GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY

PROPOSAL FOR PROJECT DEVELOPMENT FUNDS (PDF)

BLOCK B GRANT

Program Title:Benin Coastal Zone Integrated Management Program

Country:Benin

GEF Focal Areas:Biodiversity

Operational Program:Coastal, marine, and freshwater ecosytems (#2)

Country Eligibility:CBD Ratified on 6/30/94

Implementing Agency:World Bank

National Partner:Ministry of Environment, Housing and Urban Planning

Estimated Total Program Cost:USD: 30 Million (GEF 5 Million)

PDF Block B Funds Requested: USD 350,000

PDF Co-Funding:USD 780,000 (USD 210,000 Govt; USD 570,000 Netherlands)

Block A Grant Awarded:No

Duration of Block B Activities:12 Months

Duration of Program Activities:6 years

1.- Project background

1.1. General characteristics:

Located in the Gulf of Benin, Benin coastal zone extends over 125 km from the East to the West between Togo and Nigeria and stretches over about 60 km along the Atlantic Ocean within the lands.

At geological level, the coastal zone has potentialities such as deposits of limestone, clay (for tile works), pure silica, gravel and house sand. There are some serious indications about the existence of oil fields on Allada plateau. These different deposits bear today several activities, which bring substantial incomes to inhabitants even though craftsmen carry out these activities with no rational practice for sustainable management. Apart from the fact that it concentrates nearly all industrial potentialities of the country, the coastal zone covers 3 out of the 8 Benin agro-ecological zones. This testifies its important role in national agricultural production relative to food and export production. As a matter of fact, the zone is the exclusive area where pineapple and palm oil (export product classified second just after cotton in Benin) is cultivated and exported. Great eco-touristic potentialities exist and need to be valorised rationally, especially in the coastal zone. 40,000 persons live on salt production and over 300,000 live directly on continental fish breeding.

1.2. Biological importance:

The area is eligible for GEF support based on biological significance. The coast of Benin includes important coastal ecosystems, including wetlands of international importance. This importance can be highlighted by also mentioning that the coast of Benin includes 3 "Global 200" priority ecoregions as identified by WWF: (i) Congolian coastal forests, (ii) Guinean-Congolian coastal mangroves, and (iii) Gulf of Guinea marine ecosystems. Additionally, the "Global Representative System of Marine Protected Areas" (IUCN-WB) lists Benin's coast as a priority for conservation and suggests the establishment of the following marine protected areas: "Reserve de la Biosphere du Djessin," "Wetlands of the coastal plains," and "Lake Nokoue and Porto Novo."

It is one of the few parts of the Gulf of Benin where the mangrove ecosystem, either in natural state or thanks to human activities and other varieties of vegetation, particularly palm grove and some useful forest species, not less important for human activities, can still be found. Benin coastal zone shelter a very rich and diversified fauna which includes, according to current knowledge, an endemic specie i.e. Cercopithecus erythrogaster and a population of lamantins. All are unfortunately endangered. Out of 8,700 sq.km (representing 7.7 % of the national territory area) covered by the coastal zone, 3,460 sq.km are wetlands with extraordinary ecological and economic potentialities. As a matter of fact, nearly 60 % of fish known in Africa can be found in Benin wetlands sites. The fowl fauna comprises more than 60 families including more than hundred species. Likewise, Benin wetlands are sites of reproduction for palaearctic migratory birds. This justifies the admission in January 2000 of two large Benin wetland sites on RAMSAR list. These sites represent mangrove zones as well as lagoon and coastal areas of major importance not only for people living there but also for biological diversity conservation.

