The FGEF and International Waters

The French Global Environment Facility International waters

© Robert Mandel

Contents The FGEF (French Global Environment Facility)................................. 4 P ROVIDING

FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The FGEF addresses global environmental issues.................................................................. 6 P ROJECTS

TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS OF INTERNATIONAL

AGREEMENTS

FGEF and international waters......................................... 8 FGEF FGEF

1 Integrated Management of Cross-Border Water Resources .............. 12

FINANCING .............................................................................................. 8

• Improving data collection and exchange.......................................................... 13

STRATEGY REGARDING INTERNATIONAL WATERS ................................. 8

• Supporting observation systems for water resources and their environments ..................................................................................... 15

• Local action to address global issues ................................................ 9 • Projects that promote economic development ................................ 9 while preserving the environment • Projects consistent with other areas .............................................. 10 of the global environment © Christophe Péricé

• FGEF funding areas ............................................................................. 11

• Managing cross-border aquifers ...................................................................... 17 • Improving knowledge of surface and underground water resources ............................................................................................... 18

2 Integrated Coastal and Marine Zone Management .............................. 19 • Preserving, restoring, and developing coastal ecosystems ......................... 19 • Preserving, restoring, and developing marine ecosystems.......................... 21

Eligibility criteria for FGEF financing .................................... 23

Contacts

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The French Global Environment Facility (FGEF) has actively protected the world’s environment for the past 17 years by applying French policies for co-operation and sustainable development.

Our brief is to encourage innovation for the global environment and for sustainable development in developing countries.

The management of natural resources, and of water in particular, is a major concern.

THE FGEF ACROSS THE GLOBE Eastern Europe € 5,406,041

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By March 1 2012, the FGEF had provided over €254 million in grants through 224 field operations.

Latin America € 5,159,180

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The average amount of an FGEF grant is on the order of €1,1 million, representing about 10% of the total project cost.

AFRICA AND THE MEDITERRANEAN The n o . 1 p r i o r i t y fo r F G E F

Asia - Pacific € 2,800,000

Sub-Saharan Africa - the Mediterranean € 24,433,210

We dedicate 67% of our financial resources to supporting the economic development of countries in Africa and the Mediterranean region, and encouraging them to protect the environment.

FGEF and international waters - 3

The FGEF (The French Global Environment Facility)

financial support for sustainable development ➜

Providing

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© Klaas Lingbeek

We protect the global environment and promote French policies of co-operation and development.

A bilateral public fund The FGEF was created in 1994 by the French government following the Rio Earth Summit.

We are dedicated to promoting innovation in: • • • • • •

The FGEF co-finances sustainable development projects related to multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) signed by France.

In addition to protecting the environment, we support the overall economic and social development of recipient countries.

© jclanciault

FGEF policies are consistent with both our multilateral counterpart, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and with French actions to support development. We offer France opportunities to finance investments and concrete projects that further social and economic development in developing countries.

We specifically target Africa and the Mediterranean region.

A distinctive characteristic of the FGEF is to promote activities, share experience, and set up multi-party partnerships which associate the public and private sectors, local governments, and NGOs.

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biodiversity climate change international waters land degradation and desertification chemical pollution the ozone layer (the Montreal Protocol)

Backed by six French member institutions

A collegiate organization

Each project or programme co-financed by the FGEF is under the responsibility of one of the six member institutions in the FGEF Steering Committee:

FGEF operations are governed by three authorities:

• The Ministry for the Economy, Finance, and Industry • The Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs • The Ministry for Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transport and Housing • The Ministry for Higher Education and Research • The Ministry for Agriculture, Food, Fishing, Rural Issues, and Land-Use Planning • The Agence Française de Développement (AFD), also in charge of FGEF finances and administration The Treasury General Manager at the Ministry for the Economy, Finance, and Industry presides over and supervises the Steering Committee.

