Project to Support Sustainable Forest Management and the Strengthening of the Role of Forests in Combating Climate Change in Niger (GDFCC – Niger)

Niger (the) | AfDB

4 December 2019

Project/Programme Title:

Project to Support Sustainable Forest Management for Strengthening the Role of Forests in Combating Climate Change in Niger (GDFCC – Niger)

Country(ies): Niger

National Designated Authority(ies) (NDA):

National Council on Environment and Sustainable Development (CNEDD)

Accredited Entity(ies) (AE): African Development Bank (ADB)

Date of first submission/ version number:

[YYYY-MM-DD] [V.0]

Date of current submission/ version number

[YYYY-MM-DD] [V.0]

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Contents

Section A PROJECT / PROGRAMME SUMMARY

Section B PROJECT PROGRAMME INFORMATION

Section C INDICATIVE FINANCING

Section D SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

Section E APPENDICES

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Notes

• The maximum number of pages should not exceed 12 pages, excluding annexes. Proposals exceeding the

prescribed length will not be assessed within the indicative service standard time of 30 days.

• As per the Information Disclosure Policy, the concept note, and additional documents provided to the

Secretariat can be disclosed unless marked by the Accredited Entity (ies) (or NDAs) as confidential.

• The relevant National Designated Authority (ies) will be informed by the Secretariat of the concept note upon

receipt.

• NDA can also submit the concept note directly with or without an identified accredited entity at this stage. In

this case, they can leave blank the section related to the accredited entity. The Secretariat will inform the

accredited entity (ies) nominated by the NDA, if any.

• Accredited Entities and/or NDAs are encouraged to submit a Concept Note before making a request for project

preparation support from the Project Preparation Facility (PPF).

• Further information on GCF concept note preparation can be found on GCF website Funding Projects Fine

Print.

A. Project / Programme Summary (max. 1 page)

A.1. Project or programme ☒ Project

☐ Programme

A.2. Public or private sector

☒ Public sector

☐ Private sector

A.3. Is the CN submitted in Response to an RFP?

Yes ☐ No ☒

If yes, specify the RFP: ______________

A.4. Confidentiality1 ☐ Confidential

☒ Not confidential

A.5. Indicate the result areas for the project/programme

Mitigation: Reduced emissions from:

☐ Energy access and power generation

☐ Low emission transport

☐ Buildings, cities and industries and appliances

☒ Forestry and land use

Adaptation: Increased resilience of:

☒ Most vulnerable people and communities

☒ Health and well-being, and food and water security

☐ Infrastructure and built environment

☒ Ecosystem and ecosystem services

A.6. Estimated mitigation impact (tCO2eq over lifespan)

55,000,000 tCO2eq

A.7. Estimated adaptation impact (number of direct beneficiaries and % of population)

7.8 million rural and 3.2 million urban by 2030 (32% of estimated national population in 2030)2

A.8. Indicative total project cost (GCF + co-finance)

Amount: US$ 162 millions

A.9. Indicative GCF funding requested

Amount: US$ 35 million

A.10. Mark the type of financial instrument requested for the GCF funding

☒ Grant ☐ Reimbursable grant ☐ Guarantees ☐ Equity

☐ Subordinated loan ☐ Senior Loan ☐ Other: specify___________________

A.11. Estimated duration of project/ programme:

a) disbursement period: Five (5) years b) repayment period, if applicable: Not Applicable

A.12. Estimated project/ Programme lifespan

Five (5) years

A.13. Is funding from the Project Preparation Facility requested?3

Yes ☐ No ☐

Other support received ☐ If so, by A.14. ESS category4

☐ A or I-1

☒ B or I-2

1 Concept notes (or sections of) not marked as confidential may be published in accordance with the Information Disclosure Policy (Decision B.12/35) and the Review of the Initial Proposal Approval Process (Decision B.17/18).

2 Direct beneficiaries in Tillaberi, Niger & Dosso regions by 2030 where the project will be actively operational. This excludes indirect beneficiaries all over the country

s3 See here for access to project preparation support request template and guidelines 4 Refer to the Fund’s environmental and social safeguards (Decision B.07/02)

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who: ☐ C or I-3

A.15. Is the CN aligned with your accreditation standard?

Yes ☒ No ☐ A.16. Has the CN been shared with the NDA?

Yes ☒ No ☐

A.17. AMA signed (if submitted by AE)

Yes ☒ No ☐

A.18. Is the CN included in the Entity Work Programme?

Yes ☒ No ☐

A.19. Project/Programme rationale, objectives and approach of programme/project (max 100 words)

Brief summary of the problem statement and climate rationale, objective and selected implementation approach, including the executing entity (ies) and other implementing partners.

Niger is a land-locked nation with a 2019 population of about 23,500,0005 inhabitants and an annual population growth rate of about 3.8%. The country is classified as very poor due mainly to climate change effects, marked by frequent droughts and floods. Its semi-arid tropical climate is marked by distinct dry and rainy season. The dry season (October-May) is marked by sandstorms, dust-storms, frequent gales producing negative effects on health (respiratory and diarrheal diseases, fevers, coughs, chills, and measles) and on the environment (wind erosion deposing sands in rivers). In the rainy season, (May-September), rains are short and intense causing sheet erosion, which deposits sand and silt in rivers. These deposits transform into sediment widening rivers and increasing water loss due to increased evaporation, while reducing fisheries and river navigability. These conditions predispose Niger to constant vulnerability. The Niger River brings in most of the country's surface water and fisheries. However, the River’s hydrological regime is characterized by variable inflows over time. In dry years, low flows are long and severe (April to July), and can be reduced to a few cubic meters per second. This situation has intensified over the last 3 decades. In July 1974, the flow of the River fell to 0.4m3/s and in June 1985, it stopped flowing altogether for a few days (Lahmeyer et al., 2000)6. The Kandadji dam, to be built over the River (in Niger) is expected to remedy such weaknesses. It will reduce poverty by ensuring sustainable water supplies for irrigation and sanitation, construction of roads to link producing centers to markets, and electricity to facilitate the operation of processing mills among others. The dam is framed within the P-KRESMIN Program’s 4 Components as follows: C1: construction of dam and electrical equipment; C2: implementation of environmental and social plans; C3: development of a community growth pole; and C4: program management. This GDFCC Project will support the P-KRESMIN Program by implementing its’ Components 1 and 2. GDFCC will fight against sedimentation through forest landscape restoration and related land reclamation interventions while promoting measures that enhance community resilience to CC. While supporting P-KRESMIN, this GDFCC Project will implement an adaptation strategy against sedimentation in the Kandadji watershed; improve food security and livelihood of vulnerable communities by promoting a PES scheme through sustainable forest and watershed management, boost forest-based production and reduce GHG emissions.

B. Project Programme Information

B.1. Context and Baseline (max. 2 pages) Description of P-KRESMIN Program and linkages with the GDFCC Project

This GDFCC – Niger Project is planned to support the Kandadji Ecosystems Regeneration and Niger Valley Development Program (P-KRESMIN). The P-KRESMIN Program was adopted by the Government of Niger in August 2002 to mitigate the impact of frequent low river flows and considerable hardship of the population of Niger. The program objective is to contribute to poverty reduction and the regeneration of river ecosystems. The specific objectives of this key, multi-sector and multipurpose program are to: (i) regulate the low-water period flow rate to ensure ecosystem regeneration and water security; (ii) sustainably increase agricultural and animal production through irrigation control and the rationalisation of natural resource development; and (iii) increase the electricity access rate for people living in rural, peri-urban and urban areas, in several towns and localities in Niger.The design of P-KRESMIN is centered on the Kandadji dam scheduled to be built on the Niger River. The dam project is located at about 60 km downstream of the border with Mali, while the entire program area covers the three regions of Tillabéri, Niger and Dosso. The main outcome of the Program is the construction of a dam and a hydropower generating plant on the Niger River in Kandadji within the

5 World Population Review.Info 6 Lahmeyer, 2000. Étude de faisabilité du barrage Kandadji, phase II – Étude d’impact sur l’environnement. Volume 4

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Tillabéri region of Niger. The dam will be constructed 187 km upstream of Niamey and 61 km from the border with Mali. The nearest town is Tillabéri, located 65 km downstream. Infrastructure that will accompany the dam include (a) an HV Transmission line that will run along the right bank of the river to Niamey, (b) resettlement sites, (c) irrigated compensation schemes for project-affected persons (PAPs), (d) drinking water supply system for resettlement sites, (e) electrification networks for resettlement sites and equipment for irrigated areas, (f) deviation of the National Road 1 (RN1W), (g) access roads of the right bank, as well as (h) 45,000 ha of hydro-agricultural development recommended in the Niger Valley Development Master Plan.

The program includes three components, which include (A) construction of the Dam and provision of electrical equipment (B) implementation of Environment and Social Measures, for watershed and Forestry restoration, (C) Grow pole development and (D) project coordination and monitoring and evaluation.

Component A: Dam and electrical equipment This component, is wholly financed by the African Development Bank and comprises four lots: Lot 1: (i) construction of a rock-fill concrete faced dam of 24 m high with a dike of 6.2 km; (ii) a spill-way in the form of a weir equipped with control valves with a capacity of 3,550 m3/s (Deca-Milléniale flood); (iii) an integrated fish pass; (iv) An oblique navigation overhead lift; (v) the civil engineering of the hydroelectric power plant and (vi) a 3M3/s water intake for irrigation immediately downstream of the dam. Lot 2: Equipment of the electric centre; Lot 3: Electric line Construction (Tillabérey – Niamey) and Lot 4: Construction of the deviation of the RN1-W road. Component B: Environment and Social Measures This component includes two sub-components. Sub-Component B1: Implementation of the updated ESMP with measures and actions concerning: (i) treatment of the dam reservoir sub-watershed (7400 ha of recovered land, 25% of which is planted) and the reforestation of 1600 ha; (ii) dam security; (iii) biodiversity and control of invasive aquatic plant proliferation; (iv) ecosystem protection; (v) deforestation of the reservoir (6000 ha); (vi) implementation of fishing, public health epidemiological and climate change adaptation activities; vii) creation of a hippopotamus sanctuary and protected area covering 1.15 million hectares; and (viii) construction of the Kandadji museum to safeguard the cultural heritage. Sub-Component B2: Implementation of the Resettlement Action Plan for Wave 2 communities living in the reservoir area (RAP.2A): (i) management of the involuntary displacement of people affected by the dam’s construction; (ii) implementation of actions to support the compensation process and vulnerable people (including women in male-headed households); (iii) coordination of land commissions; (iv) organisation of gender-sensitive information and communication actions; (v) compensation for affected people (including women); and (vi) development and broadening of the scope of compensation as a population resettlement support measure.

Component C: Growth Pole : The aim of this component is to establish a growth pole around the dam. It includes: (i) preparation of the Niger Valley Integrated Development Master Plan; (ii) preparation of feasibility studies for 45,000 ha of irrigation areas; (iii) study and establishment of the growth pole; and (iv) implementation of the first phase of the pole on a pilot area with 1500ha of irrigation infrastructure.

Component D : Project Management: Support for the project’s operation for which ABK will be partly responsible: (i) renewal of logistic resources; (ii) renewal of IT and office automation equipment; (iii) renewal and procurement of additional furniture; (iv) strengthening of the monitoring and evaluation mechanism and implementation of the ESMP and RAP; (v) coordination of project activities; (vi) cross-cutting gender and youth employment approach; (vi) administrative, accounting and financial management; (vii) procurement of goods, works and services; and (viii) establishment of annual audits, midterm review and engineering designs. In terms of technical objectives, the P-KRESMIN program aims to reduce poverty by amongst others; improving food security and better supply of energy needs of the people of Niger. The specific objectives include: (a) irrigate 45,000 Ha to improve agricultural production, food security and the living conditions of beneficiary communities, (b) supply safe drinking water, (c) improve incomes of communities through secure systems of stock breeding and sustainable development of agro-pastoral activities, (d) increase Niger’s energy security through the production of electricity with the construction of a hydropower plant with an installed capacity of 130 MW. The first and major conclusion of the latest environmental and social study of the Kandadji Program states as follows: “Analysis of the alternatives to the Kandadji Project reveals that the selected option (construction of the Kandadji dam and its hydropower station) is the only option satisfying all objectives set by the Niger government for the accomplishment of its development strategies, which are; improve low water levels, mitigate environmental degradation, ensure the sustainability of irrigation and water supply to the population, and produce sufficient electrical energy to improve the country's energy coverage7”. In terms of assessing cumulative impacts; a study zone was circumscribed by identifying areas that could be most

7 République du Niger. 2018. Etude d’Impact Environnemental et Social (EIES) Actualisée du Programme Kandadji.

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affected by the dam. It comprised of (a) the area of the future reservoir resulting from the dam, (b) an area adjacent to the reservoir of variable width delineated to the north by the border with Mali, (c) a strip downstream of the reservoir with a width of about 10 km on both sides of the Niger River and a length of approximately 30 km to characterize the potential areas of resettlement and associated impacts in the event of dam failure. In terms of environmental and social studies; several have been undertaken since 2005. In 2017, at the request of major donors, the P-KRESMIN Program was the subject of further detailed environmental and social studies, including the Resettlement Action Plan (PAR2), prepared by TRACTEBEL, the Consolidated Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) prepared by CIMA and the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) of Component 2 of the P-KRESMIN Program, prepared by STUDI International. Accompanying measures recommended by the studies, include; support of affected areas with the necessary socioeconomic community infrastructure (drinking water, electricity, roads, schools, health facilities, mosques). The “Project to Support Sustainable Forest Management for Strengthening the Role of Forests in Combating Climate Change in Niger (GDFCC – Niger) is developed for building the resilience (adaptation component) of the Kandadji Ecosystems Regeneration and Niger Valley Development Program (P-KRESMIN) and will co-finance the components B and C. The GCF financing will so contribute towards components B and C. More specifically, the requested GCF funds for GDFCC Niger will support studies including those for setting up a PES mechanism as well as for forest land restoration and forest rehabilitation by communities. Value-added of the GDFCC – the Project is to adapt the P-KRESMIN Program investments against climate change by: (a) establishing a mechanism of Payments for ecosystem services (PES) for securing the dam to promote a sustainable management of forest landscapes in the sub-basin, (b) promoting activities that improve the resilience of livelihoods and ecosystems beyond the immediate dam region of Tillaberi to include the downstream regions of Niger and Dosso, (c) supporting development of a multiplicity of national level landscape management tools, measures, guidelines and processes to be used in planning the long term management of forest landscapes, (d) promoting sustainability by training stakeholders especially State actors with the relevant capacity, thereby equipping them to fulfill their supervisory functions over forest resources in collaboration with decentralized entities long into the future, (e) providing a multiplicity of opportunities for the offspring of landscape level micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, and more. Baseline description for Niger Between 1990 and 2000, Niger lost an average of 62,000 Ha of forest per year (average annual deforestation rate of 3.74%). Between 2000 and 2005, the rate of forest loss fell to 12,000 Ha per year with an annual loss rate of 0.95%. Between 2005 and 2010, the forest loss was stable at 12,000 Ha per year with an annual loss rate of 1%8. The high forest loss between 1990 and 2000 is attributed to the Sahel drought which peaked in the mid-1980s to the early 1990s9 . The forest loss decreased with the renowned farmer-managed forest restoration in Niger after the drought years10. In total, between 1990 and 2010, Niger lost more than 50% of its main forest cover (740,000 Ha)11. Measuring the total rate of habitat conversion (defined as change in forest area plus change in woodland area minus net plantation expansion) for the 1990-2005 intervals, Niger lost 25.7% of its forest and woodland habitat. One of the causes of the forest regression is poverty, as indicated in the context section of the Niger National Forest Plan12 which states as follows; “in addition to climatic hazards, high demographic pressure and the level of poverty of the population (83% rural) all combine to maintain and accentuate the regressive trend of natural resources in general and forest resources in particular”. The following matrix reveals that despite the continuous loss of forest resources and their reducing percentage contribution to the national economy of Niger as a result of diversification, there is a tendency to exploit them even further13.