-The East Complex sites (RAMSAR site n° 1017). With a total area of 91,600 ha (6° 21 – 6°57 North, 2°20 – 2°45 East), it covers the low valley of Oueme River, Porto-Novo Lagoon and Lake Nokoue. This site comprises a large and important variety of vegetation namely :

  • swampy forests made up of Mitrahyna inermis and Raphia hookeri
  • forests liable to periodic flooding, populated by Berlinia Grandiflora and Dalium Guineense
  • grasslands liable to flooding full of Paspalum vaginatum and Typha australis
  • a mangrove plantation of Rizophora racemosa and floating plants where prevail Eichornia crassipes and Pista stratiotes.

The site is rich in fish fauna with 78 species, namely Tilapia (07 species) and particularly Sarotherodon melanotheron and Tilapia guineensis. There can also be found a fowl fauna comprising 168 species (1996) within which are mostly herons, limicols, birds of prey, dendrocygns and some terns. Non fowl fauna is essentially made up of mongooses, potamocheres, seacows, Sebae and Royal pythons, land and sea tortoises, and few primates (Cercopithecus erythrogaster). Fish and agricultural production as well as pickings are dominating activities in this area. Fish production (fish, crabs and shrimps) is nearly 21,000 tons per year and contributes to the life of about 200,000 persons (professional and seasonal fishers, wholesale fishmongers, fishing nets and pirogue (canoe) makers). Agricultural production is based on river rising and falling cultivation, market garden products, cassava, sugar cane and palm trees. Picking activities, mostly carried out by women represent their source of revenue and include the picking of :

  • Typha and rush for mat making
  • Thalia which serves for biodegradable/organic food wrappings
  • Raphia hookeri which helps for the making of roof, building frame, ceilings, animal enclosures, poles and for palm wine extraction and many other economic uses.

The West Complex sites (RAMSAR site n° 1018). It covers the low valley of Couffo River, the coastal lagoon, Aho Millrace and Lake Aheme representing an area of 47,500 ha (6°16 – 6°45 North, 1°40 – 2°20 East). The flora is made up of :

  • mangroves populated by Rizophora, Racemosa and Avicennia sp.
  • swampy savannah full of Andropogon gayanus
  • grasslands of Paspalum vaginatum and Phoenix reclinata liable to flooding
  • artificial developments of Cocos nucifera, Eleais Guineensis and Acacia auriculiformis.

Fish fauna of this site is like that found in the preceding site but the number of species here is 71. Non fowl fauna is also similar to that of the above-mentioned site. However, habitats located in coastal lagoon, Aho Millrace and Couffo River low valley shelter native and migratory birds species including afro-tropical or palaeartic species. Fish production represents the main economic activity of people living in that site. Production rate is about 5000 tons per year. Fishing occupies about 10,000 persons whereas swam crabs and oysters capture helps women increase their incomes mainly drawn from production of salt and Phoenix reclinata wine. Agricultural production is mainly turned towards maize and market garden cultivation. One can also found in the site coconut trees plantations.

As far as marine biological diversity is concerned, Benin coast is frequently visited by many marine tortoises’ species. Information obtained from fishermen enable to identify green tortoise (Chelonia mydas), luth tortoise (Dermochelys coriacea), olive-coloured tortoise (Lepidochelys olivacea), loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) and overlapped tortoise (Eretmochelys imbricata). They often lay eggs on seaside.

1.3. Threats

The coastal zone shelters more than 50 % of Benin population and produces more than 70 % of gross domestic product (GDP), although it represents only 7.7 % of the total area of the country. It is therefore an area of great economic and geo-strategically importance, which is under a demographic growth pressure and a spontaneous, almost anarchical development, due to a total lack of management policy. As a matter of fact, current practices and techniques related to fishing reveal the present critical situation. Facing constant decrease of fish stocks, inhabitants developed a resource utilisation system called “Acajas” (enclosure) by which they divide rivers into small portions (comparable to kind of real estate areas) over which they deploy their authority. This brings about constant conflicting resource management, and have some proved negative impacts on rivers filling up quickly and therefore rapidly decreasing fish stocks. As a consequence and due to the human pressure competing for fish resources the fishing net meshes get reduced constantly. This leads to the loss of rivers’ overall productivity capacities. The needs for wood to build “Acajas”, houses, and for fire cause supplementary permanent pressure on the mangrove vegetation because there are no other sources of supply to satisfy those needs.

