Project Description

The development objective of the Project is the conservation and sustainable use of the globally significant biodiversity of the Moldovan Lower Dniester delta ecosystem. The project will also contribute to reducing pollution to the Dniester River, which is a transboundary tributary to the Black Sea. The activities in Moldova would be linked with parallel efforts in Ukraine (under the proposed Azov Black Sea Corridor Biodiversity project) and in Romania. The operational objective is to establish participatory management of the proposed national park, with strengthened protection of core areas of highest biodiversity value and sustainable uses of designated areas inside the national park and within its buffer zone. The project will be implemented in the perspective of the regional biodiversity situation and in particular of the Dniester Delta area and the Black Sea coastal zone.

The Project consists of fore components. The total project costs are estimated at USD $2,022,500 of which $975,000 would be financed by GEF; $475,000 by IDA, and $572,500 from other sources.

A. Establishment of Lower Dniester National Park. (Total cost - $807,000: GEF - $390,000; Other sources - $417,500)

This component would improve biodiversity conservation in the Lower Dniester region by increasing the size and establish new protected areas and buffer zones. Currently, there are a number of separate, small protected areas in the project region that comprise 957 hectares under three categories (nature reserves, natural monuments, and landscape reserves). These provide insufficient protection to the sensitive areas of highest biodiversity values, and under the project would be re-organized in a common institutional and managerial framework, the Lower Dniester National Park. The national park will expand the area under protection to 5,000 ha within its boundaries. A National Park administration formed from the existing forestry management unit that includes the territory will be responsible for its management. A Park Advisory Committee will be established to monitor the overall implementation and give advice to the PIU and the park administration. The component will include the following activities:

A.I. Technical Studies (Total - $332,000: GEF - $90,000; other sources - $242,000) for designation and gazettement of the national park, finalization of the management plan, including territorial/management plan and legal documents for its creation and adoption:

• Preparation of a Territorial Plan and the necessary governmental and decisions and regulations for the establishment of a National Park.
• Finalization of a participatory management plan for the park to protect the biodiversity and conserve the aquatic habitats of the lower Dniester River in Moldova.

The plan will build on the following studies to be carried out under the project: a social assessment, rapid biodiversity assessments, technical studies for multiple resource usage (agriculture, livestock, hunting, fisheries), and visitor management requirements inside the national park and in the buffer zone. The management plan will be developed collaboratively with local communities and technical specialists through a series of workshops financed by the project. The management plan will also identify the mechanism for setting user and visitor fees within the park, how the revenues will be managed, and the decision making process for how they will be reinvested in park management. BIOTICA is working with local communities in three villages (Purcari, Olanesti and Crocmaz) to prepare management prescriptions for high priority wetlands in the project region, focusing on both the wetlands and uses of surrounding agricultural lands. This work, financed by the Ramsar Secretariat, includes the technical studies for including the Talmaza wetlands on the list of Moldova’s Ramsar sites, and will serve as technical and social inputs to the participatory management plans. The wetlands in the Ukrainian part of the delta have already been designated as Ramsar sites.

A.II. Capacity Building (Total - $110,000: GEF - $85,000; other sources - $25,000). The project will provide training and capacity building through training seminars and exchange of regional expertise (from Romania and Ukraine) in protected areas administration, resource and visitor use management, biodiversity monitoring, and public education and awareness programs.

A.III. Investments in Park Infrastructure (Total - $165,000: GEF - $187,000; other sources - $22,000). Establishment of infrastructure to support park administration and visitor use. This would include equipment (i.e., several computers, vehicles) and rehabilitation of existing State Forestry Service offices, which will be converted to the park headquarters, boundary signage, interpretive signs and information kiosks for tourists and local communities; and an observation tower for bird watching and ranger monitoring.

