Monia Martini Romania Green Economy Projects Manager WWF...
Transcript of Monia Martini Romania Green Economy Projects Manager WWF...
Monia Martini
Romania Green Economy Projects Manager
WWF-Romania
Project Steering Committee IV
Bucharest, 29 October 2013
Presentation focus
The CSDF established
in Mara - Cosau - Creasta Cocosului (Maramures)
The phased approach
Monitoring and reporting
Risks and assumptions
Testing PES: Experience of the CSDF in Maramures
Testing PES: Experience of the CSDF in Maramures
The CSDF
ConservationandSustainableDevelopmentFund
ESbuyers:1. Localguesthouses2. Tour-operatorsOthercontributors:· Localproducers· Mid-sizeproducers· Localhandicraftsmen· Tourists
ESsellers:ProtectedAreasadministrators
EcosystemService:
LANDSCAPEBEAUTY
(aesthetic/cultural)
ADMINISTRATIVE
COMMITTEE
CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE
Local Partnership for the promotion of the ecotourism destination Mara - Cosau - Creasta Cocosului
Objectives:
1. To create a network of quality services in the tourism sector;
2. To develop sustainably and promote the area Mara - Cosau - Creasta Cocosului as ecotourism destination model;
3. To build members' capacity to administer and promote the destination as well as the tourism services;
4. To create a visual identity for the destination and implement a coherent external communication strategy;
5. To conserve and build the value of natural protected areas as well as of the traditional landscape;
6. To implement a model finance mechanism for nature conservation;
7. To improve tourism related infrastracture at destination level;
8. To preserve and build the value of the traditional architectural heritage.
Testing PES: Experience of the CSDF in Maramures
System of payment
COLLECTION
• Principle of willingness and capacity to pay
• 2-year MoU (authomatically renewed, except if any objection appears)
• CSDF = bank account in the national currency
• Annual fixed contributions from local guesthouses and tour-operators
(donation and sponsorship contracts signed upon the specific year of funds
collection or allocation)
✔ about 500 Euro collected in 2013
Testing PES: Experience of the CSDF in Maramures
ALLOCATION
• A souvenir map has been produced under
the Danube PES project, and meant as a
complementary source of funds
• Selling is based on donation contracts
• Minimum price of 5 Ron
• Granted to protected area administrators
responsible for the selected pilot areas
• Based on a combination of the following criteria:
a. Total available amount collected;
b. Financial needs analysis of the protected
area, including the measures identified to
restore landscape beauty as the key ES.
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Testing PES: Experience of the CSDF in Maramures
The approach
PHASE I - Feasibility studies
Testing PES: Experience of the CSDF in Maramures
What is the problem? Socio-economic analysis
5 communes = 462,72 km2
about 17.880 inhabitants
Local livelihood:
• Wood processing and animal breeding are the main economic activities
• Agriculture
• Tourism
7 PAs
2 Natura 2000
sites = SPA
Muntii Gutâi
(ROSPA0134)
– 28.406 ha
Upper Tiza
hydrological
basin
Wood culture threatened by abandonment of
traditional architecture (especially by young
generations working abroad).
Masonry is preferred:
- cheaper
- sensation of durability
- comfort and prosperity/status
Forests rich in wood, game, mushrooms, and
wild fruits.
Wood exploitation able to sustainably cover
the heating needs (fuel) of the entire area.
✖ Cultural and aesthetic value of wood
�Provisioning of forest products
Livelihood challenge: To foster a local
economy of value-added timber and non-
timber forests products.
Agriculture:
-about 4.000 families,
-average age of farmers is 50 years old
-small-scale and semi-subsistence farming
-HNV/traditional farming practices
�Cultural and aesthetic value of grasslands
(NRDP – agro-environment)
✖ Provisioning of local products
Livelihood challenge: To foster market access for local
products.
Tourism as alternative or complementary to farming
(NRDP - Axis 3: Quality of life in rural areas and
diversification of rural economy, Measure 3.1.3 –
Encouraging tourism activities).
�SNRM and PA values
�Entrepreneurial skills and vision
Livelihood challenge: To foster sustainable
tourism development.
