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Using Knowledge to Structure PoliticsExperiences from the pilot project “Integration of Sustainable Land Management and Combating Desertification into the Planning of Development and Public Investments in Piura (Peru)”

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The authors are grateful for the support and contri-butions provided by Carlos Anibal Calderon Vargas, Guillermo Dascal, Walter Engelberg, Hannes Etter, Barbara Kunz, Nicolas Jose Mesias Rojas, Alex Moore and the NGO Naturaleza y Cultura (NCI), Cesar Mo-rales Estupiñan, Cristina Portocarrero, Mark Schauer, Katharina Sartison, Tulio Eduardo Santoyo Bustamante, Silke Spohn.

In this context we would like to give special thanks to the partner organizations and their representatives: Abner Acuña Alberca, Dante Aleman de Lama, Abra-ham Díaz Santibañez, Sonia Gonzales, Mario Mancini, Juan Otivo Meza.

Finally we also would like to give special thanks to our colleagues from the Programme for Sustainable Rural Development (PDRS) in Peru for the constructive and rewarding cooperation. The documents prepared and experiences made on-site with numerous play-ers within the scope of this collaboration formed the central basis of this publication.

Acknowledgment

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Germany is home to the seat of the UNCCD Secre-tariat in Bonn and is committed in a special way to maintaining or rehabilitating soils all over the world. The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is the UNCCD Focal Point in Germany and it has commissioned the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH to conduct the sector project Desertification Prevention (CCD project). One of the main goals of the CCD project is to test and propagate approaches which permanently anchor sustainable land management and desertification prevention in an implementation relevant manner in the affected countries.

But how can decision makers be convinced that invest-ments in sustainable land management are worth-while? What financing options are available? How can the interactions between climate change, loss of biodi-versity and land degradation be taken into account in development and public budget planning?

To find answers to these questions, the pilot project “Integration of Sustainable Land Management and Combating Desertification into the Planning of Devel-opment and Public Investments in Piura (Peru)” was implemented. It marks out new strategic approaches that show how the subject of sustainable land man-agement can arouse political interest and result in concrete implementation.

We hope that other countries can make use of the ex-periences and innovative approaches from Piura which we have bundled together in this document.

Vera ScholzHead of Department

Environment and Climate

The global community is facing a growing challenge: the yield potential of soils must be maintained and degraded soils rehabilitated all over the world. Soils are the living space for humans, animals and plants and form the basis of all terrestrial ecosystems and what they produce. They contribute towards the regulation of metabolic cycles and the regeneration of groundwater, and they store carbon or release it into the atmosphere, thus influencing climate. They are one of the foundations of economic development, espe-cially agricultural activities, and they serve global food security.

Every year, however, roughly six million hectares of soil still lose fertility, an area that equates to roughly half of the arable land in Germany. In dry areas in particu-lar, land degradation (desertification) is one of the main obstacles to development. More than a third of the world’s population lives in dry areas, at least 90% of that number in developing countries. The dry areas endangered by desertification make up roughly 35% of the global land area. In particular the poor, rural population is threatened in its very existence by the consequences of desertification.

By signing the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in 1996, 195 countries and the EU committed themselves to better policies and more investment in desertification prevention and sus-tainable land management. In the affected countries, however, these obligations have only been implement-ed to an insufficient extent up to now. The economic and social costs of land degradation are not widely known and they affect the particularly vulnerable population groups first. The connections between land degradation, climate change and a loss of biodiversity are hardly given any consideration in national develop-ment planning decisions and investments.

Foreword

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Using Knowledge to Structure Politics

List of Contents

1. Introduction 8

2. Mobilising people for sustainable land management 11

2.1 The strategy of the pilot project 11

2.2 Special components of the strategy 13

2.3 Effects, from local experience to regional and national policy 13

2.4 Learning experiences 14

3. Sustainable land management pays off 15

3.1 Economic evaluation of the losses caused by desertification and land degradation 15

3.2 Participation in the collection and validation of information 16

3.3 Achieve political effects 16


4. Exploit the value from concrete examples of sustainable land management 18

4.1 Ensure the natural regeneration of the dry forest 19

4.2 Prepare a joint plan of action for the protection of the cloud forest 19

4.3 Use utility water for reforestation 20

4.4 Monitor the biodiversity of a protection area 20


5. Allow live experiences to flow into formal structures and processes 22

5.1 Take influence on public budget and development planning 23

5.2 Use the synergies between the conventions 25

5.3 Secure financing 28


6. Final Observations 31

6.1 Observations from the perspective of relevance 31

6.2 Observations from the point of view of sustainability 32

6.3 Food for thought for the future 34

7. Bibliography 35

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List of Boxes and Figures

Boxes

Box 1: Land degradation in numbers 8

Box 2: The terms land degradation, soil degradation and desertification 9

Box 3: The three United Nations Rio conventions 10

Box 4: ELD and TEEB initiative 16

Box 5: Sustainable land management projects in the community of Samanga 27

Figures

Figure 1: Strategic approaches and effects chain of the pilot project 12

Figure 2: Local involvement processes in Peru 23

Figure 3: PIPs with focus on SLM/CD in the Piura region from 2007-2013 25

Figure 4: Connections and feedback loops between desertification, climate change and loss of biodiversity 26

Figure 5: NLM on a territorial level as the interface of the three conventions 27

Figure 6: Sketch of current land use in Samanga 29

Maps

Map 1: Degradation and decline of net primary production in Piura 17

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ADS Asociación para el Desarrollo Sostenido (Association for Sustainable Development, local NGO)

APECOINCA Asociación Peruana Ecologista y de Interés Conservacionista en América (Peruvian Ecological Associ-ation for Environmental Conservation in America, local NGO)

ASIDH Asociación para la Investigación y el Desarrollo Humano (Association for Research and Human Development, local NGO)

CAR Comisión Ambiental Regional (Regional Environmental Committee)

CBD Convention on Biological Diversity

CDP-LCDS Comisión Departamental Piura de Lucha Contra la Desertificación y la Sequía (Regional Committee of Piura for Combating Desertification and Drought)

CEPAL Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (Economic Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean)

DRAP Dirección Regional de Agricultura de Piura (Regional Directorate for Agriculture)

ELD Economics of Land Degradation (International initiative for the economic evaluation of SLM and land degradation)

ERCC Estrategia Regional de Cambio Climático (Regiona Climate Strategy)

ERDB Estrategia Regional de Diversidad Biológica (Regional Biodiversity Strategy)

GEF Global Environment Facility

GTRDDF Grupo Técnico Regional de Deforestación y Degradación Forestal (Regional Technical Work Group on Deforestation and Forest Degradation)

IADB Inter-American Development Bank

INEI Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática (National Institute for Statistics and Information Technology)

MDGs Millennium Development Goals

NCI Naturaleza y Cultura (Nature and Culture, regional NGO)

NGO Non-Government Organisation

List of Abbreviations

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List of Abbreviations

SLM/CD Sustainable Land Management/Combating Desertification

PAR LCDS Plan de Acción Regional de Lucha contra la Desertificación y Sequía (Regional Action Plan to Combat Desertification and Drought)

PDRS Programa de Desarrollo Rural Sostenible (GIZ Programme for Sustainable Rural Development

PIPs Proyectos de Inversión Pública (Public Investment Projects, abbreviation used for all phases: project outline, project proposal, projects approved, in progress and completed)

PRDF Plan Regional de Desarrollo Forestal (Regional Forest Development Plan)

REDD Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation

SNIP Sistema Nacional de Inversión Pública (National System for Public Investment)

TEEB The Economics of Ecosystems & Biodiversity (International research project on the economic as-sessment of biodiversity and ecosystem services)

UNCCD United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

UNCED United Nations Conference on Environment and Development

UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

UN United Nations

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1. Introduction

South America is the continent which contains one of the most important “green lungs” on the planet – the Amazon rainforest. The region contains a quarter of the world’s areas classified as drylands. Peru takes third place here after Argentina (1) and Brazil (2) among the countries of South America1 . 40% of the country is designated as arid, semi-arid or dry sub-humid. 90% of the Peruvian population lives in these drylands where the majority of agricultural and livestock farming activities are concentrated along with the raw materials industry. As a result of this, a third of the area of Peru is already affected by desertification processes2 (see Box 1)

In particular the Piura region on the northern coast of Peru is showing signs of far advanced processes of desertification. In addition to unfavourable natural conditions such as high variability of precipitation and frequent forest fires, the main causes are above all attributable to human activity: unregulated log-ging, overgrazing, irrigation-intensive cultures with insufficient drainage, as well as inappropriate and non-sustainable management of natural resources3. The consequences of this are deforestation, soil erosion, loss of biodiversity and salinisation of soils. The regional government of Piura is facing up to this great challenge. The alarmingly fast depletion of natural resources in the region was recognised as long ago as the 1980s when the first measures were taken. As a result of the Rio process within the scope of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) and after ratification

1 According to the 4th National Report on the State of Desertification in Peru (Ministerio del Ambiente del Perú, 2011: 12).

