Regional Project with participation of the Niger Basin Authority and the governments of:
Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire Guinea, Mali, Niger and Nigeria
Project Budget Number: GEFRAF/99/G41 / Summary of UNDP and Cost-Sharing (USDm) Funding
Current / Previous / Change
Project Title:Reversing Land and Water Degradation Trends in the Niger River Basin / UNDP: / 7.00
World Bank: / 6.00
GEF Focal Area and Operational Programme:
OP 9 Integrated Land & Water / Preparation Funds: / 0.55
Cost Sharing (in-kind)
GEF Co-implementing Agencies: UNDP & World Bank / NBA / 0.38
Member Countries / 1.69
Lead Executing/Managing Agency: UNOPS on behalf of the Niger Basin Authority (NBA) and the governments Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Nigeria / Subtotal / 15.62 / 0
Parallel Financing:
Project Site: Niger River Basin, Sub-Sahara West Africa / African Develp. Bank / 21.87
Govt. of France / 4.78
Duration: 5 years / Govt. of Norway / 0.16
Govt. of Netherlands / 0.59
Start Date: July 1, 2004 / UNDP/TRIB / 0.17
WB: Intl. Waters / 0.30
End Date: August 1, 2009 / Subtotal / 27.87 / 0
GRAND TOTAL / 43.49 / 0
Classification Information:
ACC/UNDP: / 041 Water Resources Planning and Development
201 Environmental Policies, Planning and Legislation
202 Environmental Assessment and Monitoring
203 Environmental Enhancement and Management
DCAS Sector and Sub-sector: / Natural Resources/Water Resources Planning
Areas of focus: / C.2.3 Environmental Resources and Food Security: Establishment of Policy, Strategy, Planning and Programme Frameworks for Sustainable Development
Type of intervention: / E.1: Capacity Building
Target beneficiaries: / D.1 Target Groups: The Poor, Political Authorities, Public Managers, Community Leaders, Population at large
D.2. Target Organizations: Regional Institutional, Governmental, Local Governmental, Civil Society including NGOs, Private Sector, Academic & Research Institutions
D.3 Target Places: Lakes and Rivers, Wetlands, Cultivated Lands, Rangelands
Brief Description
The Regional Project has a five (5) year duration and concerns the nine riparian countries of the Niger River Basin. The development objective of the Project is to realize the multiple global environmental benefits of sustainable development and integrated management of land and water resources of the Basin. Achievement of the global environmental objective will contribute to reduction and prevention of transboundary ecosystem degradation related to water resources; prevention of land degradation; protection of biological resources with global importance through cooperative sustainable management of basin ecosystems; building capacity for sound decision-making at the regional and national levels and to enable real public participation in all processes of decision-making in the Basin. The Project aims at encouraging regional integration and coordination between states, and encourages local and stakeholder participation with regard to the shared resources of the Basin. Implementation of the Project will result in a Strategic Action Programme (SAP) for the entire Basin, thus contributing to the general objective of a shared vision by the riparian countries in collaboration with various partners. With regard to the UNDP managed component, the GEF alternative has a total cost of USDseven million.
