Project

Conserving Biodiversity and reducing habitat degradation in Protected Areas and their Buffer Zones

Lead country

St. Kitts and Nevis

Participating countries

St. Kitts and Nevis

Project status

Under implementation

Implementing period

From November 19, 2014 to November 30, 2020

SDGs addressed by this project

SDG targets

  1. 15.5 Reduce habitat degradation, halt biodiversity loss, extinction
  2. 15.a Mobilize resources for biodiversity conservation, sustainable use
  3. 15.9 Integrate ecosystem values into national planning

Project ID: 5088

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Technical team

  • Ecosystems and Biodiversity Programme

Technical area(s)

  • Strengthening conservation areas

Sub-area(s)

  • Wildlife conservation
  • Ecosystem-based mitigation

Landscape(s)

  • Conserved areas
  • Marine

Sub-landscape(s)

  • Terrestrial protected areas
  • arine and coastal protected areas
  • Coral reefs
  • Large marine ecosystem

Transformed sector(s)

  • Aquaculture
  • Tourism
  • Other sectors

UNDP role(s)

  • Institutional mechanism and system building
  • Policy advice

Strategy

  • Management operation
  • Monitor inventory
  • Governance

Sub-strategy

  • Conserved areas/ protected areas management
  • Ecosystem and ecosystem services conservation/restoration
  • Wildlife and habitat conservation
  • Ecological monitoring
  • Improved & diversified sustainable livelihoods (TP 5)
  • Ecosystem services monitoring
  • Laws/ Policy/ Plan formulation
  • Institutional framework
  • Institutional capacity building

Social inclusion

N/A

Gender equality

  • Awareness raising (on gender)

Gender result effectiveness scale

  • Gender targeted

Pathway(s)

  • Systems pathway

Risk reduction target(s)

  • Reduce exposure
  • Improve resilience

SDG target(s)

  • 15.5 Reduce habitat degradation, halt biodiversity loss, extinction
  • 15.a Mobilize resources for biodiversity conservation, sustainable use
  • 15.9 Integrate ecosystem values into national planning

Conventions and protocols

  • Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
  • National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs)

Private sector(s)

N/A

Hot topic

  • SIDS
  • Structural/system transformation
  • Food and agricultural commodities strategy

About this project

Description

The project will expand the existing PA system through the establishment of one new terrestrial PA and two new marine PAs (the first marine PAs in the country). In addition, the project will address systemic issues by implementing key elements of SKNs Protected Areas System Plan, including the establishment of a centralized agency for protected areas management, the introduction of user fees to offset PA management costs, the creation and revision of PA site management plans, and the implementation of key conservation actions (biodiversity inventories; coral reef conservation) within specific PA sites, thereby strengthening PA management capacities and the ability to reduce or eliminate threats to biodiversity including habitat destruction and over-exploitation of marine biodiversity resources. The proposed project also will also implement measures to reduce habitat degradation in PA buffer areas which are having an adverse impact on the ecological integrity of protected areas. Finally, the project will assist St Kitts and Nevis to achieve the Aichi targets in particular target 11: By 2020, at least 17 per cent of terrestrial and inland water, and 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscapes and seascapes. It supports the following goals of the CBD Program of Work on Protected Areas: 1.2 To integrate protected areas into broader land- and seascapes and sectors so as to maintain ecological structure and function; 1.4 To substantially improve site-based protected area planning and management; 1.5 To prevent and mitigate the negative impacts of key threats to protected areas; 3.1 To provide an enabling policy, institutional and socio-economic environment for protected areas; and 3.5 To strengthen communication, education and public awareness.

Objectives

To expand and strengthen the terrestrial and marine protected area system, and reduce habitat destruction in areas of influence that negatively impact PA ecological functioning.

USD $6,807,985

Grant amount

USD $14,472,915

Leveraged amount (co-financing)

1

Source(s) of fund

Sources of fund

 

  • Global Environment Facility – Trust Fund ($6,807,985)

Implementing partner(s)

  • Government of Barbados

Project metrics

Outcome 1:

Strengthened Protected Area System Framework and Capacities

 Indicators:

Area of marine ecosystems in St. Kitts and Nevis under official protection
Area of terrestrial ecosystems in St. Kitts and Nevis under official protection
Capacity development indicator score for protected area system:
• Systemic
• Institutional
• Individual
Improved management effectiveness of protected area units as measured by METT:
• Central Forest Reserve National Park
• Royal Basseterre Valley Park
• Nevis Peak Forest Reserve National Park
• Booby Island Nature Reserve
• Narrows Marine Park
• Keys Marine Park
• Sandy Point Marine Park
Consolidated and effectively functioning institutional management of protected areas in St. Kitts and Nevis
Effective coordination between institutions / personnel responsible for protected areas and for adjacent / upstream areas of influence on PA units
Increased funding support for protected areas in St. Kitts and Nevis through the National Conservation Trust Fund (NCTF) and Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF) (US$/year)
Legal authority in place for the collection and retention (within the PA system) of visitor / user / concession fees and other financing mechanisms for protected areas, including the proposed National Conservation Trust Fund (NCTF)
Number of PA staff with specialised training and/or skills development in the following PA management functions:• PA planning processes and tools• Creation / enforcement of PA regulations• Ecotourism development• Business and financial planning• Database management and decision support tools
# of Protected Areas legally established and demarcated in St. Kitts and Nevis• Terrestrial Protected Areas• Marine Protected Areas
Conservation of critical habitat within the Protected Areas targeted by the project:• Forest health at 4 terrestrial PAs, as measured by # of hectares• Coral reef health at 3 MPA sites, as measured by:• Percent live hard coral cover • Percent dead hard coral cover• Number of coral recruits (per m2)• Seagrass bed health, as measured by # of hectares• Health of selected reef fish stocks, as measured by:• Abundance per m3• Species diversity
Conservation of priority endemic species at terrestrial protected areas (Central Forest Reserve NP and Nevis Peak NP)
Increased PA management funds for PA units targeted by the project from visitor, user and concession fees
Number of site-level PA staff, with specialised training in PA management• Terrestrial PA Sites (enforcement; conservation, monitoring; community empowerment, outreach, etc.)• Marine PA Sites (ecological monitoring; deploying mooring buoys and FADs; enforcement; boat safety and navigation; extension / stakeholder engagement, etc.)
Reduced impact of invasive alien species (lionfish) at targeted PA units
Outcome 2:

Protected Area System Expansion and Strengthened Management of Existing and New Protected Areas
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Project reports and documentation

 

Project Document (ProDoc)