The GEF-Satoyama Project (2015-2019) Impact Report

Authors
Yoji Natori and Devon Dublin, Conservation International Japan

Acknowledgements
This publication is possible due to the hard work and contributions of the grantees and partners of the
GEF-Satoyama Project: Asociación Amazónicos por la Amazonía (Peru), Dahari (Comoros),
Environmental Protection and Conservation Organisation (Mauritius), Fauna & Flora International(Myanmar), Fundación para la Investigación y Desarrollo Social (Ecuador), Green Islands Foundation(Seychelles), Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (Japan), Inter Mountain Peoples’ Education
and Culture in Thailand Association (Thailand), The Energy and Resources Institute (India), Universidad
Industrial de Santander (Colombia), United Nations University Institute of the Advanced Studies of
Sustainability (Japan), Wildlife Conservation Society (Madagascar). They have also provided photos
used in this report.
We thank the Global Environment Facility for providing funding for the project and the numerous
entities that supported the project through co-financing.
The authors thank Ms. Yuka Sugiura, an intern at Conservation International Japan, who did thedesigning of this report.

Preferred Citation
Natori, Y. and Dublin, D. 2019. GEF-Satoyama Project (2015-2019) Impact Report. Conservation
International Japan, Tokyo.

Conservation International
All rights reserved
For more information, please visit www.gef-satoyama.net

The Conservation International GEF Agency
was fortunate to have the GEF-Satoyama
project as one of our first in our portfolio as a
newly accredited GEF Project Agency. We
recognize the many accomplishments of thisproject and we want to especially recognize theresults achieved by the 10 subgrantees. The
subgrantee projects, located in the Tropical
Andes, Indo-Burma, Madagascar and Indian
Ocean Islands Biodiversity Hotspots havecontributed to improving the habitat of
threatened species and improving landscapesandseascapes
throughconservation
management. As this GEF project concludes,
we encourage the subgrantees to continue
engaging in the GEF processes in theirrespective countries and to seek further
opportunities to implement GEF projects in the
future.

It was a definitely a privilege but also achallenge for Conservation International Japan
to be the Executing Agency of the GEFSatoyama project, as it was not only one of thefirst projects of the CI-GEF Project Agency but
also, to my knowledge, the first GEF
biodiversity project to be executed by aJapanese entity.

Finally, we are grateful to the Global
Environment Facility (GEF) as the donor of the
project, the International Partnership for the
Satoyama Initiative (IPSI), United Nations
University Institute for the Advanced Study of
Sustainability (UNU-IAS), Institute for Global
Environment
Strategies(IGES),
andConservation International Japan.

This publication features the achievements andfindings derived from the project, which I hope
to be of useful reference for those who facesimilar challenges of land/sea-use.

Ms. Orissa Samaroo
Senior director, GEF Policy and Portfolio
Management, GEF Agency,
Conservation International

Mr. Yasushi Hibi
Managing Director, Conservation International
Japan (Representative of the Executive Teamof the GEF-Satoyama Project);Vice President for Asia Policy, Conservation
International

The project aimed at demonstrating the ideas
coming out of the International Partnership for
the Satoyama Initiative, which looks at
mainstreaming the values that a sustainably
managedsocio-ecologicalproduction
landscapes and seascapes bring to society, but
it became a true asset bringing like-mindedorganizations and people, such as the grantees
from 10 different countries, together to addresscommon challenges on the ground.

Last but not least, I am grateful to the CI-GEF
Project Agency, United Nations University andInstitute of Global Environmental Strategies,
the Ministry of the Environment of Japan, andmembers of my team for the successful project.

iMessages……………………………………………………………………………………… i
Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………. 1
Impact in numbers………………….……………………………………………………. 2
Species………………………………………………………………………………..……… 3
Intellectual asset……………………………………………….…………………………. 4
Safeguards………………………………………………………….………………………. 5
Indo-Burma region………………………………………………………………………. 6
TERI, India…………………………………………………………………………………. 7
FFI, Myanmar……………………………………………………………………………… 8
IMPECT, Thailand………………………………………………………………………… 9
Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands region………………………….. 10
Dahari, Comoros………………………………………………………………………… 11
WCS, Madagascar………………………………………………………………………. 12
EPCO, Mauritius…………………………………………………………………………. 13
GIF, Seychelles………………………………………………………………………….. 14
Tropical Andes regional page………………………………………………………. 15
UIS, Colombia……………………………………………………………………………. 16
FIDES, Ecuador………………………………………………………………………….. 17
AMPA, Peru……………………………………………………………………………….. 18
Lessons Learned……………………………….…………………………………….…. 19
Executive Team organizations….……….…………………………….………….. 21
Donor and network….……….………………..………………………….………….. 22ii