• a decision-making body: the Steering Committee • an advisory body: the Scientific and Technical Committee • the Fund’s administrative branch: the Secretariat Projects and programmes co-financed by the FGEF are prepared, presented, monitored, and assessed by one or more of the Steering Committee’s member institutions, drawing on recommendations submitted by the FGEF Scientific and Technical Committee.

The FGEF Secretariat is responsible for examining, monitoring, leveraging, and communicating on projects.

As deputy member of the Global Environment Fund Council and stakeholder in the Executive Committee of the Montreal Protocol, it also supports French research and actions. © Klaas Lingbeek

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The FGEF addresses the world’s environmental challenges

P u r s u i n g the goals of international agreements concerning the global environment

➜ The FGEF supports an integrated, cross-organizational approach to global environmental issues.

© Sergey Korotkov

We enable French stakeholders - research centres, businesses, NGOs, local authorities to better address the environmental issues of today’s global world.

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I n te r n a t i o n a l wa te rs Our objective is to improve the management of international waters.

Both inland and marine international waters often belong either to several States or to none.

These waters are threatened in particular by over-exploitation, pollution, and soil erosion.

The FGEF promotes projects that: • emphasize collaboration between States • strengthen measurement networks and monitoring systems • reduce pollution at the source

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by focusing on six key areas of the global environment:

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© Angela Sorrentino

Biodiversity Biodiversity is defined as our planet’s entire pool of genes, species, and ecosystems.

It is seriously threatened.

In order to preserve biodiversity, FGEF funds projects seeking to apply the main guidelines of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

These projects concern: • conservation of habitats and species • traditional use of natural resources by local populations • sustainable use of natural resources as assets for economic and social development Projects must address the needs of the local population, involve them in protecting their environment, and allow them to reap the benefits.

© Harkamal Nijjar

Climate ch a n g e Global warming is the result of an intensifying greenhouse effect driven by increasing concentrations of certain gases in the atmosphere, particularly carbon dioxide.

The FGEF encourages projects that reduce the consumption of fossil or organic carbon by promoting: • renewable and low-emission energy • energy recovered from biomass • energy efficiency in energy-consuming sectors • carbon sequestration in forests, soils, and underground

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) POPs form a group of twelve particularly dangerous substances (pesticides, industrial chemicals, and chemical by-products) that have a very long lifetime and migrate in soil and water, sometimes over remarkably long distances.

As POPs accumulate in the food chain, they are ingested by life forms, causing immunity complications and genetic malformations.

In view of their serious impact on health and the environment, the FGEF supports projects to eliminate POPs.

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© Kim Schurmann

Desertification results from both climatic variations and human activities that damage ecosystems in arid zones.

This phenomenon affects biodiversity and the social and economic living conditions of human populations.

FGEF actions largely focus on countries in the Sahara and the Sahel.

We give priority to local projects designed either to make ecosystems more resilient or to reverse the desertification process where this is still possible.

We subsidize agro-ecological projects in particular.

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D e g ra d a t i o n a n d desertification

St ra to s p h e r i c ozo n e l aye r The FGEF Secretariat monitors strategies and advice on guidelines submitted by Member countries to the Montreal Protocol and to the Executive Committee of its Multilateral Fund (MF). This is performed on behalf of the Ministry for the Economy and in consultation with the Ministry for Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transport and Housing, as well as the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs. The MF finances projects for eliminating ozone-depleting substances in developing countries.

The FGEF Secretariat is also responsible for governing the implementation and management of identified projects that are subsequently presented by France to the Multilateral Fund. Financing for these projects is deducted from the overall French contribution to the MF. The FGEF Secretariat pays special attention to the protection of the stratospheric ozone layer, based on the procedures of the Montreal Protocol Multilateral Fund.

Typical activities include: project preparation for identified projects; implementation of investment projects (conversion of industrial equipment or production processes) and national multi-year ODS terminal phase-out management plans; technical assistance, training, raising public awareness, and reinforcing institutions.

© William Wang

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Regarding International Waters FGEF Financing

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© Rob Broek

The FGEF “International waters” strategy focuses on the challenges presented by shared management of inland and marine waters.

