify and prioritise
environmental hot-spots and threatened sensitive areas in the sub-Saharan region (Activity 4).
39. The draft of the root-cause analysis will be presented at the Expert Workshop to be held in
January 2001 in Seychelles and the Steering Group will adopt a final version.
40. The Workshop would be attended by representatives of the countries of the region, the GEF
Implementing Agencies, UNESCO, ACOPS, LOICZ, GPA Co-ordination Office, the GIWA
Secretariat, and the Abidjan and Nairobi Convention Secretariats.
Page 15 of 31
41. The cost of this activity will be US$ 270,000, of which 70,000 from GEF and 200,000 from
other partners.
Activity 4: Identification and characterisation of environmental hot-spots and threatened
sensitive areas, resources and amenities warranting special protection
42. The objective of this activity is to identify, characterise and prioritise geographic areas,
resources and amenities that display significant environmental degradation and sensitive areas
threatened by anthropogenic activities on a regional basis. Priorities are to be established at a
regional level for the purpose of pre-investment studies.
43. There will be a wide variety of instances of existing damage to the environment, resources
and/or amenities within the sub-Saharan region. Not all of these instances will either merit
attention at a regional level or present tractable opportunities for intervention. Therefore, there
is a need to establish priorities based on the severity and scale of existing damage and the
tractability of the causes to remediation.
44. In addition to existing environmental compromise, in many countries there will be geographic
areas, resources and amenities that are currently relatively undisturbed but may require special
protection because they are, or may become, vulnerable to pressures from ill-planned
developments or excessive resource exploitation. Such specially sensitive areas, resources, and
amenities may include areas known for their biodiversity, nursery grounds important for
fisheries, wetlands sustaining migratory species, natural barriers against waves and storms
(e.g., mangroves, coral reefs), coastal areas of exceptional scenic beauty, etc.
45. On the basis of the results of activities 2 and 3, and using information to be collected from
participating countries, two international consultants, at least one of whom will be from the
region, will prepare a preliminary catalogue of environmental hot-spots and threatened
sensitive areas.
46. A Regional Workshop would be convened for ten days in April 2001 in Cape Town to finalise
the document on environmental hot-spots and threatened sensitive areas based on:
a) the criteria and guidelines defined through Activity 2;
b) the overlay of conditions in the coastal zones of the region with anthropogenic sources and
activities undertaken through the consultancies under Activity 3; and
c) the root-cause analysis undertaken by UNESCO in Activity 3.
55. The Workshop would be attended by representatives of the countries of the region, the GEF
Implementing Agencies, ACOPS, IUCN, LOICZ, UNESCO, GPA Co-ordination Office, the
GIWA Secretariat, and the Abidjan and Nairobi Convention Secretariats.
56. The objectives of the Workshop are to:
a) identify, characterise and prioritise geographic areas, resources and amenities that display
Page 16 of 31
significant environmental degradation in the region;
b) identify, characterise and prioritise sensitive areas, resources or amenities that are threatened
by anthropogenic activities;
c) determine the causes (sources or activities) for each case of degradation or threat; and
d) analyse the options for intervention to remediate or prevent the highest priority
environmental damage and/or threats.
57. The consolidated analysis of regional priorities established for environmental hot-spots and
threatened sensitive areas will, after adoption by the Steering Group, be submitted to the
Partnership Conference as one of the basic documents for the Partnership Conference.
58. Two training courses (one for Eastern and one for West Africa) will be organised in order to
train national experts in the preparation of root cause analysis and identification,
characterisation and prioritisation of environmental hot-spots and sensitive areas, resources
and amenities.
59. The cost of this activity will be US$ 420,000, of which 170,000 from GEF and 250,000 from
other partners.
Activity 5: Programme of interventions for presentation to the Partnership Conference
60. Partnership Conference for the Development and Protection of the Coastal and Marine
Environment in sub-Saharan Africa is planned for December 2001. This Conference should
bring together all stakeholders (representatives from African and non-African countries,
private sector, intergovernmental and international organisations, non-governmental
organisations and other partners) for the purpose for promoting the development and
protection of the marine and coastal environment in sub-Saharan Africa. Preparatory
Committee for the Partnership Conference, established by the Cape Town Conference,
adopted a detailed work plan and timetable of activities leading to the Partnership Conference.