The objective of the GEF-Satoyama Project was to mainstream conservation and sustainable use of
biodiversity and ecosystem services, while simultaneously improving human well-being, in production
landscapes and seascapes. Socio-Ecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes (SEPLS) areproduction landscapes and seascapes that integrate the values of biodiversity and social aspects
harmoniously with production activities, such that production activities support biodiversity and viceversa. SEPLS have been created throughout the world often as results of long interactions between
people and nature, but they are under threat. This project sought to address the barriers that SEPLS
face globally, such as insufficient recognition of their values, disappearing traditional knowledge, andweak governance, and to contribute to the achievement of multiple Aichi Biodiversity Targets andSustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To achieve this goal, the project comprised of threecomponents: 1) “On-the-ground demonstration”, 2) “Knowledge generation”, and 3) “Capacity Building.”

Key Achievements⚫

⚫

⚫

Component 1: Ten subgrant projects (Colombia, Comoros, Ecuador, India, Madagascar, Mauritius,
Myanmar, Peru, Seychelles, Thailand), selected through calls for proposals in three biodiversity
hotspots (Indo-Burma, Madagascar and Indian Ocean Islands, Tropical Andes), have brought
conservation benefits to over 4 million ha of land and sea and improved habitats for 120 globallythreatened species of plants and animals.
Component 2: Research addressed three questions: how can we get the values of SEPLS
recognized by those inside and outside the landscapes or seascapes in question? 2) how can we
protect and make use of traditional knowledge in SEPLS? and 3) how can we improve governanceof SEPLS?
Component 3: Four workshops held on the use of the Indicators of Resilience and two trainings
held on gender mainstreaming. Participation in several international meetings and the productionof videos and documents that collectively led to the increased awareness of stakeholder for
mainstreaming the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in SEPLS. Information sharedat these international meetings benefited in part from the Consolidation Workshop held in Mauritius
where all grantees were brought together to share lessons learned and to address the challenges
affecting SEPLS and how they can be overcome.

1

2

Species are threatened for extinction for various reasons. IUCN Red List describes such threats for eachspecies. Activities under the project addressed the threats for survival of 120 species, and thus leftthem in a better status than before the project.
Summary by the IUCN Red List category
Proponent (country)

CriticallyEndangered

Endangered

Vulnerable

Total

AMPA (Peru)

2

6

23

31

Dahari (Comoros)

3

3

EPCO (Mauritius)

6

3

1

10

FFI (Myanmar)

2

3

10

15

FIDES (Ecuador)

1

6

1

GIF (Seychelles)

5

14

19

IMPECT (Thailand)

1

3

1

5

TERI (India)

1

2

13

16

UIS (Colombia)

2

4

5

11

WCS (Madagascar)

3

4

2

9

Total*

20

32

68

120

*Three species occur in two projects.
Threats faced by the species
The most common threat faced by the threatened species occurring in the project sites was habitat
losses, including deforestation. Hunting and overexploitation, whether legal or illegal, which directly
affect the populations of the species followed as threats to species survival. Competition with exotic
species were affecting some species. The lack of regulations or their enforcement were inducing
unfavorable activities.
Project response
The project addressed these threats by conducting the following activities as appropriate to therespective site conditions: Forest restoration
 Traditional agriculture Enhanced agriculture without degrading nature Fisheries co-management
 Education and awareness raising Community Conserved Area establishment
 Species inventory
 Traditional practices documentation and transmission to youth Private sector partnership

3

PECT

The GEF-Satoyama Project emphasized the protection of traditional knowledge as live intellectual
property as in the two examples from Thailand and Madagascar in the boxes below.
Technology is also mobilized. In India, The Energy and Resources Institute used WhatsApp as an
information platform, on which trained youth members upload photos of species they find for experts
to identify. This serves multiple purposes simultaneously: 1) for youth to maintain photography skills
and motivation for photo documentation; 2) for the team to build biodiversity database to aid ecotourism.
Beside the creation of knowledge platform on site,
the GEF-Satoyama Project expanded the knowledge
base by more than 70 publications from articles inpeer-reviewed journals and academic thesis tovideos, teaching manuals, issue briefs, and books.
The issue brief based on the lessons learned by all
ten subgrant projects was launched at the 14th
Conference of the Parties to the Convention on
Biological Diversity in November 2019 to disseminate
recommendations from the project for overcoming
the barriers that SEPLS face globally.

THAILANDMADAGASCAR

Photo: Mutual learning between
elders and youth

Photo: A nursery of medicinal plants
by the open classroom

In Thailand, several Karen communities
decided that the preservation of theircultural heritage required institutional
learning coupled with informal opportunities
to facilitate inter-generational exchange.
They worked with Karen school teachers todevelop a curriculum that uses indigenous
poems, stories, practices and proverbs inthe Karen language. On the other hand, theyouth groups organized camps during
which elders taught the young people about
traditional agriculture and cooking methods.
Based on the learning, the youth groups
produced value-added products for online
promotion.

