PDF BLOCK A – Barbados

Part I – Eligibility
1. Project name:
National Capacity Self - Assessment (NCSA) for Global Environmental Management - Barbados. / 2. GEF Implementing Agency :
UNEP
3. Country in which the project is being implemented:
Barbados / 4. Country eligibility:
Barbados ratified the UNCBD on 10/12/1993, the UNFCCC on 23/03/1994 and the UNCCD on 14/05/1997. Barbados meets all other eligibility requirements for GEF funding
5. GEF focal area(s) :
Multiple Focal Area / 6. Operational program/Short-term measure:
Enabling Activities
7. Project linkage to national priorities, action plans, and programs:
Barbados is a small coral limestone island, and the most easterly of the Caribbean islands. The island is 34 km long and 23km wide with a total land area of 432 square kilometres (166 sq. miles) and a potential Exclusive Economic Zone of 167,000 square kilometres. The estimated population of Barbados as cited in the Population Census of 2000 is 268, 402, making it one of the most densely populated countries in the world with a density of 623 persons per square kilometre.
Barbados, has a mild subtropical climate with a dry season from December to May and a wet season from June to November, and is usually cited among the top fifteen water scarce countries of the world. The island is comparatively flat, with a series of terraced tablelands. From a geological perspective the island is divided into two regions. On the Leeward or western side of the island can be found coral limestone and the coastlines are surrounded by the turquoise seas and beaches of white sand. The windward or eastern side of the island comprises the Scotland District, which accounts for one-seventh (1/7) of the island; here the coral limestone cap has been removed and the terrain of the coastline is rough and rocky.
The first Europeans arrived in Barbados in 1627, and found most of the island covered with forest. However within 30 years of colonisation, some 80% of the island was cleared primarily for agricultural purposes. Some 300 years of monoculture (sugar cane) and a gradual growth in population has further exacerbated the loss of terrestrial habitats and biodiversity.
The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) was prepared in 2001,and seeks to provide an overall assessment of the biodiversity of Barbados as well as a framework for the management and sustainable use of the resources. The NBSAP provides for the integration of biodiversity management and conservation into existing sectoral policies which would serve to minimise overlap and increase efficiency of use of human, financial and technical resources. In order to achieve this successfully there must be an improvement in inter-agency collaboration and co-ordination of environmental and natural resources planning and management activities. Barbados is currently seeking funding to implement various activities and programmes emanating from the NBSAP. Some of the goals highlighted in the NBSAP include conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, improved public awareness and education on biodiversity issues, improved biodiversity research and data storage and an ongoing programme of monitoring of species conservation. Each goal has an objective, a strategy and a set of outlined actions to achieve the specified goal.
Barbados prepared its First National Communication to the United Nations Framework Climate Convention on Climate Change in 2001. The document identifies and highlights the challenges which will confront the island as it seeks to design and implement an appropriate adaptation strategy. The island’s vulnerability and adaptability to climate change is comprehensively discussed, as is the first national greenhouse gas inventory and abatement of greenhouse gas emissions. Policies and actions aimed at enabling Barbados to become more independent and self-reliant in catering for its energy needs are also identified. Barbados is currently in the process of receiving funds to start Phase 2 of the Enabling Activities.
7. cont
Barbados is currently preparing its National Action Plan in accordance with the rules and regulations of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. The National Awareness Seminar was convened in 1999, at which stakeholders gathered to discuss a way forward to addressing the issues of land degradation and drought in Barbados. The report of the stakeholder consultation has formed the basis for the working draft of the National Action Plan, which identifies three specific priority areas. These are settlement, agriculture and resource use and conservation.
In addition to addressing its international obligations under the Rio Conventions, Barbados has several programmes and policies in place to effect sustainable environmental management:
The Government of Barbados has recently prepared a Sustainable Development Policy which aims to sensitise all persons in Barbados about the need to make wise choices daily, at the individual, household, business, community and national level. These choices include the things which are consumed, the foods eaten, the way goods are produced and the way in which waste is disposed. Identification of capacity needs must be undertaken in order to achieve the aims of the Sustainable Development Policy.