The FGEF international waters portfolio contains 36 projects across 50 countries: 24 in Africa and the Mediterranean region 4 in Latin America 8 in Eastern Europe and Asia for a total of €38 million.

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FGEF strategy regarding international waters

G e o g rap h i c a l b re a k d ow n

The term “International waters” refers to marine or inland water masses either shared or used by several States, or that belong to none.

The use of these resources is rarely guided by rational management practices. The integrity of international waters is subject to pressure (notably concerning pollution and abstraction) from many different urban, industrial, and agricultural sources.

Latin America

AsiaPacific

Without adequate steps, tension concerning water rights contributes to political instability and even conflicts between States. Climate change can further aggravate the situation. Therefore it is vital to develop mitigation strategies for the various affected sectors.

Eastern Europe

14% 7%

65%

COUNTRY/REGION

© Richard Carey

Sub-Saharan Africa + the Mediterranean

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14% Sub-Saharan Africa + the Mediterranean

NUMBER OF PROJECTS

AMOUNT OF IDENTIFIED PROJECTS (IN €)

%

24

24,433,210

65% 14%

Latin America

4

5,159,180

Asia-Pacific

3

2,800,000

7%

Eastern Europe

5

5,406,041

14%

TOTAL

36

37,798,431

100%

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Mitigation Climate change affects international waters in many ways: the amount of rainfall, the frequency of extreme events, the rising sea level, biological diversity, agricultural products, etc.

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These issues require mitigation strategies for the various sectors affected: the environment, infrastructure, health, agriculture, energy, and tourism.

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© arturbo

Lo cal acti o n to a d d re s s global iss u e s

Local solutions to global challenges concerning international waters are a strategic priority for the FGEF.

P ro j e c t s w h i ch promote economic development w h i l e p re s e r v i n g the environment

The FGEF funds development projects consistent with France’s commitment to multilateral environmental agreements.

The economic development of inland, marine, and coastal ecosystems is a priority for the FGEF. We endeavour to promote environmentally sound development.

This is sometimes difficult to achieve due to the development process in certain areas, such as water management or the development of coastal zones.

We apply a dynamic and participatory approach to promote projects that energize the stakeholders involved to varying degrees.

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FGEF strategy regarding international waters FGEF Financing

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© Mlenny Photography

Proje c t s co n s i ste n t w i t h o t h e r s e c to rs o f the g l o b a l e nv i ro n m e n t

The theme of international waters includes various topics related to other major environmental issues where water plays a central role: biodiversity, desertification, and climate change.

Projects for conserving wetlands, coastal zones, or marine ecosystems help achieve objectives concerning international waters as well as those of the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD), the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar), and various Regional Seas agreements.

Projects for restoring marine or inland water quality are closely related to projects designed to eliminate persistent organic pollutants (POPs), a major source of water quality degradation.

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Projects supporting catchment basin management or the restoration of degraded ecosystems also help fight desertification. They are therefore relevant to the objectives of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD).

These very projects contribute to better greenhouse gas sequestration since they support actions to regenerate ecosystems and develop new agricultural practices. For this reason, they are eligible for funding under provisions of the Climate Change Convention limiting greenhouse gas emissions (CCC).

Finally, projects for wetland and coastal zone protection must adapt to climate change, particularly where the rising sea level will become a likely issue.

© Krzysztof Odziomek © Mlenny Photography

➜ F G E F f u nd i n g a re a s The FGEF funds projects concerning inland waters (both on the surface and underground) as well as marine waters.

In both these areas, we seek to help implement policies promoting the Integrated Management of Water Resources: • Integrated Management of Cross-Border Water Resources • Integrated Coastal and Marine Zone Management In general, FGEF-financed projects concerning international waters are designed to simplify collaborative efforts between States as well as to support shared investment schemes.

These projects are complex by nature and they require sufficiently robust structures for a successful implementation.

