ESDD studies for the Preparation of funding decisions from the Legacy Landscape Fund

The Legacy Landscape Fund (LLF) is a charitable foundation whose overall goal is to finance key conservation activities, inside and in the buffer zones of legally recognized Protected Areas (PAs), in globally significant biogeographical realms and landscapes of developing countries. AAE will work with LLF, conducting Environmental and Social Due Diligence (ESDD) procedures in two landscapes that have applied for funding through the foundation.

Legacy Landscapes (LL) is how LLF refers to the world’s most important protected areas, due to their significant ecological value and recognised protected status, and their buffer zones, which are areas where economic activities should be limited to those that are consistent with the conservation values of the LL.

The AAE team will assess whether the existing environmental and social safeguard procedures for the management of the Manu-Purus landscape in Peru and the Chiribiquete landscape in Colombia are sufficiently complete and in compliance with the relevant standards in order to avoid, mitigate, manage and/or compensate any possible environmental and social risks and impacts resulting from their management. Any gaps and shortcomings as well as any resulting risks (relating to land use planning, access restrictions, and human-wildlife conflicts, among others) will be identified and an Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP) developed, comprising the proposed measures for gap closure including budget, responsibilities and timelines.

Activities include:

• Conducting a desk review of available documentation, and preparing a methodology and work plan;
• Preparation of virtual consultations and field visits, which includes stakeholder identification and analysis, and preparing a Stakeholder Engagement Plan and consultation material;
• Gathering and analysing information obtained through the virtual consultations, site visit and interim joint call;
  Carrying out a risk assessment and gap analysis, including high-level human rights risk and risk significance assessments;
• Developing an Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP) for gap closure;
• Preparing an ESDD report, outlining the findings resulting from the previous activities.

Main outputs:

• Summary report of analysis of available documentation;
• Updated ToR as appropriate and corresponding work plan and methodology;
• Risk assessment and gap analysis reports;
• Draft and final Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP) for gap closure;
• ESDD Report with Annexes.