In Madagascar, the knowledge on
medicinal plants was disappearing.
At open classroom, youth gain theknowledge of these plants in a fun
environment. Participants createdand maintained nurseries of theseimportant plants and took theseedlings home to plant on family
farms. This youth-led initiative has
generated a renewed interest inimportant plant species and arevitalization of producing herbal
medicines.

4

The Environmental and Social Management
Framework is intended to ensure that adverse
environmental and social impacts are avoided
or, when unavoidable, minimized andappropriately mitigated and/or offset. At the
beginning of the project, all Executing Team
organizations
were sensitizedtothesafeguards, as stipulated by the CI-GEF
Project Agency’s Environmental and Social
Management Framework (ESMF) during theInceptionWorkshop.
The
Project
operationalized relevant safeguard measures;
most important of which were those regarding
involuntary resettlement, indigenous peoples,
accountability
andgrievance,
gendermainstreaming, and stakeholder engagement.

Recognizing that gender mainstreaming was achallenge for most of the players involved in
the project, the Project offered capacity
building opportunities. On September 6-7,
2017 a gender mainstreaming workshop washeld in Tokyo for the members of the
Executive Team and beyond. Topics included
an introduction to gender, gender and natural
resource management, responding to genderdifferences, and developing gender actionplans. Material from this workshop was sharedwith subgrantees and this was followed up
with a mini gender mainstreaming training
conducted during the Consolidation Workshop
held in Mauritius on August 23, 2018.

Subgrant projects that included voluntary
restrictions related to hunting, fishing anddeforestation regulations provided various
means of compensation such as community
grants, development of alternative livelihoods
and capacity building/training in improved
agricultural techniques, tourism and apiculture.
Those involving indigenous peoples followed
steps of Free Prior and Informed Consent(FPIC).
Accountability
andGrievancemechanisms were developed, approved anddisseminated among all stakeholders. Regional
inception meetings explained the ESMF to thesubgrant project proponents and theirpartners, so that they know to takeappropriate actions.

The
project
hadrobuststakeholder
engagements at the local, national andinternational level. At the local level, subgrant
projects benefited from the government,
private sector, local communities, academic
institutions and NGOs.

5

PROJECT AREA

BENEFICIARIESTHREATENED SPECIES

10,699 ha

4,521 persons

36 species

Quick
Stats

A training on the Indicators of Resilience in Socioecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes(SEPLS) was held in the Khun Tae Village in Chiang
Mai, Thailand during July 25 – 27, 2016, throughclassroom training and field practical exercises. The
training aimed to build capacity of GEF-Satoyama
Project subgrantees and others in the region on using
the “Resilience Indicators in SEPLS” during the
project management cycle.

TERI

FFI

IMPECT

The Energy and Resources
Institute (TERI) created the
network of Community
Conserved Areas (CCAs) withvillages in Nagaland where
wildlife hunting is an importantpart of their cultural identity.
TERI supported villagers inalternative livelihood means,including ecotourism, andtrained youths in biodiversity
monitoring. (Project area:
3,751 ha of land)

Fauna & Flora International(FFI) promoted theconservation and sustainable
use of freshwater ecosystems
by establishing fish
conservation zones (FCZs) withlocal communities. FFI also
supported alternative
livelihood initiatives in thesecommunities to reduce thedependency on the freshwater
ecosystems (Project area: 891
ha of land)Inter-Mountain Peoples’
Education and Culture in
Thailand Association (IMPECT)
demonstrated Karen
communities to be models ofsustainable development bybuilding on their traditional
knowledge and natural
resource management
systems. IMPECT also worked
for a broad recognition of
Karen culture. (Project area:
6,057 ha of land)

6

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)
http://www.teriin.org/

PROJECT AREA

BENEFICIARIESTHREATENED SPECIES

3,751 ha1,185 persons

16 species

Quick
Stats

The revival of traditional conservation practices throughthe creation of Community-Conserved Areas (CCAs)
offers hope for conservation, as communities set aside
parcels of forests within productive, jhum (shifting
cultivation) landscapes. Ensuring the future of
Nagaland’s CCAs (and thereby its biodiversity) requiresa multi-pronged approach, including alternative
livelihood opportunities such as the development of
wildlife tourism, legal recognition, ecological restoration,and long-term ecological monitoring. Moreover, many
existing CCAs are isolated forest fragments (average
size is 500 ha) and only a handful form part of a larger
network of community forests. The project supported
community-based conservation to a) mobilize support
for the formation of CCAs including larger networks ofcontiguous forest patches, b) revive traditional
conservation practices (e.g. hunting bans during thebreeding season), c) carry out ecological assessments ofthese CCAs including the status of threatened species,d) develop community-based ecotourism initiatives, ande) Formalize and mainstream a network of CCAs.
Project Achievements⚫
⚫

Formation of the Tizu Valley Biodiversity
Conservation and Livelihood Network.
Community tourism development.