A.IV. Ecological Restoration (Total - $178,000: GEF - $50,000; other sources - $128,000). The project would implement two restoration activities: (i) rehabilitation of several water management structures (sluice and flood gates) outside of the park, which are needed to restore water flows and manage water levels in floodplain forests and associated meadows which have become isolated from the river (financed by EECONET Action Fund and FAO); and (ii) afforestation of degraded floodplain forest stands and associated degraded uplands to assist other forest conservation and recovery efforts (restoration of water flows, control of overgrazing and cutting) and restore ecological corridors. Afforestation would be carried out using native stock of local provenance provided by the State Forestry Service, and planted as in-kind contribution to the project by local communities.

B. Biodiversity Activities in the Buffer Zone (Total - $795,000: GEF - $280,000; IDA - $400,000; other sources - $115,000).

This component addresses two project needs: (i) the threats of unsustainable land and resource uses in the buffer zone on biodiversity inside and outside the national park; and (ii) engaging local communities in project implementation, and sharing with them the benefits of the national park. The Component will provide funds for (i) Grant co-financing of small credits under Rural Investment and Services Project of the World Bank in Moldova (Sub-Component B1 below); and Grant financing for explicit activities for land and water biodiversity protection (Sub-Component B2). These grants will finance model programs for sustainable use of biodiversity activities, to be developed and implemented by local communities, NGOs and individuals living in villages around the project site.

B.I. Rural Advisory and Financial Services (Total - $690,000: GEF - $200,000; IDA - $400,000; other sources - $90,000): The IDA-financed Rural Investment and Services Project (RISP) will provide financial and technical assistance to individuals, farmers’ associations, and small businesses in the buffer zone and transition zone of the national park to improve incomes from farm and off-farm activities. RISP will provide in three areas: agricultural extension services, rural credit, and small business development assistance. RISP will finance two activities in the support zone in two areas that will benefit income generating opportunities of the residents:

• Formation of farmer organizations (FOs), including Savings and Credit Associations (SCAs), to serve as focal points for technical and financial assistance to rural businesses and individual farmers in designing and implementing projects; and
• Assistance in product marketing to new rural entrepreneurs (including farmers) and FOs through new service providers (SPs). This would include business planning support to local investors in the agriculture and food sector.

RISP will finance a micro-credit facility to be used by individuals, farm cooperatives, and enterprises. GEF funds would be used to co-finance micro-credits for small scale businesses which are consistent with the biodiversity conservation objectives of the national park.

The criteria for co-financing eligibility under this program are following:

• Proposal integrates biodiversity-friendly practices in farm and non-farm income generating activities to achieve incremental biodiversity benefits;
• Activity to be implemented in the buffer zone of the proposed protected areas;
• Proposal is commercially viable;
• Activity has demonstration value and can be replicated.

Some examples of eligible sub-projects include:

• Small-scale processing facilities for food/medicinal goods (e.g., milk, cheese, flour mills, fruits, berries and nuts, medicinal plants);
• Bee-keeping;
• Cultivation of valuable genetic species, including ancestors of wild species;
• Traditional handicraft activities;
• Development of nature tourism and home stay activities in the national park, buffer zone, and transition zone.

B.II. Land and Water Biodiversity Protection Grants (Total - $105,000: GEF - $80,000; other sources - $25,000). The criteria for Grant financing eligibility under this program are:

• Improves management of soil, nutrients, and natural habitats on farms, other private lands, and state forest lands surrounding the Ramsar site;
• Reduces pressure on the on the protected areas and biological resources of the proposed Lower Dniester National Park;
• Activity to be implemented either inside the proposed protected area or immediately around it;
• Activity has demonstration value and can be replicated.

The Sub-Component would finance two kinds of activities: (i) Small Scale Investments into sustainable agriculture; and (ii) integration of Biodiversity in land use plans.

Small scale investments in improved agricultural practices on private farms to remove the threat of eutrophication of aquatic habitats within the national park, and to promote practices that are biodiversity friendly by supporting ecosystems that support habitats within the corridor. The project would provide technical assistance on implementation, and would co-finance, on a competitive basis, proposals from local farmers to participate in the program. Farmers would provide labor and farm equipment.