61. On the basis of the results of Activity 4 and additional information available from other
sources, a programme of interventions for presentation to the Partnership Conference will be
prepared (with the assistance of two international consultants at least one of whom will be
from the region), relevant to the protection and sustainable use of coastal and marine
environments and their resources in the sub-Saharan Region. These interventions will address
specific issues of regional priority such as: management of fisheries resources; control of
coastal erosion; integrated management of river basins and coastal zones, including their living
resources; pollution control; protection and conservation of freshwater resources; protection
of biological diversity; restoration of degraded habitats and resources; development of
economic, legal and administrative instruments stimulating environment protection and
sustainable use of resources; and adaptation to or mitigation of the impacts associated with the
expected climate change.
62. Outputs of activities 3 and 4 will be used as the basic inputs (i.e., working documents) for the
Partnership Conference that will be expected to review, prioritise and endorse, as deemed
Page 17 of 31
appropriate, the proposals for:
a) preinvestment studies in areas, sites or resources identified as regionally significant
"environmental hot spots";
b) programmes for the protection of regionally significant environmentally sensitive areas, sites
or resources threatened by anthropogenic activities and warranting additional protective
measures; and
c) implementation of regional projects proposed for direct implementation through partnership
arrangements.
63. Principal requirements to be met by proposed interventions will be that they address a problem
identified as a regional priority, represent tractable options for remediation or prevention of
environmental damage, are jointly supported by several countries, and are potentially replicable
elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa.
64. Suggestions for such interventions will be solicited from countries of the region and the
Secretariats of the Abidjan and Nairobi Conventions. Suggestions elicited from these sources
will be evaluated, in the context of the results of Activity 4, by the Steering Group. The
Steering Group will then decide which of the received suggestions should be developed into
proposals to be submitted to the Partnership Conference. The rationale on which the Group's
decision will be based will include, among others, the interest that may have been expressed in
the project by potential partner organisations (e.g., the World Bank) or countries from outside
the region. Maximum "transparency" of the process leading to the Group's decision about the
projects to be developed will be ensured by intensive consultations between the Group and
interested countries and by full disclosure of the rationale used by the Group in reaching its
decision.
65. The primary responsibility for the development of proposals selected by the Steering Group for
development will rest on countries supporting the proposals. Through ACOPS, or interested
partner organisations, assistance (guidance, information and expertise, as requested) will be
made available to countries in developing the detailed proposals. In order to ensure active
participation of countries in the preparation of intervention proposals up to eight subcontracts
will be prepared with the governmental/non-governmental institutions in selected countries.
66. A workshop of government nominated experts and interested partner organisations will be
convened for 5 days in June 2001 in Abuja, Nigeria, to consider advanced versions of detailed
proposals. This expert workshop will also be attended by members of the Steering Group of
this Project. The workshop will recommend amendments to the draft proposals to improve
their effectiveness and maximise the potential regional benefits.
67. The final versions of the detailed proposals would be formally submitted for the consideration
and endorsement by the Partnership Conference to be held following the completion of this
Project.
68. ACOPS has been asked, as a facilitator of the Partnership Conference, to liase with the existing
Page 18 of 31
GEF Projects. The need for co-ordination has been emphasised at the most recent meeting of
COPs of the Nairobi Convention (Mauritius, Oct./Nov. 1999) and the Abidjan Convention
(March 2000) and also at the meeting of AMCEN (April 2000). The workshops listed under
this project will on each occasion have a presentation on activities of other related projects to
ensure the greatest possible synergy.
69. The cost of this activity will be US$ 595,000, of which 280,000 from GEF and 315,000 from
other partners.
70. It will be seen in paragraph 27 that no efforts will be spared to ensure full linkage between this
project and regional GEF programmes in Africa and also those programmes funded and
steered by other agencies and Governments. This will ensure that inputs from this project are
passed on to other programmes in accordance with procedures outlined earlier on, and vice
versa, thus preventing the possibility of overlap. In addition, Chairmanship of the Preparatory
Committee for the Preparatory Committee for the Partnership Conference already set a
mechanism of regular briefings with bilateral donors, represented by ambassadors to Pretoria,
or heads of aid divisions, with a view to ensuring that they are encouraged to select funding
priorities emanating from the project.