Table 1: Contribution of the Niger forestry sector to the country’s GDP in Million USD

Climate change is adding to the existing stresses, contributing to decreased productivity of trees as a result of drought and temperature stress, and increased wind and water erosion leading to a decrease in forest potential; low forest productivity; high forest species mortality rate and fragmentation, and reduction in forest formation. The urgent restoration of degraded forests and landscapes is essential if Niger is to meet the challenges posed by desertification, food

8 FAO. 2010. Global Forest Assessment. 2010. 9 Klönne, U. 2012. Drought in the Sahel –global and local driving forces and their impact on vegetation in the 20th and 21st Century 10 Pye-Smith C. 2013. THE QUIET REVOLUTION: How Niger’s farmers are re-greening the parklands of the Sahel. ICRAF Trees for Change no. 12.

Nairobi: World Agroforestry Centre 11 This excludes ‘other woodlands (3,440,000 Ha) and ‘other land with tree cover (8,000,000 Ha) at FAO-FRA 2010 values 12 Ministère de l’Hydraulique et de l’Environnement du Niger (2013). Plan Forestier National (PFN): 2012 – 2021. 13 FAO. 2014. Contribution of the Forestry sector to national economies - 1990 to 2011.

Years 1990 1995 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

F/S contribution 117 112 127 132 138 140 147 139 144 144 144 146 148 149

% GDP 3.3 3.5 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.4 3.1 3.0 2.9 2.6 2.7 2.5 2.5

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insecurity and climate change among other negative trends. This GDFCC – Niger Project will reduce both biodiversity loss and deforestation, and boost forest-based production in Niger to over an estimated 2 million ha of forests. The interventions will be undertaken in the: Koulou; Bana; Foghabéri; Goroubassounga forests (Dosso region) and Say; Faira; Tera and Guésselbodi forests (Tillaberi region); Map in Appendix 1 Outcomes include: (i) Improved management of forest landscapes contributing to emissions reductions (6,626,000 Ha) (ii) Reduced emissions from land use, deforestation, and forest degradation, and through sustainable management of forests and conservation and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (55,000,000 tCO2eq reduction) (iii) Strengthened institutional and regulatory systems for low-emission growth in the forestry sectors (iv) Improved resilience of ecosystems and ecosystem services to climate change (v) Sustainable water supply for domestic use, land irrigation and improved livestock husbandry, (vi) Improved health from increased food production and clean water for better sanitation, and (vii) Improved incomes from potential PPPs and ecotourism. The project will be implemented by the Directorate of Water and Forests of the Ministry of Environment, together with the Kandadji Dam agency and other actors. Linkages with international forest restoration commitments (Bonn Challenge, AICHI Target 15, AFR100…..) GDFCC Niger contributes to forest restoration objectives of the Bonn Challenge (350 M.Ha), AFR100 and other international and regional requests for forest restoration through its restoration target of 500,000 Ha by the end of the project. It also contributes to ecological resilience by providing all-year-round water supply to 45,000 Hectares for irrigation purposes and livelihood resilience to CC for a population of 11,029,000 by 2030 representing 32% of the total population of Niger (34,277,414) by 203014. Linkages with UNCCD/LDN targets Under its LDN Targets, Niger has committed to restore 4,440,500 Ha of degraded land based on 2010 values by 2030. This GDFCC-Niger Project will contribute to LDN targets by (a) restoring 500,000 ha of deforested land (b) contribute towards low-emission and climate resilient development with concrete adaptation actions i.e. restoration of degraded agro-silvo-pastoral lands, (c) create social impact by taking account of gender equity in the access, use and management of forests and trees (d) scale up good practices i.e. incorporating climate-tolerant forest species as fodder banks in parklands and climate smart innovations such as surface water loss reduction techniques (e) enhance national capacities by strengthening government institutions in adaptation and mitigation monitoring and its community-based interventions and (e) leverage finance from the AfDB, GCF among others. Linkages with NDC priorities Pertaining to NDC targets for GHG reductions, Niger’s has committed to conditionally reduce 33,400 GgCO2eq/yr below the BAU level by 2030. This GDFCC Project will contribute 55,000,000 tCO2eq of CO2 reductions by 2025 to the Niger target. Pertaining to NDC target for clean energy production, Niger has committed to generate and use 250 MW of clean energy by 2030. This GDFCC Project will contribute 130 MW of clean energy to the Niger target. Pertaining to NDC biomass-based CC adaptation measures by 2030, Niger has committed to (a) restore 1,030,000 Ha of agro/silvo/pastoral lands. This GDFCC Project will restore 500,000 Ha for mutually non-exclusive activities, including assisted natural regeneration; (b) Niger plans to fix 550,000 Ha of dunes to which this GDFCC – Niger Project will contribute its full land-based investment; (c) Niger plans to sustainably manage 2,220,000 of natural forests, to which this GDFCC Project’s sustainable natural forest management investment of 1,000,000 Ha will contribute towards the national target. Linkages with major field-based Initiatives

• Linkages with the P-KRESMIN Program (Kandadji Dam) This GDFCC Project will undertake a major study expected to lead to setting-up a PES scheme in Niger. The PES study will benefit from a multiplicity of previous environmental and social studies undertaken over several years by the P-KRESMIN Program. Moreover, the PES study will be undertaken in close collaboration with P-KRESMIN as the Dam will benefit from landscape protection from erosion and siltation responsible for shallow waters and potential dysfunction of the Dam. When siltation is checked as a result of community-led protective landscape activities, the Dam is sure to remain operational and therefore continue to provide community services that include water for irrigation and for domestic use as well as electricity to operate local mills, and for lighting. Based on a particular income repartition ‘code’, to be proposed, the revenue generated by the Dam will be placed in a national fund, available for a number of landscape rehabilitation services including motivating communities to remain vigilant and work against the agents of climate change that lead to siltation and disruption of the operation of the Dam.

• Linkages with the African Great Green Wall Initiative (GGWI) The Pan-African Convention on the Great Green Wall Initiative (GGWI) was signed in 2010 and its national agency for

14 République du Niger. 2015. Etat et structure de la population du Niger en 2012.

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Niger, instituted by Law n° 2015-25 in 2015. The Niger initiative envisages that, by 2035, the development of local communities through an innovative and inclusive approach for synergizing actions to combat desertification, biodiversity conservation, mitigation and adaptation to climate change will be attained by supporting and improving agro-silvo-pastoral production systems. In this regards, the Initiative undertakes activities such as; the restoration of degraded land, rehabilitation of degraded ecosystems including natural forest formations and more. The Initiative has attracted funds to achieve these goals, including; 1M Euros from the EU, UNCCD and GEF (PAC3) for the promotion of Moringa and sustainable land management in 10 municipalities for 3 years; 10M Euros from the FAO and the European Union as a regional action against desertification in 10 municipalities for 3 years; 10M Euros from the International Bank of Reconstruction and Development for the creation of Millennium Villages, and 12M USD to promote the production of Date Palms. This GDFCC project will upscale the most promising land management and community resilience practices developed by the GGWI. The GGWI is however weak in certain areas such as improving the forest-related legislative environment in Niger or building the capacity of especially government personnel and others to ensure sustainability of land-based interventions. This GDFCC Project will therefore collaborate with the GGWI in the following areas where it has absolute strength; (a) ensure provision of irrigation water to improve the chances of survival of agro-silvo-pastoral schemes, (b) ensure sustainability of all best land restoration and forest rehabilitation practices by involving and building the capacity of concerned government services including (c) support for developing the appropriate tools and forest-related political and legislative environments for interventions, (d) set-up a PES scheme to ensure continuity of land restoration and ecosystem rehabilitation processes at the end of projects.

Forest management regimes / analysis in Niger15 In the absence of any national forest inventory since the preceding results of the 1980s, Niger has identified four forest ecosystem types with a particular status. They include (a) 23 mixed forest hunting concessions covering 435,000 hectares (b) 302 rural wood market forest concessions covering 990,000 hectares, (c) 71 classified forests covering more than 600,000 hectares, and (d) Protected Areas, covering 6.6% of the national territory with a total area of 8.41 Million hectares. Distribution of forest ecosystems in the country is determined by a climatic / rainfall gradient, decreasing from south to north. The 4 main bioclimatic zones include: (a) the Sudano - Sahelian zone (550 - 800 mm) with tree savannas composed mainly of Combretaceae and economic species such as Butyrospermum parkii, Parkia biglobosa, Adansonia digitata, and others, (b) the Sahelian zone (350 - 550 mm) dominated by trees such as Acacia albida, Acacia senegal, Borassus aethiopium, Hyphaene thebaica, and others, (c) the Sahelo-Saharan zone (200 - 350 mm) made of steppe with Acacia spp, Commiphora africana, Balanites aegyptiaca….., (d) the Saharan zone (less than 200 mm of rain per year) with discontinuous shrub / steppe vegetation. Pertaining to forest formations, the main types include: (a) plateau forests, composed of more than 90% Combretaceae (Guiera senegalensis, Combretum micranthum…), found mainly in the west of the country and represent the dominant type of forest in Niger, providing the country’s essential wood energy supply, (b) forests of the sandy plains, which occupy the Center and Eastern parts of the country. They consist of Combretaceae, but also important mixtures with Acacia raddiana, Acacia senegal and Leptadenia pyrotechnica in the regions of Zinder and Diffa, (c) flooded lowland forests, located in open depressions. These formations contain prickly species, dominated by Acacia nilotica, found particularly in Zinder, Tahoua and Tillabéry, (d) stands at Hyphaene thebaica (Doum Palms) in oasis Basins, dominant in the Lake Chad Basin particularly in the Diffa and Zinder regions where they provide most of the timber (stipe) and foliage (leaves and rachis), (e) Borassus aethiopum Palms, abundant in Dallol Maouri and along the Niger River, (e) aquatic and semi-aquatic ecosystems, on the banks of the Niger River, Lake Chad, ponds and beds of oasis dallols and basins. The natural vegetation in this formation is essentially thickets and gallery forests. From the major bioclimatic gradients and based on human interventions, Niger has adopted the following agro-ecosystem types; (a) Acacia albida parklands. These are most common and play a significant role in the supply of firewood, animal fodder and especially soil fertilizer, (b) Doum agro-forests found mainly along rivers i.e. the Goulbi N'kaba, along the Komadougou Yobe in the east of the country, along the Niger River and around basins in the Gouré and Maïné-Soroa Divisions , (c) Parinari macrophylla Parklands, mostly present along the Dallol Fogha, in the Boboye, Dosso, Gaya and Filingué divisions, (d) Butyrospermum parkii (shea) and Prosopis africana parklands concentrated in the southern bands of Zinder (Magaria - Matameye) and Dosso (Dosso, Gaya) regions. Pertaining to planted forests, the area reported is approximately 92, 000 hectares. Vulnerability, emissions profile and Climate Change impacts The climatic, institutional, livelihood, economic, and environmental contexts of Niger make it one of the most vulnerable countries of the world16. Changes in climate variables pose severe threats to the whole country and particularly to the agriculture and forestry sectors. The Sahelian part of Niger is characterised by strong climatic variations and irregular

15 Seidu, A. (2011). Appui à la préparation du plan de convergence pour la gestion et l’utilisation durables des écosystèmes forestiers en Afrique de l’Ouest. Rapport Pays – Niger.

16 World Bank 2013; Agricultural Sector Risk Assessment In Niger: Moving from Crisis Response to Long-Term Risk Management

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rainfall that ranges between 200mm and 600 mm per year with coefficients of variation ranging from 15 to 30% (Fox and Rockström, 2003; CILSS, 2004). Various studies carried out in connection with the National Communications on climate change in Niger mention the increasing variability of precipitation in terms of both space and time (from less than 100mm/year in the desert regions of the north, to over 600mm/year in a small zone in the south) and a trend of increased temperatures (with maximum temperatures reaching 45°C between April and May). There is increased frequency and intensity of extreme climate risks (droughts, floods, violent winds and sand storms); the silting of water courses (Niger River valley and Lake Chad) and oases. Persistent multi-year droughts have also repeatedly affected Niger since 1968 causing the depletion of the natural environment (trees, shrubs, and grasses). The 1968–73 droughts, in particular, caused the death of many people. A large numbers of animals and trees also perished, perhaps in part because farmers and herders had “forgotten” how to cope with drought17. Losses due to drought in Niger have been estimated at more than US $70 million (World Bank, Climate Risk Assessment, Niger, 2012); the damage, including costs, caused to key sectors of the economy by the floods in the 2000’s are estimated at US $18 million (DPCS, OCHA 200918. The realities of climate change have been much more severe than indicated by decreased precipitation alone because of changing farming practices that resulted from a combination of government policies, rising rural populations, and the extensive conversion of natural landscapes to cropland (CILSS, 2016). Recent global climate vulnerability and risk indexes show that Niger is very vulnerable to climate change, ranked at position 9019 globally (based on the relative severity and magnitude of climate change impacts and the country’s lack of adaptive capacity and marginal level of preparedness). At the landscape scale, forest degradation has led to the loss of biodiversity and caused negative microclimatic changes, thus facilitating desertification and increasing greenhouse gas emissions. The second national communication (2000) estimated overall emissions in Niger at 30,801 GgCO2e, of which Land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) contributed 55.6%. There is need for action on adaptation and building resilience to concurrently tackle emissions from land use changes and increase in carbon storage. Forest Degradation and National Priorities The forestry sector contributes up to 17% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)20 of the country. Forest resources in Niger provide numerous ecosystem services that contribute in building a resilient socio-ecological system in the Sahel amongst which they serve as safety nets during times of drought. Despite all these and other important functions of these forests, they are facing acute degradation and deforestation problems (refer to section A19). The shrub-steppe habitat (grazing areas) is giving way to agriculture, with approximately 4 million ha of rangelands disappearing between 1975 and 2013. The drivers for forest degradation in Niger include: (i) Rapid expansion of agriculture into forest lands, (ii) Uncertain land tenure, land speculation, unauthorized encroachment of forest lands (iii) unsustainable harvesting of forest and non-timber products (iv) Lack of state land registration and forest estate demarcation (v) Population increase and demand for agricultural land and (vi) Rural poverty and lack of alternative livelihoods. Climate change is adding to the existing stresses, contributing to decreased productivity of trees as a result of drought and temperature stress, increased wind and water erosion, increased frequency of forest fires, pest and disease outbreaks, changes in ranges of forest and animal species and inundation and flood damage. These are leading to a decrease in forest potential; low productivity of forest formations; high mortality rate of certain forest species; and fragmentation and reduction of forest formations. One of the legacies of climate variability in the Sahelian part of Niger, and which is likely to be aggravated by climate change, has been the acute shortage of dry season fodder. This situation is not just the result of poorly stocked pastures but can also be linked to the fact that some useful trees and shrubs, which once produced dry season fodder, are rapidly disappearing due to a combination of factors including the recent drought conditions, the expansion of agriculture and the unchecked exploitation of forest products21. Climate change will likely increase its role as a key underlying driver, causing shifts in land-use in response to ecosystem change (HLPE, 2012).

