PROGRAM SUMMARY

The development objective of this activity is to raise awareness among staff in ministries of finance and other sector ministries of WB client countries and among international financial sector stakeholders of the importance and opportunity of investing in biodiversity and ecosystem services sustainable management.

CHALLENGE

APPROACH

RESULTS

Event on “Invest in Nature” at IMF-WBG Annual Meetings 2019. The event was attended in person by ~200 people in the room, including ministers, international organizations and Bank leadership, and online by 575 people (of which 41.3 percent women). Most people who engaged online were 25-34 years old. Almost 18,000 people visited the event page. The event was the fourth most livestreamed event at the 2019 Annual Meetings (out of 19 livestreamed events). The event hashtag #InvestInNature reached more than 5 million Twitter users, generating 23.5 million impressions worldwide, and trending in DC area during the live event. On live engagement/comments, the event was rated 2nd out of 19 live-streamed events. Online, the event attracted strong engagement from key influencers, including Alok Sharna, UK, Zac Goldsmith, UK, Inger Andersen, UN Environment, IPBES, CBD. 

China-WB workshop on “Maximizing private finance for biodiversity and ecosystem services”. Over the course of the two days, the workshop was attended by 67 (of which 26 women) representatives of the Chinese Government, notably from the Ministry of Finance and the MEE, and several other CBD Parties and the Secretariat, the European Commission, the financial sector, multilateral and bilateral development agencies, NGOs and academic experts. The workshop was attended at high level with two Director Generals (from Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Ecology and Environment). On the World Bank side, the event was attended by the ENB Global Director and by the EAP Regional Director.  

It had been envisaged that the activities would contribute to inform the preparation of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and in particular the policy mainstreaming and the resource mobilization dimensions of the framework. Through the dialogue in these activities the team was able to inform the preparation of the zero draft of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. The participation of the UK at the Annual Meetings event was instrumental in engaging with that country on follow up action such as a possible collaboration with DEFRA on ecosystem policy modelling. On the finance side, the activity allowed to inform the work of the expert panel on resource mobilization for the post-2020 framework. 

PROGRAM SUMMARY

The development objective of this activity is to raise awareness among staff in ministries of finance and other sector ministries of WB client countries and among international financial sector stakeholders of the importance and opportunity of investing in biodiversity and ecosystem services sustainable management.

CHALLENGE

APPROACH

RESULTS

Event on “Invest in Nature” at IMF-WBG Annual Meetings 2019. The event was attended in person by ~200 people in the room, including ministers, international organizations and Bank leadership, and online by 575 people (of which 41.3 percent women). Most people who engaged online were 25-34 years old. Almost 18,000 people visited the event page. The event was the fourth most livestreamed event at the 2019 Annual Meetings (out of 19 livestreamed events). The event hashtag #InvestInNature reached more than 5 million Twitter users, generating 23.5 million impressions worldwide, and trending in DC area during the live event. On live engagement/comments, the event was rated 2nd out of 19 live-streamed events. Online, the event attracted strong engagement from key influencers, including Alok Sharna, UK, Zac Goldsmith, UK, Inger Andersen, UN Environment, IPBES, CBD. 

China-WB workshop on “Maximizing private finance for biodiversity and ecosystem services”. Over the course of the two days, the workshop was attended by 67 (of which 26 women) representatives of the Chinese Government, notably from the Ministry of Finance and the MEE, and several other CBD Parties and the Secretariat, the European Commission, the financial sector, multilateral and bilateral development agencies, NGOs and academic experts. The workshop was attended at high level with two Director Generals (from Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Ecology and Environment). On the World Bank side, the event was attended by the ENB Global Director and by the EAP Regional Director.  