ACTIVITIES SUSTAINABILITY ANALYSIS AND RISK ASSESSMENT
71. The major risk in working on environmental projects in Africa is that poverty is so endemic
and acute, and political instability and conflicts so widespread, that environmental issues are
accorded in reality a very low priority indeed. Whilst all these factors still prevail, it is
suggested that activities leading to this Project proposal have built an unprecedented degree of
political support and consensus, culminating in an endorsement by the OAU Heads of States
Summit (July 1999, Algiers). In fact, an appropriate resolution specifically calls on GEF to
approve this proposal.
72. The issue of sustainability is more complex. However, leaders of the Preparatory Committee
for the Partnership Conference have made it amply clear that if Africa wishes to rely on a
continuous support of external partners, lots of preparatory work has to be done. Some
Governments (notably South Africa) have already earmarked national resources in order to
ensure that this process works. It is therefore hoped that willingness of some African countries
to regard environment as an economic resource would encourage other African leaders to
follow the lead of South Africa and that this in turn will stimulate external partners to provide
major investments. In fact, the UK Government already announced in Cape Town Conference
that in view of solidarity displayed by African countries, it would provide over $ 30 million
towards responsible code of fisheries projects in West and Central Africa. In other words, one
of the principal factors, which discouraged donors to invest major resources towards
environmental protection in Africa in the past, was their perception that there was insufficient
commitment by African Governments to drive this process. It will be noted that the Partnership
Conference will serve effectively as a donor meeting which will review the Programme of
Page 19 of 31
Intervention which is similar to what is known in GEF standard terminology as Strategic
Action Programme. It should be borne in mind that this whole activity is very much action
driven and hopes to ensure long term support to provide remedial measures to deal with the
problems which will be identified in the course of this and other relevant projects.
STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT AND SOCIAL ASSESSMENT
73. The principal stakeholders in the execution of this project are the Governments, at a level
which involves the full cabinet support, secured at the outset in South Africa (which initiated
the process) and then in Senegal, which was selected as the host country of the Partnership
Conference. A similar degree of commitment is being sought and obtained in other countries.
However, it is important to note that major NGOs, both regional and global also play an active
role in this project. They include IUCN (Regional Office, Nairobi), ENDA Tiers Monde
(Dakar) and Environmental Justice Networking Forum (Pietermaritzburg, South Africa).
74. Concrete involvement of Governments will be ensured through regular meetings of the
Preparatory Committee at which they are represented at the ministerial level. In addition, the
task teams will involve a broad range of African consultants. In view of the fact that AMCEN
itself is a member of the Preparatory Committee, a good liaison is ensured with all African
Governments. A further control mechanism is the OAU itself to which the Preparatory
Committee needs to report in accordance with terms agreed in the Cape Town Declaration.
INCREMENTAL COSTS ASSESSMENT
75. The proposed project is incremental to existing programmes and activities described in section
"Current situation". This project aims at identifying the significance of causes and sources of
environmental degradation, thus paving way for actions resulting in source reduction. Since the
project deals with issues that are potentially transboundary, all the activities described in this
proposal can be considered to be incremental. This project is to assist countries in making
changes in the ways that human activities are conducted in different sectors so that the
waterbodies of concern can sustainably support the human activities. Priority is placed on
changing sectoral policies and activities responsible for the most serious root causes needed to
solve the top priority environmental concerns and co-ordination of efforts among the
participating countries. This project can be considered as a dynamic action-oriented
programme to be undertaken on an accelerated basis with support from a variety of sources.
The extent of independent action taken by national governments represents a baseline, one to
be financed through domestic financial resources and traditional forms of development
assistance (not GEF assistance). The transboundary nature of both costs and benefits requires
that countries develop co-operative solutions in order to maximise net global benefits.