This project has contributed to the following Aichi
Biodiversity Targets (ABTs):This project has contributed to the following
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

7

Fauna & Flora International (FFI)
http://www.fauna-flora.org

PROJECT AREA

BENEFICIARIESTHREATENED SPECIES

891 ha1,200 persons

15 species

Quick
Stats

Outside Protected Areas, the Myanmar fisheries law
allows the designation of fisheries management andconservation areas, but very few were designated andeffectively managed. Freshwater fish are threatened byunsustainable fishing practices, open access, illegal gold
mining, introduced species and hydropower development
plans. The project built local capacity on fish taxonomy
while undertaking comprehensive surveys in the Upper
Irrawaddy and Tanintharyi/Lenya watersheds to identify
key biodiversity areas for fish conservation. In several
sites with outstanding fish diversity, researchers foundnumerous species new to science.
The objectives of this project were to: 1) complete theassessment of freshwater KBAs in the Upper Irrawaddy and
Tanintharyi/Lenya watersheds, 2) pilot locally managed
fisheries areas including fish conservation zones (FCZ) forthe protection of freshwater KBAs, and 3) integrate
community-managed fisheries areas and fish conservation
zones (FCZs) into protected area zonation andmanagement plans and facilitate legal recognition.
The project integrated traditional ecological knowledge andmodern science for the identification of key fish biodiversity
areas and replaced open access with recognized locallymanaged fisheries areas. In Myanmar this constitutes amajor shift in the conservation paradigm from ‘fence andfine’ policies to a community-based conservation approach.
Project Achievements⚫
⚫

This project has contributed to the following
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

Establishment of 19 FCZs.
Finding 20 species new to science.

This project has contributed to the following Aichi
Biodiversity Targets (ABTs):

8

Inter Mountain Peoples’ Education and Culture in Thailand
Association (IMPECT)
http://www.impect.org

PROJECT AREA

BENEFICIARIESTHREATENED SPECIES

6,057 ha2,136 persons

5 species

Quick
Stats

The project supported three Karen communities to become amodel of community-based sustainable development bybuilding on their traditional knowledge and natural resource
management systems and combining it with innovative andtechnologically advanced community-controlled mapping,monitoring and information systems and with increased
economic productivity bothfor human wellbeing and forbiodiversity.
Italsoaddressed
threats
toendangered species, developed recovery plans and addressedinvasive alien species. The project raised public awareness in society
at large about the role of the evolving Karen management systems in
relation to sustainable development and biodiversity. It sought tofeed into the development and implementation of local and national
policies and laws that enable and support community-basedsustainable governance and management of biodiversity.
This was achieved through close collaboration with, and the highest
possible level of participation of community members, including
women and youth. Activities centered around the documentation,
appreciation and revitalization of traditional knowledge with the use ofmodern mapping technology.

Project Achievements⚫
⚫
⚫

Recognition of the site as a Special Cultural Zone due to the practice of traditional rotationalfarming.
Development of curriculum and incorporation of Karen traditional knowledge in the school
environmental program.
Development of branded value-added products from rotational farming through collaborations
with chefs and restaurants.

This project has contributed to the following
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

This project has contributed to the following Aichi
Biodiversity Targets (ABTs):

9

PROJECT AREA

BENEFICIARIESTHREATENED SPECIES

27,325 persons

44 species

Quick
Stats
191,624 ha

3,000,055 ha

A training on the Indicators of Resilience in Socioecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes (SEPLS)
was held in Moramanga, Madagascar, during August 25 –27, 2016, through classroom training and field practical
exercises. The training aimed to build capacity of GEFSatoyama Project subgrantees and others in the region
on using the “Resilience Indicators in SEPLS” during the
project management cycle. The region included bothterrestrial and marine environments.

TERI

EPCO

GIF

DAHARI

Wildlife Conservation
Society (WCS)
capacitated farmers in
the Makira Nature Parkwith higher yielding
agricultural techniques
to provide more food topeople without
encroaching into thepark’s core area. WCS
also restored critical
ecological corridors
and conducted patrols.
(Project area: 190,622
ha of land)

Environmental Protection& Conservation
Organisation (EPCO)
restored traditional
mariculture fields, calledbarachois, andmangroves with a local
community.
Ecotourism andenvironmental education
was also part of the
project. (Project area: 55
ha of sea)

Green Island
Foundation (GIF) aimed
to establish a comanagement plan withfishermen on a soundbasis of intensive fishdata collection, which
will become part of thelaw, to reduce theimpact of artisanal
fishing on threatened
species in the Mahe
Plateau. (Project area:
3,900,000 ha of sea)

