A work plan is being carried out with GIZ on the application of the Decree and lobbying at the level of all institutions so that it is incorporated into the planning of all institutions related to the agricultural sector (MAG, MINAE , SINAC, SENARA, INDER, INA, IMAS, Ministry of Labor, CNP, MIDEPLAN).
CADETI, for its part, is the national focal point for UNCCD and is the organization that will continue to partner with SGP in coordinating actions on sustainable land management, especially with regards to soil conservation and sylvopastoral practices for selected projects within the Land Degradation focal area. SGP has liaised closely with CADETI throughout GEF-5 and GEF-6 and will continue to do so, in order to scale up best practices to the new intervention areas under GEF-7, in particular the Grande de Tarcoles river basin, which has been identified in the NAP (National Action Plan on Land Degradation) as the third prioritized watershed for specific attention at a national level. It is also the coordination mechanism between the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment, it ensures participation of government entities at the regional and national levels in the planning process, as well as, in the multistakeholder partnerships.
Replication of project activities
GEF7 will look to follow up on the successful implentation of Hydrogeological studies for 8 ASADAS, following the AyA Terms of Reference, with more ASADAS being benefitted through these studies. Negotiations are currently ongoing with INDER regarding the adquisition of spring protection areas.
6 Academic Studies carried out (some still under development) with students from the UCR and UNA in diverse themes to reveal important information on the impact of soil loss and water filtration. During GEF7, CADETI will continue to coordinate studies with the universities
Planning gef grant
No
Linkages gef projects
Strengthening capacities of Rural Aqueduct Associations (ASADAS) to address climate change risks in water stressed communities of Northern Costa Rica (SCCF) UNDP, A&A, ASADAS, MINAE, MAG, Ministry of Health, IMN - #PIMS 5140 ID 6945. Experiences and work with ASADAS organizations along the various GEF phases have contributed significantly to the implementation of this project, especially in the afore-mentioned target area. Conversely, the above project has collaborated closely with SGP Costa Rica during GEF-6, jointly conducting training workshops with ASADAS in the BRB on recently developed methodologies on reducing water loss and enhancing the technical and administrative management efficiency of ASADAS. Other experiences, technical outputs and lessons learned from the above project will be taken into account in the next phase; close liaison and coordination will be maintained with the project and its partners.
Conserving biodiversity through sustainable management in production landscapes in Costa Rica - # PIMS 5842 ID 9416: This recently initiated GEF FSP?s objective is to mainstream biodiversity conservation, sustainable land management, and carbon sequestration objectives into two production landscapes: the buffer zone of the protected areas of the Amistad Pacific Conservation Area (ACLA-P) and the María Aguilar Inter-urban Biological Corridor (MAIBC). Through this strategy, the project will contribute to reducing the accelerated loss of natural habitat caused by rapid and uncontrolled land use change, primarily due to the expansion of agricultural activities in the ACLA-P and urban growth in the MAIBC. This FSP plans to implement an estimated 60 small grants projects in the ACLA-P principally with producers? associations. SGP?s experience both in small grants methodology as well as technical know-how developed (such as agricultural management best practices and landscape restoration) will be of significant value to this project. Likewise, the MAIBC is a critical landscape within the Grande de Tarcoles upper watershed which will complement SGP?s intervention in the lower Grande de Tarcoles watershed. Therefore, close liaison and coordination between both projects is key to a wider strategy generating Global Environmental Benefits. The project will span five years with a total investment of $6,699,315 USD, which is to be provided by the GEF.
Policy Influence
Through the SGP support to CADETI, four new public policies are being implemented: the Decree 40492 on the Intersectoral incorporation of the principles on Land Degradation Neutrality, the use of Morphometric based prioritization of watersheds methodology (MEDET), CORINE Land Cover (Coordination of Information on the Environment ? standardizing soil and land use maps at national level) and the regulation to create Committees on soil conservation.
Once the policy regarding the Committees on soil conservation is approved, there will be 6 committees (3 sub-committees in each river basin) organized in the two river basins with the support of CADETI in alignment with the objectives of project.
Project Results
The three watershed target landscapes (Jesus Maria, Barranca and Tarcoles, in that order) have been classified as the most degraded in the country under the NAP. This national plan is implemented on the principle that local communities play participating and implementing roles to combat land degradation and/or mitigate the effects of drought. The plan is to develop real actions at community level throughout the country. Without doubt, SGP with GEF funding has been the single most important instrument towards implementing this NAP. During GEF-5 and GEF-6 actions were directed at the most affected areas, improving soil quality, rehabilitating degraded areas, and managing soil and water resources in a sustainable way. These actions will continue under GEF-7, consolidating areas that were not attended to under the previous phases and scaling up to apply best practices to the upper slopes of the Lower Grande de Tarcoles watershed and the Paso Las Lapas Biological Corridor.
Four new public policies are being implemented:
Decree 40492 on the Intersectoral incorporation of the principles on Land Degradation Neutrality,
the use of Morphometric based prioritization of watersheds methodology (MEDET),
CORINE Land Cover (Coordination of Information on the Environment ? standardizing soil and land use maps at national level)
Regulation to create river basin Committees.
Decree formalizing the incorporation into the planning of all institutions related to the agricultural sector (MAG, MINAE , SINAC, SENARA, INDER, INA, IMAS, Ministry of Labor, CNP, MIDEPLAN) of specific resources and budget for land degradation activities.
6 academic studies relating to soil conservation techniques and results undertaken or underway
8 Hydrogeological studies in 8 ASADAS de Jesus María river basin being terminated
MAG staff provided with the means (petrol) to provide technical assistance to several farmer's beneficiary groups
CADETI web page designed
Knowledge management sharing activities (video and farmer to farmer visits)
