Critical Habitats Task Force

 

The Contracting Parties to the Nairobi Convention have received funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to implement a Programme entitled ‘Implementation of the Strategic Action Programme for the protection of the Western Indian Ocean from land-based sources and activities’ (WIOSAP). The Programme is intended ‘to reduce impacts from land-based sources and activities and sustainably manage critical coastal and marine ecosystems through the implementation of the agreed WIO-SAP priorities with the support of partnerships at national and regional levels’. The WIOSAP Programme is largely based on the WIO-LaB Strategic Action Programme (SAP) for the protection of the WIO Region from land-based sources and activities that was developed as part of the UNEP-GEF WIO-LaB Programme that was implemented in the WIO Region in the period 2004 - 2010. The WIOSAP Programme is thus a response to a request made by the Contracting Parties to the Nairobi Convention and it presents an opportunity to the governments in the region and their conservation partners to jointly implement strategies of protecting the coastal and marine ecosystems from land-based sources and activities to provide essential goods and services on sustainable basis.

 

 

· Component A: Sustainable management of critical habitats focuses on the protection, restoration and management of critical coastal habitats and ecosystems recognizing the enormous value of healthy critical coastal and marine habitats for the future well-being of people in the WIO region.

 

· Component B: Improved water quality focuses on the need for the WIO Region’s water quality to attain international standards by the year 2035.

 

· Component C: Sustainable management of river flows aims at promoting wise management of river basins in the region through implementation of a suite of activities aimed at building the capacity for environmental flows assessment and application in river basins of the region.

 

· Component D: Governance and regional collaboration focuses on strengthening governance and awareness in the WIO region with a view to facilitating sustainable management of critical coastal ecosystems and habitats.

 

The Programme contributes to the WIO region’s priorities for addressing the impacts of climate change and also supports core human and institutional capacity building in line with other GEF-IW strategic objectives. The Programme will be implemented and executed through a “Partnerships Approach” with the Nairobi Convention Secretariat being the Executing Agency. The participating countries include Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Mozambique, Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia and South Africa

 

Due to changed timeframes for Programme inception since the Programme Document was prepared, the Steering Committee during its sitting in Nov 2017 found it necessary to adjust the workplan and associated budgets for 2017 and 2018. In essence, Programme activities started in earnest in the 4th Quarter of 2017. As such, the Steering Committee approved that the overall Programme timeframe for implementation is adjusted to July 2017 to June 2022, allowing a full five years for completion of all activities.

 

Various management and coordination structures are proposed to support participatory effective and efficient Programme implementation. It is proposed that Regional Task Forces for the respective Components will be established in order to facilitate the achievement of Programme goals and objectives.

 

 

The RTF-CH of the UNEP-GEF WIOSAP Programme shall consist of nominated National critical habitats experts, together with one member of the Programme Management Unit. The Nairobi Convention will work with the National Focal Points in the selection of the members and their decisions shall be considered final.

 

The members should represent key priority habitats (e.g. mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass beds, etc.) and membership of the Task Force shall be formally established at the first meeting of the Task Force, which shall elect a Chairperson and a Vice-Chair from amongst its members. The Vice-Chair shall act as Chairperson of meetings in the absence of the Chairperson. The Chairperson of the Regional CH Task Force will represent the Regional Task Force on the WIOSAP Programme Steering Committee (PSC) as an observer.

 

National Committees will also be established to support implementation of Programme interventions in different/respective countries at national level. Such Committees will be chaired by respective Focal Points. Members of the RTF-CH within a country will be part of the National Committee whose key roles will be:

 

§ Have oversight on in country project interventions;

 

§ Review and recommend concepts at National level for onward submission to the PMU;

 

§ Support in mobilizing the pledged co-funding in the WIOSAP Programme document towards supportting projects submitted from countries;

 

§ Ensure appropriate stakeholder engagement in approved project interventions at National level;

 

§ Regularly update the PMU on progress of project implementation at National level;

 

§ Assess and recommend to the PMU any technical or further support required to ensure successful implementation of funded project interventions.

 

 

§ A postgraduate university degree in the field of environmental sciences or marine sciences both at and/or technical or policy level;

 

§ At least a minimum of 20 years of relevant professional and working experience in organizations with mandate or relevancy to the coastal and marine environment;

 

§ Must have an excellent technical documents writing skills evidenced by extensive publications in regional and international journals in the specialty area and/or technical reports;

 

§ Good knowledge of the countries of the WIO region and the Nairobi Convention and its Action Plan, including also national coastal and marine-related institutions in the WIO region;

 

§ Familiarity with the key networks and stakeholders working on issues related to coastal and marine environment in the WIO region;

 

§ Regional recognition as an expert in research and management of critical habitats;

 

§ Great ability to work with a diverse team and demonstrated passion to make a difference in the management of critical habitats in the WIO region.   

The overall responsibility of the Regional Task Force for Critical Habitats (RTF-CH) is to support the PMU in the effective implementation of activities defined in Component A of the Programme, while specific responsibilities will include:

 

§ Support the review of concepts and proposals submitted to the PMU for funding including giving technical support for the improvement of proposals considered viable for funding;

 

§ To provide a mechanism for exchange of information and experience on critical habitats management activities, including overseeing the implementation of in-country interventions in target countries;

 

§ Provide guidance on the criteria for the selection and implementation of in-country interventions on the restoration of coastal and marine ecosystem;

 

§ Identify, review and propose ways of strengthening regional/national public-private partnerships in the management of critical habitats;

 

§ Give suggestions in fundraising for the development of a pipeline to support sustainable implementation of various critical habitats related activities and/or Programmes that will benefit the region and individual countries;

 

§ Monitor and document lessons in the implementation of selected in-country interventions on the restoration of critical coastal ecosystems in participating countries and advice on the strategies of replicating the same in the region;

 

§ Encourage each country to build a constituency for work on the management of critical habits among formal and informal stakeholders, including governments, management authorities, private sector, communities;

 

§ Provide and facilitate access to technical advice across all levels of work on critical habitats, including development of regional Guidelines, Best Practice and Procedures;

 

§ Identify and review capacity building needs related to the management of critical habitats for different categories of stakeholders, including legislators, decision makers, private sector and community groups, and propose appropriate training modules and programmes that need to be developed;

 

§ Provide support in the development of relevant environmental education programmes and public awareness information materials related to critical habitats in close collaboration with the national Programme coordination and implementation mechanisms;

 

§ Review reports, data and information from the national coordination and implementation mechanisms on critical habitats and oversee the compilation of regional syntheses regarding management needs and priorities;

 

§ Evaluate the progress in implementation of Component A of the Programme, and provide guidance for improvement when necessary;

 

§ Provide periodic progress reports to the WIOSAP PMU and when required the Programme Steering Committee;

 

§ Lead in the development and production of case studies capturing best practice at the end of the Programme and also periodic peer reviewed publications based on works from the Programme.