Guyana State of the Environment 2016 Report

09/2015-12/2015

PROJECT COORDINATOR

Diego Martino

TECHNICAL LEAD

Guido Fernandez de Velasco

TEAM

Preeya Rampersaud

Strategic Planning

Through the State of Environment (SoE) Report and Country Environment Profile (CEP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) aims at supporting strategic planning and decision making with respect to sustainable use of natural resources and monitoring. The Strategic Framework for the sector was intended to provide direction and input to the preparation of the SoE Report and CEP. The Report was part of the outcomes included in the Country Programme Action Plan (CPAP): Improved functional capacity of key natural resources and disaster risk management institutions. AAE was hired by UNDP to liaise with the Environmental Authorities to produce the SoE Report.

Main tasks

  • Hold consultations with DNRE and UNDP and other relevant stakeholders;
  • Develop an itinerary for visits to relevant stakeholders;
  • Overview of environmental setting, demographics and socio-economic context;
  • Institutional Framework, considering relevant legal, regulatory and policy aspects;
  • Mapping of key donors/stakeholders, with list of completed and on-going projects they are engaged in;
  • List of key academic (or other) publications and studies related to the environment/natural resources sector;
  • Capture and document traditional, indigenous knowledge;
  • Contact potential authors for a collaborative production of the SoE report with involvement from local actors;
  • Natural resource base (forests, water – coastal and marine – biodiversity, etc.);
  • Economic uses of natural resources using a watershed-based analytical approach;
  • Pollution and environmental health aspects related to economic uses; Climate: rainfall; seasons; exposure to extreme weather conditions;
  • Identification of key bottlenecks and challenges;
  • Issues most relevant to the sustainability of Guyana’s natural resources and the environment as highlighted by the CEP;
  • DPSIR analyses/Social-ecological resilience analyses as it relates to watershed management, resource use/livelihoods and development of productive/economic and other sectors, as well as opportunities;
  • Recommendations for current and future governance and management, including the role of the private sector.

 

Main outputs

  • First set of data on priority environmental issues that can be used in the future to develop more extensive State of Environment Reports for Guyana;
  • Basis for additional work in different areas that have been prioritized during the consultation phase;
  • Identification of the main issues that can contribute to continue improving the management of natural resources;
  • and to focus research efforts in covering identified gaps.

Others projects of potential interest

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GEF-8 CEO Endorsement Package for the project “Beyond 30×30: Securing resilience in the Eastern Tropical Pacific through enhanced transboundary cooperation”

Consultancy to prepare Ecosystem Restoration Program Document and Global Coordination CEO Endorsement Package

Design and Implementation of Behavioral Change Communication Activities for the Disaster Risk Reduction Sector

Terminal Evaluation for the “Innovative Use of a Voluntary Payment for Environmental Services Scheme to Avoid and Reduce GHG Emissions and Enhance Carbon Stocks in the Highly Threatened Dry Chaco Forest Complex in Western Paraguay

09/2022 - ONGOING

Consultancy Services for the development of a Strategic Plan for the Belize Social Investment Fund (BSIF)

Central America, Belize Jan 2023 - Aug 2023

Review and rectification of GCF results and project management data and development of GCF portfolio data catalogue

11/2022 - 05/2023

Mid Term Review of IUCN’s “Global Learning, Finance, and Partnerships Project under the Restoration Initiative (TRI)”

03/2022- 05/2022

Provision of Expert Services to the Secretariat for the Review and Assessment of the Readiness Programme Portfolio

12/2021 - 12/2022

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Indigenous peoples

Many of our projects in the different work areas include collaboration with Indigenous Peoples (IPs) or consideration of indigenous rights and interests. Our experience includes consultations, dialogues, workshops, training, all done both virtually due to the COVID situation or budget restrictions and on site. The on site experience in many cases involved communities in remote locations with complex access. In many cases the consultations, training or workshops required tailor made materials in local languages and tailor made dynamics. We have also worked as liaison between government institutions and IP communities or representatives reaching common understanding through consultations or documents. Throughout our work we have established a respectful and many times long term relationship with the IP representatives we have been involved with. Where no direct collaboration with IP communities is involved we are applying a human and indigenous rights based approach to our work. This includes to analyze, on a project by project basis, the risks a project could pose to IPs, the legal framework applicable to indigenous and vulnerable groups of actors, to identify legal gaps and develop mitigation measures that help ensure that indigenous rights and interest are fully taken on board during project implementation (see also “safeguards”).