2 See GIZ (2013a: 4).

3 Including a lack of consideration and control of existing regulations on the extraction of raw materials (Fernandez, Santa Cruz 2010: 21).

of the three large Rio conventions4 by the Peruvian government, a regional office to combat desertifica-tion was set up in Piura in the 1990s. Other steps followed, such as the strengthening of these new structures (2005), the exchange of ideas and experi-ences with other regions in northern Peru (2006), the preparation of a regional plan of action to combat desertification5 (2007) and the establishment of a regional government committee to combat deser-

4 United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

5 Plan de Acción Departamental Lucha contra la Desertificación y Mitigación de los Efectos de la Sequía (LCDS). GIZ (2013: 12).

Peru:

Drylands: 514,086 km² (40% of the area of the country)

Degraded or degrading areas:

Degraded area (km²)

Percentage of total country area (%)

7.178 26

Piura district:

Drylands: 30,507 km² (85% of the district area).

Degraded areas:

Degraded area (km²)

Percentage of district area (%)

7.178 20

Sources: UNEP 1997; Zika & Erb 2009; GIZ (2013a: 5); Morales et al. (2013: 14, 19).

Box 1: Land degradation in numbers

Introduction

Water must often be brought in from far away (dry forest in Morropón, Piura).

Soil is the vitalised top crust of the earth in areas not under water, i.e. the layer of the earth’s surface between the bedrock and the atmosphere including the underground parts of vegetation (e.g. roots) (G. W. J. van Lynden: Soil Degradation in Central and Eastern Europe. 2000), adapted). Together with the overground vegetation and other parts of the vitalised environment and the ecological and hydrological processes that take place between these elements, soil forms a terrestrial (bio)-productive system known as land (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, UNCCD, 1994).

Soil degradation is the name given to processes which – often accelerated by human activity – lead to deterioration of the soil’s properties and functions (and thereby fertility) or to its destruction, e.g. through compactation, erosion and salinisation (European Commission – Joint Research Centre 2011).

Land degradation is the diminishing ability of land to fulfil ecosystem functions and services which serve society and development (e.g. food production) (FAO, 2007). Land degradation comprises the degradation of soils, natural lands-capes and vegetation (Houghton and Charman, 1986).

Desertification is the name given to land degradation in arid, semiarid and dry subhumid regions (UNCCD, 1994).

This text refers mainly to land degradation.

Box 2: The terms soil degradation, land degradation and desertification

Soil degradation Land degradation Desertification

(in arid, semiarid and dry subhumid regions)

Land degradation

(in all regions)

Systematic presentation of relations between land and soil degradation

Systematic presentation of the relation between desertification and land degradation

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tification6 . The positioning of this committee and its inclusion in the regional environment commis-sion that was founded in 2010 indicate the political significance attached to the topic of desertification. The Piura region can therefore most certainly be regarded as a pioneer where the institutionalisation and planning of measures to combat desertification is concerned.

Despite this important progress and the efforts of the regional government, by 2010 Piura had still not managed to implement all three Rio conventions and the challenges and goals that come with them in a coherent manner with use of synergy effects, thus giving the regional bodies in Piura clear orientation.

The Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, which has been operating in Peru since 1975, supports the regional government of Piura in the formulation of strategies and preparation of plans of action relating to the three conventions on a regional level. In 2010, the regional government formulated its requirements for support in imple-menting the three Rio conventions on a regional and

6 Comisión Departamental Piura de Lucha contra la Desertificación y Sequía (CDP-LCDS). GIZ (2013: 12).

local level under consideration of synergy effects between the conventions. In this way, the idea for the pilot project “Integration of Sustainable Land Management and Combating Desertification (SLM/CD) in development and public budget planning in Piura (Peru)“ was born. This project was carried out between 2011 and 2013 via the GIZ programme “Sus-tainable Rural Development” (PDRS-GIZ) in Piura with the support of the sector projects “Combating Desertification“ and “Implementation of the Biodi-versity Convention” on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Develop-ment (BMZ).

The goal of the pilot project was to develop innova-tive approaches for the implementation of the deser-tification convention, try them out in actual practice and evaluate them. The learning experiences are to be expanded beyond the pilot project and made available to other GIZ cooperation countries. This document constitutes a systematic processing of the learning experiences on the basis of existing stud-ies, presentations and discussions with cooperation partners.

Desertification, climate change and the loss of biodeversity were identified as the biggest challenges to sustainable development at the global summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Three conventions were established in the years that followed:

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has the goal of stop-ping the processes of desertification and soil degradation and lessening the consequences of drought in the affetced regions.

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) aims to protect and sustainably utilise the biological diversity and distribute the profits made from the utilisation of genetic resources in a fair and just manner.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) aims to sta-bilise the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at a certain level so that ecosystems and humans can adapt to climate changes.

The three so-called Rio conventions form an integral cornerstone for sustainable develop-ment and help to reduce poverty.

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2. Mobilising people for sustainable land management

The strategic alignment of the pilot project

Key elements of the pilot project strategy were

n Inclusion of stakeholders on different levels on a broad basis

n Consistent utilisation and further development of local processes and approaches

n Clear alignment to learning

n Development of innovations.

The following chapters outline several elements of the strategy and their expected effects.

2.1 The strategy of the pilot project

Joint learning and the continuous development of competences in the field of sustainable land man-agement and combating desertificationSLM/CD) were at the heart of the strategy (Figure 1). To this end, a big group of stakeholders started off by collecting relevant information in the form of selected studies. Within the scope of what were called “mini-projects”, measures for SLM/CD were developed, implemented, accompanied, analysed and evaluated by local NGOs together with local communities with the support of the regional gov-ernment and GIZ. The entire participative process is geared towards learning by doing, by means of which all stakeholders involved gain a significant amount of knowledge through joint research, reflection and validation. Innovations are created by trying out new methodical approaches for SLM/CD and applying them in pilot projects (see Figure 1, Effect Level 1).

Land degradation is an important topic for everyone: meeting of the local population with representatives of the regional government of Piura, NGOs and scientific institutions, Piura 2013.

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According to the effects hypothesis, the new skills and knowledge are to be used to influence political processes on a local, regional and national level and align them towards sustainable land management. The main focus here was on public budgeting and the regional development planning of communi-ties and regional governments in particular. The cooperation of the stakeholders resulted among other things in the development of a synergy plan which was applied in the form of a pilot synergy project. Both of them take into account the issues of

the three Rio conventions in an integrative manner and capture the value of the interactions between the three Rio conventions. The results and learning experiences of the project are also intended to reach national level (upscaling) and serve as orientation for the formulation of programmes, politics and inter-ventions (see Figure 1, Effect Level 2).