17 IFPRI Discussion Paper 00914 November 2009 Agro environmental Transformation in the Sahel Another Kind of “Green Revolution” Chris

Reij Gray Tappan; Melinda Smale 18 https://www4.unfccc.int/sites/submissions/INDC/Published%20Documents/Niger/1/Niger-INDC-final_Eng_20151020162516_65260.pdf 19 Briefing Paper Global Climate Risk Index 2017 . Who Suffers Most From Extreme Weather Events? Weather-related Loss Events in 2015 and 1996 to 2015 ; Sönke Kreft, David Eckstein and Inga Melchior 20 UNDP; Key Actions Against Climate Change In The Agriculture And Forestry Sectors In Niger 21 Climate Change and Variability in the Sahel Region: Impacts and Adaptation Strategies in the Agricultural Sector Serigne Tacko Kandji1,

Louis Verchot1, Jens Mackensen2 1 Word Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), 2 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

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Barriers identified by Niger forest policy documents22 to the sustainable management of the country’s forest resources include: (a) insufficient management and technical capacity, (b) lack of knowledge /absence of data on the forest resource and insufficient planning tools (c) weak local economy and inadequate forest investment capacity; (d) non mastery of the factors of forest degradation, (e) human related threats and pressures, and (f) climate change. Pertaining specifically to obstacles related to climate change; various scientific studies in the Niger River Basin23'24, have identified CC as a global phenomenon that is (i) responsible for the reduced volumes of water flow of the Niger River and drop of the underground water table as well as (ii) changes of the rainfall regime. Reduced volumes of water flow of the Niger River and drop of the underground water table will lead to: vulnerability to water stress for irrigation; vulnerability of ecosystems to degradation; vulnerability of wells and boreholes to water deficiency and dryness. Changes in rainfall regime due to CC will lead to: vulnerability of ecosystems to floods as a result of intense short duration rain events; and vulnerability of ecosystems to droughts due to prolonged absence of rainfall. An estimated US$ 2.5 billion is required through to 2030 for Niger to implement priority actions, including to: (i) Reduce emissions of GHG from deforestation and land-use change and (ii) Adapt to the impacts of climate change in the agriculture/livestock sector. Consistency with National Climate Change Priorities The Project to Support Sustainable Forest Management and the Strengthening of the Role of Forests in Combating Climate Change in Niger (GDFCC – Niger), is consistent with the national priorities as identified in Niger’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC, 2015). To facilitate climate change adaptation, the NDC includes a plan of action targeting the “Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Uses” (AFOLU) sector and the Energy sector. Carbon sequestration will be the primary contribution of Niger to climate change mitigation, thanks to the co-benefits of adaptation measures and improved energy efficiency in the various energy sub-sectors. In the “Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Uses” sector, NDC activities will focus on scaling up best practices in sustainable land management, sustainable forest management, afforestation and reforestation. In absolute terms, Niger intends to reduce its GHG emissions by 33,400 GgCO2Eq/year (2.1 tCO2Eq/person/year) below the “business-as-usual” (BAU) level by 2030.

Adaptation measures under the NDC are aimed at implementing the Strategic Framework for Sustainable Land Management (CS-GDT) during the period 2015-2030 over a total surface area of 6.86 million ha. Total financing needs for these measures over 10 years will be US$1,607,000,000; 21% of which has already been secured (US$0.337 billion). Achieving the goal of the NDC will require a total investment of US$8,667,000,000; US$7.5 billion (87%) of which will depend on international assistance. For the forestry sector (mitigation of GHG emissions), the UNDP estimates that approximately US$ 2.17 billion is needed to reduce GHG emissions through priority actions of reforestation (US$ 266 million) and the substitution of fuel-wood as an energy source (US$ 1.9 billion)25.

Niger ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1995 and the Kyoto Protocol in 2004. Strategic efforts to address climate change have included: (i) the drafting of 3 national communications (2000, 2011 and 2016); (ii) adoption of the National Strategy and Plan of Action on Climate Change and Climate Variability (SNPA/CVC); (iii) implementation of the National Programme of Action for Climate Change Adaptation (NAPA26); and (iv) implementation of a strategy for National Capacity Self-Assessments (NCSA) for Global Environmental Management, and the National Strategy and Plan of Action for Global Environmental Management. These initiatives have helped to identify socioeconomic communities, zones and sectors vulnerable to climate change, and to determine priority adaptation measures, such as resilience-building, in key sectors and frameworks and planning tools in Niger.

This proposed project builds on the efforts of the P-KRESMIN Program. The protection of the dam and related infrastructure from the adverse effects of climate change (including the various forms of erosion that are increasing in the area) is high on the agenda of the program's Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP).

Project rationale and objectives Forests offer diverse opportunities for economic growth and perform ecosystem functions of immense regional and global significance. A large proportion of the poorest people in Niger live in and around forests, making forests vital to their livelihoods and central to their food security, and seasonal income streams. However, Niger’s dry-lands face numerous challenges linked to desertification, population pressure, climate change and overharvesting and mismanagement of forest resources. Many people living in the Niger dry-lands are locked in a vicious circle of poverty, irrational practices and environmental degradation. One of the most affected groups is women, who must search for biomass to generate domestic energy to prepare household meals. Section 8 of the National Forest Plan of Niger (2012 – 2021) has

22 République du Niger. 2012. Appui à la préparation du plan de convergence pour la gestion et l’utilisation durables des écosystèmes forestiers en

Afrique de l’ouest 23 ABN - BM, 2013. Evaluation des risques climatiques pour le Bassin du Fleuve Niger 24 Etude AGRHYMET, 2010

25 www.undpcc.org/en/Niger 26 The NAPA identified urgent and most immediate needs in seven vulnerable sectors and fourteen priority adaptation interventions and

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specifically identified women as one of the groups responsible for implementing the Plan as their income and wellbeing are directly linked to local forest and natural resources management (production, conservation and commercialisation). Climate change is expected to increase the incidence of extreme weather events such as droughts and to exacerbate desertification and declines in land productivity. It constitutes a direct threat through reduced delivery of products and forest ecosystem services. Some consequences of these threats are already apparent: massive forest dieback and pest attacks and major reductions in soil water storage capacity that accelerate and intensify soil degradation processes. However, forests and trees have not been considered in most adaptation policies in Niger to date, as the sectors that are prioritized in adaptation tend to define strategies in the absence of linkages with other sectors. This GDFCC Project is a forestry and land-use initiative designed to reduce forest loss and improve the health and well-being, and food and water security of the most vulnerable people and communities in Niger. It also targets ecosystems and ecosystem services to reduce deforestation, and boost forest-based production in Niger. The project will contribute towards reduction in GHG emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and promote sustainable management of forests, forest ecosystems and watersheds, leading to emission reductions and the protection of ecosystem services i.e. carbon reservoirs. The interventions will be undertaken in the: Koulou; Bana; Foghabéri; Goroubassounga forests (Dosso region) and the Say; Faira; Tera and Guésselbodi forests (Tillaberi region), on an estimated 77,000 ha of medium to highly degraded forests. The strategy to achieve this objective will be to: (i) build up forestry governance and knowledge through better understanding of forest resources and their economic and social importance (ii) strengthen the national system of adaptation and mitigation monitoring (iii) strengthen community resilience through forest landscape restoration (including promoting new technologies) (iv) promote forest management and improve management of natural forests and coordination, monitoring-evaluation and capacity-building (including training and technical advice and extension for rural populations. The project is consistent with National policies of the forest-environment sector of Niger, as set out in the document titled: «National Policy on Environment and Sustainable Development in Niger». Similar commitments are contained in the country’s nationally determined contribution, the P-KRESMIN Strategic Framework for Sustainable Land Management, and the commitment by the Government of Niger under the AFR100 initiative.

B.2. Project / Programme description (max. 3 pages)

The “Project to Support Sustainable Forest Management and the Strengthening of the Role of Forests in Combating Climate Change in Niger (GDFCC – Niger)” includes three components i) Improving knowledge and governance of forest resources; ii) Sustainable forest management and diversification under climate change and iii) Project management. A description of the project is provided in the following sections. The project will support the Kandadji Dam program by engaging forest landscape management approaches that check the movement of sand (water erosion) and silt (wind erosion). Sand and silt are responsible for sedimentation in the Niger River and its effluents. It is sedimentation in the Niger River that is responsible for exposing the river to a larger surface area thereby generating more water loss by evaporation and reducing the river water for irrigation, fisheries, supply of plains, lakes, ponds and marshes. Sedimentation also reduces the quantity of water available for the generation of hydro-electricity with equally negative impacts for river navigation. This component will be financed by both the African Development Bank and the GCF. A summary Description of the bank financed Component is attached as Appendix II. These sub-components along with their outputs and activities are described in the following sections. Component 1: Improving Knowledge and governance of forest resources This component will support implementation of Component 2 of the P-KRESMIN Program, i.e. “Implementation of environmental and social plans”. It will focus on providing the knowledge and tools needed to enhance the role of forests, trees and their genetic diversity in mitigating and adapting to climate change. Problems to be addressed include: (a) insufficient knowledge on the quantity and quality of forest resources, necessary to enable strategic planning; (b) lack of holistic knowledge of the economic and social importance of the forest-biodiversity sub-sector not only for the contribution of wood or non-wood products to the economy of Niger, but also the contribution of biodiversity and landscape beauty to ecotourism; (c) insufficient knowledge of forest ecosystem dynamics under various management regimes. REDD+ will constitute an output of this sub-component. It is a climate change mitigation mechanism which provides incentives for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by rendering the carbon stored in forests to be marketable. The process involves three phases i.e. readiness, investment and results. This GDFCC Project will support the country through the REDD+ readiness phase. During the readiness phase, Niger will develop a REDD+ compliant national strategy, a readiness plan idea note (R-PIN), and a readiness preparation proposal (R-PP). The capacity of the country in designing socially and environmentally sound national strategies will be strengthened as well as in reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. The country will also engage development of a national reference scenario of emissions originating from deforestation and forest degradation. In terms of capacity, Niger lacks a methodology aligned with international

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standards and approved for monitoring variations in forest carbon stocks. The establishment of MRV systems for REDD+ is thus a key component for the successful implementation of mitigation actions in the country’s forestry sector. Such a methodology is necessary for reports and communications on the country’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This component has 5 Outputs, described along with their Activities as follows: Output 1.1 Multi-resource forest inventory undertaken Section 1.2.4.1.1 of Niger’s Forestry Policy indicates that; “So far, Niger has not carried out a national forest inventory. Estimations of the area of forest resources were made on the basis of localized inventories in different regions of the country or from studies on forest blocks. The first forest assessment attempt was carried out by the Club du Sahel from 1982 to 1989. The assessment evaluated the area of natural forest resources at 16,096,400 ha, which is nowadays the most referenced data. In 1994, a vulnerability study of forest formations of Niger to climate change estimated the area of natural forests at 5,741,917 ha and those of plantations at 40,984 ha”. Results of this proposed national forest resources inventory will update various national forest policy and program documents as well as forest related strategies. The process will involve a simple sampling method covering the entire national territory. It will focus on wood, non-wood forest products and all biodiversity resources in general. In particular, the inventory will provide updated information on carbon stocks by forest type (ABAD, 2015). Inventory results will inform on the adaptation and mitigation potential of the country’s forest estate and therefore be useful in planning the use of forest resources, and in improving plans for the implementation of climate change adaptation and mitigation measures outlined in the NDC of Niger. Information produced by the Inventory will be used in (i) forest policy making (ii) regional and national forest management planning (iii) assessing sustainability of forestry and in forest certification, (iv) evaluating greenhouse gas emissions and changes in carbon storage. Such mapping will help to align the national forestry policy with climate change imperatives correlative to a change in the national economic model of the forestry sector and (v) planning of forest industry investments. In addition to making use of forest inventory results, forest industry investments will target the private sector (PS), which will also benefit from irrigation facilities installed and distributed by Component A, i.e. the Kandadji / P-KRESMIN Program. A

PS initiative likely to benefit from such facilities is the “BioCF Niger Acacia Senegal Plantation Project27”. Such PS

projects may expand their intervention areas due to new data and irrigation facilities or encourage installation of new PS initiatives. Another important use of the forest inventory results will be to write-up ‘Wood Fuel Supply Master Plans’, particularly for the regions of Tawa, Dosso, Tillabéri, Agadez and Diffa. The results of the inventory will also constitute an input for the development of REDD+ in Niger. In this regards, its’ implementation will receive guidance from and inform output B1.4. This Output is aligned with the forestry and land-use result area.

Activities

Activities will include (i) providing forestry and biodiversity related inventory training and recycling of MEDD inventory

agents, (ii) procuring all inventory related equipment, materials and software, (iii) undertaking a study to document all available data and information that will constitute the inventory literature, (iv) organizing a workshops to plan and organize the inventory. The workshop will include MEDD inventory agents and representatives of decentralized entities responsible for forests and natural resources management, (v) undertaking the national multi-resources forest inventory, including the production of maps and reports, (vi) organizing a comprehensively representative national workshop to inform on inventory outputs and how they should be used.

Output 1.2 Study undertaken on the contribution of forest-biodiversity to the economy of Niger. The purpose of the study will be to: (i) provide a consistent dataset on the contribution of the forestry sector to the Niger economy (ii) present the status and trends of the forestry sector’s contribution to the economy, and analyse the driving forces behind these trends; and (iii) examine and assess the availability and quality of data on this subject. In its initial phase, this national study will identify and analyse the various value chains of the forest-biodiversity sub-sector in order to develop measures for the sustainable development of the sub-sector. In addition to examining value chains of classical forest products, the study will assess the economic impact of forests on agriculture, livestock breeding and water resource management and provide updated information on the various social functions of forests in Niger. The study will also include an estimate of the economic value of environmental services with special emphasis on carbon sequestration. Indicators will include: employment in the sector, value-added (i.e. the forestry sector’s contribution to GDP), and the value of forest products exports and imports (i.e. the sector’s contribution to trade balances). The results of this study will also constitute an input for the development of REDD+ in Niger. In this regards, its’ implementation will receive guidance from and inform output B1.4. This Output is aligned with the forestry and land-use result area.

Activities

Activities will include, (i) holding a planning meeting with partners, national authorities and the firm expected to undertake

the study, (ii) undertaking the study, (iii) organising a national workshop for restitution and adoption of the results of the

study including intelligence on how the results of the study should be used.