It had been envisaged that the activities would contribute to inform the preparation of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and in particular the policy mainstreaming and the resource mobilization dimensions of the framework. Through the dialogue in these activities the team was able to inform the preparation of the zero draft of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. The participation of the UK at the Annual Meetings event was instrumental in engaging with that country on follow up action such as a possible collaboration with DEFRA on ecosystem policy modelling. On the finance side, the activity allowed to inform the work of the expert panel on resource mobilization for the post-2020 framework. 

PROGRAM SUMMARY

The development objective of this activity is to raise awareness among staff in ministries of finance and other sector ministries of WB client countries and among international financial sector stakeholders of the importance and opportunity of investing in biodiversity and ecosystem services sustainable management.

CHALLENGE

APPROACH

RESULTS

Event on “Invest in Nature” at IMF-WBG Annual Meetings 2019. The event was attended in person by ~200 people in the room, including ministers, international organizations and Bank leadership, and online by 575 people (of which 41.3 percent women). Most people who engaged online were 25-34 years old. Almost 18,000 people visited the event page. The event was the fourth most livestreamed event at the 2019 Annual Meetings (out of 19 livestreamed events). The event hashtag #InvestInNature reached more than 5 million Twitter users, generating 23.5 million impressions worldwide, and trending in DC area during the live event. On live engagement/comments, the event was rated 2nd out of 19 live-streamed events. Online, the event attracted strong engagement from key influencers, including Alok Sharna, UK, Zac Goldsmith, UK, Inger Andersen, UN Environment, IPBES, CBD. 

China-WB workshop on “Maximizing private finance for biodiversity and ecosystem services”. Over the course of the two days, the workshop was attended by 67 (of which 26 women) representatives of the Chinese Government, notably from the Ministry of Finance and the MEE, and several other CBD Parties and the Secretariat, the European Commission, the financial sector, multilateral and bilateral development agencies, NGOs and academic experts. The workshop was attended at high level with two Director Generals (from Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Ecology and Environment). On the World Bank side, the event was attended by the ENB Global Director and by the EAP Regional Director.  

It had been envisaged that the activities would contribute to inform the preparation of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and in particular the policy mainstreaming and the resource mobilization dimensions of the framework. Through the dialogue in these activities the team was able to inform the preparation of the zero draft of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. The participation of the UK at the Annual Meetings event was instrumental in engaging with that country on follow up action such as a possible collaboration with DEFRA on ecosystem policy modelling. On the finance side, the activity allowed to inform the work of the expert panel on resource mobilization for the post-2020 framework. 

PROGRAM SUMMARY

The development objective of this activity is to raise awareness among staff in ministries of finance and other sector ministries of WB client countries and among international financial sector stakeholders of the importance and opportunity of investing in biodiversity and ecosystem services sustainable management.

CHALLENGE

APPROACH

RESULTS

Event on “Invest in Nature” at IMF-WBG Annual Meetings 2019. The event was attended in person by ~200 people in the room, including ministers, international organizations and Bank leadership, and online by 575 people (of which 41.3 percent women). Most people who engaged online were 25-34 years old. Almost 18,000 people visited the event page. The event was the fourth most livestreamed event at the 2019 Annual Meetings (out of 19 livestreamed events). The event hashtag #InvestInNature reached more than 5 million Twitter users, generating 23.5 million impressions worldwide, and trending in DC area during the live event. On live engagement/comments, the event was rated 2nd out of 19 live-streamed events. Online, the event attracted strong engagement from key influencers, including Alok Sharna, UK, Zac Goldsmith, UK, Inger Andersen, UN Environment, IPBES, CBD. 

China-WB workshop on “Maximizing private finance for biodiversity and ecosystem services”. Over the course of the two days, the workshop was attended by 67 (of which 26 women) representatives of the Chinese Government, notably from the Ministry of Finance and the MEE, and several other CBD Parties and the Secretariat, the European Commission, the financial sector, multilateral and bilateral development agencies, NGOs and academic experts. The workshop was attended at high level with two Director Generals (from Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Ecology and Environment). On the World Bank side, the event was attended by the ENB Global Director and by the EAP Regional Director.  

