Component 1: Ecosystem-based Income Generating Activities

Conservancies are meant to benefit all community members through enabling managed access to natural resources based micro-enterprise development, capacity in ecosystem management, income generation and access to employment. This component is concerned with sustainable use of natural resources and ecosystem services through provision of funds to communities for barrier removal to small-scale community based economic activities, related capacity and governance building that generate equitable benefits to conservancy members. It builds on the encouraging achievements of the first phase of the National CBNRM Programme related to community-based wildlife management activities and focuses on a broader range of sustainable ecosystem based livelihood options that can generate long term benefits.

The barriers at local level have been identified as lack of grant funding accessible to poor emerging conservancies, lack of capacity and knowledge and, technical and financial support. Broader conducive incentive and policy framework will be addressed under component 3. The component will aim to target 15 to 20 registered conservancies who have or are in the process of developing a management plan (demand driven approach). Its overall objective is to contribute to increased economic benefits to community members from the sustainable use of their rich and diverse ecosystems.

Specific Objectives:

This component will support the demonstration, development, implementation and monitoring of conservancy business frameworks and investments as part of their overall conservancy management plans. It specifically aims to: Provide resources for direct financing of demand-driven ecosystem-based income-generating activities; Increase the viability of activities through tailored business planning, feasibility support, training and mentoring; Promote mechanisms for equitable sharing of costs and benefits; Develop and disseminate best practices for replication and up-scaling through monitoring and evaluation processes; and Contribute to improved participation in development planning processes at local and regional level.

The two closely inter-related sub-components are the: Community Funding Facility (CFF): The sub-component focuses on the delivery of sub-projects to eligible (see selection criteria in Annex 5) registered conservancies. CFF funded activities will target a diversity of aspects related to wildlife, tourism, forestry, and multi-sector with emphasis on community ownership. Capacity- Building and Technical Assistance: This sub-component focuses on supporting the CFF through the following three sub-components:

Developing clear procedures and disseminating that information to eligible communities, with a view to informing them of the CFF and providing guidance on accessing the CFF. Technical support for strategic business planning at conservancy level as part of the conservancy ecosystem management planning process, including a mechanism for benefit sharing at the conservancy level. Facilitation support for sub-project development which will include:

Technical support for subproject development including a mechanism for benefit sharing. Feasibility studies will identify and assess costs and benefits for new income-generating opportunities as well as provide guidance based on marketing and management study results; Implementation support consisting of sub-project in-built technical assistance (TA) for training and mentoring to further strengthen capacity of local stakeholders, and to ensure desired quality and standards of subprojects; and Follow-up support including management advice, knowledge management and replication activities at local and national level. Through all these areas, the facilitation support will also include provisions for ensuring that World Bank safeguard policies relating to environmental assessment, resettlement, and indigenous people are addressed.

Component 1 beneficiaries: 

The primary beneficiaries of this component are the CBOs in target conservancies, and the constituent members of those conservancies.