27https://cdm.unfccc.int/filestorage/L/3/N/L3NJ0H5PCAUS7QTO4F2GWY8XBEMD96/NASPP_MR_ISS_form07v6_19022018.pdf?t=dkN8

cHlqZzNwfDDetOkqypznGQuUPpeWMt9A

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Output 1.3 Study undertaken on the dynamics of forest ecosystems of Niger

Forest ecosystems, which represent the largest component of the terrestrial sink for atmospheric CO2, play a critical role in the carbon cycle. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying long-term trends and annual-to-decadal-scale variability in forest carbon sinks is pertinent for reduction of uncertainties about future levels of atmospheric GHG, and

hence global temperature28. This study will focus on growth of managed forest ecosystems in volume and biomass in

accordance with natural forest management systems; small, medium and large forest plantations; assisted natural regeneration (ANR) systems, as well as any other form of tree management in agricultural operations. This will enable not only to forecast the future supply of forest products but, importantly, simulations of future climate change mitigation capacities of forests. Special emphasis will be placed on natural ecosystems with high resilience potential such as tiger bush, the dominant forest formation in the Niger Basin. In terms of tree management in agricultural operations, the study will examine speculations of annual crops such as Sorghum and / or Millet in Acacia landscapes or other native tree formations for their performance in one or two agricultural seasons. The results of such dynamics will inform private sector investors, who could engage local communities in annual crop production while the private sector agency benefits from the relatively longer-term outputs of tree production. The study will be undertaken by a specialized forestry research agency with equal experience in agricultural research such as ICRISAT or AGRHYMET in possession of the tools and materials needed to undertake the required field work. The results of this study will also constitute an input for the development of REDD+ in Niger. In this regards, its’ implementation will receive guidance from and inform output B1.4. This Output is aligned with the forestry and land-use as well as the ecosystem and ecosystem services result areas. Activities Activities will include (i) planning the study through full day workshop with relevant agencies, concerned municipal authorities, and the undertaker, (ii) undertaking the study to generate reference data in the first instance and then repeat after 9 months or as the case may be, (iii) organizing a comprehensively representative national workshop to inform on results of study and implications.

Output 1.4 REDD+ Readiness phase completed This Output will be achieved in three stages. The first i.e. coordination of the REDD+ readiness process includes the recruitment of REDD+ technical experts to support a national REDD+ coordinator and strengthen the REDD+ Secretariat expected to lead nationwide workshops that advocate integration of REDD+ in sectorial and national policies. This coordination stage also operates to ensure that the REDD+ process is in harmony with other scheduled development initiatives. It also has a responsibility to strengthen stakeholders’ engagement in REDD+ through consultations on key REDD+ activities, including benefit sharing, drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, and institutional capacity building at all levels. The second stage concerns establishment of a national reference scenario for REDD+ i.e. analysis of factors likely to enhance pressure on the forest by modeling potential impacts due to activities from different sectors, including agriculture, logging, energy and infrastructure etc. The third stage i.e. development of the national REDD+ strategy, includes conducting a strategic environmental and social assessment (SESA), support of early implementation of feedback and grievance redress mechanism as well as support of the REDD+ implementation framework based on an analysis of legal and institutional issues. Several studies already undertaken under Component A (Kandadji / P-KRESMIN Program) i.e. ESIAs and SESAs, will inspire and facilitate proposed REDD+ studies. Considering the high level of dependence of Niger on natural resources, this REDD+ output will include the development of a methodology for monitoring adaptation, based on IIED’s «Tracking adaptation and measuring development» to inform future national

policy, planning and investment decisions and improve reporting under the Paris Agreement29. This output will benefit

from the results of outputs B1.1; B1.2 and B1.3. The Output is aligned with the forestry and land-use as well as the ecosystem and ecosystem services result areas. Activities Specific activities related to this output will include (i) recruitment of REDD+ technical experts, (ii) undertaking REDD+ nationwide workshops and consultations with relevant actors and stakeholders on REDD+ challenges, (iii) undertaking legal and Institutional reforms, (iv) undertaking assessments to identify future drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, (v) undertaking national forest monitoring system and MRV, (vi) developing a REDD+ strategy followed by a REDD+ Readiness Preparation Plan i.e. R-PP and a Forest Investment Plan i.e. FIP, (vii) developing various safeguards including benefit sharing mechanisms, (viii) developing environmental and social management plan – ESMP and undertaking related studies, (ix) developing and testing a national adaptation methodology, (x) undertaking / test feedback and redress mechanism, (xi) developing a REDD+ investment project.

Output 1.5 GIS capacity of MEDD strengthened

This intervention will involve strengthening of the forest monitoring systems at national level that quantifies changes in

28 https://huh.harvard.edu/forest-ecosystem-carbon-dynamics 29 https://www.iied.org/supporting-national-monitoring-evaluation-systems-enable-adaptation-assessment-reporting

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terrestrial carbon stocks and changes in land cover. The Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD) currently has a mapping and geographic information system (GIS) unit. While this unit is capable of classic mapping, it cannot live up to the role it should be playing in spatial monitoring of forests and threats to forests and forest-dependent populations. This GDFCC Project will therefore strengthen the mapping, GIS and remote sensing unit, in order for it to play a more dynamic role in the climate change adaptation and mitigation monitoring system. This will encompass: analysis of data collected via remote sensing, e.g., satellite or aerial images, to produce a forest benchmark maps to facilitate the generation of FREL/FRL information, and estimate changes over time; as well as field-based inventories of carbon stocks in different types of forest and other land-use classes. This Output is aligned with the forestry and land-use result area. Activities Activities will include (i) acquisition and installation of GIS equipment, related materials and software, (ii) training of GIS personnel in the use of GIS equipment and software (iii) registration with international service providers

Component 2. Sustainable forest management and diversification under climate change Despite the political will for participatory forest management that takes account of climate change, several problems remain such as previous forest management plans covering about 900,000 Ha, whose application period has expired (except in two cases); existing plans barely covering 25% of the area targeted for this GDFCC Project, based on methodologies that do not include mitigation and carbon considerations. Restoration of forestland based on guidelines and management plans will involve expansion of forest plantations mainly in classified forests (which have the advantage of a clear land status), with local or adapted exotic species. Interventions will include using methodologies for monitoring the impact of the plantations on the country’s carbon balance (sequestration). As part of restoration efforts, measures are planned under the P-KRESMIN Program (PGES), which include watershed reforestation, river bank protection, koris and plateaus; protection planting and development of natural formations; development of nurseries; fight against wildfires and the rehabilitation of soils and forests by anti-erosion schemes. These proposed P-KRESMIN interventions will be pursued in this sub-component. Pertaining to the importance of the Niger forestry sector; it is strongly dominated by informal trade. Contributions of the sector to the national economy have always been underestimated such as the real monetary value of wood-fuel consumption in rural areas and towns, protection of watersheds, certain non-timber forest products (fodder, leaves, fruits etc.), conservation of biodiversity, carbon fixation, job creation, etc. As an example, in 2010, the monetary value of wood consumed in the country in urban and rural areas was 27 billion FCFA and 105 billion FCFA francs respectively. This value would be more than 47 billion FCFA in urban areas and 203 billion FCFA in rural areas in

202030. It is evident that the contribution of forest resources to the economy of Niger is becoming increasingly important

even as the country is characterized by frequent climate related risks. This strengthens the necessity for project planning to include elements of sustainability and diversification of revenue sources. This Component has six outputs described along with their Activities as follows:

Output 2.1 National forest landscape restoration strategy is developed

Under the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100) to meet the Bonn Challenge, Niger has committed to restore 3.2 million hectares of degraded land through degraded land recovery, dune stabilization, assisted natural regeneration (ANR), plantations, and a Moringa tree campaign. The Strategic Framework for Sustainable Land Management (CS-GDT), adopted by the Government under Decree N° 2014-726/PRN/MESU/DD of 26 November 2014, aims at prioritizing, planning and guiding the execution of present and future investments in sustainable land management. Under its 2015-2029 Investment Plan, CS-GDT provides for the restoration of 3.2 million hectares of forest landscape, grazing-land and cropland. The National Forest Landscape Restoration Strategy to be prepared will therefore present Niger with an opportunity to tackle deforestation and degradation of landscapes. The strategy will (i) enable the development of national-level FLR programs and restoration targets that can translate the potential of restoration into multiple benefits such as improved food security and increased biodiversity; job creation, income, carbon sequestration and enhanced resilience to climate change, (ii) promote dialogue and coordinated action on FLR, (iii) build recognition and support the use of different technical, social and institutional approaches for different landscapes (iv) propose mechanisms for financing national FLR efforts, private sector engagement in FLR and mechanisms to support community-level action on FLR. The Strategy will outline priority interventions. This Output is aligned with the forestry and land-use as well as the ecosystem and ecosystem services result areas.

Activities

Activities will include (i) planning of workshop with restoration team for adoption of criteria and indicators (C&I) of forest landscape restoration, (ii) development of forest landscape restoration strategy, field-test based on proposed C&I, and document, (iii) training of MEDD staff and implementing actors in “restoration opportunities assessment methodology (ROAM)”, (iv) training of relevant administrative officials, MEDD staff and representatives of decentralized entities in the

30 Ministère de l’Hydraulique et de l’Environnement du Niger. 2012. Plan Forestier National PFN - Niger 2012 – 2021

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application of restoration strategy.

Output 2.2 Forest management guidelines & plans with CC adaptation and mitigation measures are developed

Two results are targeted (i) development of a manual or guidelines for forest management planning and (ii) development of forest management plans. Pertaining to the manual, it will integrate climate change adaptation and mitigation, and biodiversity considerations. It will highlight techniques alongside criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management that take account of adaptation and mitigation. Beyond classic forest management which emphasizes sustainable production of forest goods (firewood in Niger), new forest management guidelines will have to include measures to help forests adapt to climate change (building forest resilience), and strengthen the role of forests in both the resilience of forest-dependent populations and climate change mitigation. Capacity-development workshops and information events will be organized to support the dissemination and use of the guidelines. Reference will be made to the Guidelines for the

management of forests and production of wood31 in the country. The manual or guidelines will form the basis for

developing new management plans expected to build resilience of populations and ecosystems to CC and encourage emissions reduction, maintenance of existing greenhouse gas sinks and creation of new sinks in forests. In some cases, existing management plans will be revised while in others, the process will be in the beginning stages. Management plans will address the threats and pressures on natural resources while facilitating access to the benefits of those resources. The plans will also be developed for community forests, in support of communities, who will manage them through their local structures. This GDFCC project aims to develop 1 million ha of community forests in the Tillabéri and Dosso regions of which about 600 000 ha are to be updated and 400,000 Ha as new developments. The choice of the community forests, with no issues of tenure, will be done at inception and will be preceded by an updated state of the forest assessment for the targeted regions. This Output is aligned with both the forestry and land-use, and the ecosystem and ecosystem services result areas.

Activities

Activities will include (i) undertaking a preliminary cross-sectorial policy study, including on ongoing practices, (ii)

developing forest management guidelines / manual with climate change considerations, (iii) organizing capacity

development workshops and information events on utilization of the manual, (iv) training of team in the conception of

forest management plans and mitigation measures, and (v) development of forest management plans and related

mitigation measures, (vi) organisation of 2 regional workshops to inform on the use of the management plans.

Output 2.3 Agroforestry parkland management plans with CC adaptation and mitigation measures are implemented

Agroforestry parklands refer to traditional tree and crop management systems in arid and semi-arid landscapes of the Sahel. Their ecological and socio-economic importance for climate adaptation and mitigation is well known. The management plans developed under Output B3.2 will be implemented to obtain the best climate change adaptation and mitigation results. Assisted natural regeneration, acknowledged as a sustainable land management practice in Niger will be used alongside climate smart forest management plans to promote the extension of agroforestry parks over 1 million Ha of land. Landscape techniques will include building run-off water harvesting or control structures and stabilizing soils in the regions of Tillabéri and Dosso; bench terraces; crescent-shaped half-moons; silvicultural trenches; dry stone barriers; dry stone dams, also known as micro-dams; dune stabilization using mechanical and biological means. Decisions on the kinds of structures to be built will be taken on a case-by-case basis. This output will be carried out mainly by beneficiary communities in their fields. Other technologies will include intensive planting of fodder trees such as Pterocarpus erinaceus, live hedges to support the development of off-season market gardening, windbreaks against wind-induced soil erosion, and improved fallow to enhance soil fertility and reduce soil losses. Smallholder farmers will be encouraged to plant climate-tolerant tree species and to indulge in adapted silvicultural practices alongside annual crops. The presence of trees on farms will ensure income diversification through the provision of additional resources like fruits, timber, vegetables, fodder, etc. This output will scale-up recent entrepreneurial parkland experiences in Niger such as those of the Great Green Wall Initiative (GGWI). The GGWI has created a few Village Forest Enterprises (VFEs) equipped with development plans and ‘Market Development Value Links’ to produce Balanites oil, Moringa juice, and balanites soap. This output will expand such initiatives. The Output cuts across several result areas, including: forestry and land-use; most vulnerable people and communities; health, wellbeing and food and water security; as well as ecosystem and ecosystem services. Activities

Activities will include (i) meetings with beneficiaries and mapping area (1,000,000 Ha) to undertake agroforestry parkland

management extensions (ii) assessing plausible ongoing landscape enterprises for scaling or adaptation, (iii) training

agroforestry parkland managers and implementation actors including private sector actors, (iv) acquisition of agro-silvo-

pastoral materials and engagement of private sector actors to produce vegetative inputs / seedlings, (v) implementation

31 http://www.fao.org/3/w8212e/w8212e00.htm#Contents

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of field management operations including with the participation of the private sector.

Output 2.4 Carbon sinks created through new forest plantations in classified forests

This output will essentially be undertaken in government classified forests most of which are located in the Dosso region. Forest restoration will be carried out in 2 to 3 classified forests, selected from 11 areas in Tillabéri and Dosso regions, to include the partial fauna reserve of doll (another ecosystem of remarkable importance but highly degraded) and in the watersheds of Sirba, Goroual and Goroubi whose koris contribute large quantities of sediment to the Niger River. Subsidiary measures will include: run-off water control and/or harvesting structures and stabilizing soils to facilitate the establishment of trees and shrubs. The output will require medium-sized and large forest plantations, as the case may be, and a judicious choice of species adapted to evolving climate conditions in Niger. Plantations could extend to as much as 500 000 Ha, mainly as part of the rehabilitation of classified forests scheme in Niger. MEDD field agents and project landscape managers will supervise the production of seedlings and their installation in classified forests and receive training to include the monitoring of carbon stocks. Tree plantations will be maintained over a period of at least five years and their carbon sequestration potential will be continually evaluated. This will require judicious measures to control bush fires and the spread of tree pests and diseases. This Output is aligned with both the forestry and land-use, and the ecosystem and ecosystem services result areas. Activities Activities will include (i) securing and mapping areas and zones for interventions, (ii) identifying and mapping areas for forest plantations – 500,000 Ha, (iii) identifying species and producing seedlings (engage private sector for massive production of seedlings), (iv) building run-off water harvesting or water control structures, (v) constructing dune stabilising structures (bench terraces, crescent-shaped half-moons; silvicultural trenches; dry stone barriers; dry stone dams…..where necessary in classified forests, (vi) creating tree-based carbon sinks on 500,000 Ha plantations in classified forests, (vii) maintenance of plantations and exploitation of the possibility of engaging communities in a Taungya scheme. Output 2.5 Entrepreneurial investments are promoted GDFCC provides several opportunities to strengthen the financial base of emerging landscape enterprises in a bid to enhance the sustainability of resilience outcomes. This will be achieved amongst others by: publishing and advocating project successes at the national, regional and international levels in order to attract researchers and promoters; ensuring that landscape level interventions are designed in culturally structured patterns in order to incite ecological tourism; encourage the organization of landscape producers and entrepreneurs to register as producer cooperatives in order to access several types of benefits including free training, subsidies, incentives and low or zero interest loans; encourage networking of organized producer groups with national and West Africa regional networks promoting similar products such as Balanites oil and soap, Moringa juice etc.; promote one or two bio-labels of marketable landscape products and encourage sustainable bio-trade in such forest-based foods, oils etc. UNDESA specifies that trade in biodiversity-based businesses or bio-trade refers to those activities of collection, production, transformation, and commercialization of goods

and services derived from native biodiversity under the criteria of environmental, social and economic sustainability32.

