Second Matrouh Resource Management Project pdf-b proposal Country and Location

World bank ( IBRD Loan) : US$ 15 million

IFAD : US$ 10 million

AFSED ( Arab Fund) : US$ 10 million

GEF : US$ 5 million

Government ( GOE) : US$ 3 million

12. Background:

Agricultural development implemented in the last few decades in the North West Coast (NWC) has transformed traditional, ecologically balanced, pastoral systems to sedentary agriculture. This transformation has increased man and animal pressures on the fragile resource base and ecosystems of arid environment, creating a cycle of resource degradation and human poverty, threatening biodiversity, and accelerating environmental harms. Degradation has been exacerbated by absence of strategic planning for sustainable resource management; lack of adaptive research effectively integrated with development; and limited experience of the Bedouins in sustainable resource management.

Matrouh Resource Management Project (MRMP), 1994-2001, has been implemented to break the degradation cycle and alleviate poverty in its mandated rainfed area in the NWC. The project, co-financed by the Government of Egypt (GOE) and the World Bank (WB), is a development project with a strong research/extension base and environmental conservation dimension. MRMP, in effective participation with Bedouin communities, has developed strategies and plans, and employed holistic approaches integrating themes of sustainable resource management, agricultural production improvement, and social development. Improved technologies tested and adopted; soil, water, and biodiversity conserved and utilized in a sustainable manner; new germplasms introduced, indigenous range species collected, and adaptable exotic species brought in, multiplied, and grown on vast areas. New economic activities availed, extensive training, literacy education, and a multiple of other social development programs conducted for Bedouin men and women.

Project Area

The components of the overall MRMP II are:

1. 
   Integrated watershed management;
   
2. 
   Community-based and demand driven approaches to socioeconomic development;
   
3. 
   Biodiversity enrichment, environmental conservation, and carbon sequestration;
   
4. 
   Adaptive research and extension; and
   
5. 
   Project coordination unit, including monitoring and evaluation.
   

Major activities or implementation sub-projects have been identified, prioritized, and budgeted. The availability, conservation, and efficient use of water, soil, and biodiversity occupy particular priority in the proposed phase taking into consideration the integration between and within the activities. A particular focus has been given to crop/animal/ biodiversity interactions; and to integrating the human resource and social development with the environment and biodiversity, emphasizing the role of rural women in resource management sustainability.

• 
  Development of appropriate technologies and integrated systems for sustainable natural resource management and conservation to enhance and conserve globally significant biodiversity, and to ensure sustainable socio-economic development;
  

• 
  Quantify and monitor various aspects of carbon sequestration to establish mechanisms by which degraded lands in the arid/semi arid areas can retain productivity, and deteriorated systems are returned to sustainable productive systems that provide long-term benefits to the beneficiaries as well as contribute to the reduction of global atmospheric carbon dioxide.
  

The NWC of Egypt, known since antiquity as “Marmarica”, and characterized by homogeneous natural features in terms of climate, soils, vegetation, and land-use, has historically been very rich in natural habitats and biodiversity (plant and animal), containing a substantial part of the Egyptian flora. The area constitutes a self-contained biographic entity within the North African portion of the Mediterranean region. The NWC has significant dryland areas that have been exposed to degradation as a result of the erratic rainfall patterns and unsustainable land use systems practiced in these marginal areas. Many rare species are now seriously endangered. Natural resource degradation has been reflected in reduced biodiversity, endangered species, low carbon sequestration low renewable energy production in the region, and declined income of the Bedouins.

15.1 Plant biodiversity

Plant biodiversity includes a multitude of domesticated (indigenous or exotic) agricultural germplasms, and wild plant species. Local old varieties of some field crops and horticulture are still grown, as well as new improved ones. Some wild species and wild relatives of some crop plants are also found, such as for the genera of Hordium, Vicia, Trifolium, Medicago, Allium, Solanum, Pheonix, Vigna, Gossypium, and Brassica.