In 1998, the Government of Barbados received a number of policy documents focusing on Environmental Management and Land Use Planning. This was the result of a study completed under the auspices of an Inter-American Development Bank Investment Sector Reform Programme (IADB/ISRP). The particular component of the ISRP of significance to Barbados for assessment of biological diversity was the Environmental Management and Land Use Planning for Sustainable Development Project. This Project which lasted 18 months had a number of outputs:-
  1. Proposals for the institutional arrangements for environmental management;
  2. Environmental and Natural Resources Management Plan;
  3. National Park System Management Plan & Guidelines
  4. Draft comprehensive environmental legislation;
  5. Draft Physical Development Plan
The traditional agricultural practice in Barbados is sugar cane on plantation farms. Today farmers are being encouraged to diversify their production. Diversification efforts aim to preserve and enhance agro-biodiversity and as such there is a strong move towards the use of plant species that are indigenous to Barbados. The Agriculture Sector Plan 1993 – 2000 outlined a number of initiatives, which have been made towards ensuring the sustainability of the agricultural sector. It places strong emphasis on farmer education programmes. There is training in water conservation and alternative crops and cultivation practices to highlight a few. In an effort to strengthen the capabilities of local communities and individual farmers to encourage the implementation of sustainable farming practices, the ASP proposed the re-distribution of agricultural land in order to encourage the productivity and sustainability of the small farming sector. The Land for the Landless policy aims to deal with this proposal.
The allocation of land to various uses as well as the development of land is guided by the Physical Development Plan (PDP). The PDP was revised in 1998 and is intended to co-ordinate public and private development initiatives in Barbados to the year 2010 within a framework of sustainable development.
Other relevant programmes include the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan, the Barbados Tourism Development Plan and the National Tourism Policy. The Ministry of Social Transformation is also preparing a Poverty Alleviation Strategy and Action Plan.
8. GEF national operational focal point and date of country endorsement:
Dr. Leonard Nurse
Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Housing, Lands and the Environment
1st Flr S.P. Musson Bldg
Hincks Street
BRIDGETOWN
Date of Endorsement: 25 February 2004
(see letter of endorsement at Annex 1)
9. Project rationale and objectives :
Like most other developing countries in the Caribbean, Barbados has evolved a fragmented institutional environmental management system that is exhibited through various sectoral entities in government. One of the consequences of this approach is that there is increased potential for overlapping jurisdictions, to the point that sometimes enforcement of the said laws in compromised.
Barbados does not yet have legislation to address specifically the Convention on Biological Diversity, however there are existing pieces of legislation, such as the Trees Preservation Act, which protect some biodiversity. The Government is currently preparing legislation on Alien and Exotic Species and Zoos. There is currently no legislation specific to Protected Areas, but this is in the pipelines. The NBSAP identifies some institutional constraints, which inhibits the Ministry from effectively carrying out its tasks such as inadequate staffing, a deficiency in training and a lack of a structured information database or library for technical material.
In the Climate Change programme, Vulnerability and Adaptation is the number one priority area for Barbados. The Caribbean Planning for Adaptation to Climate Change (CPACC) Project has provided initial capacity building in the area of vulnerability and climate change. The First National Communications of Barbados recognises the need for the downscaling of the global climate models or the development of regional models, which would allow a more insular and comprehensive understanding of how changing climate will impact Barbados and other countries in the region. It is anticipated that the Regional Climate Change Centre will aid in furthering much of the initial work of CPACC, to better ensure that climate change activities become integrated into development activities of countries.
The initial national communication of Barbados has not addressed the area of climate change and health, and the socio-economic impacts of climate change, as there is a dearth of research in these areas. This indicates the urgent need for capacity building and funding to allow in depth studies of these components in addressing climate change issues.