This Output will capture and valorize all landscape-level interventions likely to improve sustainability by bringing new funds to the landscape to strengthen the income generating capacity of ongoing initiatives, and encourage revenue oriented networking. Challenges related to the informality of entrepreneurs will be resolved as informal entrepreneurs cannot benefit from added-value opportunities provided by formal institutions such as banks or the extension services of government ministerial departments, with the result of unending vulnerability and precarious livelihoods. Of major concern is the fact that women are key architects of the informal forest sector with various studies revealing their entrepreneurial role and leadership functions in informal forest establishments. This output will propose formality to the informal forest sector especially in project areas in order to bring wider economic, social and environmental benefits, improve employment conditions and foster a more sustainable approach to forest management. The Output is aligned to a number of result areas, including; forestry and land-use, ecosystem and ecosystem services, most vulnerable people and communities, and health and well-being, and food and water security. Activities Activities will include (i) undertaking an inventory of potential income generating activities on target landscapes to

determine sustainability criteria for each, (ii) promotion of measures to define private forest sector by category and

associated subventions in order to create the required environment to formalize informal enterprises in target landscapes,

(iii) development of enterprise training package and delivering of training to identified beneficiaries along with

representatives of their supervisory governments agencies, (iv) identification of key enterprises and provision of support,

(v) development of communication package to encourage private sector investment,

32 UN. 2013. World Population Prospects. The 2012 revision. United Nations Department of Economic and Social

Affairs (UNDESA). Population Division. New York. 118pp

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Output 2.6 PES mechanism with Kandadji dam is developed to ensure sustainability of project outcomes

Payment for Environmental Services (PES) is a mechanism designed to promote positive environmental externalities by transferring financial resources or rewards from the beneficiaries of certain ecological services to providers of such services. In the case of the P-KRESMIN Program, the Kandadji dam will generated electricity and water which will be sold to consumers in the townships of Niger, Tillaberi and as a matter of fact, to the whole country. The activities of communities around the dam and its watershed (to be supported by this GDFCC Project) include a multiplicity of sustainable forest management and landscape conservation interventions which are expected to reduce the negative impact of climate change manifested by droughts and floods in the form of wind and water erosion responsible for the loss of water and sedimentation of the Niger River and its effluents. The problem of sedimentation of the Niger River has been noted to be critical for the availability of water, necessary for the production of electrical energy as well as water for irrigation and sanitation. This output will test the feasibility and demonstrate the relevance of using economic incentives generated by the Kandadji dam as a tool for sustainable forest management and conservation of the Niger basin's forest resources and watershed (supported by this GDFCC Project). It will elucidate the various obstacles to the institutionalization of the PES approach and the opportunities for its application for the sustainable management of forest landscapes of the Tilleberi, Niger and Dosso regions. This Output is aligned to a number of result areas, including; forestry and land-use, ecosystem and ecosystem services, most vulnerable people and communities, and health and well-being, and food and water security. Activities

Activities will include (i) designing a sustainability strategy with PES as an option, (ii) undertaking a study on opportunities and approaches for engaging a PES scheme using income from the Kandadji dam and related facilities to support sustainable management of forest landscapes in the dams watershed, (iii) based on the results of preliminary studies, develop a best practice guideline for the PES scheme, (iv) support the development of measures to accommodate the PES scheme in government policy, (v) design and implement a promotional public and partnership strategy with the PES scheme in view (vi) implement PES scheme. Component 3: Project coordination, management and development Component 3.1 Project monitoring-evaluation and capacity-building Initiatives proposed in this GDFCC – Niger Project will involve actors from government, civil society, the academic and scientific communities, decentralized local authorities and the private sector. The project will include reviews of the legal framework for implementing new techniques on target landscapes. This will require a considerable coordination effort by the Ministry of Environment generally and the General Directorate of Water and Forests in particular. This Component C1 will be financed by both the African Development Bank and the GCF. A summary description of the bank financed Component is attached as Appendix II. Component C1 is divided into 3 Outputs, described along with their Activities below: Output 3.1.1 Capacity enhanced through dissemination of good adaptation practices and climate information As a first step, an analysis will be carried out to identify the capacity-building needs of all actors. Subsequently, a capacity-building strategy will be developed and implemented from the local level to the national level. Capacity-building will concern technical, material and human capacities. Other activities will include the identification of and dissemination of new practices and tools (including the use of digital technologies) that contribute to improving resilience of forest ecosystems to extreme weather events such as droughts, forest fires, and storms. A capacity building needs assessment will be undertaken and a capacity building strategy developed and implemented at every level from local to national. Activities Activities will include, (i) development of communication strategy and strengthen communications systems and communication capacity, (ii) preparation of communication tools (policy briefs, fact sheets, briefing notes, media articles, newsletters, journal articles, and video, radio products….), disseminate and seek ways to capitalize from feedback, and (iii) supporting development of capacity building strategy based on the capacity needs of key project beneficiaries Output 3.1.2 Project implementation, stakeholder platforms & monitoring-evaluation are effectively coordinated This Output will involve the efficient management, monitoring and evaluation of the project and dissemination of results. It will include the supervision of activities, monitoring and evaluation, as well as annual audits. A coordination and M & E unit of the project will be established to coordinate activities of actors directly involved in forest resource management. I t will also ensure coordination with projects and programs initiated by other sectors (inter-sectorial coordination). Effective monitoring will strengthen adaptive management through provision of feedback on restoration activities, results and management. By measuring progress over time, M & E will provide the evidence-base on which project strategies can be built and adapted, thereby helping build resilience. The project will also strengthen landscape governance by developing and facilitating multi-stakeholder platforms. It will identify degraded land restoration opportunities and on-going initiatives in the country and seek synergy with such initiatives. It will also contribute to national land-use planning and propose measures for securing tenure and protection of forest land within the broader context of land-use management.

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Activities Activities will include, (i) development of knowledge management plan, including key strategy outputs on SME and Gender (ii) development and, circulation of statutory annual, semester and quarterly technical reports, seek and document feedback, (iii) undertaking monitoring, evaluation and reporting.

B.3. Expected project results aligned with the GCF investment criteria (max. 3 pages)

Impact potential

Mitigation Impact— The project will contribute towards a shift to low-emission sustainable development pathways in Niger under components 2 and 3. Natural forest management, the halting of deforestation, the creation of carbon wells, and forest park management (agroforestry) are among the actions that will contribute to mitigation. A. M 4.0 Reduced emissions from land use, deforestation, forest degradation, and through sustainable management of

forests and conservation and enhancement of forest carbon stocks: 1. Expected tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (t CO2 eq) to be reduced or avoided (PMF-M Core 1) are

estimated at 55 million tCO2 equivalent over 10 years. 2. Reduced to zero deforestation over the final five years of the project would be equivalent to avoiding

deforestation of 225,000 ha in 5 years. 3. Biomass production in Niger ranges from 50,000 to 100,000 kg/Ms/ha as shown in Figure 8 of the pre-

feasibility study. Given that carbon stocks in dry and arid zones generally range from 20 ton of C/ha to 30tC/ha, zero per cent deforestation means avoided emissions on the order of 4.5 million ton of C.

4. Creation of carbon sinks— both vegetation resources are important for climate change adaptation and mitigation purposes. The project proposed herein will introduce 500 000 ha of forest plantations that will act as carbon sinks. Assuming that a tree plantation (Faidherbia albida, for example) could stock around 75 ton of C/ha in 10 years, such plantations would have stocked 75 million tons of Carbon in 10 years.

5. Improved agro-forestry parklands management (Agroforestry practices in parklands) can result in sequestration of 350 to 450 kg of C/ha/year. Carbon can be harvested in various ways (Peltier et al. 2007). The project therefore proposes to introduce agroforestry practices over 2 million ha in addition to the surfaces already covered by forest parks. With sequestration of 350 kg/ha/year, carbon storage will amount to 700 tons of C/year, or 7 million tons in 10 years33.

B. M 9.0 Improved management of land or forest areas contributing to emissions reductions: 1. Improved Natural forest management—component 4 targets the sustainable management of a total of 1

million ha of natural forest-covered massifs. As part of mitigation efforts, conversion of forest areas to other forms of land use will be banned with the aim of halting deforestation. Efforts will be made to maintain or increase carbon stocks in forest areas or landscapes by avoiding forest resource degradation. Fuel-wood-producing forests will be managed with a view to maintaining or increasing current carbon stocks over the next 10 years. According to Garce et al. (2006), good management of savannahs in arid and semi-arid zones can result in a sequestration potential of 0.15 ton of C/ha/year. The project will target to manage 1 million ha of forest formations and enable sequestration of a minimum of 1.5million tons of carbon in 10 years.

2. Expected improvement in the management of land or forest areas contributing to emission reductions is estimated at 6,626,000 ha.

A summary of mitigation potential of the project is shown in the table below.

Project mitigation area of intervention Surface area (ha) Carbon sequestered/stored over 10 years (ton of C)

Natural forest management 1000000 1.500000

Avoided deforestation 225.000 4,500,000

Creation of carbon wells (afforestation) 500.000 37,500,000

Agroforestry parklands management 2.000.000 7,000,000

Total 55,000,000

Adaptation Impact— Contribution to increased climate-resilient sustainable development PMF-A Core 1—Direct and Indirect beneficiaries. Expected total number of direct and indirect beneficiaries. The project described herein is designed to increase the resilience of the people of Niger (most of whom are vulnerable to the effects of climate change and variability) by 25% by 2030. Direst beneficiaries (11 million inhabitants) constitute the complete populations of the three regions of Tillaberi, Niger and Dosso by 2030, where there will be direct project investments.

33 Programme to Support Sustainable Forest Management and the Strengthening of the Role of Forests in Combating Climate Change in

Niger; (GDFCC) – Niger); Pre-feasibility study; Prepared by: Hamidil Alio Richard Eba’a Atyi, 2014.

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Another 7 million indirect beneficiaries in other regions of Niger will benefit from the project outputs and various forms of training to a total 18 million people by 2030. The total population of Niger in 2030 is estimated at 34,277,414 inhabitants34 A 5.0—Strengthened institutional and regulatory systems for climate-responsive planning and development. Outputs aimed at improving institutional and regulatory systems include: (i) Output B1.4 REDD+ Readiness phase completed (ii) Output B 2.1 the project will develop a national forest landscape restoration strategy and (iii) Output B 2.2 the project

will elaborate new forest management guidelines, including climate change adaptation and mitigation measures.

Implementing this project will strengthen both mainstreaming adaptation into forest and tree management and

mainstreaming forests and trees into wider adaptation strategies (so that non-forest stakeholders dealing with adaptation

consider forests and trees as part of adaptation measures).

A 6.0—Strengthened climate information services for improved decision making. The project will strengthen climate information services through (i) Output B1.1 Multi-resource forest inventory, which includes evaluation of GHG emissions and changes in carbon storage and (ii) Output B2.3 Strengthening of the mapping, geographic information system (SIG) and remote sensing unit of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development. A 7.0—Strengthened adaptive capacity. This will mainly be achieved through Component B: Community resilience building through forest landscape restoration and interfacing with agriculture in the Niger River Basin in particular. Specific Outputs concerned will include (i) Output B2.3 Agroforestry parkland management and extension. Paradigm shift potential The paradigm shift that the project is expected to bring will be the result of participatory multi-sectorial coordination by decentralized authorities, an integrative landscape approach, devolution of authority to rural communities, improvement in the flow of information through the use of new information technologies, and increased involvement of women and youth in land management based on local land development and tenure practices. Most forest enterprises operate informally and therefore cannot benefit from formal services including loans. This project will strive to formalise a considerable part of the informal forestry sector in order to improve private sector benefits and participation. Integrated landscape approach. In implementing this project, it will be necessary to delimit the socio-ecological scope where actors undertaking activities in various sectors agree to engage in dialogue to achieve common strategic objectives for the long-term sustainability of natural resources. Sustainable land management around a common watershed could make this approach a reality, thus moving from institutional coherence to broader coherence in practice. Potential for knowledge and learning. The project will enhance knowledge and sharing primarily through (i) Output B1.5 Strengthening of the mapping, geographic information system) and remote sensing unit of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and (ii) Output C1.1. Dissemination of good adaptation practices and climate information. The project will build on local needs, traditional knowledge and innovative research to ensure sustainability. Traditional and indigenous knowledge and techniques for soil and water conservation (example in the Niger agroforestry parklands systems) have evolved over time as farmers have adapted and experimented within the limits of available resources and the specific conditions of dry-land environments. This knowledge will be understood, valued and integrated as a key tool for addressing land degradation through strengthened forestry interventions as a way of increasing local engagement. The GDFCC-Niger will offer capacity-building activities at all levels. At universities where young environmental science experts are being trained, it will encourage researchers to address new topics related to climate change and the green economy. The project will also offer students end-of-cycle field placement opportunities, and study tours could be organized. The project will contribute to retraining and continuing education programs for water, forest and environmental administrators and officials in new subject areas such as carbon accounting. In the villages, with the support of relevant NGOs, the project will not only build capacities in forest management and carbon evaluation techniques, but also in aspects of managing local development initiatives. A monitoring and evaluation plan will be developed to enhance the sharing of lessons learned so that they can be incorporated within other projects.

Enhancement of markets for key forestry products. The project will set up a markets information system for key forest products, compensation versus mitigation (emissions reduction and carbon sequestration), and the distribution of revenue streams among stakeholders. Innovative approaches will make use of electronic platforms, thanks to the extraordinary growth of mobile phones in Niger and the payment and online banking options that are gradually becoming available.

34 Guengant, Jean-Pière et al. (2003). Dynamique des populations, disponibilités en terres et adaptation des régimes fonciers : Le cas

du Niger

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Up-scaling towards a green economy format. The project will deviate from the business as usual (BAU) small forest enterprises by promoting a green economy approach whereby forest-based small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) conversant with the importance of sustainable forest management will be encouraged to merge and create larger green economy enterprises. Contribution to the creation of an enabling environment. The project will advance the national forestry regulatory framework to promote investment in low-emissions growth in the forestry sector through the following Outputs (i) Output B2.2 Development of new forest management guidelines, including climate change adaptation and mitigation measures and (ii) Output B2.2 Development of forestry management plans that include adaptation and mitigation measures.