An investigation carried out within the inhabitants shows that 60 % of Benin beaches are used by tortoise to lay eggs. Unfortunately no portion of the coast has a legal or operational protection status. This makes it possible for people to pick up eggs because Benin beaches are very populated and frequently visited.

1.4. Institutional issues

The on-going decentralisation process represents an outstanding factor in environmental management practices in Benin owing mainly to advantages as well as drawbacks associated with it. The lack of population involvement in the identification, formulation and execution of development tasks, particularly concerning environmental management represents, up today, one of the reasons why many projects failed or knew very low success. This lack of involvement is due to the traditional approach of project management by relevant governmental bodies, and to the non-existence of democracy at local level because the political system was centralised. Decentralisation process, for which all necessary regulations are already set up, will correct this shortcoming. In fact, it is transferred as a whole, by law to future municipality, the responsibility to formulate and implement local development policies and programs particularly regarding land development and environmental protection in accordance with national orientations. In this respect, local elected representatives and populations have the necessary (legal) powers to manage well their local resources according to their own needs and options. Nevertheless, this regained freedom could be a worsening factor for the degradation of the natural resources and the general environment. An assessment revealed that only 3 future municipalities could get financial resources necessary to face management costs and some investment requirements. This is due to local economies structures which cannot generate subsequent tax fees while people derive their incomes from activities exclusively based on direct exploitation, and often unsustainable, of natural resources (agriculture, quarries exploitation). There is a great temptation for future locally elected representatives to follow development options based on exclusive exploitation of natural resources. For the 30 municipalities located in the coastal zone, quarries exploitation will increase coastal erosion and consequently result in :

  • biological diversity losses, especially mangroves
  • over-fishing
  • over-exploitation of farmlands and
  • anarchical land occupation and speculation.

1.5. Needs and opportunities

Studies carried out in 1996 by the CNO[1] show that fish biomes is respectively 20,000 tons for pelagic fish, 6,000 tons for dermersal ones whereas the required global production is 9,500 tons. It is necessary to work so as to keep on and increase this level of production. The same source reveals that there is a coral reef barrier at about 50 m depth but data are incomplete and do not allow an effective knowledge of this biological wealth. Generally, there is a lack of information for a deep understanding of marine biological diversity in Benin. Yet, this is required to meet the obligations deriving from the (i) “Abidjan Convention on Protection, Management and Development of Marine Environment of Central and West African Coast”, (ii) the “Convention Migratory Species Conservation”, (iii) the “RAMSAR Convention” and the “Convention on Biological Diversity”.

The possibility to involve all stakeholders to take part in this program and for holding inter-municipal discussions likely to facilitate integrated interventions remains the crucial factor for success for a sustainable coastal zone management program.

2.- Project objectives and justification

2.1.The Coastal Zone Integrated Management Program (CZIMP) is one of the major components of the Benin Environmental Management Program (PNGE) under preparation by the Ministry in charge of the Environment. The formulation of this program is an answer to the need for a better coherence in national efforts for environmental management and protection. In particular, the Program aims at implementing the NEAP, adopted by Benin, which represents a program-document for the environmental policy. Seven years after its adoption, and despite the execution of several actions (projects) which required important funds, the results obtained are not successful. This is due to the fact that interventions were not integrated in sectoral policies and brought about obvious repetitions and difficulties for evaluating their effective impacts. During half-term review of PGE[2], a national workshop adopted a Program called PNGE[3] which comprises an important component related to coastal zone integrated management. Various financial donors who expressed their agreement with such an approach validated the option. Therefore, the Coastal Zone Integrated Management Program fits into the PNGE multi-donor programmatic process. The different components of PNGE are :

  • Development of Environmental Management Tools
  • Implementation of International Conventions
  • Rational and Sustainable Waste Management
  • Support to Local Environmental Management Initiatives
  • Coastal Zone Integrated Management
  • Transport and Pollution

2.2.The main objective of the CZIMP is to contribute to a sustainable management of the coastal zone and biological diversity (of national and global interest) with the view to a sustainable development of the country through the setting up of legal, economic and technical instruments, and socio-political conditions.