The consideration of sustainable land management and combating desertification in local, regional and national budget and development planning in

Figure 1: Strategic approaches and effects chain of the pilot project (simplified presentation)

Strategic Approaches:

Effect Level 1

Effect Level 2

Capacity development /

Sustainable land management /

Combating Desertification

Learning & Innovation

Collection of strategic

information

Practicalexperiences

Room for exchange and

validation

Synergy planSynergy project

B r o a d P a r t i c i p a t i o n

Upscaling

Red u c t i o n o f d e s e r t i f i c a t i o n a n d l a n d d e g r a d a t i on

Integration in Budget plan/

Development plan

Effect Level 3

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Mobilising people for sustainable land management

the form of concrete projects and programmes is intended to reduce land degradation in Piura and throughout the country (see Figure 1, Effect Level 3).

2.2 Specific components of the strategy

Wide involvement of stakeholders on regional and local level

Participation is the fundamental principle of the pilot project and is reflected throughout the entire process. Right from the beginning, the project has picked up where there was concrete demand, thus strengthening the ownership of the decision maker, the regional government of Piura. Public and private stakeholders were included in activities on a local, regional and national level, depending on the topic7 . The embedding of the project in the GIZ programme “Rural Development” was of great advantage here, as was the GIZ’s long years of experience in the region where establishing contacts was concerned.

Collection of strategic information

The pilot project made specific, scientifically verifi-able and sound information available which is of interest to decision makers from politics, trade and industry. This information draws the attention of politicians to sustainable land management (see Chap. 3).

Creation of space for the exchange and validation of information

In their various phases, the studies and mini-projects conducted within the project simultaneously offered space for exchange, coordination and the organisa-tion of coordination among the participating stake-holders. The local knowledge of the population was also included and utilised here.

To implement the pilot project, a steering structure was developed which strengthened the ownership

7 The following groups participate: civil society and municipalities on a local level where the validation of study results or the planning and execution of pilot experiences is concerned; the responsible regional government committees, NGOs, universities and vocational colleges on a regional level – the former during the entire implementation phase, the latter in particular during the planning and execution of the studies; the Environment Ministry, NGOs, GIZ, CEPAL, Global Mechanism on a national and international level for coordination and to ensure upscaling.

of the stakeholders on site. On a regional level, a supervisory committee (Comité ejecutivo) under the overall control of the regional government of Piura was set up with responsibility for the achiev-ing of objectives and quality of the information. On a national level, the Environment Ministry chaired the monitoring committee (Comité de Monitoreo), which was responsible for coordination between the various political levels and sectors, as well as the monitoring and supervision of the process. Regular meetings of the committees helped to promote the coordination and cooperation of everyone involved.

Practical experiences through mini-projects on a local level

On the basis of the newly acquired information and with inclusion of the experiences of the local population, practical experience of sustainable land management and combating desertification was generated in the form of mini-projects and subse-quently systemised. Best practices of sustainable land management were then published and made available to other regions (see Chap. 4).

2.3 Effects, from local experience to regional and national policy

Influence politics

One way of allowing the topic of Sustainable Land Management to flow into public budget planning is to apply for projects which are financed with public funds provided by the national and regional govern-ments and the communities (Proyectos de Inversión Pública, PIPs). NGOs helped the communities to formulate the projects, picking up from and repeat-ing the experiences made in mini-projects (see Chap. 5.1).

Create synergies

The national government is planning to prepare separate strategies and plans of action on a regional level for each of the three Rio conventions. In most cases, however, these are only reflected to a very small extent in development and budget planning, if at all, and the resources available for implementa-tion are very limited. For this reason, in the case of Piura the stakeholders decided to develop a com-mon synergy plan (Plan de Acción Conjunta), which

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combines the issues and requirements of the three conventions. Based on this synergy plan, a measure with which the concerns of the three Rio conven-tions are given joint consideration was implemented in the form of a communal land development plan in the community of Samanga in an exemplary manner (see Chap. 5.2).

Upscaling

From the outset there were plans to systemise the experiences made in the pilot project and publish studies and practices of sustainable land manage-ment. The results and learning experiences were

presented to the steering committees (supervisory and monitoring committees) and discussed inten-sively. This procedure also made it possible to reach the national and international level with concrete information and learning experiences.

The expertise of the regional government of Piura is being recognised and requested to an ever increas-ing extent. It supports the national government in the formulation of the national strategy to combat desertification and it presents itself as a pioneer region on the subject of combating desertification at international conferences in Germany and Namibia, for example.

2.4 Learning experiences

Participation remains the basic principle. The involvement of the stakeholders in all processes right from the start – from the collection of infor-mation to the conducting of pilot measures – was an essential factor in the success of the project. In this way, the term “participation”, which is often used as a catchword, lost none of its meaning: used consistently, participation is the basis for motivation, ownership and sustainability.

Processes need time and accompaniment. Because processes are open and unforeseeable, their continu-ous accompaniment is all the more important. The project ensured this by establishing a control struc-ture on site following the principle of subsidiarity which leaves responsibility at the lowest possible level, thus boosting self-responsibility.

Alignment fills sails with wind. The alignment of intervention to the project and the strategies that were already in place to combat desertification on a regional and national level proved to be successful. In this way, it was possible to use and strengthen the momentum that had already been built up.

Multi-level approach convinces. Immediate meas-ures in the form of mini-projects which are easy to implement without investing huge funds and a lot of materials go well with the influencing of politics and institutions in the medium term. Successful examples speed up the decision-making process on a political-institutional level.

Learning by doing works. Individual learning is best promoted by taking action and then reflecting on what has been done. The interactions of the various stakeholders during the collection and validation of information and the conducting and evaluation of mini-projects gave impetus to learning processes and considerably enhanced the skills and knowledge of the participants with regard to SLM/CD.

“Thanks to the information that was generated by the project, we can reach the stakeholders with a technical-political language and use numbers to

underscore the economic value that the protection of the ecosystems has for the region”.

Cristina Portocarrero, Head of the Environment Department,

Regional Government of Piura

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3. Sustainable land management pays off

3.1 Measuring economic losses caused by desertification and land degradation

In light of the worldwide increase in degraded areas of land and the consequences in the form of food and income insecurity, particularly for poor peo-ple, approaches are necessary which provide deci-sion makers from politics, business and industry with better information and arguments for a more sustainable management of natural resources. The economic evaluation of ecosystem services8 and

8 The direct and indirect contributions made by ecosystems to human wellbeing are known as ecosystem performances. They comprise performances such as the regulation of the hydrologic balance, the retention of soil fertility, the supply of genetic material and the pro-vision of scenic beauty for relaxation and tourism. The recording and evaluation of these performances make it clear how strongly humans and their economic activities depend on intact ecosystems. (GIZ, 2011b: 8-14).

quantification of the costs resulting from land degra-dation and loss of biodiversity as well as the benefits of sustainable management are methods which can be used specifically to improve political decision-making. The economic costs of land degradation throughout the world (annual gross income losses) are estimated to be US$ 2,690 million (Dregne & Chou 1992).

Within the scope of the pilot project, a study to measure and evaluate ecosystem services (TEEB study) and a study to assess the economic costs of land degradation and desertification (ELD study) were prepared in the Piura region (see Box 3). The ELD study shows that the costs of land degrada-tion and desertification amount to 13%-15% of the agricultural gross domestic product (GDP) (Morales et al. 2013: 78) and impressively emphasises the eco-

Salinated soils in La Union, Piura.

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nomic relevance of maintaining the natural basis for agriculture. According to the TEEB study, economic activities supported by the ecosystem services con-tribute up to 20% of the gross domestic product of Piura (GIZ 2011b: 44).

3.2 Participation in the collection and validation of information

The cooperation between scientists, NGOs, regional government, community workers and local popula-tion of the study areas stood at the forefront of the process of collecting information. More than 70 institutions and basis organisations took part in the TEEB study, and roughly 30 in the ELD study. Local knowledge was integrated to supplement the infor-mation collected in the surveys.

A regular exchange of information, ideas and experiences ensured that all stakeholders expand their knowledge and skills relating to the economic dimension of sustainable land management.

3.3 Achieve political effects

The results of the studies are taken into account in budget planning. In this way, projects such as schemes for the natural restauration of dry forests and for reforestation are approved and executed. Co-operation between various departments of regional government has improved. The economic valuation of land degradation and biodiversity loss has proven to be a valuable foundation for better political decision making which can provide orientation for sustainability in public spending.