Devolution of authority to rural communities. The project’s approach is to rely on farmers’ organizations to implement a sustainable forest resource management system that strengthens the role of forests in combating climate change. This will involve going beyond the pilot projects launched in 1992 to endowing rural communities with the authority to control forests and oversee taxation on the harvesting and sale of forest products. Rural communities should be able to manage access rights to forest resources and biodiversity. Sustainable development potential Socio-Economic co-benefits Contribution to poverty reduction—A large proportion of the poorest people in Niger concentrate in and around forests, making forests vital to their livelihoods and central to their food security, vulnerability, and seasonal income streams. Besides this biophysical resilience, which allows various components of i.e., agroforestry systems to withstand the shocks related to climate variability, the presence of trees in agricultural croplands will provide farmers with alternative or additional sources of income strengthening the socio-economic resilience of rural populations. Tree products (timber, fodder, resins and fruits) are normally of higher value compared to maize or hard grains such as millet and sorghum and can buffer against income risks in case of crop failure. Studies in the Sahel have shown that products from Parkia biglobosa can earn a family a yearly income of up to US$ 270, which in fact is double what crops normally produce35. By contributing to an increase in agricultural yields, GDFCC-Niger will be contributing to a reduction in rural poverty: not only will a greater number of small farmers be able to meet their subsistence needs but they will also have surplus produce to sell, particularly to the ever-growing urban population. Food security— GDFCC-Niger is designed to contribute to the country’s sustainable land management efforts, with the aim of ensuring the food security of the people of Niger. Agroforestry parklands will contribute towards the sustainability of soil nutrient and water cycles (for crop yield improvement) and buffer climatic extremes. Agroforestry, which already harnesses the benefits of trees for agriculture will provide Mitigation and Adaptation benefits as trees sequester carbon and increase the resilience of agricultural systems by providing both income and production security. It is expected to produce 100% increase in crop (millet) yield and at least 50 % improvement in household income with a co-benefit of sustainable soil and environmental protection. Natural forest management, tree planting and the planting of green shelterbelts are expected to reduce erosion and land degradation and improve agricultural yields. The trees and shrubs in agro-forest parklands will produce at least a six-month supply of fodder for on-farm livestock, thereby boosting animal productivity. The fodder will be generated from the promoted 2 million ha of agroforestry parklands. The agro-forest parklands will also contribute to non-timber forest products – NTFPs (fruits, legumes and leaves) for local markets generating additional income for women. It is estimated that 500 000 women earn additional income from the 2 million ha of parklands (4 ha per household). Most trees and shrubs to be promoted are used (bark, roots, leaves, fruits, etc) in traditional medicine which is very much practiced by the population and can be used for home consumption or cash sales. Job creation—GDFCC-Niger will be a source of skilled jobs and mass employment at a number of levels. Landscape and forest management will require extensive mapping exercises involving national experts in the Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing Systems. Studies under Component B 1, as well as the elaboration of the national carbon accounting system described in Component B 4, will have to be carried out by high-level national experts with, in certain cases, ad-hoc support from internationally recognized experts. At the local level, forest management and forest operation inventories, as well as protection of forests against bush fires and illegal logging, will provide sustainable jobs. But the creation of carbon wells by afforestation will remain the greatest source of employment. Contribution towards NDC priorities. Pertaining to clean energy production, this GDFCC Project will contribute 130 MW of clean energy to the Niger target. Pertaining to biomass-based CC adaptation measures by 2030, the Project will restore 500,000 Ha for mutually non-exclusive activities, including assisted natural regeneration; as well as 1,000,000 Ha towards the Niger target of 2,220,000 of natural forests.

35 Climate Change and Variability in the Sahel Region: Impacts and Adaptation Strategies in the Agricultural Sector Serigne Tacko Kandji1,

Louis Verchot1, Jens Mackensen2; 1 Word Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), 2 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

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Contribution towards the SDGs. Improved forest stewardship and addressing problems of poverty in forest areas are crucial to achieving the SDGs. The restoration of degraded forestry landscapes will contribute directly to the achievement of SDG15, which is to protect, restore and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. It will also contribute towards SDG1 (through provision of Wild fruits, nuts, mushrooms and bush meat supplement diets) and towards SDG6 (clean water and sanitation) and SDG13 (climate action through carbon capture and storage and contribution towards stabilising of climate). Environmental co-benefits Reduction of erosion and sediment transport into the Kandadji reservoir. Forests and tree landscapes produce ecosystem services relevant to both mitigation (carbon) and adaptation (e.g., hydrological services). The project will combat erosion through conservation, re-establishment or extension of a vegetative and forest cover under the afforestation and dynamic forestry programs. The project through forestry conservation and landscape restoration, will improve water quality, regulate microclimates by protecting settlements from sand storms and strengthen watershed management. Conservation of biodiversity—the tree and forest systems and the grassland expanses in dry areas are important repositories of biological diversity whose constituting species have developed the ability to live in the harshest conditions of water-deficit ecosystems. Some of the mechanisms through which agroforestry practices may improve the resilience of agro-ecosystems in the occurrence of extreme climate are improved microclimate and reduced evapotranspiration. By promoting ANR and protecting managed forests against fires, GDFCC-Niger will have a positive effect on plant biodiversity. Both aquatic and terrestrial wildlife habitat will also be improved. This impact will be felt in the protected area created in 2017 as part of the Kandadji Program. Strengthened soil and water conservation— Dry-land trees and forests in Niger facilitate the infiltration of water into soil and help maintain air humidity, reduce soil erosion by wind and water and moderate local climates by acting as windbreaks and providing shade for soils, animals and people. Nitrogen-fixing species like Faidherbia albida will enhance soil fertility. The most common species regenerating naturally and protected by farmers in Niger include Faidherbia albida (winter thorn, commonly known as gao in Niger), Combretum glutinosum, Guiera senegalensis, Piliostigma reticulatum (camel’s foot), and Bauhinia rufescens. The trees in the agro-forest parklands will also reduce wind speed and evaporation. Gender-sensitive development impact The project will identify activities that can enhance the role of women in environmental resource management and their opportunities to become more financially self-reliant, particular by earning income from the exploitation of forest resources. As for youth, a conscious effort will be made to combine their interests and contributions with the use of modern information-sharing technologies, with which they are more likely to be comfortable than their elders. Gender perspectives will be integrated into the design, implementation and M & E of adaptation strategies. These include: development of the national forest landscape restoration strategy (action B 3.1), development of new forest management guidelines, including climate change adaptation and mitigation measures (Output B4.1) and formulation of forest management plans (Output B4.2). The direct involvement of women in decision-making will be promoted. Under component 3, the project will identify technologies and practices that will enhance gender equity in the access, use and management of forests and trees and the distribution of associated benefits building on existing knowledge. Mainstreaming gender into adaptation will strengthen the success and sustainability of climate projects and policies. Gender Analysis considerations will be undertaken in the project’s design and strategies to ensure their gender responsiveness. The project approach will include collection of sex-disaggregated data, development of gender-focused partnerships and alliances, knowledge sharing and adaptive learning (Output B5.1). Such data will help in identifying men’s and women’s differentiated perceptions, experiences, contributions and priorities. It will ultimately help in defining interventions that will enhance gender equity. The project will also include systematic documentation and dissemination of knowledge generated through gender-related actions. Documentation will include good practice guides, training guides, policy briefings and scientific articles covering the critical aspects of gender in forest, tree and agroforestry management. Needs of the recipient Niger covers an area of 1,267,000 km2, 75% of which forms part of the Saharan desert. Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world and a change of trajectory is needed. Modest growth rates and low levels of education, chronic food insecurity, poor health and rapid population growth are major challenges, as are the country’s vulnerability to

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weather shocks (droughts, floods, and locust infestations), the increasing pressure of climate change, limited access to insurance, credit and other financial instruments, and the existence of multiple poverty traps36. Niger’s human development indicators are poor. Per capita GDP was US$895 in 2015 (constant 2011 US$), making Niger one of the poorest nations in the world. After declining to 4% in 2015, Niger’s economic growth reached 5% and 5.2 %( 1.1-and 1.3 % in per capita terms) in 2016 and 2017 thanks to a buoyant season in agriculture supported by favourable weather conditions and an expansion of irrigation. Agriculture (including forestry) and the rural economy hold the key to extreme poverty reduction in Niger. The agriculture and livestock sectors both engage about 16 million people (80% of the workforce) and account for 40% of GDP. Rural communities depending directly on forests and trees are among the poorest and most vulnerable people and stand to bear the brunt of climate change in Niger. Although poverty rates in Niger have fallen, they are outweighed by rapid population growth rates, resulting in a large increase in the absolute number of poor people in the country. Between 2005 and 2014, the incidence of income poverty fell from about 54% to about 45%. The absolute number of people living in poverty, however, rose from 6.8 million in 2005 to 8.2 million in 2014, an increase of 25% or 1.4 million people. Overall, population growth accelerated from 3.1% between 1988 and 2001 to 3.9% between 2001 and 2012 and the population of Niger now stands at about 21.5 million (2017). Given that 80% of the national territory is desert, the population is unevenly distributed. It is estimated that 94% of the population of Niger lives in 35% of the territory, while 3% of the population lives in desert area covering 53% of the territory. It is estimated that 80% of the total population of Niger lives in the rural area, where vulnerability and extreme poverty rates are nearly 66% and 36%, respectively. Given Niger’s mostly arid and dry desert climate, arable land is relatively scarce (only 15% of the land is arable). Further, with the highest population growth rate in the world (3.9%), competition over access to arable land is fierce. Facilitating community-based adaptation is crucial for reducing the negative impacts of climate change on these communities and their livelihoods. Women’s historic disadvantages—their limited access to resources, low incomes, little education, low levels of access to technologies, limited access to information and finance, and a muted voice in shaping decisions—makes them highly vulnerable to climate change in Niger. The nature of that vulnerability varies but climate change will likely magnify existing patterns of gender inequality37. Strategic and productivity-enhancing interventions in the agriculture, forestry and livestock sectors could foster resilience and boost incomes. It is estimated that under the Strategic Framework for Sustainable Land Management (CS-GDT) (2015 to 2029), a budget of about 1,420.87 billion CFA francs will be needed for sustainable land management, which would include measures for food security. Funding already obtained for that period comes to approximately 58.75 billion CFA francs, with some 1, 362.12 billion CFA francs, or $2.8 billion, yet to be secured. Country ownership Consistency with National Climate Policy Priorities The project is consistent with the priorities in the Niger National Climate Change Policy (PNCC) adopted in 2013 which provides the strategic framework to tackle climate change. It is also consistent with the priorities of Niger’s NDC. It emphasizes the forestry sector, a component of the AFOLU sector, as a priority in the NDC of Niger. With regard to mitigation, the project is guided by the NDC, which states: «For the AFOLU sector, actions of the NDC will focus on scaling up best practices in sustainable land management, sustainable forest management, afforestation and reforestation». With regards to adaptation, it will contribute to the implementation of the Strategic Framework for Sustainable Land Management (CS-GDT) which the country hopes to see extended over nearly 7 million ha by 2030.

To move beyond urgent needs, Niger intends to integrate climate change into medium- and long-term growth plans and budgets through the NAP process, under its obligation to the UNFCCC (as stated in its PNCC). This process will contribute to ensuring that the country’s long-term growth strategy - starting with its Sustainable Development and Inclusive Growth Strategy and its National Economic and Social Development plans - are based on an understanding of climate-related risks and opportunities for inclusive growth. Niger has been advancing its NAP process by conducting a preliminary stock-taking of relevant initiatives on climate adaptation and mainstreaming to identify gaps and needs. A NAP roadmap was subsequently drafted, which outlined the main steps and timeline of advancing the NAP process in Niger. These were confirmed through consultations with key national stakeholders in August of 2016. Capacity of accredited entities or executing entities to deliver The Bank, as a GCF-AE, will oversee implementation of the project in line with Bank procedures and standards, and specific requirements in the AMA agreed with the GCF. The Bank brings unique qualities to the shared effort in support of Niger. The Bank has supported implementation of climate resilient growth programs in the Sahel and in Niger in

36 International Development Association International Finance Corporation Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency Country Partnership

Framework For The Republic Of Niger For The Period Of Fy18-Fy22 March 13, 2018 37 Adapted from Source: UNDP, HDR 2007/2008 – Fighting climate change: Human solidarity in a divided world, New York, 2007

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particular. Other similar programs include the implementation of regional programs to build resilience in Africa (the 2015-2020 P2RS Sahel Resilience Programme and the Horn of Africa Resilience Programme), Africa (Phase II and III). The Bank plays a role in preparing projects, identifying partners with the right capacity and convening them to provide solutions to development challenges as a complement to its own investments. Finally, the Bank’s continued support is warranted as a strategy to manage and reduce risks to other elements of its programs in Niger. The Project will be implemented by the Directorate for Water and Forests of the Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with the Kandadji Dam agency and other actors. The EE has significant experience in implementation of programs in Niger. The project will however equip the EE with robust skills needed to deliver the project outcomes effectively. Coordination by decentralized authorities As indicated in its NDC, Niger accords priority to agriculture, forestry and other land-use sectors (AFOLU) such as livestock breeding, and the energy sector. All these sectors including the energy sector, which produces household fuel-wood, should be contributing to the country’s food security - its highest political priority. And yet, the institutions governing these sectors are developing parallels to one another like national silos without inter-sectorial synergies. The project proposed herein will create genuine local technical operational units at the most effective level: the decentralized territorial authorities. With such units ensuring coherence and coordination of interventions on the ground, sectors are expected to abandon their competitive attitude in favour of complementarity and synergy aimed at achieving the common political objectives of food security and environmental sustainability. Efficiency and effectiveness With regard to the effectiveness of various interventions, it has been shown that good sustainable land management practices would increase average agricultural production per hectare by more than 30%. There are other simple and inexpensive techniques but their practice is localized, as they have not been sufficiently disseminated or promoted with a view to benefiting the largest number of people. Cost-effectiveness and efficiency regarding financial and non-financial aspects (PMF-M Core 2) The project will carry out direct investment activities in three regions of the country: the Tillaberi, Niger and Dosso regions of Niger. Other regions of Niger will benefit indirectly from strategies, manuals, and guidelines produced by the project as well as different forms of trainings and consultations such as the REDD+ consultations. Three to four landscapes in each of these zones will be selected for pilot projects that will create approximately 500,000 ha of forest plantations with the participation of populations and a budget of $25.424 million, amounting to a cost of US$51/ha. The project also aims to reduce carbon emissions to – 55 million tons of Carbon for which the budget would be an estimated US$73,732,000, amounting to less than US$1.5/tons of Carbon - well below the usual cost of US$5/tons of Carbon cited in the literature and much less than the US$50/tons of carbon mentioned in the Niger NDC. Investments under this project will have great potential for leveraging other initiatives. Amount of co-financing (PMF-M Core 3) The estimated volume of finance to be leveraged by the proposed project is UA 92 million (US$ 127.62 million) from the African Development Bank (public financing), of which 50% is Loan and 50% grant. The requested financing from the GCF is estimated at US$ 35 million (Grant). Co-financing ratio (total amount of co-financing divided by the Fund’s investment in the project/program) is estimated at 3.7: 1. There is potential for co-financing from the private sector especially from the “BioCF Niger Acacia Senegal Plantation Project”, which may want to expend its area of operation in to benefit from irrigation water disposed by Component A (Kandadji / P-KRESMIN) of this Project. Expected economic and financial internal rate of return The financial rates of return for the entire project have been calculated over a life of 30 years, through financial flows or cash flow structured in jobs and resources. The basic financial internal rate of return (IRR) is estimated at 10.9%% for an NPV of 1,458,320,000,000 FCFA. The sensitivity tests established on the basis of a 10% decrease in revenue, an increase in costs of 10% and a decrease in cross-incomes with an increase in costs, having results of 9.5%, 9.6% and 8.3% respectively. The economic rate of return is 12.4% for a net present value (NPV) of 1 529,340,000,000 FCFA. The sensitivity tests established on the basis of a 10% reduction in revenue, a 10% increase in costs and a decrease in cross-revenues with an increase in costs, are 10.9%, 11.1% and 9.6% respectively. Financial viability in the long run Viability after financing ends is assumed to go beyond that of economic returns and encompasses socioeconomic metrics, including, improvements in the resilience of communities, and alignment with national priorities in the climate and economic growth policies of Niger. The strategy for maintaining - and, indeed, developing - the work of the project will rely largely on self-financing through the sale of forestry products and services. The primary marketable service will be carbon sequestration, sold as carbon credits that could gain importance as forest plantations mature. Project managers will introduce a carbon market information system early on.