On behalf of the National Governments: / Signature / Name Title / Date
NBA / ______/ ______/ ______
On behalf of:
UNDP / ______/ ______/ ______
On behalf of:
UNOPS / ______/ ______/ ______
Acronyms and Abbreviations
ALG / Autorité du Liptako-GourmaALWMI / Africa Integrated Land and Water Management Initiative
APR / Annual Project Review
Basin / Niger River Basin
CAS / WB-Country Assistance Strategy
CEDEAO / Commission Economique des Etats de l’Afrique de l’Ouest
CILSS / Comité Inter-Etats de Lutte contre la Sécheresse au Sahel
CTA / Chief Technical Advisor
DSS / Decision Support System
ECOWAS / Economic Community of the West African States
EEC / European Economic Community
EMF / Environmental Management Framework
FAC / Fonds d’Aide et de Coopération (France)
FAO / Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
GDP / Gross Domestic Product
GEF / Global Environment Facility
GEF-SGP / GEF Small Grants Programme
GIS / Geographic Information System
HDI / Human Development Index
HYDRONIGER / Inter-State Hydrological Forecasting Centre
IA / Implementing Agency
IC / Incremental Cost as defined by the GEF
IW / International Waters
IW: LEARN / International Waters Learning Exchange and Resource Network
IWRM / Integrated Water Resources Management Plan
JALDA / Japan Agricultural Land Development Agency
LCB / Lake Chad Basin
LCBC / Lake Chad Basin Commission
LCC / Local Coordination Committees
MAR / Mean Annual Runoff
M&E / Monitoring and Evaluation
NBA / Niger Basin Authority
NBA-NFPC / NBA-National Focal Point Committees
NEAP / National Environnemental Action Plan
NEPAD / New Partnership for Africa’s Development
NGO / Non-Governmental Organization
NPCU / National Project Coordination Unit
NPT / National Project Team
NRB / Niger River Basin
NRB-PTF / Niger River Basin Project Task Force
NSC / National Steering Committee
ORSTOM / Now referred to as Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)
OP / GEF Operational Programme
OPEC / Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
PDF-A / GEF’s Project Preparation and Development Facility Block A
PDF-B / GEF’s Project Preparation and Development Facility Block B
PIP / Project Implementation Plan
PIR / Project Implementation Review
PMCU / Project Management and Coordination Unit
PPER / Project Performance and Evaluation Review
Project / Project for Reversing Land and Water Degradation Trends in the Niger River Basin
PRSP / WB-Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper
PTF / Country Project Task Forces
SAC / Scientific Advisory Committee
SADC / Southern African Development Community
SAP / Strategic Action Programme
SDAP / Sustainable Development Action Plan for the Niger River Basin
SGP / Small Grants Programme
SOGREAH / French consulting firm specializing in environment and development
SRAPDC / Sub-regional Action Plan Against Desertification
STAP / Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel of the GEF
STS / Scientific and Technical Sub-Committee
TDA / Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis
TPR / Tri-Partite Review
TRIB / UNDP’s Transboundary River Basin Initiative project
UEMOA / Unité Economique et Monétaire Ouest-Africaine
UN / United Nations
UNCCD / United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
UNDAF / United Nations Development Assistance Framework
UN-DESA / United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs
UNDP / United Nations Development Programme
UNDP-TRAC / UNDP’s Target for Resource Assignment from the Core
UNEP / United Nations Environment Programme
UNSO / United Nations Sudano-Sahelian Office
USAID / United States Agency for International Development
WB / The World Bank
WEHAB / Water, Energy, Health, Agriculture, Biodiversity
WSSD / World Summit on Sustainable Development
Table of Contents
Acronyms and Abbreviations
1.PROJECT CONTEXT
1.1 Situation Analysis
1.2Strategy
1.3Value Added by the World Bank and UNDP
2.PROJECT DESCRIPTION
3.IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS
3.1Framework for Implementation
3.2Executing Agencies
3.3Consultative Bodies
3.4Role and Responsibilities of Implementing Agencies
4.MONITORING AND EVALUATION
4.1M&E Responsibilities
4.2Reporting Requirements
4.3 Indicative M&E UNDP Work Plan and Corresponding Budget
5.Prior Obligations and Prerequisites
6.Legal Context
7. Results Framework
7.1Intended Outcome
7.2Outcome Indicators
8. Project Results Framework
9.Budget
ANNEX 1: PROJECT BRIEF
ANNEX 2: INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS
ANNEX 3:STAFF AND TERMS OF REFERENCE
Map...... 89
1.PROJECT CONTEXT
1.1 Situation Analysis
The resources of the Niger River Basin are at the center of national economic development, poverty reduction and livelihood in all nine riparian countries of the Basin. The lack of harmonized regulatory frameworks and policies at the regional level and the poor capacity of institutions at the regional and national levels, make it difficult to ensure sustainable and equitable management of the Basin’s resources. The Basin’s development potential has been also hampered by lack of information exchange between states and at the regional level. Given the complexity of managing a basin with such a diversity of stakeholders, it is vital to engage in cooperative sustainable transboundary management. The GEF alternative will assist in developing a strategic action programme for management of the land and water resources of the Basin. The Project will help significantly in reducing pressure on the Basin’s resources by ensuring sustainable utilisation. Elaboration of the Project is based on previous diagnostic activities and PDF A and PDF B interventions.