Therefore most FGEF international waters projects include training and measures to improve the institutions’ capacities.

As these are long-term projects, there is sufficient time to apply these measures.

© Roberta Bianchi

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FGEF strategy regarding international waters © Klaas Lingbeek

FGEF Financing

1

Integrated Management of Cross-Border Water Resources FGEF projects specifically support cross-border institutions responsible for managing shared waters.

They promote sustainable resource management and the long-term preservation of the associated waters.

FGEF projects cover four key areas: • improving data collection and exchange • setting up observation systems for water resources and their environment • managing cross-border aquifers • improving knowledge of water resources

© Guenter Guni

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Im p ro v i n g d a ta co l l e c t i o n a nd exchange FGEF-funded projects have been part of the World Meteorological Organization’s Hydrological Cycle Observing System (HYCOS) strategy since 1993.

HYCOS projects foster the creation of water resource information systems, which are frequently updated with quality data and accessible to all via the Internet.

These projects improve both the institutional and the technical capacities of member countries’ national Hydrometric Departments, while encouraging regional co-operation for catchment basins.

© Guenter Guni © Luciano Mortula

S U P P O R T f o r t h e M e k o n g r i v e r c o m m i s s i on

© Guenter Guni

© Worakit Sirijinda

Countries: Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam Beneficiary: Mekong River Commission Project launch: 2006 FGEF contribution: €1.00 million The Mekong river provides most of the water resources for Laos and Cambodia, and helps increase the rice production capacity in north-eastern Thailand and southern Vietnam. In 1995 Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam signed a regional treaty to create the Mekong River Commission (MRC). It is a politically legitimate organization backed by a clear legal framework for managing the catchment area. Joint monitoring of water resources is a central component of the treaty, notably via regular transmissions of national hydrological data to the MRC. The goal of the project is to set up a powerful and efficient regional hydrological observation system shared by the four member States.

Thirty-two hydro-meteorological stations were built and 17 were upgraded.

Computer terminals installed in each of the four national Hydrological Departments receive, process, and archive the data sent from the field stations.

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FGEF strategy regarding international waters © Peeter Viisimaa

FGEF Financing

WAT E R C Y C L E O B S E R VAT I O N S Y S T E M S i n We s t e r n a n d C e n t r a l A f r i c a ( V O LTA - H Y C O S ) Countries: Mali, Burkina-Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Benin, Togo Beneficiary: World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Project launch: 2003 FGEF contribution: €1.00 million The Volta basin is undergoing a sustained expansion of both rural areas and fast-growing urban centres. This trend, combined with the effect of numerous hydraulic structures, has created enormous pressure on resources. As a result, the Member States developed a powerful, easily-accessible regional water information system in order to ensure an equitable, non-confrontational allocation of resources.

The project has helped modernize national hydrological services and adapt them to the economic situation of the countries in the Volta basin. It also supports the basin authority’s actions by both increasing co-operation between Member States and enabling integrated management of water resources.

© Eric Isselée

© Frederic Borsset

© Michele Alfieri

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S u p p o r t i n g o b s e r va t i o n systems fo r wa te r re s o u rce s a n d t heir e nv i ro n m e n t

AN OBSERVATION SYSTEM FOR WATER RESOURCES AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTS in the Volta Basin

Observation systems help reduce the dispersion and the heterogeneous nature of data on resources, usage, and the environment.

Countries: Benin, Burkina-Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali, Togo Beneficiary: Volta Basin Authority (VBA) Project launch: 2008 FGEF contribution: €1.20 million

They encourage local collaboration on river basins by setting up inter-State information management systems, as well as communication and decisionsupport tools.

FGEF-sponsored actions regarding observation systems focus on studies (“zero state” studies, requirement definition, etc.), reinforcing capacities (equipment acquisition, training, methodological support), and consultations with stakeholders.

© Attila JANDI

© Peeter Viisimaa

Observation systems increase knowledge concerning the effects of development on resources, uses, and ecosystems. They also improve sustainable water management by reconciling the needs for different uses with preservation of the environment.