It had been envisaged that the activities would contribute to inform the preparation of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and in particular the policy mainstreaming and the resource mobilization dimensions of the framework. Through the dialogue in these activities the team was able to inform the preparation of the zero draft of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. The participation of the UK at the Annual Meetings event was instrumental in engaging with that country on follow up action such as a possible collaboration with DEFRA on ecosystem policy modelling. On the finance side, the activity allowed to inform the work of the expert panel on resource mobilization for the post-2020 framework. 

PROGRAM SUMMARY

The development objective of this activity is to raise awareness among staff in ministries of finance and other sector ministries of WB client countries and among international financial sector stakeholders of the importance and opportunity of investing in biodiversity and ecosystem services sustainable management.

CHALLENGE

APPROACH

RESULTS

Event on “Invest in Nature” at IMF-WBG Annual Meetings 2019. The event was attended in person by ~200 people in the room, including ministers, international organizations and Bank leadership, and online by 575 people (of which 41.3 percent women). Most people who engaged online were 25-34 years old. Almost 18,000 people visited the event page. The event was the fourth most livestreamed event at the 2019 Annual Meetings (out of 19 livestreamed events). The event hashtag #InvestInNature reached more than 5 million Twitter users, generating 23.5 million impressions worldwide, and trending in DC area during the live event. On live engagement/comments, the event was rated 2nd out of 19 live-streamed events. Online, the event attracted strong engagement from key influencers, including Alok Sharna, UK, Zac Goldsmith, UK, Inger Andersen, UN Environment, IPBES, CBD. 

China-WB workshop on “Maximizing private finance for biodiversity and ecosystem services”. Over the course of the two days, the workshop was attended by 67 (of which 26 women) representatives of the Chinese Government, notably from the Ministry of Finance and the MEE, and several other CBD Parties and the Secretariat, the European Commission, the financial sector, multilateral and bilateral development agencies, NGOs and academic experts. The workshop was attended at high level with two Director Generals (from Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Ecology and Environment). On the World Bank side, the event was attended by the ENB Global Director and by the EAP Regional Director.  

It had been envisaged that the activities would contribute to inform the preparation of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and in particular the policy mainstreaming and the resource mobilization dimensions of the framework. Through the dialogue in these activities the team was able to inform the preparation of the zero draft of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. The participation of the UK at the Annual Meetings event was instrumental in engaging with that country on follow up action such as a possible collaboration with DEFRA on ecosystem policy modelling. On the finance side, the activity allowed to inform the work of the expert panel on resource mobilization for the post-2020 framework. 

A Country Lead Initiative (CLI) in support of the UNFF -- 2005

PROFOR sponsored an initiative led by Costa Rica  - "Innovative Financial Mechanisms: Searching for Viable Alternatives to Secure Basis for the Financial Sustainability of Forests" - in support of the 5th United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF5).

The CLI worskshop took place in San Jose, Costa Rica, from March 29 - April 1, 2005 and comprised three working days and a field trip to sites where participants learned about payments for environmental services.

A Country Lead Initiative (CLI) in support of the UNFF -- 2005

PROFOR sponsored an initiative led by Costa Rica  - "Innovative Financial Mechanisms: Searching for Viable Alternatives to Secure Basis for the Financial Sustainability of Forests" - in support of the 5th United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF5).

The CLI worskshop took place in San Jose, Costa Rica, from March 29 - April 1, 2005 and comprised three working days and a field trip to sites where participants learned about payments for environmental services.

PROGRAM SUMMARY

The objective of this activity is to provide information and guidance to World Bank operational staff, policy makers in client countries, and other donors on how to strengthen forest tenure security in practice, and as a foundation for achieving the goals of poverty reduction, sustainable forest management, social equity, conservation, and climate change mitigation/adaptation.   