Natural flora: In a plant biodiversity study prepared by the project, 990 species of vascular plants were identified; based on field observations (some 250 species), the Students’ Flora of Egypt (Tacklom, 1974), the Flora of Egypt Checklist (Bolous, 1995), and over 145 publications. The 990 species are distributed in 444 genera and 90 families. In addition, there are 55 sub-species and 25 varieties, making the total number of epithets 1070 entities or taxons, representing almost half the flora of Egypt. A catalogue of these species with main ecological and distribution characteristics is provided in Appendix 1.

The plant biodiversity study revealed the following:

• 
  Some 90 % of the species are found within 25-km distance from the seashore while some 10 % are restricted to the desert (eremophytes);
  
• 
  Herbaceous species accounts for 84 %, shrubs for 13 %, and only 0.5 % trees;
  
• 
  Species from cultivated lands and fallow represent 45 % of the flora while wasteland species are 18 %, range plants 16 %, and those from wetland 18 %.
  
• 
  Species with any known utilization represent 43 % of the flora, while 36 % are usable for grazing, and 14 % for medicinal and herbal usage;
  
• 
  More than 58 % of the flora has no grazing value, 33 % rate as poor, 8 % as fair to good, 4 % are excellent, and 4 % toxic;
  
• 
  Some 43 % are classed weeds, 17 % are psammophytes, 14 % hygrophytes, 12 % halophytes, 4 % eremophytes and nitratiphytis, while 4 % belong to tachytherophytes (ephemerals), chasmophytes (rocks) and hydrophytes (free water).
  

• 
  Mining, quarrying, and tourist development have destroyed an ever-increasing area in the desert landscape. One extreme example is the ooletic ridge, used to extend hundreds of kilometers along the coast, totally lost to quarrying and tourist villages;
  

• Agricultural intrusions on natural habitats: clearing natural vegetations and shifting most of the biodiversity-richest areas to crop production;

• Introduction of exotic/ alien species, including genetically modified organisms could probably have caused biodiversity degradation and environmental damage;

• 
  Animal encroachment: the ever increasing overgrazing is a widespread threat to biodiversity in project area of meager winter rainfall that support a scant plant cover.
  

• 
  Excessive firewood gathering, which is estimated for project area at more than 25,000 tons of dry matter/year;
  

• Solid waste disposal: building debris, municipal wastes, and domestic wastes especially plastics are disposed off in the open, infesting desert habitat, and severely reducing the natural and wilderness values of vast areas.

• 
  Use of heavy agricultural machinery and inadequate equipment, disturbing badly the soil surface and structure and causing wind-induced erosion;
  
• 
  Unregulated use of off-road vehicles for recreation and hunting has degraded desert wildlife, disturbed topsoil, incited erosion, and long-term scarring of the landscape.
  
• 
  Ecologically unsound infrastructure development: as potential environmental harms are rarely considered in designing power lines, highways, tourist buildings, etc.
  

• Pollution is relatively non significant on landscape due to scattered settlements, low urbanization, and no use of chemicals in agriculture. It is much more occurring to the marine environment by oil spills and waste disposal of ships and tourist villages.

• 
  Climatic factors: such as the low and erratic rainfall, stormy wind, and humidity and temperature that may favor some species and disfavor others.
  

It is believed that a multitude of species has been totally vanished due to the complete damage of their natural habitat, and many other species are in danger of extinction. Although this is true for a considerable part of project area, but it applies, in particular, to the coastal zone from the seashore to some 20-30 km inland, where most of the population lives and most developments have taken place. However, more in-depth investigations based on field surveys and indigenous knowledge of the Bedouins are needed to assess degradation and threatened species more precisely, in quality and quantity.