Water resources in the Volta basin play a central role in the region’s development. Countries along the river depend on such resources for hydroelectricity, food (via fishing and irrigation), and drinking water. The basin’s hydraulic infrastructure has expanded considerably in recent years.

Yet there was no inter-State authority to control the use of water resources; this changed in 2006 with the creation of the VBA. With this in mind, the goal of the project is to provide the VBA with a unifying operational tool for diagnosing requirements, resources, the environmental situation, and related issues.

The creation of an observation system should also provide Member states with a decision-support tool for managing water resources and their environment.

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FGEF strategy regarding international waters © Roberta Bianchi

FGEF Financing

© Roberta Bianchi

S U P P O R T F O R AN E N V I R O N M E N TA L O B S E R VAT I O N SYSTEM in the Niger River Basin

SUPPORT FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL OBSERVATION SYSTEM in the Senegal River Valley

Countries: Guinea, Mali, Ivory Coast, BurkinaFaso, Benin, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon Beneficiary: Niger Basin Authority (NBA) Project launch: 2004 FGEF contribution: €1.20 million

Countries: Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal Beneficiary: Organization for Developing the Senegal River (OMVS) Project launch: 2000 FGEF contribution: €0.60 million

The Niger Basin Authority is one of the oldest African intergovernmental organizations. Founded in 1964 in Niamey (Republic of Niger) as the Niger River Commission, it operated for 17 years with mixed results. In 1980 the Member States replaced it with a new organization: the Niger Basin Authority.

The project supports the creation of an environmental observation system within the NBA. This observation system will reinforce the NBA’s co-ordination and improve pan-basin consultations. The long-term goal is to set up a network for monitoring the evolution of the Niger basin. It will contribute a strategic and operational decision-support tool providing stakeholders and decision-makers with the data required to make informed decisions. The project will add value to the NBA’s shared vision.

© David Kerkhoff

Both the Senegal delta and valley have undergone major upheavals following the creation of large hydraulic structures on the river such as embankments, hydro-agricultural facilities, as well as the development of national parks. The resulting changes had a major impact on the environment; some were positive but many proved detrimental.

OMVS wanted to set up an environmental observation system in the Senegal River valley as part of the Environmental Impact Mitigation and Monitoring Programme (PASIE).

OMVS decided to set up an observation system designed to monitor changes to the environment in the Senegal River delta and valley. The observation system provided both the OMVS High Commissioner and the Member States with the information required to measure the environmental impact of these developments and take steps to mitigate their negative effects on the environment.

© Fredrik Arnell

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M a n a g i n g c ro s s - b o rd e r a q u i fe rs

The FGEF supports the creation of shared groundwater management systems. We fund projects focusing on areas where groundwater is used intensively by the local population.

PRESERVING LAKE CHAD through the lake development strategy

Unlike surface water which is shared between several States subject to transnational management arrangements, groundwater is managed in a national context.

© Nicola Foulkes

SHARED M A N A G E M E N T O F A Q U I F E R S in the No r t h e r n S a h a r a Countries: Algeria, Tunisia, Libya Beneficiary: Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS) Project launch: 2007 FGEF contribution: €0.50 million

© Luke Daniek

The aquifer system in the Northern Sahara, shared by Algeria, Libya, and Tunisia, has extensive reserves of water. This resource, slow to renew and only partially exploitable, is vital to the region’s social and economic development. As much of the Sahara is difficult to access, abstraction in the aquifer is concentrated in sectors where it has a negative impact. This raises the question of how to rationalize collective exploitation of the resource.

The ultimate goal of the project is to make recommendations and propose actions in these three countries in order to ensure their social and economic development while persevering water resources and rationalizing abstraction. It will attempt to strike an acceptable balance between demand and refilling the aquifer.

The project, which builds upon the results of the two previous projects, should culminate in an operational commitment by the various stakeholders: national authorities responsible for managing water resources; local authorities; collective irrigation drilling administrators; and farmers.

