Enabling sustainable production landscapes in Eastern Highlands and Western Highlands Provinces for Biodiversity, Human Livelihoods and Well-being To conserve threatened species and habitats, improve the management of protected areas, areas of high conservation value and associated buffer zones, and enable sustainable, biodiversity friendly, climate resilient livelihoods in Eastern and Western Highlands Provinces. Note: Disbursement data provided is cumulative and covers disbursement made by the project Agency. 1. Mainstreaming biodiversity into farm and forest management and improving management of protected areas and their buffer zones will trigger improvements in the production of ecosystem services for the benefit of both customary landowners and nature. The promotion of biodiversity-friendly, climate resilient farm and forest management practices and sustainable economic opportunities for customary landowners will provide opportunities and incentives, particularly for women and youth, to improve their livelihoods through the sustainable use of biodiversity. Diversifying livelihoods based on the sustainable use of biodiversity will increase resilience of rural communities and help them adapt to climate change. Vulnerability of farmers to climate influenced events, such as droughts and floods, will be decreased by improving the flow of ecosystem services (notably provisioning services such as food, NTFPs, timber, fiber and water), through biodiversity friendly and climate resilient management of forests and farmlands that enhance livelihood benefits and diversification.2. An effective knowledge management strategy will enable sharing of good practice, increasing the capacity and capability of participating communities to improve agricultural and forest productivity while conserving biodiversity. It will also enable up-scaling and sustainability.3. By targeting the project to high priority landscapes in the two provinces, improvements to biodiversity and livelihoods will be achieved. This will increase the area of landscapes under improved practices. By improving the management of buffer zones around protected areas, including community conserved areas, and improving agroforestry activities, the project will contribute to the improved conservation of several threatened species (notably, Tree Kangaroo, Birds of Paradise and Echidna) and reduce pressure on high conservation value areas within protected areas, including community conserved areas and buffer zones. A co-benefit of the project will be carbon sequestered/emissions avoided in the Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use sector.Decent Rural Employment4. In WHP and EHP, decent work is predominantly associated with livelihoods based on agriculture and to a lesser extent forest use. Decent work can be considered to include “opportunities for work that is productive and delivers a fair income, security in the workplace and social protection for families, better prospects for personal development and social integration, freedom for people to express their concerns, organize and participate in the decisions that affect their lives and equality of opportunity and treatment for all women and men.”[1]5. The project has a strong focus on improving rural livelihoods through forest and frame management including by generating and distributing livelihood benefits through commercial activity and linking smallholders to financial institutions and markets which will incentivize local communities to manage forests and other natural resources sustainably and improve community-level resilience. Table 19 provides a summary of how the project will support decent rural employment, based on the four pillars described in FAO’s guidance material.[2]Table 19 Project Support to Decent Rural EmploymentPrioritized Groups- Customary landowners including:o Small-scale farm and forest producers, including contributing family workerso Small-scale processors and aggregators of farm and forest productso Women and youth within the above categorieso Specific vulnerable groups (e.g., land poor and landless people, disabled people, elderly people, and single-adult households)Pillar 1: Employment-creation and enterprise-development- Participatory analyses with vulnerable groups on specific rural employment issues related to farms and forests- Ensure that relevant groups within the targeted rural areas are involved effectively in consultations- Consider the impact of technology and infrastructure options on the number and quality of jobs created- Women and men small-scale farm and forest producers supported in accessing fair markets and sustainable value chains- Women and men small-scale farm and forest producers and supported in accessing training, financial services, and other productive assets, with priority to rural businesses owned by women and youth- Provide Market Analysis and Development training on how to develop viable market options for forest and farm products.- Implement training for government agencies and project partners to enable them to undertake participatory approaches with local target communitiesPillar 2: Social protection- Asses, document and disseminate institutional innovations and good practices of organized collective action, including through local groups, with strong impacts on social protectionPillar 3: Standards and rights at work- Socially responsible agricultural and forest production supported, specifically to reduce gender and age-based discrimination- Promote compliance with national labor legislation in the rural areas- Address the constraints of women, youth, and other specific groups workers in getting organized, notably through community forestryPillar 4: Governance and social dialogue- Promote the inclusive participation of local people, particularly women- Support customary landowners to strengthen networks of producers and workers in the informal food and forest economy- Build capacity to empower forest and farm producers to organize into legalized associations and women to undertake leading positions- Undertake knowledge exchange events to refine and endorse the most promising approaches for climate-resilient forest and agricultural landscape management.[1]  https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/decent-work/lang--en/index.htm[2]  FAO, 2010. Rural Employment, Guidance Material #1: Guidance on How to Address Decent Rural Employment in FAO Country Activities (2nd ed.). http://www.fao.org/3/i1937e/i1937e.pdf