El Carmen de la Frontera: deforested and severely degraded mountainsides in Piura.

Box 4: ELD and TEEB initiative

“Without the wide participation of the stakeholders and without their collaboration, it would not have been possible to prepare the

studies”.

(Cesar Morales, CEPAL, 2013)

The Economics of Land Degradation (ELD) is an international Initiative which develops metho-dologies to evaluatethe economic costs of land degradation and benefits of sustainable land ma-nagement to inform political decision makers and general public and promote the importance of land degradation und sustainable land management.

More information: http://eld-initiative.org/

The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) is an international initiative which draws attention to the economic benefits of biological diversity, measures the costs of biodiversity losses and deterioration of ecosystems and brings to-gether expertise from science, economics and poli-tics in order to consolidate measures which ensure ecosystem performances for future generations.

More information: http://www.teebweb.org/

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Sustainable land management pays off


Scientific and local knowledge complement each other. Collecting basic information on a new topic requires the knowledge and experience of the local population. Broad participation in the survey and the validation and evaluation of information raises the awareness, promotes the exchange of ideas and experiences, continuously increases the level of knowledge of all involved and provides motivation for definite sustainable land management projects.

Facts convince politicians. People under time constraints need short and concise, graphically vivid and convincing facts and figures. Economic evalu-ations of the losses caused by land degradation and biodiversity loss can provide orientation to decision makers.

Positive messages tend to promote action. Com-munication psychology shows that people can only take in negative information to a limited extent and that it tends to lead more to resignation than to concrete action. This fact is reflected in the strategy of the ELD initiative where not only the costs of land degradation but also the benefits of SLM are economically assessed. Focus is to be placed on the positive message here in future. For this reason, this information is being collected and supplemented in a second part of the ELD study of Piura.

Process and distribute information specifically to each target group. To make information useful to wider sections of society too, it should be presented specifically for each target group. It is important here to select the relevant information and tailor it to the reality of the group of people it is intended for. The choice of media – from information sheets to the radio – also decides on the level of attention that is paid to the topic.

Recognise the limits of the evaluation of ecosystem service. The recording and evaluation of ecosys-tem services serves primarily to communicate and sensitise politics, trade and industry to sustainable land management. This instrument has its limits which have to be recognised. With the help of the methods it uses, a price can only be calculated for a part of the ecosystem service, whereas the value of biodiversity and ecosystem services is infinitely high. If it is embedded in environmental communica-tion and education, an integrated observation of the economic aspects and intrinsic values of ecosystems is possible.

Degradierung und Rückgang der Nettoprimär-produktion (NPP = von Pflanzen durch Photosynthese gewonnene Biomasse) in Piura

Degradierungs-niveau

niedrig

mittel

hoch

Entwicklung NPP zw. 1985-9 i. Vgl. zu 2005-9

+++

+

0

-

--

---

Erstellt von Morales et al. basierend auf Daten des World Atlas of Desertification, des Joint Research Centers und der Desertifikationskarte der Regionalregierung Piura

Map 1: Degradation and decline of net primary pro-duction (NPP = of biomass produced by plants through photosynthesis) in Piura

“The ELD study contributes to sound decision making. The task now is to position the

topic and adapt budget policy”.

(Cristina Portocarrero, Head of the Environment Department, Regional Government, 2013)

Prepared by Morales et al. based on data from the World Atlas of Desertification, the Joint Research Centre and the desertification map of the regional government of Piura

Sour

ce: M

oral

es e

t al.

, 201

3

Development of NPP 1985-89 compared to 2005-9

Degradation level

low

medium

high

4. Exploit the value from concrete examples of sustainable land management

Learning comes above all from doing and the subse-quent reflection on the results of what was done. In the form of four “mini-projects”, examples of SLM/CD were established which were jointly developed, implemented, accompanied, analysed and evaluated by local NGOs and local communities with the sup-port of the regional government and GIZ. In coop-eration with the NGOs, local governments proposed the projects and then carried them out together with the local population. Around 2,000 people were involved in the mini-projects, a large proportion of whom (40%) were women with small children. Due to the temporary migration of the men to find work,

women play an important role as decision makers in the utilisation of natural resources. While the men earn a living away from home, the women care for the livestock, produce arts and crafts from materials provided by the dry forests and prepare the food9.

9 The number of female heads of household has risen sharply in Piura in recent years. Especially in rural regions affected by land degrada-tion, labour migration by the men is increasing with the result that the women are deciding more and more on the utilisation of natural resources (Morales et al. 2013: 31ff).

Typical dry forest in Morropón province in the Piura region, Peru


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19

Exploit the value from concrete examples of sustainable land management

4.1 Ensure the natural regeneration of the dry forest

The dry forest in the Chulupanes district of Mor-ropón province is the main source of income for the families of the community José Ignacio Távara Pasapera: it provides food for the sheep and goats, it is the habitat of bees and it produces firewood and feed. The diminishing regeneration of the dry forest due to overgrazing is proving to be a prob-lem. If the dry forest doesn’t regenerate, the people lose their basic means of survival.

150 families participated in the project and identi-fied algarrobo (Prosopis pallida) and zapote (Cap-paris scabrida) as particularly important indigenous tree species. On a demonstration area of 10 hec-tares, young trees of these species were fenced in with natural materials from the region with the help of the NGO NRO Asociación para el Desarrollo Sostenido (ADS) and protected against browsing. By doing so, the trees reach their climax vegetative status and ensure natural regeneration.

This model proved to be practical, economical and easily repeatable. It was possible for 200 young trees to regenerate on a severely degraded area with a tree density of less than 1%. Projected over 10 years under the proviso that an El Niño phenomenon10 occurs, the tree density will increase to at least 30% and the forest will be returned to a productive state. The prerequisites for expanding the model to other regions are favourable, because the families that participated are sensitised and pass on their knowledge. The regional government is adopting the model and applying it in a combined technique consisting of fire protection swaths and natural regeneration to protect against fire and browsing in 2,600 hectares of dry forest in the José Ignacio Távara Pasapera community. The NGO Cecobosque wants to apply the model to 200,000 hectares of dry forest from which 30,000 families live.

This project shows that not only soil degradation can be stopped by simple means but also that the ability of the ecosystem dry forest to store carbon

10 The phenomenon known as El Niño is a climatic anomaly which occurs at intervals of 2 to 7 years in the Pacific region between the west coast of South America and the south-east Asian region. It involves changes in air pressure conditions as well as water and air circulation which have varying regional effects. In Piura, they result in widespread flooding which is decisive for the natural regeneration of the vegetation. For more information on this, see http://www.elnino.info/k1.php .

dioxide and promote biodiversity can be increased, thereby helping to achieve the objectives of all three Rio conventions.

4.2 Prepare a joint plan of action for the protection of the cloud forest

Diminishing density and loss of biodiversity in the Bosque de Chonta cloud forest are a cause for concern among the inhabitants of the municipality of Santa Rosa de Chonta in the province of Ayabaca (Montero district), because supplies of firewood, fruit and water are dwindling. Within the scope of the mini-project which was conducted with the support of the community and the NGO Asociación Peruana Ecologísta y de Interés Conservacionista en América (APECOINCA), the inhabitants identified the most important tree species and studied their natural regeneration. Areas in which degradation is increas-ing due to erosion, deforestation and landslides were also included.

The collection of information resulted in a plan of action for the protection of the cloud forest compris-ing various measures from reforestation to environ-mental training. The plan serves as an instrument in the search for financing options. The project appli-cation, which has the support of two communities and the regional government, is currently awaiting approval.

The participative collection of important informa-tion simultaneously sensitises the population to recognise the consequences of land degradation and benefits of protecting the forest. Accordingly, the tree species suitable for timber production, for which demand is high, can contribute to an increase in income even in the medium term.

“This experience has shown us how we can use the forest for the

benefit of the community. Careful handling of the forest is important so that we can conserve

our environment for our children”.

(Eudelia Huachillo, Chonta municipality, 2013)

20


The project shows that combating land degradation and protection of biodiversity go hand in hand with each other.