Countries: Libya, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad Beneficiary: Lake Chad Basin Commission (CBLT) Project launch: 2012 FGEF contribution: €0.80 million Lake Chad, Africa’s second-largest wetland, provides lakeside residents with vital resources and services such as irrigated and recession agriculture, watering for migrant herds, fishing, and transportation of goods. The attraction of the lake and its surroundings generates different types of migration and concentrates the human population, which creates tension for sharing resources. The situation is further complicated by seasonal and year-to-year variations in the level of the lake.

The goal of this project is to help preserve the lake’s social, economic, and environmental functions for the surrounding countries. By quantifying exchanges between the lake and aquifers, it should be possible to improve the current model for simulating water management planning in the Chad Lake basin.

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FGEF strategy regarding international waters FGEF Financing

MONITORING WATER RESOURCES AND PLANNING DEVELOPMENT i n the Congo Basin

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© Guenter Guni

Impro v i n g k n ow l e d g e o f s u r f a ce and u n d e rg rou n d wa te r resou rce s

Countries: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo, Gabon Beneficiary: International Commission of the Congo-OubanguiSangha Basin (CICOS) Project launch: 2010 FGEF contribution: €1.30 million

Integrated resource management of crossborder basins requires accurate knowledge of water resources.

This knowledge, leveraged by decision-support tools, streamlines development projects in order to both promote local development and preserve the environment.

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© Guenter Guni

Water resources of the Congo basin are vital for ecosystems (it is the world’s second-largest forest area after the Amazon basin), for social and economic activities (navigation, fishing, and agriculture), and for their potential to generate hydro-electricity. The large-scale hydraulic infrastructure required to develop this resource could have a very negative impact on the basin.

It is crucial to make optimal choices concerning this infrastructure, using integrated water resource management principles consistent with the foreseeable effects of climate change.

The project’s ultimate goal is to develop the Congo basin by creating an integrated management policy based on knowledge of water resources and a simulation of the infrastructure’s environmental impact.

Integrated Coastal and Marine Zone Management extends the scope of integrated coastal management to include marine waters.

The FGEF supports all types of integrated coastal and marine zone management projects: • improving knowledge of the state of the environment and operation of marine and coastal ecosystems • setting up exchange and consultation systems used by all the stakeholders at various levels and intended to develop joint action plans • preserving, restoring, and developing ecosystems We pay particular attention to the project scope. Both natural materials (through erosion) and man-made effluents (such as wastewater and solid waste) are often released directly into marine and coastal ecosystems. Therefore Integrated Coastal and Marine Zone Management also covers catchment basins and various sources of pollution.

Cultural, sociological, and economic factors are essential to the success of this continuous, dynamic, and iterative process.

FGEF-funded projects cover all or part of the decision-making process including data collection and joint planning, as well as project supervision and follow-up in a given territory.

Integrated coastal zone management is “a dynamic process for the sustainable management and use of coastal zones, taking into account at the same time the fragility of coastal ecosystems and landscapes, the diversity of activities and uses, their interactions, the maritime orientation of certain activities and uses and their impact on both the marine and land parts.”

Source: extract from the 7th Protocol on Integrated Coastal Zone Management (Barcelona Convention)

Preserving , restoring , and developing coastal ecosystems Along with our actions for protecting biodiversity, we support projects for managing noteworthy coastal ecosystems subject to extensive pressure by both man and the climate (clean-up, development, fighting invasive species, etc.)