Dahari helped local
farmers manage
their land betterwith agriculturalextension activities
and protected thehabitats of the
Livingstone’s fruit
bat throughagreements withlandowners in Moya
Forest in the islandof Anjouan.
(Project area: 1,002
ha of land)10Dahari
http://www.daharicomores.org

PROJECT AREA

BENEFICIARIESTHREATENED SPECIES

1,002 ha1,300 persons

6 species

Quick
Stats

Deforestation threatens the livelihoods of the local population
dependent on agriculture and over 20 terrestrial species listed
as threatened on the IUCN’s Red List. The situation isparticularly critical on the island of Anjouan where populationpressure is over 600 persons/km2, and where deforestation
has led to the loss of around 40 of 50 previously permanentrivers.
The project consolidated
a community-led model
forlandscapemanagement for the
Comoros, combining forest and biodiversity protection with
agricultural and agroforestry development in 10 villages
surrounding the Moya forest
KBA in Anjouan.
The
project
mappedtraditional
knowledge
regarding the advantages and disadvantages of different trees
for different purposes, and combined this with scientificunderstanding to propose improved agroforestry regimes. At thesame time at least 400 hectares of forest conserving key
ecosystem services was put under management by communities
supported by local authorities, and at least 40 hectares
conserving biodiversity hotspots.
Project Achievements⚫
⚫
⚫

Agreements with four landowners to protect the roost sites of the Livingstone’s Fruit Bat.
Capacity building in improved agricultural practices and the distribution of seeds andseedlings.
Reforestation of water catchment areas.

This project has contributed to the following
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

This project has contributed to the following Aichi
Biodiversity Targets (ABTs):

11

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
http://www.wcs.org/

PROJECT AREA

BENEFICIARIESTHREATENED SPECIES

190,622 ha

25,000 persons

9 species

Quick
Stats
The project maintained the ecological integrity of the Makira
Natural Park and optimized the use of natural resources tounderpin livelihoods in the fragile socio-ecological production
landscape (SEPL) of the southeast watershed of the Makira Natural
Park that suffers from high levels of anthropogenic threats.
Three activities were implemented to achieve this goal: (i) the
reinforcement of the ecological integrity of the south-east
watershed of Makira and reduction of the pressures and threats toecological functions and biodiversity through participatory patrols
and ecological monitoring and restoration of the two fragile forest
corridors of Vohitaly and Lokaitra; (ii) the diversification andincreased resilience of local communities’ livelihoods throughimproved agro-ecological production techniques for FairTrade cloves
and the promotion of an improved rice growing intensification
system; and (iii) the promotion of good governance andenvironmental-friendly practices amongst communities to promote
the involvement of all stakeholders, and particularly women andyoung people in natural resources governance and decision-making.
The project reinforced community ownership and positive attitudes
towards conservation actions by ensuring a strong and effective
involvement of communities in conservation actions coupled withinterventions to support improved livelihoods and economic
development based on the traditional and sustainable use of natural
resources.
Project Achievements⚫
⚫
⚫

More than 500 ha of forest restored with a seedling survival rate of 97%.
Patrols conducted in collaboration with local communities.
Capacity building in improved clove production and intensive rice system.

This project has contributed to the following Aichi
Biodiversity Targets (ABTs):This project has contributed to the following
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

12

Environmental Protection & Conservation Organisation (EPCO)
http://wwwepcoweb.org

PROJECT AREA

BENEFICIARIESTHREATENED SPECIES

55 ha

50 persons

10 species

Quick
Stats

The project established a sustainable and collaborative
development model for the restoration, conservation andmanagement of degraded natural resources, ecological processes
and biodiversity of a marine coastal wetland. The conservation
and restoration of the mangrove forests consisted of intensive
cleanup and maintenance, removal and control of pests andinvasive alien species, and seedling planting. Moreover, byreinstating ecosystem services and embellishing the area throughrenovation and maintenance of existing structures such asfootpaths, the project facilitated the development of recreational
and touristic facilities, based on the community vision.
The Project emphasized awareness raising, sensitization andinformation dissemination to all stakeholders through various communication tools such as brochures,press releases, information panels, environmental education programs,
and community-based events. For the adaptive management of the
project, traditional knowledge and information from the on-goingfisheries, biophysical, socio-economic and governance monitoring wascollected and analyzed to monitor the effectiveness of the project
activities. The project promoted the development of local alternative
livelihoods opportunities, sustainable local tourism, small community
businesses, thus alleviating poverty and enhancing quality of life.

Project Achievements⚫
⚫
⚫

Restoration of Barachois through clean-up activities, removal of alien invasive species andthe planting of indigenous species in the area.
Capacity building and better awareness among community members in community tourism.
Establishment of a Cooperative to build on the interventions of the Project.