76. Costs of activities described in "Current situation" are way above the cost of this project. Total
direct financial contribution of sub-Saharan countries to this project (US$ 220,000) can be
Page 20 of 31
considered as direct baseline costs, and direct financial contribution (US$ 655,000) of other
partners to this project (with the exception of GEF and UNEP/GPA) can be considered as
further baseline costs. Thus GEF appears only as one of these partners and its share of
financial support (US$ 750,000) could be considered as covering only the incremental costs
pertaining to the "global benefits" that the project will yield.
BUDGET
77. Table 1 provides the breakdown of costs by project activities. Table 2 provides budget by line
item expenditures.
78. Costs of travel and DSA for expert non-UN agency participants in the Regional and Expert
Workshops and Steering Group meetings, the costs of consultancies in Activities 2 and 3, and
the costs of consultant assistance in the preparation of, and follow-up to, each Workshop will
be met from this Project.
79. Representatives of industry and NGOs will be involved as appropriate in the implementation of
the project at their own cost; however, no assumptions have been made in this regard so as not
to endanger full participation in the Project.
TABLE 1 BUDGET BY ACTIVITY (IN THOUSANDS OF US $)
Activity
GEF
ACOPS
African
Other
Total
Countries
Sources
Activity 1 Project Coordination
1st Meeting of Steering Group (SG)
30
5
5
20
60
2nd Meeting of the SG
30
5
5
20
60
3rd Meeting of the SG
30
5
5
30
70
Activity 2 Criteria and guidelines
70
20
0
30
120
for hot-spots and sensitive areas
Activity 3 Root-cause analysis
70
10
30
160
270
Activity 4 Hot-spots and threatened
170
20
70
160
420
sensitive areas, resources and
amenities
Activity 5 Programme of
280
10
105
200
595
interventions for presentation to the
Partnership Conference
Executing Agency Management &
70
0
0
60
130
support costs
Total
750
75
220
680
1,725
Page 21 of 31
TABLE 2 BUDGET BY LINE ITEM EXPENDITURES (IN THOUSANDS OF US $)
w/m
Cost
Project total
($ `000)
GEF
Other
Personnel
76
255
290
545
Subcontracts
40
130
170
Training
40
90
130
Travel
245
353
608
Evaluation Missions
20
30
50
Miscellaneous
100
120
222
Project Total
76
750
975
1,725
EXPECTED DATE OF THE COMPLETION OF THIS PROJECT
73. This Project will run for 22 months. A timetable of implementation is provided in Table 3.
Page 22 of 31
TABLE 3: IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Activities
2000
2001
2002
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
J
F
M
A M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
J
F
Internalization
Project Steering Group (SG)
Establishment of SG
Preparations for SG meetings
SG meetings
SG report preparation
Evaluation missions
Activity 2: Criteria & Guidelines
Selection of consultants
Preparation of the document
Completion of the document
Activity 3: Root-cause analysis
Selection of consultants
Conduct of root-cause analysis
Expert Workshop
Activity 4: Hot-spots and sensitive areas
Selection of consultants
Preparation of the document
Preparations for Regional Workshop
Regional Workshop
Finalisation of the document
Training courses
Activity 5: Programme of interventions
Selection of consultants
Preparation of proposals
Expert Workshop
Completion of proposals
Consideration by Steering Group
Partnership Conference
Page 24 of 335
Page 25 of 335
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PLAN
73. The ministers attending the Cape Town conference have made a major step in recognising the
need to involve the civil society and asked for its representative to be included on the
Preparatory Committee. This process has started and a roster of several NGOs already
observes, and takes part in the work of the Preparatory Committee on a rotation basis. They
include the following: IUCN (Regional Office, Nairobi), ENDA Tiers Monde (Dakar) and
Environmental Justice Networking Forum (South Africa). Those NGOs will take part in this
project. In addition, liaison with other representatives of the civil society will be ensured.
74. It is nevertheless important to recognise that there are serious constraints in ensuring an active
participation of the general public. The primary constraint lies in the scale of the proposal
activity, it is difficult to involve the public directly in a continent wide assessment such as this.
Additional reasons are manifold and include the following:
· there is a lack of recognition on the part of many African governments that NGOs should
be regarded as partners;
· part of the reason is the prevailing ethos that any criticism of Governmental policy places
the relevant NGOs in the position of "opposition"; and
· funding of NGOs is inadequate which impinges on the ability to hire professional staff to
monitor and evaluate briefs. It is therefore likely, that the most active participation will
follow from national/regional branches of major global NGOs, such as IUCN.