C. Indicative financing / Cost information (max. 3 pages)

C.1. Financing by components (max ½ page)

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Pleas e provide an estimate of the total cost per component and disaggregate by source of financing.

C.2. Justification of GCF funding request (max 1 page)

The GCF was established to finance programs and projects for climate change adaptation and/or mitigation. With its huge potential to spark a paradigm shift towards resilient and low-carbon sustainable development, the project proposed

Component

Indicative

Program

Cost

(US$)

GCF Financing AfDB Financing

Amount

Millions

USD

Financial

Instrument

Amount

Millions

USD

Financial

Instrument

Component A: Dam and electrical equipment 53.78 53.78 Loan

Component B: Environmental and social measures

Sub-Component B1. Knowledge and

governance of forest resources

8.00 8.00 Grant

Output B1.1 Multi-resource forest inventory

undertaken 4.5

Output B1.2 Study undertaken on the contribution

of forest-biodiversity to the economy of Niger. 0.5

Output B1.3 Study undertaken on the dynamics of

forest ecosystems of Niger 1.0

Output B1.4 REDD+ Readiness phase completed

1.4

Output B1.5 GIS capacity of MEDD strengthened 0.6

Sub-Component B2. Sustainable forest

management and diversification in view of

climate change 91.78 23.75 Grant 68.04 Loan

Output B2.1 National forest landscape restoration

strategy is developed 0.25 0.8

Output B2.2 Forest management guidelines and

plans with CC adaptation and mitigation measures

are developed 0.5 0.5

Output B2.3 Agroforestry parkland management

plans with CC adaptation and mitigation measures

are implemented 4 2

Output B2.4 Carbon sinks created through new

forest plantations in classified forests 3 3

Output B2.5 Entrepreneurial investments are

promoted 13 55.73

Output B2.6 PES scheme with Kandadji dam is

developed to ensure sustainability of project

outcomes 3 6.01

Component C: Project coordination,

management and development 9.05 3.25 Grant 5.80 Grant

Component C1 Project monitoring-evaluation and

capacity-building

Output C1.1 Capacity enhanced through

dissemination of good adaptation practices and

climate information 2 3

Output C1.2 Implementation, platforms and

monitoring-evaluation are effectively coordinated 1.25 2.8

Totals 162.62 35.00 127.62

Table 2 : Indicative budget

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herein captures the essence of the GCF mission. The proposed project contributes towards REDD+ - a process moderated by the UNFCCC which supports countries' efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and foster conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. By supporting the project, the GCF will contribute towards increasing resilience and enhancing livelihoods of the vulnerable people and communities; enhancing food and water security; and improving the resilience of ecosystems and ecosystem services in Niger. The greatest mitigation potential from the forestry project will be through avoided deforestation – protecting forests before they are damaged or lost and carbon sequestration. This will strengthen adaptation potential as well as contribute towards Niger NDC targets. Co-benefits include improving the sustainability of the Kandadji Dam through the implementation of investment protection actions against various forms of erosion, provision of global public goods, like carbon storage and biodiversity protection, fuel wood and charcoal, forage and fodder in the agroforestry parklands etc. Involvement of the GCF financing will strengthen the uptake of REDD+ and other forest and land-based solutions to climate change following a landscape approach in Niger and the Sahel in general. This includes a comprehensive approach to afforestation and reforestation, which should consider carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, soil protection, as well as sustainable provision of raw material for forest industries and other goods and services in a balanced way. Through its implementation in pilot landscapes, the impact of GDFCC-Niger could potentially extend across the entire national territory. Multi sector coordination will increase the possibilities of having large-scale sustainable impacts. Implementation of all components to be funded by the GCF grant will be facilitated by supportive infrastructure and resources from AfDB’s investment in the Kandadji / P-KRESMIN Program. These include: water for irrigation of landscape speculations, electricity from the plant to provide current for the refrigeration of perishable landscape produce as well as for the operation of processing mills. Feeder roads to facilitate evacuation of marketable products from production landscapes to commercial centers for sale.

C.3. Sustainability and replicability of the project (exit strategy) (max. 1 page)

From an institutional and financial perspective the GDFCC-Niger has been mainstreamed into national institutional settings, national sector policy and medium to long term funding priorities. GDFCC-Niger falls within the scope of the National Policy on Environment and Sustainable Development and the Strategic Framework for Sustainable Land Management. The Government of Niger is fully committed to both these instruments, and to ensuring the food security of its people. Accordingly, the Government of Niger pledges to make budgetary contributions - which, while limited, will be sustained and be long-term – for the implementation of these policies. To that end, the national policy paper on the environment states that: «The plan of action is the technical tool for implementing the National Policy. It will be an operational tool that is regularly updated in order to serve as a framework for monitoring and evaluating implementation of the National Policy. It will also be the frame of reference for drawing up a project budget (investment framework) in accordance with ECOWAS community directives on multi-year investment budget planning». Thus, steady contributions by the Government of Niger will be guaranteed over the long term. It is In this context that the Government of Niger will also continue to turn to its financial partners for on-going support in financing its policies. In terms of sustainability and linkages with government programs, a strategic output among others of this Project is the Criteria and Indicators (C&Is) that it will develop for sustainable forest management (SFM). Based on data from the forest resources inventory and other studies, this GDFCC Niger Project will develop adaptable C&Is for sustainable forest management in the face of climate change and climate variability in Niger. The C&Is will be adopted / adapted by all government ministerial departments operational at the project landscape level in the first instance and for all landscape operations in the country from the medium to long term. For example, the ministerial department of Agriculture and Livestock in Niger will adopt plans for greening of pastures with fodder tree species and strategies against wildfires advocated and developed by this GDFCC Project.

As for the sustainability of the project’s impacts, forest management is recognized as guaranteeing the long-term stability of natural forest cover as well as a near-constant flow of goods and services from these forests (carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, wood and non-wood forest products). The role of forest plantations in carbon sequestration will therefore increase over time and these plantations will contribute to the financing of local development well beyond the 10-year duration of the project. With regard to forest products, wood energy will continue to be a primary source of energy in Niger for the next 25 years; it is also a renewable source of energy, especially if it is wood energy from natural forests or well-managed forest plantations. Forest plantations and natural forests can also be a source of other familiar products on the market, such as Gum Arabic. As the project is expected to improve security, the revitalization of ecotourism will also require collaboration with the private sector. All this will hinge on effective coordination of local and national actors. Moreover the project has introduced output B4.2, to capitalize on project results and ensure sustainability of outcomes. One of such envisaged outcomes is to promote mergers of SMEs to form larger and more stable enterprises capable to contributing significantly and in the long term to the economy of Niger. Such SMEs operational on agroforestry parklands include producers of produce Balanites oil, Moringa juice, and balanites soap etc. Their mergers and ensuing financial sustainability will perpetuate the outcomes of the Project.

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Promoting, maintaining and developing cooperation among implementing agencies and local communities is expected to strengthen the participation of communities to implement forestry management plans. Training to support sustainable natural resource management will also foster further forestry landscape rehabilitation initiatives.

The landscape approach to forestry restoration is a new approach to integrated landscape management and provides an opportunity to build capacity at national and subnational level and pilot planning approaches in selected landscapes, which can be replicated elsewhere in Niger and in the greater Sahel. Working on a landscape level will promote integration between sectors as well as between protection and production and increase the ability to incorporate the impact of climate change. Further, data on forest carbon stocks, species composition etc. has not been available before. This will strengthen initiatives to reduce forest related emissions and enhance removals of GHG. The SFM technologies to be implemented like ANR on farms, farmer-managed ANR on parklands are simple and effective restoration measures (tested in the Sahelian part of Niger) that require little investment. They also have the potential to be scaled up quickly in areas where tree and shrub species have the ability to re-sprout after harvest and where rights to resource use are appropriate. The outcomes of this project can be replicated in other countries.

C.4 Engagement among the NDA, AE, and/or other relevant stakeholders in the country (max ½ page)

The proposal for this project was drafted on the basis of broad consultation. The proposal has been developed in consultation with government departments, civil society groups and other relevant stakeholders, with particular attention being paid to gender equality. It therefore provides a mechanism for their future engagement in accordance with the African Development Bank, the National Environmental and social safeguards and stakeholder consultation guidelines.

20 workshop participants from the General Directorate of Water and Forests, the Ministry of Finance, academia and NGOs, as well as the Secretariat of the United Nations Forum on Forests, helped to identify and analyse the constraints to forestry management in Niger. Participants in a capacity-building workshop were an initial source of information.

On a preliminary mission from 6 to 18 March 2017, which included the above-mentioned capacity-building workshop, consultants met with high-level officials in the Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests (MEEF), including the Minister; the Ministry of Planning; the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); and the National Council on Environment and Sustainable Development. (CNEDD). Over the course of a second mission from 8 to 20 June 2017, meetings were held with key persons from the National Agronomic Research Institute of Niger (INRAN), the Faculty of Agronomy, the University of Niamey sustainable development project, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the project on the Sustainable Management of Natural Forests and the Provision of Fuel-wood to Sahel Towns (FONABES). Working sessions between the Kandadji Dam Agency and the MEDD were also organized. Field visits provided an opportunity for first-hand observation and meetings with actors directly involved in the management of forests and environmental resources. These visits took place on 12 June in the department of Says (Niamey region) and from 14 to 18 June in the Maradi region. During the 12 June visit, a meeting was held with the staff of the departmental directorate of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests and the rural communities of Tientiergou and Ballaré. In the Maradi region, discussions were held with the regional officials of the Ministry. Field visits were made to Baban, Rafi Sud (south), where village communities manage natural forests for the production of fuel-wood, and Dan Saga, where local populations practice assisted natural generation (ANR). Field visits were yet another important source of information for the pre-feasibility study. These field visits were a means of discovering the real constraints experienced by the people directly involved and the kind of support necessary to address them. They also provided an opportunity to get a sense of actors’ immediate and potential commitment. A list of other persons with whom meetings were held is contained in annex 2 of the pre-feasibility study.

The proposed project is designed to contribute to all six specific objectives of the national policy on climate change, set out in subsection 3.2.2 of the pre-feasibility study. It also emphasizes the forestry sector, a component of the AFOLU sector, identified as a priority in the Niger NDC. With regard to mitigation, the project is guided by the nationally determined contribution of Niger, which states: « For the AFOLU sector, NDC related interventions will focus on scaling up best practices in sustainable land management, sustainable forest management, afforestation and reforestation. » With regard to adaptation, it will contribute to the implementation of the Strategic Framework for Sustainable Land Management (CS-GDT) which the country hopes to see extended over an area of nearly 7 million hectares by 2030.

A stakeholder engagement plan (SEP) will be prepared as part of the implementation process and throughout project duration to ensure that stakeholder’s concerns are taken into account. The plan will help the project in implementing effective communication channels and working relationships. The Executing Entity will hold consultations throughout project implementation as deemed necessary. The Stakeholder Engagement Plan will be implemented in conjunction with the Gender Mainstreaming Strategy and the process framework for restriction of access to natural resources.

D. Supporting documents submitted (OPTIONAL)

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☒ Map indicating the location of the project/programme

☒ Diagram of the theory of change

☐ Financial Model

☒ Pre-feasibility Study

☐ Evaluation Report of previous project

Self-awareness check boxes

Are you aware that the full Funding Proposal and Annexes will require these documents? Yes ☒ No ☐

• Feasibility Study

• Environmental and social impact assessment or environmental and social management framework

• Stakeholder consultations at national and project level implementation including with indigenous people if

relevant

• Gender assessment and action plan

• Operations and maintenance plan if relevant

• Loan or grant operation manual as appropriate

• Co-financing commitment letters

Are you aware that a funding proposal from an accredited entity without a signed AMA will be reviewed but not sent to

the Board for consideration? Yes ☒ No

E. Appendices

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INVESTMENT FACILITY / REVOLVING FUND / NATIONAL FUND OBJECTIVE: Perennial platform to support ecosystem

rehabilitation and community resilience long into the future

Set up of Investment Facility by Financial Partner (GCF), Technical and Financial Partner (AfDB) and Host Government (Niger)

GCF Grants & Loans AfDB Grants & Loans Niger Government : Co-funding

Proposed Kandadji Dam

Community Representatives

Service providers/Executers

Private Sector

TARGETED COMMUNITIES TARGETED ECOSYSTEM / RESULT AREA

FOCUS

Supply of ecosystem goods

and services

Protection

of Kandadji

Dam

Protection / conservation of

natural resources / law enforcement

Incentive-based mechanism to change BAU i.e. grants, loans,

Enabling Env: for PS engagement i.e. value chains

TA. Capacity building /

advisory services

In-kind contribution PB-payback process

Appendix I: Holistic presentation of major project relationships

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Appendix II: Maps

Map indicating the location of the project/programme

Map showing the classified forests and gum arabic agroforestry parks (Done by DAF/RRT, 2017)

Climate zones in Niger (Source: Plan of action, Great Green Wall Initiative (GGWI),

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

Longitude

12

14

16

18

20

22

24

Lati

tud

e

Agadez

Bilma

Birni N'Konni

Diffa

Dosso

Gaya

Gouré

MagariaMainé Soroa

Maradi

N'Guigmi

Niamey

Tahoua

Tillabéry

Zinder

Ayorou

BagarouaBouza

Dakoro

Doutchi Goudoumaria

Iférouane

Loga

Madaoua

Maraka

Tanout

Tapoa

Tchintabaraden

Tesker

TessaouaTéra

Chikal

Keita

Tabelot

-50

0

150

300

600

Zone SahéloSoudanienne

ZoneSahélienne

Zone SahéloSaharienne

Zone Saharienne

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Map of the location of the KANDADJI Program

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Appendix III:

Programme to Support Sustainable Forest Management and the Strengthening of the Role of Forests in Combating Climate Change in Niger (GDFCC – Niger)

Description of the Project Components Financed by the African Development Bank

Objectives and components of the project

The objective of the project is to contribute to the reduction of poverty and the regeneration of river ecosystems. The specific objectives of the project are to (i) regulate the low flow rate for the regeneration of the ecosystems and the securing of the water supply; (ii) increase in agricultural and animal production on a sustainable basis through the control of irrigation and the rationalization of natural resource development; (iii) and increase in the rate of access to electricity for rural, peri-urban and urban populations in several cities and towns in Niger. It is a multi-sectorial and multi-purpose operation. The project takes into account gender and employment of young people in a transversal way in all its components. It is structured as follows

Component A: Dam and electrical equipment

Lot 1: (i) construction of a rock fill concrete faced dam of 24 m height with a dike of 6.2 km; (ii) A spillway in the form of a weir equipped with control valves with a capacity of 3,550 m3/s (Deca-Milléniale flood); (iii) an integrated fish pass; An oblique navigation overhead lift; (iv) The civil engineering of the hydroelectric power plant and IV) a 3M3/s water intake for irrigation immediately downstream of the dam. Lot 2: Equipment of the electric centre; Lot 3: Electric line Construction (Tillabérey – Niamey) and Lot 4: Construction of the deviation of the RN1-W road.

