Projects

Biodiversity Capacity Building Needs Assessment
Background and Themes

The Capacity Building Needs Assessment (BCBNA) Project formally started on 1st July 2002 and its purpose is to assess the current situation with respect to institutional capabilities to implement the recently completed NBSAP for Eswatini.

Four themes have been selected for the BCBNA, based on priorities set by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), as well as decisions of the Conference of Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The themes are:

• in situ and ex situ conservation and sustainable use;
• initial assessment and monitoring programmes including taxonomy;
• design and approaches relevant to incentive measures and
• conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity important to agriculture.

The Project

The BCBNA Project is funded by the GEF and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The Eswatini Environment Authority is the Executing Agency, responsible for the overall management and administration of the project. The BCBNA Project will take twelve months running from 1st July 2002 to 31st June 2003.

The outputs of the BCBNA are:

• To formulate a Capacity Development Plan and financing proposal for addressing it.
• Setting national priorities for implementation of the NBSAP.
• To provide a framework for monitoring and reviewing biodiversity management in Eswatini
• Establish the basis for future needs assessments.

Objectives

The broad objective of the project is to assess the capacity building needs for implementing the National Biodiversity strategy and Action Plan and to define country specific priorities on biodiversity management in Eswatini.

Specific objectives of the BCBNA Project are:

• To get a clear picture of the current situation regarding capacity building needs in Eswatini, using the year 2002/2003 as a benchmark.
• To reveal particular gaps to focus on
• To compile an inventory of biological resources (human and infrastructure) within the participating institutions
• To compile a national inventory of biological expertise found within Eswatini

The Work

The EEA has contracted a full time Coordinator and an organizational structure for the BCBNA project has been developed. In executing the project work plan, the Project Coordinator reports to the CBD / GEF Focal Point for Eswatini and will rely on a Steering Committee (the Biodiversity Programmes Implementation Committee) for technical advice.

Consultants will be contracted to carry-out capacity building needs for the four themes specific tasks and compile reports for these tasks. The needs assessment assignment will consider human resources, infrastructure and other needs using a combination of workshops, SWOT analysis of institutions, consultancies and questionnaires. Awareness raising will be achieved through leaflets disbursing, publishing articles through the media and posting project information on the internet.

Outputs

Anticipated outputs of the BCBNA project include:

• A full national report on BCBNA for approval by cabinet; to be used in seeking of donor and local support to implement the capacity development.
• Sub-theme reports on capacity building needs.
• A Capacity Development Plan.
• A relevant framework for domestic action in addressing capacity building needs in Eswatini
• Budgetary implications of implementing report
• Inventory of experts working on biodiversity management in Eswatini (for selected themes)

Participating Institutions

The institutions to be assessed are:

MTEC; EEA; SNTC / NEEPMOAC; Forestry & Livestock Departments; NTSC; NPGRC; Fisheries; Livestock UNISWA Biology & Crop Departments; PRIVATEparks including Big Game Parks , Mhlosinga, Mbuluzi, Simunye, Phophonyane, Muti Muti, Shewula, Sibhetsumoya, Oberland, Hawane, Nisela and Shonalanga; NGOs such as Yonge Nawe, SD. Farmer Development Foundation, Women Resource Centre and Traditional Healers associations, Communities

Who to contact about the Project?

• The Project Coordinator (Mr. Titus Dlamini)
• The Technical Committee Chairman (Mr. Freddy Magagula)
• Eswatini Environment Authority (Mr. Steven Zuke)

The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan NBSAP describes the issues in more detail.

Mvembili Conservancy Project

This is a project aimed at achieving sustainable natural resource management as well as alleviating poverty by developing sustainable community based tourism enterprises for the Emvembili community. The Emvembili community has identified several protection worthy sites with a potential for eco-tourism within their area.

The project emanated from the BCPD country project which was an innovative and challenging project aimed at introducing an ecosystem management approach to achieving biodiversity conservation and sustainable economic development in two broad geographic areas of the country – a “Northern Biodiversity and Tourism Corridor (BTC)” running east-west across northern Eswatini and an “Eastern BTC” which runs north-south along the eastern part of the country – which together covered about 4,800 km2, or ⅓ of the country.

These BTCs represent a spatial scale large enough to encompass important biological and ecological functions and to provide a critical mass of tourism attractions and opportunities for private sector investment. Each BTC consist of a mosaic of four main types of land use that each contributes to the overall objectives in its own way and the Emvembili project is a representative of one of these BTCs.

National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) Revision Process

The Eswatini Environment Authority on behalf of the Government of Eswatini is currently undertaking an exercise to revise the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAPs) to be in-line with the adopted global biodiversity strategy 2011-2020. The NBSAP is a process by which the country can plan to address the threats to biodiversity. As such, they are principal instruments for the implementation of the Convention both at the national and at the global level, and they are increasingly relevant to the other biodiversity-related conventions and agreements which contribute to the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity and its Aichi targets.

Eswatini received $220,000.00 funding from GEF for the revision of the NBSAP and the preparation of the fifth National report to CBD. A revised NBSAP is envisaged to be complete by September, 2014.

ABS Project
This is also a UNEP funded project aimed at supporting the country’s efforts towards ratification to the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit sharing on genetic resources. The project’s main goal is to facilitate Eswatini’s ratification and entry into force of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing through awareness raising and capacity development of key stakeholders and the development of an ABS Outreach and Information strategy for the broader public on ABS issues.