Appendix A4 Mid-term Evaluation Report (February 2003) Introduction

Programming Recommendations

Reprogramming Concept

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  the basic capacity of staff and facilities has to be built at all levels, from local to national;
  
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  operational approaches for managing biodiversity resources have to be developed and successfully implemented; and
  
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  the institutions (national and provincial) for protecting biodiversity and the policies that make it a priority have to be in place and supported by the government and public.
  

The new programs will cover all three of these building blocks for sustainability. Also, we are suggesting programs that address some of the underlying problems: one program tackles the revenue generation problem of nature reserves (Yancheng), another aims to link biodiversity (and social issues) into regional economic development plans (Ruoergai) and a third focuses on raising awareness of decision-makers through monitoring and public involvement (Dongting Lakes).

1. 
   Development of Basic Nature Reserve Capacity
   

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  Staff know the role, rules and legal rights of the NR. They understand conservation of biodiversity principles and what are good and bad practices for biodiversity conservation.
  
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  Staff are able to do basic inventory/monitoring work
  
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  Staff understand the importance of and methods for working with other users of nature reserves (communication, awareness and negotiation approaches)
  
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  NR has basic equipment to fulfill its functions
  
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  NR has support from authorities to maintain essential equipment and to perform basic functions in priority areas of the reserve
  

At this point in time we think it is premature for the nature reserves to develop management plans. However, if 1 or 2 Nature Reserves are ready to do so in a year or two, this could be added to their work program at that time.

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  Ruoergai NNR
  
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  Gahai NNR
  
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  South Dongting Lake PNR
  
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  Hongue NNR (or combined training with Sanjiang NNR could be done if agreeable to all)
  
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  Yancheng NRs (or combined training with Dafung could be done if they agree to do that).
  

2. 
   Development of a Basic Biodiversity Monitoring Program for Dong Ting Lake
   

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  A monitoring program for key biodiversity indicator species/habitats in Dong Ting Lake would be designed, pilot tested, reviewed, refined and implemented.
  

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  Development of this program would involve working with volunteers/partners, raising public awareness and gaining support of County and provincial decision-makers and feeding monitoring results into the decision-making process.
  
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  If development of the monitoring program is not delayed, the monitoring program could go through two phases. Phase 1 would involve design and implementation of the basic biodiversity-monitoring program. Phase 2 would involve adding water quality, climate and other physical/chemical data to the program.
  

3. 
   Development of Awareness Raising and Local Involvement Program for Ruoergai Marsh aimed at integrating ecological/biodiversity issues into key Economic Development Plans
   

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  The aim of this program is to design and test practical approaches for integrating ecological/biodiversity considerations into the major economic development plans that will negatively impact on the biodiversity of Ruoergai Marshes (eg. water restoration, fencing/agricultural plans, Great West Development Plan and tourism development plan).
  
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  To be effective this program needs to develop practical approaches for addressing multiple and conflicting objectives and development plans. A suite of approaches will be developed, with the main focus being on awareness raising of all levels of decision-makers (County, Provincial and State) and with developing practical mitigation approaches for herders and other users of the nature reserves. The work with local people would involve identifying practical ways of changing herders’ practices to make them sustainable and supportive of biodiversity conservation.
  
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  Considerable applied research will need to be done to provide conclusive information for awareness raising of decision-makers about several ecological problems, which are poorly understood at present. These include: causes of desertification; whether over-grazing is occurring and if so its impact on biodiversity and desertification; the impact of nomadic herding, fencing, pasturing and drainage on wetland ecosystem and biodiversity. This research will need to be done before the awareness activities can begin.
  
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  Participatory research to identify the impacts on local people is suggested and it is suggested that County officials be involved in this research.
  

4. 
   Development of Awareness Raising and Technical Advisory Approaches for integrating ecological/biodiversity factors into Water Restoration Plans for Sanjiang Plains
   

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  The aim of this work is to develop practical approaches for integrating ecological/biodiversity considerations into the major water restoration plans proposed for the Sanjiang Plains.
  
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  The approaches would focus on technical advice (through expert studies/analysis) and awareness raising of provincial decision-makers (planning commission, water, agricultural reclamation and state farm bureaus) about wetland issues.
  
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  Improvement of the management capacity in HPFB would occur through its participation in the design and management of the technical assistance work.
  
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  This project should be linked to an Asian Development Bank (ADB) project²⁵, which is now in the planning stages. The ADB project involves USD 12-15 million loan for developing alternative economic livelihoods to support water restoration in 7 nature reserves in the Sanjiang plains. A $600,000 US technical assistance (TA) to design the loan is now in the bidding stage. Another GEF project is providing part of the funding for the TA; to ensure that biodiversity issues are covered during design of the loan.
  
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  Of all the programs this has the most uncertainty. If the ADB loan goes ahead and the other GEF project successfully integrates biodiversity into the ADB project, then there is no need for a program under the Wetlands project. But if the ADB loan is cancelled for some reason (as can happen), then there could be a place for the Wetlands project to provide ecological/biodiversity knowledge to the government as it embarks on reflooding lands.
  

5. 
   Development of Sustainable Environmental Education Approaches for Yancheng and Dafeng Nature Reserve
   

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  The aim of this work is to develop practical approaches for environmental education at Yancheng and Dafeng NRs that support biodiversity conservation. By this we mean an environmental education program that helps raise public awareness and provides the correct messages about the biodiversity conservation, and also that is financially viable for the nature reserves (i.e. either breaks even or makes money for the nature reserves).
  
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  This would involve advice and capacity building regarding environmental education. Depending on the scope of work, defined at the “problem identification” stage of this work, environmental education could include outreach activities with school children, farmers and local officials or public involvement in bird species monitoring as well assistance with the actual displays and program carried out in the nature centers.
  
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  This program concentrates entirely in the core area of the NR, and does not deal at all with the multiple and often incompatible uses in the very large buffer and experimental areas.
  

6. 
   Development of Provincial Capacities for Coordination of NR Implementation, Policy Development and Replication of Successful Approaches
   

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  Train and assist Nature reserves with work planning and design of their capacity development activities.
  
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  Identify and transfer the lessons learned from implementation in one nature reserve in each area to the other nature reserves in the area – thereby developing approaches for spreading the learning more widely.
  
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  Identify and expand the lessons and approaches learned from the practical programs in each province to policy or management applications in the province. For example the experience developing the Dong Ting Lake monitoring program could be expanded to assist with development of an ecosystem monitoring system for the entire Hunan province.
  

7. 
   Development of State Capacities for Policy and Guideline Development and Coordination of NR Development
   

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  State coordination of NR capacity building would focus on providing general guidance/advice to the nature reserves as they develop their activities, monitoring progress and distributing lessons learned and feeding results into any national guideline development SFA may wish to do related to NR development and management.
  
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  General policy/regulation development work would focus on the priorities and needs related to wetland biodiversity as they emerge over the course of the project. It could involve support for development of a Wetlands Action Plan, policy for nature reserves, revenue generation in nature reserves, etc.
  
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  Policy/Guideline Development work would follow from the specific programs in the four area and would involve identifying the lessons and significance for national guideline development from the work done at Dong Ting (monitoring), Ruoergai (awareness and local participation for development planning), Sanjiang (ecologicial/biodiversity technical advice for water restoration plans) and Yancheng (environmental education approaches).