CHALLENGE

Secure tenure is widely recognized as an essential foundation for achieving a range of rural economic development goals. However, forest areas in low and middle-income countries face particular challenges in strengthening the security of land and forest resource tenure. Forest peoples are often among the poorest and most politically marginalized communities in their national contexts, and their tenure systems are often based on customary, collective rights that lack formal legal protection. In addition, there is limited government presence and capacity in forest areas to support and defend local rights, as well as competing incentives from pressures for other land uses.

Despite growing recognition and attention to the importance of forest tenure security, significant gaps remain in terms of methodologies, tools and knowledge resources that would enable policy makers and World Bank operational staff to avoid negative impacts and build measures to strengthen forest tenure within relevant projects and initiatives. These gaps include (i) comprehensive analytical frameworks to help identify the key factors that need to be in place for the recognition and protection of forest tenure rights, particularly customary and collective rights, (ii) methodologies for assessing the presence or absence of these factors in particular national contexts, and (iii) knowledge resources that bring together experiences and solutions for addressing and resolving these gaps.

These are gaps that internal World Bank clients had identified as challenges they confronted primarily in the project design stages. Task teams often run into problems identifying tenure issues or the right types of tenure issues within a given context, which impacts implementation and achieving the best results possible because these issues and measures to address them were not identified at the outset. This project aims to change this scenario.

APPROACH

The project addressed these gaps by conducting the following activities:  

1. Develop an Analytical Framework for understanding and assessing forest tenure frameworks and their implementation/effective realization, with a focus on securing tenure of indigenous peoples and local communities. Recognizing the range of knowledge resources that currently exist, both within and outside the World Bank, the approach will not seek to “reinvent the wheel” but rather consolidate existing resources, adapt and tailor them to the specific contexts and issues affecting forest tenure rights, and build consensus for their widespread use.
2. Conduct assessments (gap analysis) and dialogues on the forest tenure situation in approximately three high-priority countries.
3. Develop a Sourcebook (or “solutions bank”) of best practices and related tools on ways to address obstacles and improving the development and implementation of forest tenure reforms. The Sourcebook will be designed as a living document – to be updated to accommodate new innovations, case studies and further applications of the Analytical Framework. 

The objective of these activities were to ensure that World Bank staff and external clients can accurately identify the right issues in forest tenure security and reflect these in the design of future products and interventions.

RESULTS:

The Analytical Framework (AF). The AF has been widely recognized and supported by numerous users and potential beneficiaries, both in and outside the Bank. This product has proven useful for a number of stakeholder groups including bank managers and policy makers, as well as task teams and practitioners from client countries, including from the main following sectors: forestry, biodiversity conservation, agriculture, social development, indigenous peoples, carbon financing, land administration, ecosystem services, and landscape management and restoration).  This Framework, has been recognized as a robust element, based on SDG principles, and including key fundamental elements needed to develop and strengthen tenure security actions.

Forest Tenure Assessment Tool (FTAT). This is a companion piece of the Analytical Framework, to be used as a practical instrument in the identification of opportunities and challenges associated with tenure security in a context that will directly benefit indigenous peoples and local communities leaving is some of the world’s most poor and marginalized areas. Piloted in three countries: DRC, Myanmar and Zambia.  This piloting has yielded highly valuable outcomes including: testing assessment methodologies in three contrasting national scenarios, engagements with a broad array of stakeholders at both national and regional/local levels, adjustments of original draft methodologies to respond to local/specific circumstances, development of policy recommendations and road maps, and conduct of policy dialogues.

The AF and FTAT are beginning to be used by WB staff, governments and NGOs, to better understand and strengthen community-based tenure. These instruments are responding to the particular needs identified by WB managers and technical teams, including approaches to address tenure related challenges, both at the level of national strategies and within specific projects.  They are also supporting efforts to identify and manage social and environmental risks of investment policies and programs in rural areas, in keeping with the Bank’s Environmental and Social Framework.     