4.3 Use utility water for reforestation

The Parque Ecológico de Sechura in the province of Sechura serves as a leisure park for the inhabit-ants of the eponymous municipality. Continuing desertification processes have severely inhibited its biodiversity. Measures to regenerate the park would significantly increase its recreational value for the population.

Three hectares of the park were irrigated with repro-cessed utility water which is flocculated, purified and disinfected in two tanks, and reforested with indig-enous tree species. Personnel from the park, the mu-nicipality and the population of Sechura participated in the activities along with the NGO Asociación para la Investigación y el Desarrollo Humano (ASIDH).

Experience shows that irrigation with utility water is well suited to increase the tree population. 80% of the planted trees were still alive after 8 months. The method has already been expanded to another municipalities and financed through public budget funds (PIP). The potential for further expansion of this example to other municipalities is great. Utility water is a scarcely researched resource that has not been used up to now.

In this project too, it is clear that the reduction of soil degradation goes hand in hand with an increase in biodiversity and – if the method is expanded to other municipalities – also with an increase in the capacity of carbon sequestration.

4.4 Monitor the biodiversity of a protection area

The protection area Coto de Caza El Angolo in the province of Sullana is an important pool for the biodiversity of the dry forests in Piura, because it is the habitat of many tree species which are threat-ened by extinction and animal species indigenous to dry forests. The sanctuary is the only official hunting reservation in Peru, part of the biosphere reservation

Reserva de Biósfera del Noroeste and a good example of the approach of bringing conservation and the sustainable utilisation of biodiversity into harmony. Until 2009, however, there were no state controls of any kind on activities inside the protection area. Around 85% of the park is used by the local people as a source of feed for their livestock and for selective logging and hunting.

Park rangers, livestock breeders and the NGO Natu-raleza y Cultura Internacional (NCI) jointly evaluated the degree of soil degradation and deforestation of the park and the consequences for biodiversity. Through this process, the state authority for protec-tion area management SERNANP (Servicio Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas por el Estado) and the local population were brought together for the first time for the joint management of the area. Data on livestock numbers were compiled and plans for bet-ter pasture management drawn up. Livestock farm-ers received training in the new system of pasture planning. They organised themselves so that current data could be entered into a monitoring system and jointly conducted activities which keep the effects of grazing as low as possible. On the basis of this data, a programme to promote sustainable, income-generating animal husbandry and pastoral farming was established with the support of the regional government within the scope of which agreements were also reached on protection and the reduction of pressure caused by livestock farming.

The monitoring instrument is a good example of participative information collection within the scope of protection area management which can be transferred to other sanctuaries. Improved pasture management not only reduces soil degradation, it also increases biodiversity in the medium term and boosts the capacity of carbon sequestration of the dry forest in the long term.


Broad stakeholder involvement pays off. The wide involvement of the various stakeholders – from the lodging of the application for the project to its ex-ecution and evaluation – not only strengthens own-ership, it also contributes towards awareness raising and capacity development. A good climate for the

21

Exploit the value from concrete examples of sustainable land management

development of innovations is created by respecting local and traditional knowledge and combining it with new knowledge and experience.

Projects provide space for communication and cooperation. In addition to concrete actions, co-ordination of activities, development of plans and initiation of cooperation between the stakeholders is facilitated simultaneously. On this level, different points of view can be exchanged too and conflicting interests straightened out.

Draw value from knowledge. Direct processing and documentation of the experiences make it possible to transport and distribute knowledge from the local to the regional level. Successful projects are repeated and funding is found.

Align projects to national strategies. By involv-ing the regional government throughout all stages,

projects can be checked for their compatibility with plans and strategies to combat desertification on a regional and national level. In this way, the alignment of concrete activities on a local level to national policy and the goals of the Rio conventions is ensured.

Integrate the socio-economic dimension. The areas affected by land degradation are at the same time the livelihood and income source for poor people in particular. Even if land degradation is avoided and biodiversity increased, more productive utilisation options only return benefits to the local population in the medium to long term. It must therefore be ensured that reduced intervention due to changes in the use of the land does not reduce people’s income in the short term and/or that alternative livelihood options compensate the losses.

A syrup rich in amino acids, trace elements and important minerals is produced from the carob tree shoots of the Peruvian „algarrobo“ (Prosopis pallida).

22


5. Allow live experiences to flow into formal structures and processes

How can a change in perceptions with regard to the social and ecological consequences as well as the economic costs caused by land degradation and desertification have a permanent influence on decisions and actions? How can the empirical knowledge gained in the projects and the expanded abilities of those involved be used even after a spe-

cific measure has ended? It is clear that sustainabil-ity can only be achieved if the experiences flow not only into political structures and processes but also into the economy and society and, subsequently, are anchored with a wide-ranging effect. This chapter reflects the learning and reflection process of the pilot project.

Exchange of experiences between the local population, scientists, representatives of NGOs, the local regional government of Piura, and GIZ (Samanga).

23

Allow live experiences to flow into formal structures and processes

Figure 2: Local involvement processes in Peru (presentation in line with Norbert Hölcker 2013)

5.1 Take influence on public budget and development planning

It is the existence of participatory budgeting in Peru which inspired the planning of the activities in the pilot project in a special way. Between 2004 and 2006, so-called participatory budgeting was made mandatory in all regions and municipalities of Peru. This involves the legal obligation to make a contribution towards combating poverty and improving the participation of marginalised sections of the population, thereby supporting the process of democratisation. Three participative elements

guarantee public participation: (1) the coordination council on a local and regional level consisting of lo-cal council members, mayors and representatives of civil society; (2) the jointly coordinated development plan which contains the strategic development goals and thematic budgeting approaches determined by the coordination council and (3) the participa-tory budget through which the budgeting forecasts are distributed to individual projects. The develop-ment plan and participatory budget are therefore two institutions upon which the pilot project could exercise influence (Figure 2).

Align strategic planning to the Rio conventions

n One essential area of intervention in the pilot project was the joint development of planning in-struments which make the strategic alignment of regional development planning compatible with the specifications of the national government and goals of the Rio conventions. The following planning instruments are products which were prepared with the support of the pilot project:

n The regional strategy for climate change (Estra-tégia Regional de Cambio Climático Piura, ERCC Piura). The negative effects of climate change are to be reduced and measures adopted to adapt and lessen them at the joint responsibility of the regional and local governments and civil society.

n The regional plan for forestry development (Plan Regional de Desarrollo Forestal, PRDF). The par-ticipative process and involvement of the women who play a key role in sustainable forest man-agement have to be emphasised here. To reach the marginalised sections of the population too, alternative income options should compensate the losses resulting from restricted utilisation.

n The regional strategy for biodiversity (Estratégia Regional de Diversidad Biológica, ERDB). This consists of seven strategic lines the goal of which is the protection and sustainable utilisation of biodiversity. To achieve this, knowledge of bio-diversity should be expanded and management instruments improved among other things.

Local Coordination Council (mayors, council members, civil

society representatives)

Distribution of budgeting forecasts to individual projects

Strategic development goals and rough budget planning

Participatory budgetJointly coordinated development plan

24


n The regional plan of action to combat desertifica-tion (Plan de Acción Regional de Lucha contra la Desertificación y Sequía, PAR LCDS). This makes Piura the first region in Peru and the first town in South America to have a planning instrument of this kind.

n The plan of action for synergies between the three Rio conventions for the water catchment area of the Piura river and the integrated finance strategy. The complementarities between the conventions are put into effect here, the risk of duplication and potential conflicts between them are reduced and the implementation efficiency increased.

Include sustainable land management projects in budget planning

A fundamental element of participatory budgeting is that organised civil society applies for projects which comply with the strategic goals of development planning and are financed with public funds (PIPs). For this reason, one of the objectives of the pilot project was to have the results of the studies on the economic evaluation of the losses incurred through land degradation included in the PIPs along with the experiences made in the mini-projects and to record and assess ecosystem services. The aim was for stake-holders on a local and regional level to make more recommendations for PIPs under consideration of sustainable land management and find funding for them.