73. However, it should be noted that many of the best examples of concrete achievements in
execution of environmental project have been witnessed at the grassrooot/community level.
Also, certain regional organisations, such as SEACAM, with the financial assistance of SIDA,
have carried a considerable number of training projects for NGOs.
MONITORING AND EVALUATION PLAN
74. Monitoring of this project will be done at several levels as follows:
· operational reports will be provided quarterly. Periodic reports will be made to UNEP/GEF
on both substantive and financial matters;
· the established indicators (see the project summary), will serve as evaluation tools during
project execution;
· the content of the GEF Project was endorsed by the Preparatory Committee for the
Partnership Conference at its first meeting which was held in Nairobi in February 1999. The
Preparatory Committee will regularly review the progress of the project on behalf of all
countries of the African continent;
· additional reporting procedures have been ensured (through the Preparatory Committee) to
AMCEN and the OAU. AMCEN is already a member of the Preparatory Committee and
participates at its meetings, providing the necessary input and control. OAU receives all
reports of the Preparatory Committee and undertakes to place them to its appropriate bodies
which follow-up implementation of Resolutions adopted by the Summit; and
Page 26 of 335
· the Preparatory Committee has also established a system whereby it invites, on an ad hoc
basis, representatives of external partners (lead bilateral donors) in order to maintain a
dialogue with them and ensure success of the Partnership Conference.
Page 27 of 335
Annex 1
Cape Town Declaration on an African Process for the Development and Protection of the Coastal and
Marine Environment, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa
PREAMBLE
The Cape Town Declaration on an African Process for the Development and Protection of the Coastal and
Marine Environment, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, is a continuing effort, making the Maputo and
Cape Town Conferences a single process, which will lead to the strengthening of the two sub-Saharan
Conventions, namely Abidjan and Nairobi, through the establishment of a joint implementing mechanism
and other means, a Partnership Conference, and the proposed establishment of a continent-wide
Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) to integrate and co-ordinate all sustainable development
issues (Agenda 21) and conventions. Within this framework,
1. The Cape Town Conference represents a specific effort to:
i advance the sustainable development agenda set by African countries as strongly expressed in the
Treaty establishing the African Economic Community; and
ii put in place a broad-based mechanism for mobilising support for the African consensus on critical
issues (as expressed in the African Common Position to the United Nations Conference on Environment
and Development).
2. The Conference is also part of a broadly conceived effort to implement the call from the 1992 United
Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), and the United Nations Commission
on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) which was established in order to ensure effective follow-up to
UNCED, to enhance international cooperation and to rationalise intergovernmental decision-making and
thus facilitate the integration of environmental and developmental issues relevant to the coastal and
marine environment in Africa.
3. The Conference was organised in response to the Action Strategy adopted at the ACOPS/GLOBE
Conference Towards Enhanced Ocean Security into the Third Millennium (Stockholm, 31 January-2
February 1998) which specifically asked that "urgent action should be taken to strengthen the already
existing regional Nairobi and Abidjan Conventions, and to improve the coordination and
implementation of existing regional programmes and action plans".
4. The Conference builds on the achievements of the Pan-African Conference on Sustainable Integrated
Coastal Management (PACSICOM), held in Maputo, Mozambique (18-24 July 1998) which stressed
its "firm resolve that the action proposals be addressed within the existing regional conventions,
intergovernmental programmes and institutional mechanisms for cooperation and coordination".