Threatened plant species

Threatened bird species

Wildlife species of birds have been subjected to cruel, unregulated hunting for decades. Many indigenous and migrant species can be considered as endangered. Examples of such birds are the Egyptian vulture, the Egyptian black kite, eagle owl, little owl, white owl, eagles, desert lark, crested lark, Calandra lark, the black bird, and many others.

16. Reasons for Proposed GEF Assistance

MRMP components have been designed to facilitate sustainability in the NWC region. Adequately manipulated agricultural development could be the key for saving biodiversity and minimizing environmental damage. Agriculture and biodiversity are interlinked and interacted. Biodiversity in both wild and managed habitats is a vital resource for crop, fodder, and livestock improvement; and without improved agriculture, most of the remaining habitats for wildlife will be destroyed to make room for farms, plantations, and ranches. Hence, the great challenge is how to cope with this kind of development-biodiversity dilemma.

• 
  Poverty and lack of economic and employment opportunities which are reflected in increased pressures on the natural resource base;
  
• 
  Inadequate cultural practices reflected in biodiversity degradation and soil erosion;
  
• 
  Overgrazing of rangelands and lack of adequate grazing management reflected in loss of some species, deterioration of ecosystems and epidemic spread out and dominance of a few useless species such as thistles;
  

• 
  Lack of local level expertise and awareness on proper biodiversity conservation and protected areas management;
  
• 
  Illegal hunting of wildlife animals (mammals, birds, and rodents);
  

Trends indicate that the pressure on environment and biodiversity would drastically be increased in the proposed project area with future increase in population, urbanization and modernization, and tourist industry. Higher rates of cropping intensity are targeted. More of marginal lands are being brought into farming, and much more is expected in the future. More construction of tourist villages is ongoing and more is planned for the future. The inevitable consequences, unless effective measures taken, will certainly be more and more of biodiversity eradication and environmental degradation.

Expected outcome and indicators

• 
  Institutionalization of the operational models, approaches, and practices for sustainable resource development and conservation with strong community participation;
  
• 
  Substantial increases in productivity and production of crops, fodders, and livestock;
  
• 
  Effective biodiversity enhancement and environment conservation including broadening genetic diversity in crop, range, and animal production by saving threatened species, and introducing adaptable new species; and farming systems offering higher degree of long-term sustainability will be developed
  
• 
  Local scientific capacity, experience, and the capabilities of staff, resource users, and institutions will be build up and upgraded in the areas of research, development, conservation, and monitoring and evaluation of biodiversity;
  
• 
  Legal instruments and economic and social incentives that support conservation and sustainable use of natural resources will be established.
  

• 
  Vegetative cover and land use measured in changes of crop area; area or number of trees; range area reseeded; amount of carbon sequestered per unit area; and number or area of shrubs planted for range improvement and/or for soil conservation, or intercropped on barley plots.
  
• 
  Quality of vegetative cover, measured by number of indigenous plant species (range, medicinal, ornamental, etc) collected, conserved, multiplied, and area planted by these species; and, the number of exogenous adaptable species, as well.
  
• 
  Water conservation and use measured in numbers, volume, and area covered by cisterns, reservoirs, and dikes.
  

Some indicators of the impact on biodiversity conservation and environmental protection that will be emphasized are:

• 
  % Change in rate of deforestation and desertification;
  
• 
  % Change in preserved forestation areas and their ecosystem;
  
• 
  % Change in richness, population, and status of keystone and endangered species;
  
• 
  % Change in forest biomass and carbon sequestration;
  
• 
  % Change in area under effective watershed management;
  
• 
  % Adoption of national and international policies/conventions aimed at increasing environmental protection
  

• 
  Communication within and between local communities, and participation in all R&D interventions of the project, measured by number of meetings, visit exchange, and community members participants in different activities;
  
• 
  Family income (on-farm and off-farm), measured by improved farming activities, crop, fodder, and livestock productivity and income, establishment of new income-generating projects, food preparation, agro-processing, handicrafts, and creating new employment opportunities (agricultural and non-agricultural);
  
• 
  Adoption of cultural practices that protect the soil and conserve biodiversity, measured by number of suitable machinery introduced, crop rotations ;
  
• 
  Illiteracy eradication, and various indicators of improved health, nutritional, and environmental awareness, measured by number of participating men and women;
  
• 
  Use of household facilities that have positive consequences on biodiversity and the environment, such as numbers of modernized ovens, manual water pumps, and methods of home garbage and other wastes disposal, etc.
  