1.2Strategy
Regional and national strategies have been developed; information on these is provided in the Project Brief, Section D: Regional Strategy and National Policies (Annex 1 of the present document).
1.3Value Added by the World Bank and UNDP
Joint implementation by UNDP and the World Bank harnesses each agency’s comparative advantage for the benefit of the Basin countries. This has been the experience in other GEF international waters projects in Sub-Saharan Africa, notably in Lake Chad, and the Nile and Senegal Rivers. UNDP brings its on-the-ground presence, close partnership with governments, capacity building experience and work with community-based organizations through the GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP). The Bank brings in-depth technical analysis, convening power and access to international financial markets. In addition, both organizations have ongoing GEF international waters and other programs and projects in the region, which can assist and cooperate with this GEF Project. Their joint involvement will facilitate closer coordination with these ongoing activities, especially the broader shared vision work supported by the Bank.
2.PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The GEF Project addresses the land and water aspects of managing the Niger River Basin and focuses primarily on institutional capacity building, data management and stakeholder involvement in tackling land and water degradation. This nine-country, five-year, single-phase, USD13 million GEF-funded Project, implemented jointly by UNDP and the World Bank, will engage stakeholders at the local, national and regional levels to ensure that activities occur at the appropriate levels. Notably, the Project works extensively with the Niger Basin Authority (NBA) in order to strengthen its ability to better serve the Basin countries, and fulfill NBA’s mandate “to promote cooperation among the member countries and to ensure integrated development in all fields.” Annex 1 details the Project design. The six Project components, total costs, and Implementing Agency (IA) support for the components are summarized below:
Component 1: Institution Building (USD3.52 million, Bank managed): The component activities augment existing regional and national institutional capacity to manage and implement concurrent regional projects. Activities will focus on strengthening this capacity throughout the duration of the five-year GEF Project, to promote good management practices and good governance. At the regional level, a Project management and coordination unit (Unité de gestion et de coordination des programmes, PMCU) will be established jointly with the concurrent AfDB project to optimize human and financial resources.
- Component 2: Capacity Buildingand Public Awareness (USD1.62 million, UNDP managed): The component activities are designed to raise environmental awareness in target communities, facilitate consultations, and build capacity on issues relating to environmental management at the local, national and regional levels. The capacity building activities will synergize with the AfDB national and local-level program activities and the national and local capacity building efforts of Component 5. The component includes a public education and awareness program and focused training.
- Component 3: Data and Knowledge Management (USD1.13 million, Bank managed): To complement the ongoing work on water and environmental data collection that is being done in the Basin’s countries, the component will evaluate the status of the Basin’s hydrologic, environmental, and socioeconomic data, and identify the institutional modalities needed for data collection, sharing and dissemination for decision-makers. The component includes development of an Environmental Information System framework.
- Component 4: Regional Forum (USD0.38 million, UNDP managed): This component will facilitate the exchange of lessons and good practices from other regional projects in Sub-Saharan Africa, expand on IW:Learn, and strengthen the relationship with existing pan-African and international networks of Basin organizations, such as the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD/Sub-Regional Action Programme), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Water Sector Coordination Unit, etc. With guidance from the two implementing agencies and support from the PMCU, the NBA will organize a forum to promote and strengthen these network relationships.
- Component 5: Demonstration Pilots and Microgrant Programme. (USD5.0 million, UNDP managed): This component aims to support two paralleling efforts in all nine Basin countries. The first assists communities in tackling environmental problems, through the implementation of nine priority demonstration pilots. These will demonstrate good practices in managing land and water resources. The second level of effort will draw on lessons from the pilots, providing support for a subsequent series of community-based, microgrant-supported interventions. This component will be managed by the national Project teams with relevant support and supervision from local field-based organizations experienced in resource management activities, and will lead to immediate action on the ground.