5. The specific objectives of the Cape Town Conference were identified as to review and critically
evaluate, taking into account the issues and priorities identified at the Maputo Conference and other
relevant fora:
· the state of the coastal and marine environment of Africa, including the main causes of their
deterioration;
· the national policies and policy responses relevant to the development and protection of the coastal and
marine environment in Africa;
Page 28 of 335
· the support provided from non-national resources to address problems in the coastal and marine
environment of Africa;
· the existing and evolving multilateral programmes and arrangements relevant to the development and
protection of the coastal and marine environment in Africa; and
· the possible options for strengthening cooperation on development and protection of the coastal and
marine environment of Africa;
· to formulate and adopt a strategy which may lead to the improved development and protection of
coastal and marine areas, and integrating the concerns of land-locked countries of Africa and to avoid
the present fragmented and poorly coordinated approach to solving their problems;
· to establish a joint mechanism of countries facilitating the implementation of multilateral programmes
addressing issues related to the sustainable development and environmental protection of the coastal
and marine areas;
· to lay ground for convening a Partnership Conference involving African countries and other countries
with an interest in assisting African countries in achieving their developmental and environmental
goals; and
· to further the progress achieved during 1998 as the declared International Year of the Oceans.
CAPE TOWN DECLARATION
We, the Governments represented by our ministers and senior officials responsible for the environment,
meeting in Cape Town from 30 November to 2 December (Technical Segment) and 3 to 4 December 1998
(Ministerial Segment), as part of the process of reinforcing and renewing our common resolve to effectively
protect, manage and sustainably develop Africa's marine and coastal environment, as well as
representatives of participating organisations, adopted the Cape Town Declaration on an African Process
for the Development and Protection of the Coastal and Marine Environment,
Recognising the need for Africa to unite in action and act in unity in furthering the objectives of sustainable
development and the African Renaissance;
Also recognising the importance of the coastal and marine environment as a vitally important resource for
Africa's sustainable social and economic development, and well-being of its people;
Further recognising poverty, underdevelopment, and debt burden as the root causes of the identified
problems and as serious threats to peace, stability, and the environment in Africa, including food and
economic security;
Aware that eradication of poverty is a basic precondition for sustainable development of Africa;
Noting with concern the continuing deterioration of Africa's coastal and marine environment, and erosion of
its resource-base, largely due to lack of mechanisms to provide adequate co-ordination of all planned
coastal development and sustainable use of coastal and marine resources;
Noting also the need to strengthen Africa's national policies, legislation, and policy responses relevant to the
development and protection of the coastal and marine environment;
Emphasising Sustainable Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM) as the most promising approach to
achieve a sustainable social and economic development balanced with the protection of the resources on
which this development depends;
Page 29 of 335
Aware that the use of coastal and marine resources should be intrinsically linked with the protection of these
resources in order to ensure their long-term and sustainable use;
Acknowledging that, while mitigation of these problems should be primarily sought through actions at
national levels, solutions to a number of problems can more easily be found through concerted joint action
of African countries;
Also noting the existence of numerous global and regional agreements, arrangements and programmes
relevant to the development and protection of the coastal and marine environment, as well as their goals,
achievements and shortcomings;
Recognising the Abidjan and Nairobi Conventions as the most suitable regional agreements to serve as the
legal frameworks for the mobilisation of regionally coordinated efforts fostering the sustainable
development of coastal and marine areas of the African region;
Welcoming with appreciation all initiatives and efforts to strengthen our cooperation on the development
and protection of the coastal and marine environment;
Considering the Cape Town Conference as an African contribution to the International Year of the Ocean;
Endorsing the main conclusions and recommendations of the Pan-African Conference on Sustainable
Integrated Coastal Management (PACSICOM) held in Maputo, in July 1998, including the priorities
identified as requiring action, and fully recognising that the PACSICOM and Cape Town Conferences are
integral parts of the same process for the sustainable management of our coastal and marine environment:
Affirm our commitment to:
· strengthen cooperation through the relevant existing global and regional agreements, programmes and
institutional mechanisms, in particular through the co-ordinating framework of the Abidjan and
Nairobi Conventions;
· update the Nairobi and Abidjan Conventions, and their associated action plans and protocols, taking
into account the recommendations adopted by the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment
and Development (UNCED), the Maputo Conference and the present Conference in Cape Town;
Decide to:
· undertake, as envisaged in the Maputo Declaration adopted by the PACSICOM, the necessary