According to the ministry of finance’s database11, a total of 45 PIPs with a direct relation to the subject SLM/CD were funded and implemented between 2007 and 2013. Although the projects only represent 1% of the total number of projects financed with public funding, it is of more importance that their number and the level of funding have been increas-ing significantly since 2011 (Figure 3). The regional government in particular, but also the local govern-ments, have considerably increased their spending on SLM/CD. This positive development is attribut-able in part to the pilot project. Forecasts point at a continued increase in the number of PIPs with focus

11 The National System for Public Investments (Sistema Nacional de In-versiones Públicas, SNIP), which is subordinate to the finance ministry, is responsible for monitoring projects financed with public funding, as well as the formulation of guidelines and calls for bids. (See http://www.snip.gob.ni/snip/, last accessed on 23.05.2014).

on SLM/CD with correspondingly higher public spending.

On the basis of the information from the TEEB and ELD studies, five projects (PIPs) for the protection and restoration of ecosystem services, reforestation and natural regeneration (in dry forests in particu-lar) have been applied for and funded up to now for budget year 2014. The applicants are the Regional Directorate for Agriculture of Piura (Dirección Re-gional de Agricultura de Piura, DRAP), a community and the regional government.

To be able to assess the sustainability of the inte-gration of SLM/CD into public budget planning, however, a clear objective and long-term monitoring of these developments are required.

Possibilities and limits of influence

The participatory budgets which have been estab-lished nationwide constitute a low-cost prerequisite for broader commitment in the conservation of resources. There is a chance that in the future too, civil society and/or stakeholders in the political and private sector will continue to contribute their skills, knowledge and experience of sustainable land man-agement to the coordination council and change the priorities of development and budget planning. The five PIPs for the promotion of ecosystem services which have already been financed for budget year 2014 show that this is possible.

There are also limits, however, to the extent to which influence can be exercised and these are closley linked with the challenges which participatory budgeting in Peru is currently facing:

n Grassroots democracy is new, particularly in the rural communities. Participatory budgeting is still relatively low, with local politicians receiving only little support and delegates often inadequately prepared. There are doubts, therefore, regarding sufficient representation of the people and legiti-mation of the participatory.

n The low level of funding in rural communities and insufficient personnel capacities narrow the leeway for widespread participative processes. The ability to acquire external funding must also be assessed as low.

25


n In the past, rural municipalities focused on the implementation of infrastructure projects. A shift in thinking is required to prioritise projects which only show visible benefits for the population at a second glance.

For this reason, the integration of SLM/CD projects into budget and development planning on a local level depends very much on the interests and abili-ties of the mayor and commitment of civil society. The developments observed up to now indicate a change in a positive direction, however.

5.2 Use synergies between the conventions

Even though it has long been recognised that the global environmental problems of climate change, loss of biodiversity and land degradation are closely interlinked with one another and that there are nu-merous overlaps in the conventions (see Figs. 4 and 5), they often remain isolated from one another on an international level. Due to the provisions of the conventions, each one needs its own structures and processes and this leads to a duplication of activities, possible conflicts between the objectives and imple-mentation which is inefficient in places. The poten-tial to exploit synergies which joint implementation holds has not been used in many places up to now. It has already been recognised at various conferences

of the signatory countries to the Rio conventions that there is a necessity to generate synergies to achieve a more efficient utilisation of resources. An informal joint liaison group has been set up to map out the possibilities for an exchange of information, synergetic activities and increasing coordination between the three Rio conventions12.

Until only a few years ago, Piura also implemented the three conventions mainly separately from one another in accordance with the instructions of the national government. This led to coordination difficulties, latent conflicts, conflicting interests, difficulties in communication and weaknesses in the mobilisation of resources. Against this background, the regional government in Piura had already made several attempts to plan and execute the three con-ventions jointly and had requested the support of the GIZ programme PDRS.

Recognise the potential for synergies

When preparing the three plans of action, more or less the same stakeholders from politics, the NGO scene, trade and industry and civil society met suc-cessively in Piura to plan the strategy on climate protection, followed a second time by the strategy

12 For more information, see http://www.cbd.int/cooperation/liaison.shtml (last accessed on 05.06.2014).

Figure 3: PIPs with focus on SLM/CD in the Piura region from 2007-2013 (data from SNIP, compiled by assessor C. Vargas, 2014)

50,000

45,000

40,000

35,000

30,000

25,000

20,000

15,000

10,000

5,000

–

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

0

Am

ount

in S

oles

m1

mill

ion

Sole

s eq

uals

abo

ut 3

44.0

82 U

SD

Num

ber o

f pro

ject

s

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

PIP (Soles)

No of PIPs

26


for the protection of biodiversity and a third time by the strategy to combat desertification. It soon be-came clear to them that this artificial separation not only incurs higher costs but also produces conflicts between the three objectives of the conventions and does not make use of the synergies between them. An integrated point of view produces added value which is greater than the mere sum of the parts – so the idea goes.

Parallel to the three convention plans, the stake-holders then prepared a joint synergy plan in which it could be seen which activities repeated them-selves in the three plans and could consequently be lumped together, and the extent to which the meas-ures of one plan had negative effects on another convention. These include certain approaches and practices for carbon sequestration, for example, such as plantations which reduce biodiversity and impair soil quality.

The following findings emerged in the process of preparing the synergy plan:

n Sustainable land management forms a common interface between combating desertification, biodiversity conservation and climate protection (Figure 4). It involves activities which strengthen the ability of ecosystems to regulate themselves and stay alive.

n The three-dimensional perspective of the conven-tions requires a territorial approach. Sustainable land management relates to the entire territory (landscape approach).

n A holistic perspective includes the socio-eco-nomic dimension. Alternative income options as compensation for losses resulting from reduced utilization of natural resources have to be devel-oped for the local population.

Figure 4: Connections and feedback loops between desertification, climate change and loss of biodiversity

Desertification

Reduced primary production and nutrient cycling

Decreased soil and plant organisms' species

diversity

Reduced carbon seques-tration into above- and below-ground carbon

reserves

Increase in extreme events

(floods, droughts, fires ...)

Reduced carbon reserves and

increased CO2 emmissions

Loss of nutrients and soil moisture

Change in community

structure and diversity

Increases and reductions in

species abundances

Reduced structural diversity

of vegetation cover and diversity of microbial species

in soil crust

Reduced soil conservation

Soil erosion

Biodiversity lossClimate change

Que

lle:

Mill

enni

um E

cosy

stem

Ass

essm

ent

in orange: major components of biodiversity involved in the linkagesbolded: major services impacted by biodiversity losses

27


Synergy pays off: example Samanga

What is the added value of the synergy plan? How can it be applied specifically to a territory and what learning experiences can be derived from it? With the goal of generating experiences in the process of implementing synergy planning, all three conven-tions were taken into consideration, planned and implemented together in one pilot measure.

A municipality by the name of Samanga in the prov-ince of Ayabaca already prioritised by the regional government of Piura was selected. In keeping with its high-altitude location, three different ecosystems can be identified: páramo13 in the highest regions, cloud forest in medium altitudes and dry forest in the lower-lying areas (Figure 6). With the wide participation of the community council members and general population, a study on potential land utilisation was prepared in which four different uti-lisation types were identified: protected areas, areas suitable for forestry production, areas suitable for permanent crops and areas suitable as pasture land. On the basis of soil analyses, it was examined which utilisation types are best suited in which areas. Three project applications were prepared, all of which are to guarantee sustainable management of natural

13 Vegetation form in high altitude regions of the tropics typical of the South American Andes

resources in line with the study and optimise the income-generating activities of the population (see Box 4). It became clear here that only under consid-eration of the socio-economic dimension can land degradation be halted and biodiversity maintained in the long term.

Figure 5: NLM on a territorial level as the interface of the three Rio conventions (GIZ 2013a)

A project to improve forest-pasture management has the aim of increasing the quantity and quality of the milk produced by the livestock and thus the income of 120 families too. New pasture grass and tree species and the production of silage in dry periods are to enhance feed quality and prevent the livestock from being driven to the páramo which, due to its vegeta-tion, forms an important natural reservoir which also feeds springs in long dry periods.