17. Proposed Activities

Major activities will include the following:

• 
  In-depth investigation and assessment of the biodiversity conservation measures and management including defining the problem more precisely in qualitative and quantitative terms, and identifying participatory new measures for improvement. This will be basically done through technical and socioeconomic field surveys, and auxiliary long-term monitoring;
  

• 
  Support augmenting the biodiversity and environmental dimension in current resource conservation and development programs, and implement new programs aiming at ensuring production sustainability and biodiversity conservation and enhancement;
  

• 
  Enhance activities as related to direct improvement of the vast rangeland area and biodiversity through planting perennials and annuals (local species, and exotic species of tested-proven adaptability), and improved management of rangeland grazing and other uses; implementation of the 9 sites already identified for reserving endangered species, and identify and implement new sites at different agroclimatic zones of variable ecological systems;
  

• 
  Enlarge number of species already grown in the project’s Botanical Garden so as to represent plant biodiversity in the project area, and establish new botanical gardens at different sites representing the agroclimatic diversity in project area. And, complete the already initiated program for reforestation of the 500 hectares, using the treated sewage water of Marsa Matrouh city, and identify and plant other reforestation sites.
  

• 
  Diversify income sources (agricultural and non-agricultural) through technical and financial support to establishing small income-generating projects to help reducing the pressure on the resource base. Emphasis will be given to rural women participation in managing such projects as home-gardening, medicinal and herbal plant, raising new species of poultry, beekeeping, and traditional handicrafts.
  

• 
  Support adoption of environment-friendly technologies and practices on-farm, in-house, in the open wilderness, and in the sea. Such on-farm technologies are cultural practices as organic farming, IPM, adequate cultivation equipments that conserve the soil, and appropriate handling of farm residues and wastes. For in-house, is to support providing rural women by modernized energy sources as alternatives to firewood cutting, and improved sanitary facilities. For the open wilderness and the sea is to improve and control grazing, hunting of migrated birds (especially the eagles and vultures) and other wildlife as the desert gazelles, rabbits and reptiles, and support legalized fishing practices;
  

• 
  Enhance activities as related to education, and improved awareness of nutrition, health, sanitary and living conditions, biodiversity and environment;
  
• 
  Support the involvement of relevant NGOs at the national and international levels, and the establishment of local NGOs, especially for rural women;
  
• 
  Training (in-house and overseas) and capacity building for project staff and beneficiaries on concepts and methodological approaches to sustainable resource management, biodiversity and environmental conservation and improvement.
  

IFAD : US$ 10 million

AFSED ( Arab Fund) : US$ 10 million

GEF : US$ 5 million

Government ( GOE) : US$ 3 million

TOTAL : US$ 43 million

21. Description of PDF-B Activities and Timeframe

Preparation activities for the design of the large GEF project will go in parallel with an already approved PHRD (Japanese) Grant to allow for the overall preparation of MRMPII, which will allow for the utilization of some of the expertise under the above mentioned grant to complement work done under the GEF component. The PDF-B will cover the assessments, field studies and consultations required for the formulation of a comprehensive GEF Project Brief.

1. 
   Baseline Biodiversity & Socio-economic surveys
   

2. 
   Carbon Flux Assessment
   

3. 
   Incremental Cost Analysis
   

4. 
   Stakeholder Participation & Capacity Building
   

5. 
   Formulation of Project Appraisal Document and GEF Project Brief