A changing climate could potentially damage every major sector of the Barbados economy. With most of the tourism infrastructure located on the coast any rise in sea level could prove disastrous for this industry. In addition, other sectors such as water resources, agriculture and fisheries could be affected. Thus there is a need to examine in a comprehensive manner; the capacity needs in Barbados with respect to climate change.
With respect to land degradation in Barbados, there is no stated and specific policy to address the issue. A number of plans and policies address the issue. These include but are not limited to the Draft Physical Development Plan, the Area Development Plan, the Trees Preservation Act and the Environment and Natural Resources Management Plan.
There exists a lack of co-ordination and no one agency has the mandate to harmonise all these efforts and their differing impacts, thus, the policy framework remains fragmented and therefore weak. Equally, there is no stated policy on the retention of the best arable lands for food production. Specific policies such as the agricultural sectoral plan continue to present a challenge. In order to meet the competing demands for land while ensuring conservation of land resources, the Government has instituted a land use zoning policy with restrictions on use determined by the location of underground water resources. This has not, however, reduced the pressure exerted on prime agricultural lands by competing issues such as residential and commercial uses. In fact, the economic policies and sectoral policies often contradict other policies, which seek to arrest land degradation.
The Government of Barbados is currently in the process of elaborating its National Action Plan, which is a requirement under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. Barbados is also ear-marked to commence a project entitled “Harmonisation of Public Policies” which will seek to rationalise all existing plans, policies and laws on land degradation.
The objective of the NCSA process will be to identify through a country-driven consultative process, the priorities, needs and constraints for capacity building to protect global environment as Barbados aims to meet its obligations under the Rio Conventions and other related international instruments. Lack of enforcement is one of the main reasons why Small Island Developing States such as Barbados have problems effectively implementing MEAs, it is envisaged that the NCSA process can assist in identifying ways in which this issue can be addressed. A key element will be to address synergies between thematic areas. The Environmental Management and Land Use Planning Study, which was conducted in 1998, has already identified a number of capacity needs and these will be explored further under the NCSA.
10 Expected outcomes:
The establishment of a national consultative process for a full capacity needs assessment covering biodiversity, climate change and land degradation issues. The NCSA document to be prepared will identify priority issues, capacity constraints, opportunities for capacity building and how these can be integrated into the implementation of the three Rio Conventions in line with national sustainable development goals.
11. Planned activities to achieve outcomes:-
To achieve the above outcomes, at minimum the following activities will be carried out:
  • Preparation of a consultative mechanism to be used in each thematic area;
  • Initial workshop to launch the capacity-self-assessment process;
  • Identification of criteria to prioritise the capacity needs within each thematic area;
  • Listing of existing potential capacity and capacity gaps in each of the three thematic areas and prioritising;
  • Identification and harmonization of the convergence and complementary capacity gaps in the three thematic area and prioritising;
  • Conducting national workshops to present and agree on the identified potential/gaps/weaknesses capacities;
  • Identification and evaluation of the capacity constraints for priority needs identified;
  • Identification and evaluation of the opportunities for capacity building to address the identified capacity constraints;
  • Identification of opportunities and constraints for joint implementation of the three Rio Conventions;
  • National workshop to present and validate the assessment capacity constraints report;
  • Elaboration of strategy for joint implementation of the three Rio Conventions.

12. Stakeholders involved in project:
The stakeholders will include the full range of government agencies, representatives of civil society, NGOs, private sectors etc that have direct or indirect roles in environmental management through their activities. A provisional list of stakeholders is included at Annex 2.