The optimisation of peanut cultivation – from impro-ved seeds to the practices of agricultural production – and the improvement of the entire supply chain including joint marketing, is intended to increase the income of 80 families and bring about a more sustai-nable management of water and soil resources.

Box 5: Sustainable land management projects in the municipality of Samanga

Protection of biodiversity

NLM

Climate change –

reduction and adaptation

Applied on the level of the territory

Combating desertification

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Possibilities and limits of synergies

The 3-dimensional view of a territory as in the ex-ample of Samanga opens up understanding for the interaction of the three Rio conventions on different levels (see Figure 6): the effects of climate change, such as altered precipitation quantities and times are running their course in the páramo, the sponge

of the region. Successive drying out of the páramo would have a negative effect on the hydrological bal-ance of the entire province. This ecosystem, which is extremely sensitive to utilisation, requires urgent protection against uncontrolled droving.

Non-sustainable land management and climate change result in a loss of biodiversity and the degra-dation of land and soil. Restrictions in the provision of ecosystem services successively deprive peo-ple’s means of making a living. Approaches in land utilisation planning and regulation are helping to regulate the utilisation intensity of the ecosystems in accordance with their suitability (e.g. through pas-ture management, designation of permanent crops or protection areas).

Soil degradation has particularly noticeable effects on the family household level, with smaller harvests and reduced income. Existing agricultural practices should therefore be optimised and/or alternative sources of income found. Reduced utilisation of ecosystem services due to regulation should be com-pensated (see Figure 6).

It is important that the synergy plan is jointly agreed with everyone involved right from the start. Activi-ties can then complement one another and duplica-tion, contradictions and conflicts of responsibility avoided. The synergy plan requires a formal obliga-

tion, however, to make it implementable and enable monitoring.

The limits of the synergy plan are marked by the same difficulties as all plans: if they are to be im-plemented, they require funding and therefore the capability of the responsible bodies to acquire and manage resources.

5.3 Secure financing

To give the joint activities agreed in the synergy plan a financial foundation too, a financing strategy was prepared within the scope of the pilot project (Hidalgo, n.p. ). When preparing the financing strategy it is important to observe the principle of subsidiarity.

The goal of the strategy is to exhaust the options offered by public budgets initially14 before selecting and utilising international funds15 and innovative financing instruments16 in the long term. The latter require a minimal organisation form and responsible management structures and abilities which have to be built up over a longer period.


The involvement of the local population is essen-tial for exercising influence. The success of the in-fluence on public budget and development planning depends on how the participatory budgeting works. The probability that civil society will use its options for exercising influence with the support of private and public stakeholders increases to the same extent that the principles of grassroots democracy assert

14 Possible financing sources from the public sector for projects involving SLM/CD in Peru include local and regional compensation funds, investment programmes, grants from mineral oil revenue, environment taxes, agricultural development programmes, credit programmes and programmes to strengthen competitive ability (Hidalgo, n.p.).

15 The following financing options exist on an international level: climate protection instruments like REDD und REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation), environment funds, carbon sequestration instruments, Global Environment Facility (GEF) programmes, multilateral investment funds and entreprenuership programmes sponsored by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) etc. (Hidalgo, n.p.).

16 Innovative financing instruments include payment for environmen-tal performances, environment taxes and marketing of biodiversity products (Hidalgo, n.p.).

“[Synergy planning] enabled more efficient use of financial resources and higher effectiveness in the

implementation of the conventions”.

(Tulio Santoyo, Regional Coordinator of the GIZ Programme PDRS in Piura, 2014)

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Firewood and coal are dry forest products for which there is great demand.

Figure 6: Sketch of current land use in Samanga (NCI, 2013)

4,000

3,500

3,000

2,500

2,000

1,500

1,000

higher zone

inter- mediate

zone

Km

Alt

itud

e ab

ove

sea

leve

l

lower zone

Mountain forest

Savannah, residual forest, reforested areas (Pinus, Eucalyptus)

Dry forest, savannah, crop growing (peanuts, manioc, sweet potatoes, corn),

pasture for cattle and goats

Crop growing (sugar cane, beans,

coffee, bananas)

0 5 10 15 20 25

30


A view of the whole situation often opens up new perspectives (mountain forest in Piura).

themselves in rural areas and solve the problems of representation and legitimation.

Synergy plan instead of individual plans? Sustain-ability, efficiency and effectiveness in the implemen-tation of the conventions increase if interventions and investments are jointly aligned right from the start. In the case of Piura, where all three conven-tions are relevant, it should be established whether the synergy plan is sufficient. In this way, the costs of preparing the 3 individual plans could be saved!

Territorial approaches allow a holistic view. At the latest on territorial level, it becomes clear that the protection of the climate, biodiversity and the soil cannot be viewed isolated from one another. The interactions between the three dimensionen make an integrated point of view necessary. Local and regional politicians should therefore be sensitised to territorial approaches17. The holistic view takes into account at the same time the socio-economic

17 The finance ministry is already publishing guidelines for the formu-lation of PIPs with a territorial approach: http://www.mef.gob.pe/contenidos/inv_publica/docs/anexos/2013/Anexo-22-Lineamientos_v1.2.pdf (last accessed on 23.05.2014).

situation of the population and the aspect of poverty reduction (e.g. through improvement of the supply chains).

Expand the capability to acquire funding and man-age finances. All plans come to nothing if funding for their implementation cannot be found. To use up the options offered by public budget funds in Peru, benefit from international funds and establish inno-vative financing instruments requires the ability to acquire funding and manage finances, which has to be significantly expanded on a local level in particu-lar but also on a regional level.

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6. Final Observations

6.1 Observations from the perspective of relevance

Pilot project addresses the core problem of the Piura region. Increasing land degradation is a core problem of the Piura region. Insufficient implemen-tation of the three Rio conventions under considera-tion of synergy effects and the barely exploited pos-sibilities for coordination and articulation with the national government are impairing the efforts of the regional government of Piura to solve this problem. By means of concrete support in the implementa-tion of the conventions (mini-projects, integration of SLM/CD in development and budget planning), the preparation and pilot implementation of a synergy plan and the consistent involvement of the regional and national governments, the pilot project made a decisive contribution towards clearing these short-comings.

Strategy proves to be plausible. Through the wide involvement of stakeholders from civil society, the NGO scene, politics and science in the processes of information collection and validation, in further training and in concrete application projects, the individuals involved were sensitised to the topics of SLM/CD, while their individual abilities to deal with them were strengthened. As many as 250 specialists received further training on the subject (1st Effect Level). The five projects submitted, some of which have already been financed and executed from pub-lic budgets, as well as the synergy project indicate that the 2nd Effect Level has also been reached. The fact that the regional government of Piura support-ed the national government in the formulation of the national plan of action to combat desertification and was able to present itself at international confer-ences are the first signs of upscaling. Monitoring sys-tems with long-term alignment will have to provide information on the 3rd Effect Level (reduction of land

degradation and desertification). The first prognoses of the mini-projects appear to be pointing in a posi-tive direction in this regard.

Principles of alignment and subsidiarity are ob-served. It has to be emphasised that the project has been consistently aligned to already existent na-tional/regional/local processes and structures, such as the national provisions for the individual conven-tion plans, the committees that were already estab-lished (such as the CDP-LCDS) and participatory budgeting. This also took into account the principle of subsidiarity, which leaves aspects such as the con-trol structure and the responsibility for implementa-tion and supervision on the side of the partners.

Development policy objectives comply with the goals of the BMZ. German development coopera-tion on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation (BMZ) places particular emphasis on implementation of the topic of Combating Derserti-fication and Sustainable Land Management through practical examples. The pilot project did this and contributed at the same time to the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Learning experience: place more focus on reduc-ing poverty. The experiences made in the synergy project show that a holistic perspective not only has to give consideration to the three objectives of the conventions but must also include the socio-economic situation of the population as the fourth dimension. If poverty18 is not only the result but also the cause of land degradation and desertification processes (e.g. through overuse of resources)19, then

18 The poverty indicators in Piura are among the highest in the country. According tot he statistical institute INEI, 62.6% of the population lives in poverty and 22% in extreme poverty (Gobierno Regional Piura 2008: 10).