measures for the convening of a Partnership Conference in the year 2000, to which will be submitted
action proposals in the form of projects or programme briefs developed on the basis of the outcome of
both the PACSICOM and Cape Town Conferences;
· establish a preparatory committee to organise the Partnership Conference in close consultation with
African countries, donor governments, regional and international financial institutions, UN, bilateral
and multilateral agencies, Global Environment Facility, the private sector, non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) and other major groups;
Request:
· the South African government to chair the Preparatory Committee;
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· the South African and Mozambique governments to ask the Advisory Committee on the Protection of
the Sea (ACOPS) to extend its full support to the Partnership Conference, particularly in spearheading
consultations with donor governments and institutions;
· the international community to lend effective bilateral and multilateral support to the implementation
of the decisions taken at the Maputo and the Cape Town Conferences;
Also request:
· the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) to consult with relevant African institutions on the need for
the rationalisation and harmonisation of the numerous regional programmes and institutional
mechanisms. In this regard, consideration should be given to ways of achieving this goal, including the
possibility of the establishment of a regional Commission on Sustainable Development;
Also decide to submit, inter alia, this Declaration adopted by the Conference to:
· the governments of African countries;
· the Euro-African Summit planned to be held in the first part of the year 2000;
· donor communities;
· the next summit of the OAU (June 1999);
· the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) (Feb. 1999);
· the next session of African Ministerial Conference on Environment (AMCEN) (1999);
· the meetings of Contracting Parties to the Abidjan, Nairobi, Jeddah, and Barcelona Conventions;
· the seventh session of the UNCSD (April 1999);
· the General Conference of UNESCO (November 1999); and
· the second London Oceans Workshop (December 1998).
PRIORITIES FOR ACTION
The Conference,
Recognising that the coastal and marine environment is among the most essential resource for sustainable
long-term social and economic development of Africa,
Recommends the following concrete and sustained actions to follow the process, which started at
PACSICOM and continued at the present Conference.
1? To hold a partnership conference organised by African countries, donor communities, private sector,
non-governmental organisations, and other partners in the year 2000 for the purpose of promoting the
implementation of the African Agenda for the development and protection of the coastal and marine
environment.
2? To establish a preparatory committee, which will report to the OAU, under the chairmanship of South
Africa, composed of:
South Africa
Mozambique
2 members to be determined by the Bureau of the Nairobi Convention
2 members to be determined by the Bureau of the Abidjan Convention
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1 member of a civil society organisation (CSO)
UNEP
AMCEN
UNESCO
ACOPS will be the facilitator of this Preparatory Committee.
The Preparatory Committee will report through its chairman to the OAU, which will facilitate consultations
with all other stakeholders.
With regard to the decision on the hosting of the Partnership Conference the Preparatory Committee should
take into consideration that on the basis of the mandate given to him by PACSICOM, the Minister of the
Environment of Mozambique consulted with the government of Côte d'Ivoire, whose Minister of the
Environment expressed his country's agreement, in principle.
This Preparatory Committee will, inter alia:
a? consider at a first meeting to be held at the beginning of 1999, the following aspects:
· development of terms of reference for the Preparatory Committee;
· definition of a work plan with timetable;
· definition of a process for the establishment of national focal points to co-ordinate and participate
in the necessary activities for the preparation of the Partnership Conference; and
· development of a consultative process with potential partners, including the private sector, non-
governmental organisations, and others;
b develop a proposal, within the framework of sustainable development, containing prioritised list of
actions for Africa:
c to prepare an analysis of the economic, social, and cultural root causes of already identified problems
hindering the development and protection of the coastal and marine areas and resources of Africa;
d to identify areas of environmental degradation of regional significance which would require to be
addressed as regional priorities;
e to prepare pre-investment studies for such areas, once they are determined;
f to develop proposals for regional projects or national projects of regional significance, including
existing or on-going projects (e.g., demonstration projects or projects dealing with transboundary
effects and with Large Marine Ecosystems, as appropriate);
g to incorporate into existing national or sub-regional action plans, elements regarding the development
and protection of the coastal and marine environment, and if necessary, to develop such plans;
i to investigate the possibility of a viable financial model to ensure sustainable financing of
the African Process; and
j to identify areas of duplication of efforts and to seek to avoid or rationalise these
situations.
Urges UNEP, ACOPS and other partners to assist in facilitation and seeking of investments and funds to
enable the Preparatory Committee to take the process forward, complementing the national, sub-regional
and regional resources with regard to the projects proposed.