Part II – Information on Block A PDF Activities
13. Activities to be financed by the PDF:
  • Reviewing the formal proposal criteria and other related documentation prepared by the GEF Secretariat
  • Identifying and consulting with the key government authorities and other stakeholders that are likely to participate in the NCSA process
  • Identifying and reviewing relevant action plans, strategies, or assessments completed in the past three years
  • Identifying and consulting with any relevant ongoing activities and programmes
  • Agreeing on appropriate institutional arrangements for a cross-sectoral integrated assessment
  • Designing, in a highly participative and consultative fashion, an NCSA process
  • Preparing a proposal to obtain GEF funding to support the NCSA process
  • Convene a workshop to present and discuss the proposal to be submitted to GEF with relevant stakeholders.

14. Expected outputs and completion dates of the PDF A:
An adequate and appropriate National Capacity Self-Assessment proposal that conforms to all of the requirements set forth by the GEF Secretariat, and is in accordance with the relevant GEF Council decisions, to be submitted via UNEP within four months of receipt of PDF-A funds.
  1. Other possible contributors/donors and amounts: The Government of Barbados shall provide in kind contribution to the effective implementation of the Study. This has been estimated at USD10,000 and includes costs such as Staff Salary, Office Space, and logistical support (secretarial, telephone, internet, photocopying and fax)

16. Total estimated project budget and information on how costs will be met:
Budget Item/Activities / GEF / Government
10,000
Identifying and consulting with the key government authorities and other stakeholders that are likely to participate in the NCSA process / 2,000
Identifying and reviewing relevant action plans, strategies or assessment completed in the past four years / 7,000
Identifying and consulting with any relevant ongoing activities and programmes / 4,000
Agreeing appropriate institutional arrangements for a cross-sectoral integrated assessment / 2,000
Designing, in highly participative and consultative fashion, an NCSA process / 7,000
Preparing a proposal to obtain GEF funding to support the NCSA process / 3,000
Total / 25,000
Part III - Information on the Applicant Institution
  1. Name: Ministry of Housing, Lands and the Environment
Environment Division
1st Floor S.P. Musson Building
Hincks Street
BRIDGETOWN / 18. Date of establishment, membership, and leadership: The Environment Division of the Ministry of Housing, Lands and the Environment was established in1990. The Minister is the Hon. H. Elizabeth Thompson and the Permanent Secretary is Dr. Leonard Nurse. The Environment Division is Focal Point for GEF, UNFCCC, UNCBD, UNCCD, CITES, Ramsar and the Biosafety Protocol.
  1. Mandate/terms of reference: The Environment Division is the major policy development and public awareness department of the Ministry and has a mandate to:
  1. Co-ordinate the national sustainable development programme, as well as to measure and monitor human well-being via a Sustainable Development Indicators Programme;
  2. Create and oversee the management of Barbados’ biodiversity;
  3. Develop a public awareness and public education campaign;
  4. Co-ordinate the national implementation of the various environmental conventions and protocols such as Climate Change, Ozone, Desertification, Biodiverity, Biosafety, Ramsar and CITES
/
  1. Sources of revenue:
Government budgetary appropriations in addition to funding through bilateral and multilateral donors.
  1. Recent activities/programs, in particular those relevant to the GEF:
The following GEF projects are under implementation or in the pipeline:
Development of National Biosafety Framework for Barbados
Integrated Watershed and Coastal Area Management
Biodiversity Enabling Activities
Part IV – Information to be completed by Implementing Agency
22. Project identification number:
23. Implementing Agency contact person:
Abdul-Majeid Haddad, UNEP/GEF NCSA Task Manager (), Nairobi, Tel: +254 20 624088
24. Project linkage to Implementing Agency program(s):
UNEP has a mandate to assist countries with all aspects of environmental management and sustainable development. UNEP is the host organisation for the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and also has established links with the UNFCCC and UNCCD. UNEP has established programmes of support to countries for Biodiversity Enabling Activities, Climate Change Enabling Activities and also has an active programme of work on land degradation – all of these programmes involve support to capacity building. The National Capacity Needs Self Assessment (NCSA) process will provide an obvious extension of this work, especially in the light of the recent work, led by UNEP, to harmonise obligations under a range of biodiversity-related multilateral environmental agreements.

Annex 1