These actions may be backed by initiatives based on the “contrat de baie” model such as: • creating Steering Committees with representatives of the various categories of stakeholders, including polluters and users as well as local and national government representatives • setting up environmental quality observation systems • developing ecosystem management plans

© Emmanuel Baudran

Integrated Coastal and Marine Zone Management

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FGEF strategy regarding international waters © Emmanuel Baudran

FGEF Financing

SUPPORT FOR IMPLEMENTING A GLOBAL CLEAN-UP and protection plan for the Nador Lagoon Country: Morocco Beneficiary: Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection Project launch: 2008 FGEF contribution: €0.50 million

© Emmanuel Baudran

© Emmanuel Baudran

The Nador Lagoon, located on Morocco’s Mediterranean coast, is one of the largest lagoons in the Mediterranean due to its area (15,000 ha) and its biodiversity (Ramsar site since 2005 and a Moroccan Site of Biological and Ecological Interest). The site has been deteriorated by various sources of pollution and by increasing pressure on the environment (liquid effluents, solid waste, agricultural and industrial pollution).

Moreover, various development projects near the lagoon (including road and rail infrastructure, tourist accommodations, and ports) are likely to provide additional pressure should their environmental impact continue to be ignored.

The project’s overall goal is to help restore the site’s quality, clean it up, and protect and manage it in light of the zone’s economic development. It must rally the stakeholders behind a clean-up and protection plan to co-ordinate the various public programmes and policies involved. The project aims to create the necessary social, political, and economic conditions to reverse the current deterioration cycle and begin to restore the quality of the lagoon.

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© elxeneize

SUPPORT FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OF RIO DE LA PLATA AND ITS SEAFRONT: controlling pollution and restoring habitats

Countries: Argentina, Uruguay Beneficiary: Administrative Consortium Commission of the Rio de la Plata (CARP) - Mixed Technical Commission for the Seafront (CTMFM) Project launch: 2003 FGEF contribution: €1.005 million The Rio de la Plata and its seafront are one of the world’s main sea-river systems. This ecosystem-of vital social and political importance to both Argentina and Uruguay-is subject to extensive pressure, notably due to pollutants. The coastline also harbours a large share of the population and industrial activities of both countries.

The Rio de la Plata also provides drinking water for Buenos Aires.

The project supported by FGEF sought solutions for these environmental issues. Consequently both Argentina and Uruguay: • Diagnosed water quality and the sources of pollution • Defined common water quality goals • Increased co-operation through national institutions responsible for managing the region • Acquired the necessary capabilities to reduce the impact of pollution and harmonize national laws

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The FGEF supports projects based on these principles.

We seek to involve the local population in protecting the environment and to develop the economic potential of these natural resources.

The projects are supported by regional institutions which foster dialogue and sharing between parties at the local level. FGEF projects pursue the goals of international and regional agreements such as the Convention on Biodiversity or Regional Sea agreements.

The FGEF also supports projects which implement the regional strategies developed by these institutions.

Countries: Samoa, Cook Islands, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu, Kiribati, Tonga, Tuvalu, Wallis and Futuna, New Caledonia, French Polynesia Beneficiary: Conservation International Project launch: 2004 FGEF contribution: €2.00 million The Pacific Ocean is home to 40% of the world’s coral reefs. Although they are essential to local development (for fishing, aquaculture, and tourism) and the protection of island coastlines, these reefs are under attack. The States in the region have turned to the international community for assistance in order to ensure sustainable management of these ecosystems.

This FGEF project has two goals: to develop the Marine Protected Areas and to stem the erosion of catchment basins whose sediments are asphyxiating the coral.

© Klaas Köhne © Martin Tizek

In order to protect and preserve threatened marine ecosystems and halt their deterioration, appropriate policies and actions are necessary.

C O N T R I B U T I N G T O A R EGIONAL INITIATIVE f o r p r o t e c t i n g c o r a l r eefs in the South Pacific

© Andrew Simpson

P re s e r v i n g , re sto r i n g , a n d d e ve l o p i n g m a r i n e e co sy stems

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FGEF strategy regarding international waters © Rob Broek

FGEF Financing

C O N T R I B U T I N G T O T H E S USTAINABLE MANAGEMENT A N D C O N S E R VAT I O N O F T HE MARINE ENVIRONMENT i n t h e s o u t h - w e s t I n d i a n Ocean: support for local i n n o v a t i o n a n d p a r t n e r s h ips Countries: Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius Island, Seychelles, Réunion Island Beneficiary: Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) Project launch: 2012 FGEF contribution: €1.00 million