Component B: Environmental and Social Measures

This component comprises two sub components: S-component B1) comprises Implementation of measures and actions which include the following: (i) restoration and treatment of the dam water reservoir sub watershed (7400 ha of recovered land, 25% vegetated) and reforestation of 1600 ha, (ii) provision for safety of Dam, (iii) provision for biodiversity and control of the invasion of proliferating aquatic plants; (iv) conservation of ecosystems, (v) reduction of deforestation (6000 ha), (vi) strengthening fishing activities, public health and epidemiological surveillance and adaptive management of climate Change, vii) the development of a sanctuary of hippos and a protected area of 1.15 million ha and viii) the construction of the Museum of Kandadji for the preservation of cultural heritage. S-component B2: comprises implementation of the resettlement action plan for the program for populations located in the inundated area. Measures include the following: (i) Management of involuntary displacement of populations affected by dam construction, (ii) carrying out of actions accompanying the process of compensation and support to vulnerable persons (including women belonging to male-headed households), (iii) Coordination of land commissions, (iv) organization of Information and gender sensitive communication (v) Compensation of affected populations (including women), (vi) Development and development of compensation perimeters as an accompanying measure for population resettlement.

Component C: Program Management and Coordination

This component comprises support for the operation of the programme with partial management of the ABK. It comprises: (i) provision of logistical means, (ii) provision of computer and office equipment, (iii) provision and acquisition of additional furniture , (iv) strengthening of the Monitoring-evaluation and implementation of the program, (v) Coordination of project activities, (vi) gender mainstreaming and provision of employment to the youth (vi) administrative, accounting and financial management, (vii) Acquisition of goods, works and services and (viii) undertaking annual audits and mid-term review, as well as technical studies.

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Appendix IV: Theory of Change

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Component

Indicative

Program

Cost

(US$)

GCF Financing AfDB Financing

Amount

Millions

USD

Financial

Instrument

Amount

Millions

USD

Financial

Instrument

Component A: Dam and electrical equipment 53.78 53.78 Loan

Component B: Environmental and social measures

Sub-Component B1. Knowledge and

governance of forest resources

8.00 8.00 Grant

Output B1.1 Multi-resource forest inventory

undertaken 4.5

Output B1.2 Study undertaken on the contribution

of forest-biodiversity to the economy of Niger. 0.5

Output B1.3 Study undertaken on the dynamics of

forest ecosystems of Niger 1.0

Output B1.4 REDD+ Readiness phase completed

1.4

Output B1.5 GIS capacity of MEDD strengthened 0.6

Sub-Component B2. Sustainable forest

management and diversification in view of

climate change 91.78 23.75 Grant 68.04 Loan

Output B2.1 National forest landscape restoration

strategy is developed 0.25 0.8

Output B2.2 Forest management guidelines and

plans with CC adaptation and mitigation measures

are developed 0.5 0.5

Output B2.3 Agroforestry parkland management

plans with CC adaptation and mitigation measures

are implemented 4 2

Output B2.4 Carbon sinks created through new

forest plantations in classified forests 3 3

Output B2.5 Entrepreneurial investments are

promoted 13 55.73

Output B2.6 PES scheme with Kandadji dam is

developed to ensure sustainability of project

outcomes 3 6.01

Component C: Project coordination,

management and development 9.05 3.25 Grant 5.80 Grant

Component C1 Project monitoring-evaluation and

capacity-building

Output C1.1 Capacity enhanced through

dissemination of good adaptation practices and

climate information 2 3

Output C1.2 Implementation, platforms and

monitoring-evaluation are effectively coordinated 1.25 2.8

Totals 162.62 35.00 127.62

Annex V : Budget

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Appendix VI: On-going Natural Resources related Projects in Niger

1. FAO/Emergency assistance to refugees/returnees and IDPs victims of Boko Haram crisis and resilience

building in Diffa Region

Objective: Improve food and nutrition security of vulnerable households affected by Boko Haram crisis in Diffa

Start date: 01 Jan 2017

End date: 31 Dec 2019

Budget: USD 1,325,821

_________________________

2. World Bank/ Niger Refugees and Host Communities Support Project

Objective: Improve access to basic services and economic opportunities for refuges and host communities in select areas

in the Republic of Niger. There are four components to the project, the first component being community infrastructure

for improved access to basic public services. This component will finance labor intensive, small scale infrastructure

rehabilitation and construction provided, through the contracting of local private sector construction firms

Start date: September 2018

End date: September 2023

Budget: US$ 80.00 Million

___________________________

3. World Bank / Agricultural and Livestock Transformation Project for Niger

Objective: Increase agriculture productivity and access to markets for small and medium farmers and agri-food small

and medium enterprises in the participating project regions. This project has four components. 1) The first component,

improving the quality of agriculture support services and policies, aims to increase the productivity of agriculture for both

crop production and sedentary livestock systems, including aquaculture and fisheries,

Start date: January 2019

End date: December 2025

Budget: US$ 134.90 Million

_______________________________________

4. World Bank / Disaster Risk Management and Urban Development Project

Objective: Improve Niger’s resilience to natural hazards through selected disaster risk management interventions in

targeted project sites and strengthening of Government's capacity to respond promptly and effectively to an eligible crisis

or an emergency. The project primarily funds (i) Flood Risk Management Investments (including drainage, irrigation and

socio-economic priority infrastructure; flood protection infrastructure; rehabilitation.

Start date: May 2019

End date: N/A

Budget: US$ 25.00 Million

___________________________

5. World Bank / Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project for Niger

Objective: Improve and sustain road access of farming communities to production sites, markets and basic social services

in selected areas. The project has 3 components. (1) Improvement of rural transport infrastructure component has 2

subcomponents. Rural roads improvement works subcomponent will finance the improvement into all-season roads of

about 650 km of existing unpaved rural roads and also address road safety.

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Start date: March 2019

End date: March 2025

Budget: US$ 52.25 Million

_________________________________________

6. World Bank / Second Niger Adaptive Safety Net Project

Objective: Improve the capacity of the Niger adaptive safety nets system to respond to shocks and to provide access for

poor and vulnerable people to safety nets and accompanying measures. This project has four components. 1) The first

component, Strengthening the Adaptive and Scalable Safety Net System, has the following three subcomponents: (i)

Strengthening national systems; (ii) Supporting policy dialogue and inter-sectorial coordination;

Start date: January 2019

End date: June 2024

Budget: US$ 80.00 Million

_________________________________

7. World Bank / Agricultural and Livestock Transformation Project for Niger

Objective: Increase agriculture productivity and access to markets for small and medium farmers and agri-food small

and medium enterprises in the participating project regions. This project has four components. 1) The first component,

improving the quality of agriculture support services and policies, aims to increase the productivity of agriculture for both

crop production and sedentary livestock systems, including aquaculture and fisheries,

Start date: June 2019

End date: December 2025

Budget: US$ 134.90 Million

______________________________

8. World Bank / Disaster Risk Management and Urban Development Project

Objective: Improve Niger’s resilience to natural hazards through selected disaster risk management interventions in

targeted project sites and strengthening of Government's capacity to respond promptly and effectively to an eligible crisis

or an emergency.The project primarily funds (i) Flood Risk Management Investments (including drainage, irrigation and

socio-economic priority infrastructure; flood protection infrastructure; rehabilitation

Start date: May 2019

End date: N/A

Budget: US$ 25.00 Million

_______________________________________

9. World Bank / Rural Mobility and Connectivity Project for Niger

Objective: Improve and sustain road access of farming communities to production sites, markets and basic social

services in selected areas. The project has 3 components. (1) Improvement of rural transport infrastructure component has

2 subcomponents. Rural roads improvement works subcomponent will finance the improvement into all-season roads of

about 650 km of existing unpaved rural roads and also address road safety along the project roads

Start date: March 2019

End date: March 2025

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Budget: US$ 52.25 Million

__________________________

10. World Bank / Second Niger Adaptive Safety Net Project

Objective: Improve the capacity of the Niger adaptive safety nets system to respond to shocks and to provide access for

poor and vulnerable people to safety nets and accompanying measures. This project has four components. 1) The first

component, Strengthening the Adaptive and Scalable Safety Net System, has the following three subcomponents: (i)

Strengthening national systems; (ii) Supporting policy dialogue and inter-sectorial coordination;

Start date: January 2019

End date: June 2024

Budget: US$ 80.00 Million

______________________________

11. World Bank / Skills Development for Growth Project for Niger

Objective: Improve the effectiveness of formal technical and vocational training, short-term skills development, and

apprenticeship programs in priority sectors. The proposed additional financing will finance the scaling up of successful

activities supported under the original project and support new activities that will enhance the achievement of the project

objective. Furthermore, the additional financing will support institutional reforms

Start date: April 2018

End date: N/A

Budget: US$ 50.00 Million

___________________________________

12. World Bank / Climate-smart Agriculture Support Project for Niger

Objective: Enhance adaptation to climate risks, to improve agricultural productivity among the Targeted Communities

and in the event of an eligible crisis or emergency, to provide immediate and effective response to said eligible crisis or

emergency. The project is organized into four components. 1)Investments for scaling up climate-smart agriculture (CSA)

are to provide financing to scale up proven technologies and practices

Start date: May 2016

End date: December 2022

Budget: US$ 111.00 Million

__________________________________________

13. World Bank / Adaptive Social Safety Nets Project for Niger

Objective: Establish and support a safety nets system which will increase access of poor and food insecure households

to cash transfer and cash for work programs. The additional financing (AF) was formulated during the midterm review of

the parent project held in December 2014, in response to the government’s request for additional resources to: (a)

strengthen the impact of the project on resilience;

Start date: April 2016

End date: N/A

Budget: US$ 31.00 Million

________________________________

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14. World Bank / Third Community Action Program under the Additional Financing

for Niger

Objective: Strengthen the recipient’s local development planning and implementation capacities, to support the targeted

population in improving agriculture productivity, and to respond promptly and effectively to an eligible crisis or

emergency. This project has four components. 1) The first component, Capacity Building, aims to put more focus on

targeted training and agricultural advisory services needed by small farmers

Start date: April 2017

End date: N/A

Budget: US$ 23.05 Million

_____________________________

15. World Bank / Investment Climate and Competiveness Support Project for Niger

Objective: Improve critical elements of investment climate for the private sector and enhance competitiveness of small

and medium enterprises (SMEs) in selected agriculture value chain. The project comprises of three components. The first

component, modernization of the business environment aims to support the implementation of reforms which can be easy

to implement and have a quick impact on the business environment.

Start date: April 2015

End date: December 2020

Budget: US$ 18.28 Million

_________________________

16. World Bank / Third Community Action Program (CAP3) Support Project for Niger

Objective: Strengthen the recipient's local development planning and implementation capacities, and (ii) to improve the

access of the targeted population to socioeconomic services. The project has 4 components. (1) Capacity building

component will ensure capacity building for communes and communities; improving local governance and regional

governments; and promoting inter-communal collaboration. (2) Local investment fund component

Start date: April 2013

End date: December 2019

Budget: US$ 40.00 Million

_______________________________________

17. World Bank / Community Action for Climate Resilience Project for Niger

Objective: Improve the resilience of the populations and of production systems to climate change and variability in

targeted communes. This restructuring will undertake the following changes: (i) modify the results indicators at the

project development objective level; (ii) reallocate budgets between the disbursement categories; and (iii) modify the

institutional arrangements.

Start date: January 2012

End date: May 2021

Budget: US$ 63.00 Million

_____________________________________

18. AfDB / AMI - Niger - Projet d’Appui à la Mobilisation des Ressources et la Mise en œuvre du PDES 2017-

2021

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Objectif : Le Gouvernement de la République du Niger a reçu un financement du Groupe de la

Banque Africaine de Développement et le Fonds Africain de Développement, afin de couvrir les

coûts du Projet en objet et a l’intention d’utiliser une partie des sommes accordées au titre de ce financement pour

financer les prestations relatives à l’audit financier du Projet d’Appui à la Mobilisation des Ressources et la Mise en

Œuvre du PDES 2017-2021 – Ministère du Plan

Start date: March 2018

End date: 2021

Budget: UAC 1.00 Million

___________________________________

19. AfDB/ IFB – Niger - Fourniture, installation et mise en service d’un groupe diesel 20 MW - Projet

d’Électrification Rurale, Périurbaine et Urbaine (PEPERN)

Objective: Rural electrification

Start date: September 2016

End date: N/A

Budget: UAC 58.970.000

___________________________________

20. EU/Creating jobs in the transit areas of Tahoua and Agadez in Niger

24/09/2018 - 16:21

Objective: The main objective of the action is to sustainably improve the production conditions and economic value of

agricultural products in the regions of Tahoua and Agadez. The main objective of the action is to sustainably improve

the production conditions and economic value of agricultural products in the regions of Tahoua and Agadez. This project

is part of the Creating jobs in the transit areas of Tahoua and Agadez in Niger programme.

Start date: September 2016

End date: September 2019

Budget: EUR 67 000 000

___________________________________

21. EU/Response mechanism and resources for migrants (MRRM) - IOM

Objective: The project's main objective is to support Niger's response to complex migratory flows, promote feasible and

effective alternatives to irregular migration from Niger and promote economic and social development through circular

migration in the region.

Start date: October 2016

End date: October 2019

Budget: EUR 7 000 000

______________________________

22. EU/ Action against desertification

Objective: The specific objective of the project is to improve the condition and productivity of the agrosylvopastoral

landscapes affected by Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought (DLDD) in ACP countries through the

implementation of the GGWSSI in six African countries.

Start date: July 2014

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End date: February 2019

Budget: EUR 18 413 479