Testing PES: Experience of the CSDF in Maramures
Ecosystems situational analysis
Testing PES: Experience of the CSDF in Maramures
Ecosystem
typology
(level 1)
Ecosystem
typology (level 2)
Habitat Pressures from
human activity
Intervention area
(ha)
Effects from
pressures
Terrestrial Grasslands Meadows Overgrazing
In proximity of
villages
Habitats loss and
changes in traditional landscape features
Reduced landscape value
Mountain
pastures
Land abandonment
Abusive fires places,
and urban waste from tourists caused by
irresponsible camping
Rooster’s Peak
reserve, buffer area and next to it
Woodland and forests
Forests Urban waste from locals and tourists
Craiasca Forest (44)
Reduced landscape value
Fire Rooster’s Peak
reserve (62 ha)
Loss of juniper forest
habitat
Reduced landscape value
Sparsely or
unvegetated land (sand, rocks, land
fills)
Andesitic rock
formations
Alpinism, rock climbing Rooster’s Peak
natural monument (3,2)
Accelerated erosion
Reduced landscape
value
Freshwater Rivers and lakes Natural springs
Increasing water use caused by tourism
sector (guesthouses) development and irresponsible use
Rooster’s Peak reserve – buffer
area
Reduced capacity of natural springs to
recharge
Specie Pressure from
human activity
Intervention area
(ha)
Effects from
pressures
Brown bear Habitat loss and fragmentation caused
by urban development
Rooster’s Peak reserve (in
proximity of Cavnic), and in
the directon Calinesti-Barsana
Species loss
Testing PES: Experience of the CSDF in Maramures
These are the main
benefits to human well-
being!
Poor data
approximation and
availability
Also better solutions
provided by
education,
legislation, and
access to market
Priority on landscape
beauty confirmed
with possible
layering/bundling of
ES in the future
Ecosystems valuation
Testing PES: Experience of the CSDF in Maramures
The conclusion is that…
Biodiversity (including natural resources) is being degraded worldwide
because of the strong pursue of economic development and the fact that
economic performance is currently measured with indicators such as GDP,
purchasing power etc, which do not take environmental costs and needs into
account. The economic crisis aggravates this.
Protected areas have played a key role so far in preserving important habitats
and species and maintaining overall environmental integrity.
However specific economic activities are threatening this role.
In our study area tourism is one of those activities directly affecting the
environment: while protected areas in particular offer abundant natural
resources and unique places and landscapes that attract tourists, these are
actually threatened by irresponsible tourism behavior.
To create public-private partnerships
that stimulate the transition towards responsible tourism,
working with tourism stakeholders as well as with protected area managers
Testing PES: Experience of the CSDF in Maramures
Measures for PA
and guesthouses administrators
PHASE II - Behavioral change practices
Testing PES: Experience of the CSDF in Maramures
Testing PES: Experience of the CSDF in Maramures
Financial monitoring
To verify whether the Administrative Committee has managed the funds
under the CSDF according to legal agreements.
Regular monitoring by the Administrative Committee (CET) (after each collection and
allocation of money).
General monitoring by an external accountant at the end of the year.
Annual reporting (December) to members of the Local Partnership by the Administrative
Committee.
Cashflow analysis developed for the period 2012-2016 based on which a business plan or
fundraising strategy will be elaborated in November 2013.
Testing PES: Experience of the CSDF in Maramures
Technical monitoring
To monitor the real impact of the measures identified to protect and/or
restore landscape beauty.
Monitoring of the direct impact of specific measure on landscape beauty will starts as soon
as the waste management infrastructure will be in place.
Regular monitoring throughout the year by the third party approved by the protected area
administrator and responsible for waste collection.
General monitoring by the Administrative Committee, twice a year on a six-months basis.
Annual reporting (December) to members of the Local Partnership by the Administrative
Committee. At some point, this will also include information provided by the protected area
administrators related to the waste collection progress monitoring.
Testing PES: Experience of the CSDF in Maramures
Risks and assumptions (1)
Risk that initial efforts are
concentrated more on development
needs.
At this stage this is considered a
crucial step in order to improve the
behaviour of tourism stakeholders
towards natural values, and create the
context for responsible tourism and
particularly ecotourism to become the
main trend in the study area.
Assumption that in the meanwhile:
•new agreements are signed, thus
making more financial resources
available;
•harmonized policies particularly
concerning waste management
will be developed at the level of the
entire ecotourism destination, thus
contributing to the achievement of
the conservation objective and in
general to creating the context for a
type of development that is
sustainable and thus supportive for
responsible tourism and ecotourism
businesses.
Testing PES: Experience of the CSDF in Maramures
Risks and assumptions (2)
Risk of resistance and lack of resources particularly
from guesthouses towards participating in trainings,
uptaking recommendations, and contributing to the
finance mechanism.
Assumption that by the end of the Danube PES project
local leadership is consolidated and its capacity built (both
in terms of skills and financial resources) and is therefore
able to manage independently the finance mechanism,
and the ecotourism destination.
Monia Martini
www.wwf.ro
http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/black_sea_
basin/danube_carpathian/our_solutions/green_public_funds/pe
s/the_danube_pes_project/
www.ecomaramures.com
Testing PES: Experience of the CSDF in Maramures