Legal

A country’s legal framework provides key information on potential barriers to successful design and implementation of conservation activities, as well as of ways to promote an enabling environment. deep understanding of national and international legal frameworks is therefore key to ensure the sustainability and consistency of conservation projects and activities Our professional legal experts provide a thorough understanding of treaties, principles of international law, national and international legal cases, and integrate knowledge from other legal systems. They often work together with local lawyers, with the purpose of ensuring that national norms are adequately interpreted and considered. We have successfully supported national governments in designing national plans and strategies, particularly in the ambit of forest governance (REDD+) and climate change. In the development of participatory processes, we have provided legal advice to ensure that the procedures implemented are aligned with national and international legal requirements. We have provided legal advice with regards to social and environmental risks of policies and activities and the compliance with different social and environmental safeguards, including, e.g. those of the World Bank, UNDP and the Green Climate Fund (see also safeguards). We have also integrated legal perspectives when addressingWe have undertaken land tenure analysis at the national and local levels, with a view to achieving long-term success in sustainable forest management activities, as well as improved livelihoods. We have advised country governments on land and natural resources tenure, and on how to legally ensure the sustainability of implemented activities, and the well-being and respect of the rights of vulnerable actors, particularly indigenous and tribal peoples (see indigenous peoples). When required by country governments, we have supported processes of legal reform of laws and creation of institutions, providing concrete proposals on required legal adjustments. This has, for example, included the development of mechanisms for the response and resolution of complaints at the national level.

Protected areas

In an increasing number of AAE’s projects, protected areas play a role in one way or another. Protected areas are one of the main “tools” for conserving biodiversity and ecosystems around the world and play an important role in climate change mitigation and adaptation. By now, a number of different categories of protected areas are recognised, including areas largely closed off to people, but also those that are important because of existing interactions between people and nature or for their cultural values. Where AAE is involved in developing REDD+ strategies, we have assessed the potential role of a country’s protected areas under REDD+. Where a SESA or an ESIA gets conducted and an ESMP or ESMF developed, whether for REDD+ or any other conservation project, the effect of possible restrictions of access to land and resources in and around protected areas gets analyzed and mitigation measures identified to ensure that livelihoods will be at least maintained, if not improved over time. Several of AAE’s safeguards projects have a very direct link with protected areas since the application of safeguards can here be seen as a response to dealing with recurring topics of access restrictions, safety and security of local communities as well as park rangers and other human rights issues.

Gender

AAE develops initiatives and projects with a cross-cutting gender perspective through a wide range of services, such as gap analysis, design of gender-sensitive strategies, including REDD+ strategies, and Gender Action Plans and Frameworks (within Environmental and Social Safeguards Systems of different banks and institutions). This approach reflects the increasing relevance of gender mainstreaming in the international climate agenda. The use of tools and methodologies that allow for the incorporation of this approach is commonplace in all adaptation and mitigation initiatives in which AAE is involved, as well as in the design of specific actions, plans and frameworks to improve living conditions of the most vulnerable populations.

Gender mainstreaming into the project cycle is a key element for development banks and climate finance institutions. It is necessary to understand and react to the unequal consequences of climate change on women and men and to understand, recognize and have a critical eye on existing gender roles in the planning and execution of projects. Proper consideration of gender throughout the life cycle of projects not only ensures a more efficient intervention in climate change mitigation and adaptation projects, but also contributes towards gender equality. AAE works with these institutions in implementing solutions and responses from a rights-based approach that promote environmental, economic, social and developmental benefits from a gender equality perspective