Project

Conservation and Sustainable Management of Key Globally Important Ecosystems for Multiple Benefits

Lead country

Kazakhstan

Participating countries

Kazakhstan

Project status

Under implementation

Implementing period

From April 28, 2018 to April 28, 2023

SDGs addressed by this project

SDG targets

  1. 15.2 Promote sustainable forest management, restoration, afforestation
  2. 15.9 Integrate ecosystem values into national planning
  3. 15.b Mobilize resources, incentives for sustainable forest management

Project ID: 5696

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Technical team

  • Ecosystems and Biodiversity Programme

Technical area(s)

  • Strengthening conservation areas
  • Ecosystem management and restoration

Sub-area(s)

  • Wildlife conservation
  • Ecosystem-based mitigation

Landscape(s)

  • Conserved areas
  • Forests
  • Deserts

Sub-landscape(s)

  • Terrestrial protected areas
  • Key biodiversity areas (KBAs)
  • General
  • Semi-arid (cold winter) deserts

Transformed sector(s)

  • Agriculture
  • Livestock
  • Forestry and other land use

UNDP role(s)

  • Capacity development / Technical assistance
  • Institutional mechanism and system building
  • Policy advice

Strategy

  • Management operation
  • Capacity building
  • Enabling

Sub-strategy

  • Sustainable land management
  • Conserved areas/ protected areas management
  • Knowledge/Data management
  • Institutional capacity building
  • Technical capacity building
  • Portfolio learning
  • Mainstream

Social inclusion

N/A

Gender equality

  • Awareness raising (on gender)

Gender result effectiveness scale

  • Gender responsive

Pathway(s)

  • People pathway
  • Systems pathway

Risk reduction target(s)

  • Improve resilience

SDG target(s)

  • 15.2 Promote sustainable forest management, restoration, afforestation
  • 15.9 Integrate ecosystem values into national planning
  • 15.b Mobilize resources, incentives for sustainable forest management

Conventions and protocols

N/A

Private sector(s)

N/A

Hot topic

  • Structural/system transformation
  • Nature-based solution
  • Food and agricultural commodities strategy

About this project

Description

Kazakhstan has approximately 12.6 million hectares of forest, which makes it one of the most forest-rich countries in Eurasia, despite the fact that its forests amount to only 4.6% of the national territory. Approximately 95% of Kazakhstan's forests are managed by 123 state forestry entities, which are overseen by regional governments (akimats). Under the current forest governance system, forestry entities lack sufficient capacity to effectively manage HCVF, including those forests neighboring highly biodiverse protected areas. Kazakhstan's protected area system covers approximately 24,018,800 ha, or 8.81% (as of 2015) of the total country, although only 5% of Kazakhstan's forests are included within protected areas. Therefore, forest ecosystems are underrepresented in the national protected area systems. Kazakhstan has three main forest ecosystem types: alpine forests, tugai (riparian) forests, and saxaul landscapes (desert and semi-desert shrubs). The project strategy is to holistically address the conservation and sustainable use of forest ecosystems in Kazakhstan, through management approaches including both protected areas and sustainable use of associated HCVF landscapes. Many forest ecosystems in Kazakhstan have mixed landcover (forest and pasture) and mixed-use (i.e. pastoralism in forest pastures) characteristics. Therefore, the project is also applying an integrated landscape management approach by targeting sustainable land management practices within forest landscapes. The project is structured in three components: •Component 1. Improved representation of globally important forest biodiversity and improved management of protected conservation-important forests•Component 2. Better integration of forest PAs in wider landscape, including enabling environment for sustainable management of conservation-important ecosystems•Component 3. International cooperation and knowledge managementOn the ground, the project will work primarily in three regions covering multiple landscapes:•East Kazakhstan Province: Altai mountain forests, Saur and Tarbagatai mountain forests•Almaty Province: Zhetysu Alatau mountain forests, Northern/Central Tian Shan mountain forests, Ile river basin tugai forests, Ile river basin saxaul zones•South Kazakhstan: Western Tien Shan mountain forests, Syr Darya river tugai forests

Objectives

Improve conservation status and management of key forest and associated grassland, riparian and arid ecosystems important for conservation of biodiversity, land resources and provision of livelihoods for local communities.

