Project

Conserving biodiversity and enhancing ecosystem functions through a Ridge to Reef approach in the Cook Islands

Lead country

Cook Islands

Participating countries

Cook Islands

Project status

Under implementation

Implementing period

From July 6, 2015 to June 6, 2021

SDGs addressed by this project

SDG targets

  1. 14.7 Increase economic benefits of marine resources to SIDS
  2. 14.2 Sustainably manage, protect, restore marine, coastal ecosystems
  3. 15.5 Reduce habitat degradation, halt biodiversity loss, extinction

Project ID: 5168

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Technical team

  • Ecosystems and Biodiversity Programme

Technical area(s)

  • Ecosystem management and restoration
  • Mainstreaming biodiversity

Sub-area(s)

  • Agrobiodiversity
  • Wildlife conservation
  • Biodiversity financing
  • Ecosystem-based adaptation

Landscape(s)

  • Marine
  • Conserved areas
  • Human altered areas

Sub-landscape(s)

  • Exclusive economic zone
  • Large marine ecosystem
  • Marine and coastal protected areas
  • Terrestrial protected areas
  • Rural areas

Transformed sector(s)

  • Tourism
  • Agriculture

UNDP role(s)

  • Capacity development / Technical assistance
  • Convening / Partnerships / Knowledge Sharing
  • Policy advice

Strategy

  • Law regulation
  • Governance
  • Management operation

Sub-strategy

  • Laws/ Policy/ Plan formulation
  • Laws enforcement/ Regulation
  • Pollution control
  • Institutional framework
  • Inter-sectoral coordination
  • Adaptive governance
  • Conserved areas/ protected areas management
  • Integrated coastal zone management
  • Sustainable land management

Social inclusion

  • Private sector
  • Local community/CSOs
  • Women

Gender equality

  • Women decision making

Gender result effectiveness scale

  • Gender responsive

Pathway(s)

  • Systems pathway

Risk reduction target(s)

  • Improve resilience
  • Reduce exposure

SDG target(s)

  • 14.7 Increase economic benefits of marine resources to SIDS
  • 14.2 Sustainably manage, protect, restore marine, coastal ecosystems
  • 15.5 Reduce habitat degradation, halt biodiversity loss, extinction

Conventions and protocols

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

Private sector(s)

  • Small and medium-sized enterprises
  • Individuals/Entrepreneurs

Hot topic

  • SIDS
  • Nature-based solution

About this project

Description

In August 2012, the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, Hon. Henry Puna, announced the creation of the Cook Islands Marine Park encompassing approximately 1.1 million square kilometres of the country's southern Exclusive Economic Zone (or more than 50% of its EEZ) at the opening ceremony of the 43rd Pacific Islands Forum. By creating the Park, the Government signalled its commitment to sustainable development and intention to balance economic growth interests in sectors such as such as tourism, fishing and agriculture, with biodiversity conservation objectives. This project will enhance the Cook Islands' capacities to effectively manage its protected area estate, focusing more specifically on the operationalization of the Marine Park and community conservation areas falling within it. The project will assist the government to tailor its policy, regulatory and institutional frameworks to suit the specific characteristics of this large marine protected area where protection and sustainable use will need to be carefully planned and zoned, with the recognition that tenure over most land areas is vested in local communities through a traditional tenure system. This project has been designed to engineer a paradigm shift in the management of marine and terrestrial PA sites from a site centric approach to a holistic ridge to reef management approach, whereby activities in the immediate production landscapes adjacent to marine and terrestrial protected areas will be managed to reduce threats to biodiversity stemming from key production activities (tourism and agriculture).

Objectives

To build national and local capacities and actions to ensure effective conservation of biodiversity, food security and livelihoods and the enhancement of ecosystem functions within the Cook Islands Marine Park.

USD $4,417,431

Grant amount

USD $15,165,000

Leveraged amount (co-financing)

1

Source(s) of fund

Sources of fund

 

  • Global Environment Facility – Trust Fund ($4,417,431)

Implementing partner(s)

  • National Environment Service

Project metrics

Outcome 1:

Strengthening Protected Areas Management

 Indicators:

Area of inhabited Outer Islands in Southern Group managed for BD conservation through Island Development Plans
• Terrestrial
• Marine
Overall framework in place for conservation in the Southern Group of the Cook Islands
Tracking Tool IW1: Innovative solutions implemented for reduced pollution, improved water use efficiency, sustainable fisheries with rights-based management, IWRM, water supply protection in SIDS, and aquifer and catchment protection
% Area of Southern Group islands managed as Protected Areas (protected natural areas, community conservation areas, ra'ui sites)
• Terrestrial
• Marine (to the outer reef)
Conservation of critical coral reef habitat within the CIMP, as measured by finfish populations at coral reefs around Rarotonga and Aitutaki
Conservation of priority species at selected sites:
• Green Turtle (Takutea and Manuae)
• Hawksbill turtle (Takutea and Manuae)
• Loggerhead Turtle (Palmerston)
• Napoleon (Humphead) Wrasse (Rarotonga & Aitutaki)
• Atiu Swiftlet (Atiu)
• Mangaian Kingfisher (Mangaia)
• Rarotongan Monarch (Rarotonga & Atiu)
• Mitiaro Tree Palm (Mitiaro)
Consolidated management authority for protected areas in the Cook Islands
Funds available for management of Protected Areas, as reported in the GEF BD1 Tracking Tool – Financial Scorecard:
• Non-governmental financing mechanisms
• Government budget allocations
Improved management effectiveness of Cook Islands Marine Park, as measured by GEF BD 1 Tracking Tool (METT)
Improved management effectiveness of priority conservation zones, as measured by the GEF BD 1 Tracking Tool (METT):
• Takitumu Conservation Area (Rarotonga)
• Cloud Forest Nature Reserve (Rarotonga)
• Manuae Wildlife Sanctuary / Marine Reserve (Manuae)
• Moko Ero Nui Leeward Forest Reserve (Atiu)
• Takutea Wildlife Sanctuary / Marine Reserve (Takutea)
Lagoon ecosystems are managed in a coordinated manner and with clear ecological conservation objective
Management of protected area sites on islands in the Southern Group
National agencies responsible for PA management are effectively delivering PA management functions (as measured by the Capacity development indicator score for protected area system):
• Systemic
• Institutional
• Individual
Updated and consolidated legal framework for management of the Cook Islands Marine Park (CIMP) and all other protected areas in the country
# of projects by tourism operators that support biodiversity conservation (e.g. creating Ra'ui sites / CCAs; coral gardens; beach clean-up; sponsored species conservation)
Forest cover on the 9 islands within the Cook Islands Marine Park
Impact of tourism businesses on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in targeted KBAs
Landscape/seascape area covered by the project (ha), as measured by GEF BD 2 Tracking Tool
• Directly covered
• Indirectly covered
Planning approval process for infrastructure and other development
Pressures from resources uses in the land- and seascape are reduced through Ridge to Reef management approaches, including:
• Reduced use of agricultural chemicals, based on value of annual imports
• Fertilizers
• Pesticides
Reduced impacts of human activities on land on the health of inshore marine ecosystems, as measured by algal levels (coralline algae, turf algae, and macro-algae) on coral reefs around Rarotonga and Aitutaki
Sedimentation and pollution of aquatic and marine habitats
Outcome 2:

Effective mainstreaming of biodiversity in key sectors to mitigate threats within production landscapes
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Project reports and documentation

 

Project Document (ProDoc)