This project has contributed to the following
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

This project has contributed to the following Aichi
Biodiversity Targets (ABTs):

13

Green Islands Foundation (GIF)
http://greenislandsfoundation.blogspot.com/

PROJECT AREA

BENEFICIARIESTHREATENED SPECIES

3,900,000 ha

975 persons

19 species

Quick
Stats

The objective of this project was to reduce the impact ofSeychelles artisanal fishery on globally threatened species. The
project developed a baseline of threatened species occurrence inthe artisanal fishery through fisher interviews and consultation,
literature review and an intensive 12-month survey of artisanalcatch. The project supported fishers in the identification anddevelopment of pragmatic management measures to reduce
artisanal fishing pressure on threatened species. These
measures were developed into the project’s primary output of anartisanal fishery management plan for threatened species,
regulated as a co-management plan under the 2014 Fisheries
Act. The project also produced a threatened species databaseand baseline of occurrence in artisanal fishery catch, athreatened species identification guide and related technical andeducation materials, and a protocol and format for threatened
species catch monitoring with trained fishery technicians andresearchers. The project provided a pragmatic, stakeholder-led
and regulated basis to minimize fishery impact upon threatened
species, train technicians to monitor future threatened species
catch and thereby enable its adaptive management. This in turnwill result in improved site-level conservation status of various
threatened species and contribute to a more diverse, resilient andproductive marine ecosystem on the Mahé plateau.
Project Achievements⚫
⚫
⚫

A signed agreement among fishers to adhere to self-governing regulations in support ofsustainable artisanal fishing.
An artisanal fishery co-management plan recognized by the government due to beincorporated into existing legislations.
Scientific records on fish species and fish catch.

This project has contributed to the following
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

This project has contributed to the following Aichi
Biodiversity Targets (ABTs):

14

PROJECT AREA

BENEFICIARIESTHREATENED SPECIES

1,170 persons

43 species

Quick
Stats
14,359 ha

3,622 haA training on the Indicators of Resilience inSocio-ecological Production Landscapes andSeascapes (SEPLS) was held at the Victor Hugo
Hotel in Puerto López, Ecuador, during October 7– 9, 2016, through classroom training and fieldpractical exercises. The training aimed to build
capacity of GEF-Satoyama Project subgrantees
and others in the region on using the “Resilience
Indicators in SEPLS” during the project
management cycle.

AMPA

FIDES

UIS

Asociación Amazónicos por la
Amazonía (AMPA) facilitatedthe participatory
management of the Alto
Huayabamba Conservation
Concession (AHCC) as a
production landscape thatavoids deforestation. AMPA
also supported thecommunities in the organic
farming of grains, apiculture,primate monitoring andmarketing. (Project area:
6,711 ha of land)

Fundación para laInvestigación y Desarrollo
Social (FIDES) restored andconserved dry forests andmangroves in Manabí province
while improving the livelihoodsof communities depending onthese natural resources. FIDES
also supported communities incapacity building, education,
sensitization and marketing.
(Project area: 7,498 ha of landand 3,622 ha of sea)

Universidad Industrial deSantander (UIS) identified
management strategies inpost conflict zones of theColombian Andes throughparticipatory reconstructionof history. UIS documented
and corroborated tacitknowledge for conversion
into expert knowledge,
as well as created marketingstrategies for agro-products.
(Project area: 150 ha of
land)

15

Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS)
http://www.uis.edu.co/webUIS/es/index.jsp

PROJECT AREA

BENEFICIARIESTHREATENED SPECIES

150 ha80 persons

11 species

Quick
Stats

In the Colombian Andes diversified agroforestry systems withcacao and coffee exist within a matrix of cattle pastures and wellpreserved forest fragments which harbor a biodiversity of faunaand flora that provide essential ecosystem services, but are
threatened by agricultural intensification, post-conflict ruraldevelopment and global market pressures. The project was
carried out in the buffer zone of the Yariguíes National Park, anationally important production landscape that with a high levelof biodiversity and endemism.
The region was relatively recently colonized and remained largely isolated due to the internal armed
conflict. Against this background, the project contributed to the conservation of these biologicallydiverse production landscapes by identifying existing management strategies, reconciling biodiversity
conservation and ecosystem service provisioning with agricultural production. To do so, anassessment of the biodiversity and ecosystem services was done across three different management
strategies: (i) intensified cacao and/or coffee production without shade trees, (ii) designed
agroforestry systems with planted shade trees, and (iii) close tonatural polycultures. Researchers assessed plant, invertebrate
and vertebrate biodiversity indicators and ecosystem services(water provisioning, soil protection and pest control). The project
converted the autochthonous tacit knowledge about managing
these diversified agro-ecosystems into explicit expert knowledge
using a participatory approach. Thus, empowering local
communities to conserve their knowledge for future challenges
and inspire the emerging population of Colombian post-conflict
farmers
Project Achievements⚫
⚫
⚫

Creation of the FiNCO initiative promoting farms as a source of knowledge.
Establishment of the Agri-eco-touristic project in La Germania.
Production of inventories of ants, birds and mammals in San Vicente de Chucurí.