Calls upon UNEP, as the secretariat of the Abidjan and Nairobi Conventions, to develop, in close
consultation with the relevant governing bodies of these Conventions, a concrete action plan for
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revitalisation and co-ordination of the Conventions, through the establishment of a joint implementation
mechanism.
Requests the government of South Africa to take forward to the OAU a request to consult with relevant
regional institutions including AMCEN, Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and African Development
Bank (ADB), and global organisations such as UNEP, on modalities or arrangements which would help in
the efforts to rationalise intergovernmental programmes and institutions in this region. The feasibility of
achieving this goal through the establishment of a regional Commission on Sustainable Development should
be part of the consultations.
Urges all major groups, as identified in Agenda 21, to actively participate in relevant activities, and support
the aforementioned priorities, and in particular to ensure the provision of relevant research and training, and
whenever possible, transfer of technology.
Calls upon all States in Africa to consult, mobilise and involve their local communities, private sector, local
and sub-national authorities, as well as their intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations in the
planning and decision-making process.
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Annex 2
African Process for the Development and Protection of the
Coastal and Marine Environment
We, the representatives of African States, attending the Summit of the Organisation of African Unity in
Algiers, from 12 to 14 July 1999,
Recognising the importance of coastal and marine environment as a vitally important resource for our
sustainable social and economic development and well-being of our people;
Aware that the use of coastal and marine resources is intrinsically linked with the protection of these
resources in order to ensure their long-term and sustainable use;
Noting with concern the continuing deterioration of our coastal and marine environment and erosion of its
resource-base;
Acknowledging underdevelopment, debt burden and poverty as the root causes of the identified problems
and as serious threats to peace and security, including food, economic, environmental, political and military
security;
Bearing in mind the weaknesses in the coordination among the numerous regional, sub-regional and
bilateral programmes, as well as in our national policies and policy responses, relevant to the development
and protection of our coastal and marine environment and sustainable use of their resources;
Welcoming with appreciation the global, regional and sub-regional initiatives and efforts to strengthen our
cooperation on the protection and development of our coastal environment;
Recognising the Abidjan, Barcelona, Jeddah and Nairobi Conventions as potentially the most suitable legal
frameworks for the mobilisation of regionally coordinated efforts fostering the sustainable development of
African coastal and marine areas;
Noting with satisfaction the main conclusions and recommendations of the Pan African Conference on
Sustainable Integrated Coastal Management (PACSICOM) held in Maputo, 18-24 July 1998, and the
Conference on Cooperation for Development and Protection of the Marine and Coastal Environment in sub-
Saharan Africa held in Cape Town, 30 November-4 December 1998:
Endorse the Declaration on an African Process for the Development and Protection of the Coastal and
Marine Environment adopted at the Cape Town Conference, including:
a? the convening of a Partnership Conference to consider concrete action proposals in the form of
projects and programmes developed on the basis of priorities identified by the Maputo and Cape
Town Conferences; and
b? the Preparatory Committee established to guide and coordinate the preparations of the Partnership
Conference and its planned activities, including the development of a proposal for a GEF-assisted
project in support of the preparations for the Partnership Conference;
Invite all African States:
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a? to support and actively participate in the implementation of the African Process for the Development
and Protection of the Coastal and Marine Environment; and
b? to cooperate fully with the Preparatory Committee of the Partnership Conference in order to
contribute to the success of the Conference;
Invite also global and regional institutions and programmes, as well as States interested in environmentally
sound development and sustainable use of African coastal and marine resources, to assist in the preparation
of the Partnership Conference and in the implementation of projects and programmes expected to be
endorsed by the Conference;
Affirm our commitment to strengthen and improve the cooperation among the African States through the
relevant existing and evolving global, regional and sub-regional agreements, programmes and institutional
mechanisms;
Decide to initiate, through the Secretariat of the Organisation, a broad consultation with the relevant
African institutions on the need for the rationalisation and harmonisation of the numerous regional, sub-
regional and bilateral programmes and institutional mechanisms dealing with developmental and
environmental issues, including the possible establishment of a regional African Commission on Sustainable
Development; and
Request the Secretary General to report on the results of these consultations to the next Summit of the
Organisation.
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