PROGRAM SUMMARY

The objective of this activity is to provide information and guidance to World Bank operational staff, policy makers in client countries, and other donors on how to strengthen forest tenure security in practice, and as a foundation for achieving the goals of poverty reduction, sustainable forest management, social equity, conservation, and climate change mitigation/adaptation.   

CHALLENGE

Secure tenure is widely recognized as an essential foundation for achieving a range of rural economic development goals. However, forest areas in low and middle-income countries face particular challenges in strengthening the security of land and forest resource tenure. Forest peoples are often among the poorest and most politically marginalized communities in their national contexts, and their tenure systems are often based on customary, collective rights that lack formal legal protection. In addition, there is limited government presence and capacity in forest areas to support and defend local rights, as well as competing incentives from pressures for other land uses.

Despite growing recognition and attention to the importance of forest tenure security, significant gaps remain in terms of methodologies, tools and knowledge resources that would enable policy makers and World Bank operational staff to avoid negative impacts and build measures to strengthen forest tenure within relevant projects and initiatives. These gaps include (i) comprehensive analytical frameworks to help identify the key factors that need to be in place for the recognition and protection of forest tenure rights, particularly customary and collective rights, (ii) methodologies for assessing the presence or absence of these factors in particular national contexts, and (iii) knowledge resources that bring together experiences and solutions for addressing and resolving these gaps.

These are gaps that internal World Bank clients had identified as challenges they confronted primarily in the project design stages. Task teams often run into problems identifying tenure issues or the right types of tenure issues within a given context, which impacts implementation and achieving the best results possible because these issues and measures to address them were not identified at the outset. This project aims to change this scenario.

APPROACH

The project addressed these gaps by conducting the following activities:  

1. Develop an Analytical Framework for understanding and assessing forest tenure frameworks and their implementation/effective realization, with a focus on securing tenure of indigenous peoples and local communities. Recognizing the range of knowledge resources that currently exist, both within and outside the World Bank, the approach will not seek to “reinvent the wheel” but rather consolidate existing resources, adapt and tailor them to the specific contexts and issues affecting forest tenure rights, and build consensus for their widespread use.
2. Conduct assessments (gap analysis) and dialogues on the forest tenure situation in approximately three high-priority countries.
3. Develop a Sourcebook (or “solutions bank”) of best practices and related tools on ways to address obstacles and improving the development and implementation of forest tenure reforms. The Sourcebook will be designed as a living document – to be updated to accommodate new innovations, case studies and further applications of the Analytical Framework. 

The objective of these activities were to ensure that World Bank staff and external clients can accurately identify the right issues in forest tenure security and reflect these in the design of future products and interventions.

RESULTS:

The Analytical Framework (AF). The AF has been widely recognized and supported by numerous users and potential beneficiaries, both in and outside the Bank. This product has proven useful for a number of stakeholder groups including bank managers and policy makers, as well as task teams and practitioners from client countries, including from the main following sectors: forestry, biodiversity conservation, agriculture, social development, indigenous peoples, carbon financing, land administration, ecosystem services, and landscape management and restoration).  This Framework, has been recognized as a robust element, based on SDG principles, and including key fundamental elements needed to develop and strengthen tenure security actions.

Forest Tenure Assessment Tool (FTAT). This is a companion piece of the Analytical Framework, to be used as a practical instrument in the identification of opportunities and challenges associated with tenure security in a context that will directly benefit indigenous peoples and local communities leaving is some of the world’s most poor and marginalized areas. Piloted in three countries: DRC, Myanmar and Zambia.  This piloting has yielded highly valuable outcomes including: testing assessment methodologies in three contrasting national scenarios, engagements with a broad array of stakeholders at both national and regional/local levels, adjustments of original draft methodologies to respond to local/specific circumstances, development of policy recommendations and road maps, and conduct of policy dialogues.