This project has contributed to the following
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

This project has contributed to the following Aichi
Biodiversity Targets (ABTs):

16

Fundación para la Investigación y Desarrollo Social (FIDES)
http://fundacion-fides.weebly.com

PROJECT AREA

BENEFICIARIESTHREATENED SPECIES

1,452 persons

1 species

Quick
Stats
7,498 ha3,622 haThe project restored and conserved biodiversity in mangrove
ecosystems and dry forests to sustain the livelihoods of local
communities, through the strengthening of local capacities incommunity organizations and coordinated work with public,
private and community actors. The project addressed issues ofconservation and restoration of three ecosystems (mangroves,
rainforest and dry forest) while
improving productive activities. It
improved the income of families
dedicated to the production of artisanal salt, strengthening of agroecological farms (based on cocoa) and community tourism.
The project trained and sensitized more than 1,500 children of 15 schools
on mangrove ecosystems. Further, some 50 new youth leaders wereprepared to take the lead in community development. More than 300
hectares of mangroves were restored, repopulated with black shell(Anadara tuberculosa, Anadara similis) and initiatives put in place toengage various public, private and community actors for the integrated
management of the SEPLS.
Project Achievements
⚫
⚫
⚫
⚫
⚫

Creation of the Intercommunity Committee of Portoviejo River Estuary to manage the area.
Establishment of a mangrove nursery for reforestation of mangrove forests.
Revitalization and improvement salt and cocoa production facilities.
Generation of new markets for salt and cocoa products.

This project has contributed to the following
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

This project has contributed to the following Aichi
Biodiversity Targets (ABTs):

17

Amazónicos por la Amazonía (AMPA)
http://ampaperu.info/

PROJECT AREA

BENEFICIARIESTHREATENED SPECIES

6,711 ha238 persons

6 species

Quick
Stats

This project had as its objective to guarantee theconservation of the priority areas of Peruvian Yungas andParamos. The goal was to contribute to improve thequality of life of the people that settled in the AHCC andits buffer zone through the consolidation of wild honeyand organic quinoa in sustainable productive chains. It
developed capacities of local young people in the research
and monitoring of the yellow-tailed woolly monkey(Oreonax flavicauda) and reduced deforestation anddegradation caused by migrant farmers.
The stakeholders of the AHCC included members of associations that signed conservation agreements,
which state their commitment to stop deforestation and expressed a willingness to support therecovery of logged areas. Through community management, a decrease in deforestation rates wasachieved, according to a study conducted in 2015. Wild honey had a higher efficiency than the
traditional crops such as coffee, in the role of creating more carbon storage and increasing family
income. These initiatives were consolidated, and the communities empowered to be involved in theconservation of critical endangered and endemic species and the management of the production
landscapes. The project had four components: a) development of sustainable productive activities; b)organizational and business reinforcement for associations; c) promoting sustainable management of
ecosystems; and d) participatory monitoring with young people.
Project Achievements⚫
⚫
⚫
⚫

The Association of Organic Producers of the Province ofBolivar was formed.
Project site obtained organic certification.
Primate monitoring was conducted by community members.
For the first time, community women joined the primate
monitoring group.
This project has contributed to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

This project has contributed to the following
This project has contributed to the following Aichi
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
Biodiversity
Targets (ABTs):This projectcontributed to the following Aichi Biodiversity Targets (ABTs):This project has contributed to the following Sustainable Development
Goals has
(SDGs):

This project has contributed to the following Aichi Biodiversity Targets (ABTs):

18

Key Messages
⚫

⚫

⚫

⚫

People recognize the values of SEPLS in many different ways through different ways ofinteraction with them in their own perspectives. To appreciate the totality of the value set, multistakeholder platforms are important.
Traditional knowledge is an integral part of SEPLS, enabling people to sustainably use andmanage various resources, but is in decline. Effective measures to address this decline include
creating community schools to facilitate mutual learning between elders and youths, reinforcing
traditional ecological production, and integrating traditional knowledge into science and policies.
Governance in SEPLS is strengthened through effective collaborative management schemes,
involving local communities in the decision-making process regarding SEPLS management, basedon effective communication between all the stakeholders, financial support and policies that
promote local governance systems.
It is key for the sustainability of SEPLS to develop public policies that are coherent among thedifferent sectors and levels of government, and to integrate the local values, traditional and local
knowledge, customary rights and community institutions with the management of SEPLS.