Specific objectives are related to :

a)availability of a national policy for the coastal zone management

b)availability of the Coastal Zone Master Plan

c)drawing up of legal, institutional and economic incentive instruments for the compliance with the Coastal Zone Master Plan

d)setting up clear management rules for local managers and decision-makers

e)protection of biological diversity and sensible areas of the coastal zone with a special emphasis on the two RAMSAR sites and marine biological diversity

f)valorisation of information collected on the coastal zone

g)institutional co-ordination of interventions in the coastal zone is ensured.

2.3.Justification: In spite of its strategic importance for national development, there has never been a coherent and concerted development and planning program taking specifically into account the coastal zone. As a matter of fact, the development of this important socio-economic and environmental area is due, up to now, to spontaneous vitality of various actors. The consequence is that actions are carried out without regard to physical and human milieu constraints and potentialities. In this context, the increasing demographic pressure due to attraction made by Cotonou (Benin economic capital) on the remaining part of the country leads to co-relative increase of demand for all kind of resources (human habitats, food, energy, sources of income, etc.). Since the beginning of the democratisation process in 1990, progressive development of economic activities have been noted, marked by an increase in investments and a boom of some sectors such as tourism, hotel business and building. In addition, Benin coastal zone is part of “the great conurbation under construction” from Lagos (Nigeria) to Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire). This brings out an urban dynamic materialised in Benin by a very rapid but disordered growth of Cotonou. These major factors of land dynamics lead to a heavy degradation of the coastal zone where basic balances are near to be broken up. Thus, this threat is noticeable through various present counter-functioning :

-loss of productivity of different ecosystems coupled with an excessive exploitation of fish resources, loss of genetic capital as well as wetlands and biological diversity degradation

-coastal erosion and salt intrusion

-invasion of rivers by water hyacinth

-increasing land speculation and an anarchical land occupation coupled with uncontrolled landfill sites

-uncontrolled development of tourism business on the coast and sometimes on the edge of the shore

-uncontrolled urban development along the whole coastal system

-general infrastructure and equipment degradation

-occupation of zones which are unhealthy and unsuitable for living

-constant degradation of the living environment (pollution, flood, inefficient wastes management).

2.4.Complementary on-going activities

-The Project entitled “National strategy and action plan for biological diversity (Benin) and country report to the conference of parties”: Jointly financed by the UNDP and national budget, it was carried out by a Technical Committee of the DE[4] and aims at formulating a national policy for the conservation of the biological diversity, and setting up a database related to national biological resources. A first draft report on national biological diversity was made available and systematic studies of the flora are still going on throughout the country. At the end of this project phase the prepared action plan will still have to be implemented.

In this respect, the CZIMP, which major objective is a better management of the coastal environment so as to ensure a sustainable conservation of ecosystems, represents the first implementation program of the National Biodiversity Action Plan.

-The Coastal Zone Master Plan elaboration process : Supported by ABE[5] on PGE funds, co-financed by IDA and national budget, this process aims at providing elements for rational management of the coastal area with regard to all constraints, advantages and importance of this area. It is expected that at the end of the process, some consensual documents for orientation and decision making relative to coastal zone land management opposable to the administration and applicable to population will be elaborated. PGE, the current main actor concerning management of the Coastal Zone Master Plan and representing presently the sole source of financing, is expected to be extended possibly until 2001 (official closure was planned for 1999). Taking into account the process evolution, PGE will then hand over the process to the program PNGE (currently under preparation).