Integration of biodiversity conservation into land use plans. The project would assist local and regional authorities to update land use plans which cover parts of the buffer zone. GEF co-financing to local and regional authorities would facilitate mainstreaming biodiversity conservation into land use planning and rural and urban schemes of development (legal documents for development of settlements in Moldova), which are the basis for long range planning and development. This would assist local authorities to consolidate growing “dacha” (rest home) development into already developed areas, rather than in natural habitats. The project would also assist authorities local and regional governments to update land use plans to incorporate the new protected area boundaries, and upgrade land and water protection measures within the buffer zones of the protected area.

Evaluation, selection, and environmental screening procedures for the grants will be outlined in the Operational Manual for Small Grants to be reviewed and approved by the Bank prior to start up of the Grant program.

C. International Cooperation in Dniester River Basin and Black Sea Coastal Zone. (Total - $40,000: all - GEF).

The Lower Dniester National Park will be located just upstream of the proposed Dniester National Park in Ukraine. In a biodiversity and Green Corridor perspective the Project should also be seen in relation to the Danube Delta Biosphere reserve in Ukraine and Romania. The component would contain the following sub-components:

C.I. Sharing Experience (Total - $30,000: all - GEF). Sharing regional experience with Ukrainian and Romanian collaborators from local and regional government, protected areas staff, and NGOs. A work exchange program would finance Moldovan specialists to work with counterparts in Ukraine and Romania on project-related issues. The specific work program would be agreed upon by the international conference participants.

C.II. Conference (Total - $10,000: all - GEF). One international conference on collaborative management of protected areas in Moldova, Ukraine (including its Dniester Delta protected area), and Romania. The conference will identify needs for collaboration in wetlands conservation in the Lower Danube/Black Sea corridor with Romania and Ukraine; and agree on an action plan for meeting these needs;

D. Project Management, Monitoring, and Dissemination. (Total - $380,500: GEF - $265,000; IDA - $75,000; other sources - $40,500).

A Project Implementation Unit (PIU) will be established to oversee the day to day implementation of the Project, disseminate project related information to stakeholders and be responsible for contracting for the delivery of goods, works, and consultant services. The project would raise environmental awareness in the project region and support NGOs and local communities in promoting environmentally sustainable development policies at the local and national level.

D.I. PIU Support (Total - $200,000: GEF - $145,000; IDA - $25,000; other sources - $30,000). Incremental operating costs of the PIU, including communication support system to serve individuals and organizations engaged in Project implementation and dissemination of Project results through website and traditional means (mass media, written articles); incremental current costs of the PIU, vehicle operation and maintenance, and office rent.

D.II. Communication System (Total - $35,000: all - GEF). Establish a consultative process among the key stakeholders who will participate in project implementation. This will include the Moldovan sectors and institutions responsible for forestry, protected areas, environmental protection and agriculture, as well as local villages and municipalities and resources users (farmers, fishermen, and hunters). The PIU will periodically distribute the project related information to stakeholders to build commitment and ownership of the project activities within communities.

D.III. Community Outreach Campaign (Total - $45,500: GEF - $35,000; other sources - $10,500). Prepare community outreach campaigns to build public awareness of the Project’s objectives and encourage participation of local communities in the Project. The Project would raise the level of environmental awareness and understanding among the local, regional, and national population to provide interpretive materials for visitors of the protects areas. Within the Park, interpretive facilities, such as trails, signs and kiosks, will raise the awareness of Park users about biodiversity and protecting Park resources. The campaign will also include support for the Dniester River Convention.

D.IV. NGO Support (Total - $100,000: GEF - $50,000; IDA - $50,000). Promote environmental advocacy role of Moldovan NGOs. This activity would provide training and financial assistance to Moldovan NGOs to improve their role of environmental advocates at the national, regional, and local levels.

The Project documentation could be found here:

Project Brief:	MoMSP Project Brief Final.zip 137 KB
Grant Agreement:	MSP Grant Agreement.pdf 28 KB