Biodiversity conservation and livelihood can co-exist. SEPLS is a system people have created throughlong interactions with their surrounding environment that provide a model for solutions. In many
SEPLS there is no single entities or a set of well-defined entities that manage them. This is because
SEPLS are not designed to be what they are, but rather they have emerged to be what they are as aresult of synergies and trade-offs among multiple interests and objectives. Good governance basedon meaningful participation of all relevant stakeholders and productive interaction between these isparticularly important in SEPLS. Landscape management is a multi-stakeholder undertaking. In many
countries the institutional framework to manage the natural resources in the SEPLS has been
designed to work in a sectorial vision (agriculture, forests, mining, conservation, etc), or in silos,
without an integrated landscape management
approach, which generates contradicting
policies, plans and investments. The types ofactors, forms of interaction and networking
vary from site to site, but there is a common
need for collaborative forms of ecosystemmanagement in the SEPLS as building blocks ofparticipatory and effective governance systems
at the landscape or seascape level. Given thesefactors, a multi-stakeholder platform is needed
to facilitate effective governance.
19

A strong link between values, knowledge and governance can potentially enhance biodiversity andproduction in SEPLS. The recognition of many terrestrial ecosystem services (and values) by local
communities is typically linked with extensive traditional knowledge held by communities, not only on
their geo-ecological features (e.g. lemur ecology in the case of the Makira Forest, Madagascar), butalso on their management and use, and their role in traditional beliefs (such as worship of theancestral spirits of lemur species). These values are recognized and often integrated into governanceschemes with specific roles in co-management schemes (e.g. joint patrols with rangers such as in thecase of Makira Forest). However, there are cases where the knowledge held by local communities is
not sufficiently recognized and exchanged with government agencies. This results in less capacity
building for community organizations, and protected areas where locals are largely excluded from.

In any landscapes or seascapes, values, knowledge and governance are inter-related
The values of coastal ecosystems for local communities, is closely linked to the knowledge held by
local communities of the habitats and artisanal fishery practices. The values for and knowledge heldby local communities as key stakeholder should be reflected in the governance system, as in the caseof the co-management of Seychelles, where the near shore sea is managed by various entities andoverseen by the central government, and the fishing regulation is being developed as part of abottom-up process. It is obvious from the demonstration projects that local champions play a crucialrole in mobilizing the communities, being the window of communication to and from the communities,
and sustaining the initiatives after the project terms.

20Conservation International Japan (CI Japan)
www.conservation.or.jp
CI Japan is a Japanese entity and part of an internationalNGO, Conservation International, working for realizing
sustainable society. Based on a strong foundation of science,
partnership and field demonstrations, CI Japan works closelywith the network spreading in 31 countries with a total staff of1000 conservationists. Under the slogan of “People neednature to thrive,” it engages in policy work, field project
implementation and outreach.

United Nations University Institute for the Advanced
Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS)
ias.unu.edu
UNU-IAS is a leading research and teaching institute based inTokyo, Japan. Its mission is to advance efforts towards amore sustainable future, through policy-relevant research andcapacity development focused on sustainability and its social,economic and environmental dimensions. UNU-IAS serves theinternational community, making valuable and innovative
contributions to high-level policymaking and debates within
the UN system. The activities of the institute are in threethematic areas: sustainable societies, natural capital andbiodiversity, and global change and resilience.

Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
www.iges.or.jp/en/
IGES is a non-profit, research institute headquartered in
Hayama, Japan with offices in Kansai, Kitakyushu and Tokyo,
as well as in Bangkok, Thailand and Beijing, China.
Information on IGES research, networks and events areavailable on the IGES website: www.iges.or.jp/en/.

21

Global Environment Facility (GEF)
www.thegef.org
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) was established in 1994
as an independent financial mechanism for providing grants
and concessional funding to cover the incremental or
additional costs of measures to assist in the protection of the
global environment and to promote environmental sustainable
development and a global partnership of 183 countries,
international institutions, civil society organizations, andprivate sector. The GEF has provided $18.1 billion in grants
and leveraged $94.2 billion in co-financing for more than
4,500 projects in more than 170 developing countries.
The International Partnership for the Satoyama
Initiative (IPSI)
satoyama-initiative.org/
The Satoyama Initiative is a global effort, first proposed jointly
by the United Nations University and the Ministry of theEnvironment of Japan, to realize “societies in harmony withnature” and contribute to biodiversity conservation throughthe revitalization and sustainable management of “socioecological production landscapes and seascapes” (SEPLS). The
United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of
Sustainability (UNU-IAS) serves as the Secretariat of IPSI, aninternational partnership of organizations working to realize
the vision of the Satoyama Initiative.

The logo of the GEF-Satoyama Project symbolically depicts the major
elements of the SEPLS, with landscape and seascape elements.
Cultivated field with a bird indicates the presence of people inharmony with nature. The rising sun indicates the aspiration that thisproject starts a new movement of conservation, one that is at theheart of sustainable development.

22This was printed on bamboo pulp paper. This use of bamboo for pulp is contributing to a SEPLS in southern Japan.