© Rainer von Brandis

© BlueOrange Studio

© Youssouf Cader

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IOC member countries share coastal and marine ecosystems which play a vital ecological, social, and economic role on both national and regional levels. Although the importance of these ecosystems has been clearly identified, signs are emerging of a deteriorating environment and a decline in the area’s natural resources and biodiversity. The causes are both man-made and climate related. Several local, national, and regional initiatives are underway to protect these endangered ecosystems.

The FGEF is supporting a project to consolidate, leverage, and disseminate the methods applied. It will rely on local partnerships acting to preserve the coastal and marine environments.

Eligibility criteria for FGEF financing © Guenter Guni

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA Countries eligible for the FGEF are all the developing countriesless advanced and emerging countries-which are also eligible for Official Development Assistance as defined by the Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Africa and the Mediterranean region are given priority.

Eligible projects must: • Produce a significant impact on the global environment • Contribute to the economic and social development of beneficiary countries and populations

French overseas territories and communities can obtain FGEF funding through regional projects provided the FGEF funding does not exceed 25% of the total amount of the projects.

• Innovate and produce demonstrative and reproducible effects • Produce social, institutional and economic effects extending beyond the project’s lifetime

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• Receive majority financing from other agencies (including local agencies), which are complemented by the FGEF grants

The following are not eligible for funding:

• Demonstrate consistency with the priorities of French the cooperation and development policy

• Programmes focusing purely on capacity building and research without any link to a development project •Recurrent activities and running costs of institutions or organizations © Frederic Borsset

© Roberta Bianchi

• Be implemented by an effective organization

FGEF and international waters - 23

Contacts OUTSIDE FRANCE • The French Embassy • Cultural Action and Cooperation service • Economic and Commercial section • Agencies in the Agence Française de développement network (in 43 countries) IN FRANCE FGEF partner institutions

• Ministère des Affaires étrangères et européennes Direction générale de la mondialisation, du développement et des partenariats 27, rue de la Convention CS 91533 75732 Paris Cedex 15 Tel: +33 (0)1 43 17 53 53

• Ministère de l’Agriculture, de l’Alimentation, de la Pêche, de la Ruralité et de l’Aménagement du Territoire Direction générale des politiques agricole, agroalimentaire et des territoires - Service des Relations Internationales Sous-direction des Echanges internationaux 3 rue Barbet de Jouy 75349 349 Paris SP 07 Tel: + 33 (0) 1 49 55 49 55

• Ministère de l’Ecologie, du Développement durable, des Transports et du Logement Direction des affaires européennes internationales Sous Direction du changement climatique et du développement durable Tour Pascal A 92055 La Défense Cedex Tel: +33 (0) 1 40 81 76 72

• The FGEF Secretariat AFD/STR 5, rue Roland Barthes 75598 Paris cedex 12 Tel: +33 (0) 1 53 44 42 42 Fax: +33 (0) 1 53 44 32 48 ffem@afd.fr

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• Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche DREIC 1, rue Descartes 75231 Paris cedex 05 Tel: +33 (0)1 55 55 84 54

• Ministère de l’Économie, des Finances et de l’Industrie 139, rue de Bercy 75572 Paris Cedex 12 Tel: +33 (0) 1 44 87 73 58

www.ffem.fr

• Agence Française de Développement 5, rue Roland Barthes 75598 Paris cedex 12 Tel: +33 (0) 1 53 44 31 31

Written by: FGEF - Layout and graphics: Arc en ciel - Marseille • Paris 01 44 85 42 22 Photo credits: © FFEM / Istockphoto / Shutterstock / Cover: © Louis-Marie Préau PIM; Geoffroy Mauvais; Guenter Guni; FFEM Translation : Sophie Epstein & Benjamin Phister P E F C / 1 0 - 3 1 - 1244