19 See also GIZ (2013a: 44).

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activities to alleviate poverty should be placed at the forefront of measures for sustainable land utilisa-tion (such as the optimisation of supply chains). If the most urgent problems from the point of view of the target groups, especially the women, are solved, continued enthusiasm for the topic of SLM/CD can be expected.

Overall, the relevance of the pilot project should be regarded as very high from the point of view of development policy.

6.2 Observations from the point of view of sustainability

Experiences strengthen regional government as the support organisation. The regional government of Piura assesses the process of the pilot project as positive and has the instruments and abilities to im-plement the UNCCD. It advises the national govern-ment on how to combat desertification, it is regarded as a pioneer in matters of combating desertification and it has a reputation in the appropriate specialist groups on an international level. It is therefore to be expected that the regional government will make ef-forts to maintain its reputation and status and con-tinue the processes. Despite this, personnel changes in political offices are relatively frequent in Peru too, thus restricting sustainability. The project has had to make this experience too: when official politicians leave, it is a great challenge for the remaining staff at the institution to record their knowledge and col-lected experiences and make them available to their successors.

Wide inclusion of organised civil society strength-ens ownership. The heavy involvement of NGOs, producers’ associations and other groups on the local level has the result that the newly acquired knowledge with regard to SLM/CD, and thereby responsibility for its use, is distributed over several shoulders, thus producing a feeling of ownership. These groups are more stable than the groups of political stakeholders, but their means of exercising influence are more limited at the same time.

Sustain participation. Due to the democratisation efforts in Peru, the basic prerequisites for participa-tive approaches should be regarded as favourable. To be able to maintain the dynamics of the chain of

effects of the pilot project by having sensitised and organised sections of civil society introduce PIPs into budget planning, for example, participation on a political level should be established and strength-ened as a cross-cutting issue. In rural communities, this will depend on the political will of the mayor and the financial make-up of his or her budget.

Permanently anchor learning effects. A learning approach centred around the individual is only ef-fective to a limited extent in political environments in which people often change position as the opera-tives responsible for a specific function. The opposite of this is organisational learning in which organisa-tions and networks learn by building knowledge into their structures, processes, rules and rituals, thereby making them more intelligent. To anchor learn-ing effects more sustainably, the following options should be examined:

n Strengthen already institutionalised commit-tees. The regional environment committee (CAR) of Piura is the official instance responsible for the coordination and agreement of regional environ-ment policy and for conducting a dialogue with the public sector, private sector and civil society. It should therefore be considered which new rules/

Technical measures for the natural rejuvenation of dry forests in Piura, carried out by young women of the municipality of José Ignacio Távara Pasapera.

33

Final Observations

structures/processes are necessary for the CAR to give continuity to the processes triggered by the project (e.g. provisions for the inclusion of SLM/CD in PIPs, planning methods which integrate the three dimensions of the conventions and use the territory as a planning unit). To ensure budget funding, the ministry of finance or economics should be involved here if necessary on a national level to establish guidelines for the formulation of the PIPs within the national system for public investments (SNIP) and accompany the applica-tion processes. Other groups subordinate to the CAR or associated elsewhere which are are already involved in these processes20 could also assume these tasks, at least in part. Clear roles and respon-sibilities have to be established to this end.

n Consolidate opportunities for informal ex-change. The spaces for exchange, discussion and the initiation of cooperation between the stake-holders of different institutions and sectors have been very positively appraised. The question is

20 Such as the work group Grupo Técnico Regional de Deforestación y Degradación Forestal (GTRDDF), which works on deforestation and forestal degradation, the Committee for Combating Desertification and Drought (Comisión Departamental Piura de Lucha contra la Desertificación y Sequía, CDP-LCDS) and the unit responsible for the management of sanctuaries (Sistema Regional de Conservación de Áreas Naturales de Piura).

how these valuable “spaces” can be maintained in the Piura region. Forums with more of an infor-mal character, e.g. in the form of communities of practice21 , promote the flow of empirical (implicit) knowledge, are less bureaucratic and require fewer resources. Their political weight depends on the commitment of the people involved.

n Strengthen the regional government network. It may be possible to expand the existing networks of the regional government of Piura (such as coop-erations with research institutions in the field of ELD, supraregional/bi-national and international exchange) as they are important for the constant update of knowledge and exchange of ideas and experiences with other regions and institutions.

Secure sustainable financing. . EWhether or not the effects of the development measures are sustainable depends on whether the development plans and the project recommendations included in public budgets (PIPs) receive financing. This requires the strengthening of the ability to acquire funding and manage finances on a local and regional level. For joint activities within the scope of the synergy plan in particular, alternative financing mechanisms

21 GIZ (2011a: 255ff), additional literature: Wenger (1998).

Agricultural utilisation in Piura.

34


which have already been identified are of interest22 . These should be selected and utilised successively.

The extent to which the effects of the pilot project can be classed as sustainable cannot be finally evalu-ated at the moment. The democratisation efforts of the government, the establishment of participatory budgeting throughout the country and the commit-ment of the regional government of Piura can be assessed as favourable prerequisites, however.

6.3 Food for thought for the future

Convince others by monitoring effects. Pilot pro-jects which try out new approaches and make their experiences available to other projects also need a system to monitor the expected effects. Many effects, especially on the second and third effect levels, and their sustainability are only revealed some time after the completion of the intervention when the corresponding structures to control the project have already dissolved. The recommendation is therefore to define a few key indicators at the beginning of the project and to nominate the responsible stake-holders (e.g. CAR) to collect and utilise the data (e.g. monitoring of the PIPs with the approach of SLM/CD). The effects chain is only fulfilled when all in-volved are not only sensitised and perceive problems in a different way, but also when this knowledge leads to new decisions on a political level which can stop the processes of land degradation.

Make the private sector responsible. According to the ELD study, apart from deforestation and over-grazing, it is in particular irrigation-intensive rice production in the coastal region of Piura which is responsible for land degradation (Morales 2013: 19). Technically obsolete irrigation systems and poor soil drainage result in salinisation (Gobierno Regional Piura 2008: 29). Rice is being replaced to an increasing extent by other irrigation-intensive export cultures, such as mango, grapes and sugar cane for ethanol production, which – irrespective of the suitability of the soil – are spreading rapidly and exacerbating the problem (Morales 2013: 75). The pilot project, however, only touches on the irriga-tion problem in a study that was conducted within

22 See Hidalgo (n.p.).

the scope of the mini-projects23. In light of the fact that 72% of the agricultural area is irrigated24, a more detailed examination of this problem would have made good sense. It would appear to be important to spread responsibility not only to the peasant farmers and poor, rural population responsible but also to the sector which makes a much larger contribution to land degradation and the losses it causes in terms of area25. The private sector may well have its own interests in investing in sustainable land manage-ment. If this is to be achieved, other strategic ap-proaches and instruments, such as conflict manage-ment and mediation, are unavoidable.

Establish international targets for a synergetic approach. Although the separate ways of view-ing the three dimensions of the Rio conventions were undoubtedly practicable in the first years after Rio for the purpose of acquiring information and strengthening political support, the system is ob-solete where concrete implementation in a specific area is concerned. It can be seen here that an inte-grated perspective not only increases efficiency, it also improves effectiveness and avoids duplication and competition for financing. A re-think is required here, not only on a regional and national level but also on an international level. The conferences of the parties to the three conventions should at least keep the option of joint synergy planning open to the signatory countries.

23 The study examines how bean production could be optimised by means of suitable irrigation technology (GIZ 2013a: 29).

24 See Gobierno Regional Piura 2008: 13

25 The ELD study shows that with 67%, rice cultures contribute the most to losses through degradation and desertification processes, which total 13.7% of agricultural GDP (Morales 2013: 59).

35

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