The AF and FTAT are beginning to be used by WB staff, governments and NGOs, to better understand and strengthen community-based tenure. These instruments are responding to the particular needs identified by WB managers and technical teams, including approaches to address tenure related challenges, both at the level of national strategies and within specific projects.  They are also supporting efforts to identify and manage social and environmental risks of investment policies and programs in rural areas, in keeping with the Bank’s Environmental and Social Framework.     

CHALLENGE
Are land-based carbon projects good for local people?

Many rural communities are keen to embark on carbon projects as a way of generating income, jobs, and other social benefits. Offset buyers are also attracted to the idea of reducing emissions and simultaneously helping local people. Others are wary that these projects may do more harm than good. However, until recently, there was no clear methodological guidance for carbon project developers to track social and biodiversity impacts. The combination of robust standards for assessing the social performance of projects, and the use of credible methods of social impact assessment could help ensure positive outcomes for local people.

The emphasis in the early years of the carbon markets has been mainly on assuring the integrity of project emission reductions; co-benefits have received much less attention. But the balance is changing, and there are justifiable concerns that co-benefits must, like carbon, be real, ‘additional’ and, as far as possible, measurable. This is partly necessary for market confidence as offset buyers increasingly seek evidence that they are getting what they pay for, including co-benefits. On ethical or equity grounds, carbon projects must at the very least ‘do no harm’ (See related IIED conclusions on REDD+ in the miombo drylands.)  

A cost-effective and credible impact assessment toolbox would help carbon project developers meet the verification requirements of the Climate, Community & Biodiversity (CCB) Standards and contribute to building more robust, sustainable projects.

APPROACH
In response to such issues, Forest Trends has formed an alliance with three other NGOs – the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA), Rainforest Alliance, and Fauna & Flora International (FFI) – to produce a user-friendly Manual for project proponents on how to conduct cost-effective and credible social impact assessment. Support for this project comes from PROFOR, Morgan Stanley, NORAD, GEF-UNDP, and USAID-Translinks.

The manual is intended for carbon offset project designers and implementers who are not specialists in monitoring and evaluation (M&E).

The Manual was field-tested in 2010 in Brazil, Guatemala and Peru. 

RESULTS
Forest Trends released a first version of its manual in June 2010, proceeded to test it in the field (see case studies listed on this page) and solicited feedback. A second version, which integrated biodiversity concerns as well, was released in the fall of 2011 in three parts: a core guidance document and two toolkits (for social and bioversity impact assessments). 

Guidance to project developers has been provided by regional training workshops held in Peru (June 2010), Tanzania (October 2010), Kenya (August 2011 with GEF-UNDP funding) and DRC (September 2011 with USAID-Translinks funding).  This has resulted in training of approximately 80 terrestrial carbon project developers and other REDD+ stakeholders from about 10 countries.  These workshops involved hands-on training using ‘real’ REDD+ projects as case studies over a period of 3-4 days.

In Tanzania, the Tropical Forest Conservation Group (TFCG) REDD project in Lindi District has undertaken a large scale SIA exercise in 2011 following their participation in the SIA Training workshop in Zanzibar in October 2010.

FINDINGS
Experience during field testing and further training in social impact assessment shows that the benefits of using the ‘theory of change’ approach to impact assessment go well beyond the generation of a credible social monitoring plan which can meet the CCB or other multiple benefit standards. These wider benefits include: strategic project design necessary for achieving social and biodiversity objectives (clear objectives are essential for identifying monitoring indicators); participation of project stakeholders; promotion of adaptive project management; and the ease of understanding and explaining the results to a range of stakeholders.

Keys to better participation of local stakeholders include the quality of the ‘focal issue working group’ facilitators (so the latter need to be more carefully selected and trained); some prior training or exposure for community participants; the use of a ‘practice activity’ to develop good practice consultation skills; and various issues around the more effective participation of local stakeholders, especially women.

Based partly on the costs in the three case studies, the authors estimate that the cost of generating a credible social monitoring plan using their approach will be in the range $25,000-35,000 depending on various factors.