USD $8,219,178

Grant amount

USD $86,795,676

Leveraged amount (co-financing)

1

Source(s) of fund

Sources of fund

 

  • Global Environment Facility – Trust Fund ($8,219,178)

Implementing partner(s)

  • Forestry and Wildlife Committee, Ministry of Agriculture

Project metrics

Outcome 1:

Improved representation of globally important forest biodiversity and improved management of protected conservation-important forestsPrevention of loss of conservation important forest and associated non-forest ecosystems and their biodiversityImproved management of protected conservation important forests, through HCVF-specific management measures in PA forests

 Indicators:

. # direct project beneficiaries
b. # of PA staff with enhanced individual capacity
c. # of forestry staff with enhanced individual capacity
d. # of local resource users with improved sustainability of livelihoodsArea of critical ecosystems with improved management, including tugai, saxaul, and mountain forests, and associated grasslands
Forest area in Kazakhstan under indirectly improved management
Population trends for globally significant species, such as snow leopard, argali, goitered gazelle, and other threatened species within the expanded target PA estate: Alpine forest and associated ecosystems, flora:
- Picea schrenkiana
- Malus sieversii
- Malus niedzwetzkyana
- Juniperus sp. (turkestana, semiglobosa, seravschanica)
- Betula tianschanika
- Populus tremula L.
- Abies siberica
- Crataegus turkestanica
- Picea obovataAlpine forest and associated ecosystems, fauna:
- Uncia uncia
- Ursus arctos (incl. ssp isabellinus)
- Ovis ammon ssp (karelini, nigrimontana)
- Capra sibirica
- Cervus elaphus
- Capreolus pygargus
- Canis lupus
- Marmota sp. (baibacina, caudate, menzbieri)Floodplain (tugai) forest and associated ecosystems, flora:
- Populus pruinosa
- Ulmus sp.
- Fraxinus sogdiana
- Elaeagnus oxycarpa
- Tamarix ramosissimaFloodplain (tugai) forest and associated ecosystems, fauna:
- Capreolus pygargus
- Sus scrofa
- Cervus elaphus bactrianus
- Hemiechinus auritus
- Columba eversmanni
- Falco cherrug
- Aegypius monachusSaxaul forest and associated ecosystems, flora:
- Populus pruinosa Schrenk
- Elаeagnus oxycarpa
- Haloxylon aphyllum, H. persicum
- Berberis iliensis M. Pop
- Lonicera iliensis Pojark
- Tamarix ramosissimaSaxaul forest and associated ecosystems, fauna:
- Gazella subgutturosa
- Capreolus capreolus
- Aquila rapax
- Aquila chrysaetos
- Lepus tolai5. Incremental area under conservation management through establishment of new PAs
6. Forest PA management effectiveness
7. Level of achievement of Kazakhstan's forest PAs in securing their biodiversity and other associated values
10. Change in area of degradation in pasture and forest pasture landscapes bordering protected areas
11. Area outside PAs with enhanced conservation management (PA corridors and buffer zones identified in district integrated management plans)
12. Number of good practice models for private afforestation established in Kazakhstan
13. Degree to which policy and regulatory context for managing natural resources incorporates ecosystem services
8. Change in area of sustainably managed forest in forest ecosystems bordering protected areas
9. Reduction in degraded and deforested area in targeted forestry territories bordering protected areas
14. Quality and coverage ( 50% of habitat) of snow leopard monitoring data in Kazakhstan as indicated by estimated accuracy and timeliness of national snow leopard population estimate
15. Level of international cooperation and coordination with Kazakhstan border countries regarding illegal wildlife trade, biodiversity management in borderland protected areas, and snow leopard monitoring
16. Consistency of project gender mainstreaming approach with project plans
Outcome 2:

Better integration of forest PAs in wider landscape, including enabling environment for sustainable management of conservation-important ecosystemsImproved management of high conservation value forests and pastures in forest PA landscapes with direct community benefitsStrengthened enabling environment to support SFM objectives through updated national policies, regulations, and knowledge management systems supporting improved management of 12,652,400 ha of national forest territory Integrated economic and environmental valuation of ecosystem services and SFM criteria and indicators embedded in decision making in natural resource management, through piloting of innovative sustainable economic development planning mechanisms
Outcome 3:

International cooperation and knowledge managementIncreased capacities of Kazakhstan to monitor its wildlife, ensure law enforcement and share knowledge.
Outcome 4:

Cross-cutting: Gender mainstreaming during implementation
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Project reports and documentation

 

Project Document (ProDoc)

FEATURED STORY

Conservation and Sustainable Management of Key Globally Important Ecosystems for Multiple Benefits

Article (English)