The total budget for this Outcome for the period 2017-2020 amounted to $14.7 million, with $8.5 million expenditure, representing a delivery rate of about 58 percent as of April 2021, the lowest recorded by the country programme for any outcome. Based on the Atlas financial system, there were 11 active projects during this programming period, including seven from the previous country programme period phasing out in 2017, and four launched during this period. 78 percent of expenditure between 2017 and 2020 came from two projects: the rehabilitation of ecosystems, with 46 percent of portfolio expenditure over the period 2017-2020 ($3.9 million); and the National Adaptation Plan, representing 32 percent of portfolio expenditure ($2.7 million). Finding 11. UNDP contribution to strengthening institutional, legal and strategic frameworks at national and local levels has so far been limited in generating the transformative change needed in the environmental sector, with little progress on the implementation of a climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction (DRR) agenda. UNDP support to institutional and individual capacity for sustainable ecosystem management, and preparation and response to climate shocks, is weak and has not yet yielded any significant results. During this cycle, UNDP supported climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation in the Lake Chad Basin region through various projects: ‘Rehabilitation of the Lake Chad Basin Ecosystems’ (RELCB), ‘National Adaptation Plan’ (NAP), and ‘Improving the Management of the Lake Chad Basin’ (IMLCB). These interventions focused on the subregion, where the deterioration of ecosystems and water resources on which millions of people depend has been exacerbated by conflict and violent extremism. UNDP implemented upstream and downstream interventions targeting national and supranational institutions, including LCBC and local communities. At strategic level, UNDP is recognized by national counterparts as the main interlocutor on issues related to the environment and climate 113 114
change in Chad, and its interventions are appreciated. UNDP was approached by the Government in 2016 to implement the RELCB project, initiated by the French Government after the COP21 conference in Paris. This was the main intervention of the environmental portfolio during this programme cycle, co-funded by UNDP and France, who contributed 1.7 million Euro. The RELCB project aimed to contribute to the reforestation and restoration of degraded lands by investing in community capacity-building, equipment for plant production for the reforestation of 4,000 hectares of land, and ecosystem-friendly income-generation activities. Interviews and documents reported that results are limited, and far below targets. UNDP collaborated with the National Agency for the Green Wall (NAGW), responsible for implementation of this project, to install seven large plant nurseries in Lake Chad Basin region and provide equipment and training to local communities. 886 hectares of land were reforested with plants produced by local communities, representing 22 percent of target achievements. Interviewees reported that stronger political engagement of national counterparts could have accelerated results. Long delays were observed in the elaboration of annual work plans, the 2020 plan was finalised in August 2020 for example, which some interviewees blamed on lack of engagement of the national counterparts. Additional issues were raised in relation to equipment, such as the ineffective use of irrigation systems during the high temperature season (April and May), leading to the destruction of seedlings destined for the reforestation and restoration of degraded lands.113 Documentation noted that weak capacity of local actors was a critical factor affecting results, while activities to strengthen the climate change adaptation capacity of local populations, including women and youth, could not be executed due to a lack of resources.114 The RELCB project also sought to promote innovative and adaptive agricultural techniques in response to
2019 Annual Report of the ‘Ecosystem Rehabilitation’ project. Ibid.
CHAPTER 2: FINDINGS
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