- Component 6: TDA and SAP Preparation (USD1.35 million, Bank managed): The component activities will finalize the preliminary Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) conducted during Project preparation in the main stem countries (Benin, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria) by extending the diagnostic analysis process to the remaining four riparian countries (Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad and Côte d’Ivoire). Through, and on the basis of, this extended priority identification process, countries will prepare a Strategic Action Programme (SAP), coordinated by the NBA. The SAP will focus on the land and water issues and complement the Shared Vision’s multi-sectoral SDAP.
3.IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS
3.1Framework for Implementation
During appraisal of the Project, institutional arrangements have been shaped to reflect the ongoing restructuring in the NBA Executive Secretariat as well as its institutional capacity building at both regional and national levels. The Project’s institutional arrangements (see Annex 2) have been designed to be an integrated part of the NBA’s institutional organization adopted by the Council of the Ministers, which met in January 2004 in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Annex 3 provides a list of Project institutions and personnel, with detailed Terms of Reference for these positions.
3.2Executing Agencies
At the regional level, the PMCU will be created within the NBA’s institutional organization, under the Operations Division, which is a subdivision of the Technical Department, according to the NBA’s new arrangements as adopted in Yaoundé.
The PMCU will also be in charge of implementing the AfDB project. The two projects will share the services of experts and staff (financial expert; procurement expert; environmentalist, monitoring and evaluation expert; communication and participative approach expert; and secretary).
Through establishment within the NBA, the PMCU will enhance NBA’s capacity building and in the long term the PMCU may become fully integrated into the organization, with responsibility for execution of sustainable development projects for the entire Basin.
Atthe national level, the Project will be executed by a National Project Team (NPT), which will also execute the AfDB project in the three countries (Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger) concerned by both projects. In those countries where the AfDB project will be implemented, the NPT will be located in Ministry of Environment (AfDB has made this arrangement); elsewhere, the NPT will be located in the Ministry that houses the NBA.
The NPT will be led by a National Coordinator who will be assisted by a small grant specialist and a financial administrative assistant; it is suggested that the Coordinator be appointed from within the NBA Focal Point team, provided the individual has the required background. It has been agreed by the parties that the NPT will serve as the basis for long term development of National NBA Focal Bodies, which, following the decision of the last meeting of the Council of Ministers, is intended to replace the current NBA Focal Points. The respective governments will determine where the NPT will be housed.
At the local level, during Project preparation it was determined that Project implementation would rely on existing community groups rather than create a Project unit at this level.
3.3Consultative Bodies
Atthe regional level, the Regional Steering Committee (RSC) will have responsibility for oversight, direction and implementation of the Project. It was suggested that country member representation on the RSC be limited to two, the first person being the NC and the other designated by the respective government. UNDP has strongly recommended, however, that the second person should be the GEF Operational Focal Point of the member country, to allow for adequate coordination of Project activities with other GEF projects in the Basin. UNDP, the World Bank, AfDB and UNOPS will each be represented on the RSC.
The RSC will also act as the steering committee for the AfDB project. The RSC will be assisted by a Scientific and Technical Sub-Committee (STS) as is usual in GEF financed projects. The STS will be comprised of recognized high-level technicians and scientists. It is suggested that each member state provide the committee with one representative selected by the country.
The NBA Council of Ministers will provide guidance for issues related to the Basin, approve strategic actions by supporting the PMCU, and discuss when needed specific issues pertaining to Basin management. The members of the NBA Council of Ministers are representatives from water resources and related ministries. The NBA Council of Ministers reports to the Head of State in each country.
Atthe national level, the National Steering Committee (NSC) will be created by a NBA Minister’s decree in each participating country. The decree will specify the organization and function of the committee. The NSC will also serve as the national steering committee for the AfDB project in the countries concerned. The NSC will be located in the NBA Ministry except in the countries where the AfDB project is taking place, in which case the NSC will be hosted by the ministry of environment in line with a pre-existing agreement.