The methodological approach adopted is based on the concept of a participatory approach, in consultation with all the actors and partners concerned by the ALBIA Project in its area of
xxiii intervention. The study favoured this participatory approach, which made it possible to integrate the opinions and arguments of the various actors as the study progressed. To achieve the results of the study, the following approach was adopted:
a scoping meeting with the project preparation team;
an analysis of national legal texts governing environmental management;
a review of the environmental and social standards established by the World Bank, including those deemed relevant to the project ;
appropriation of the Project components and its potential activities ;
Field consultations were carried out from 20 February to 12 March 2020 in the localities of Salal (Northern Bahr-El-Gazel), Kouba-Oulanga (Borkou), Kalaït (West Ennedi), Arada (Wadi fira) and Djedaa (Batha). Exchanges were made with the help of questionnaires and interview guides with beneficiaries, local officials and resource persons.
Stakeholder consultations were held from 20 February to 12 March 2020 in the localities of Salal (Northern Bahr-el-gazel), Kouba-Oulanga (Borkou), Kalaït (Ennedi West), Arada (Wadi fira) and Djedaa (Batha). These meetings mainly concerned the national technical services but also local civil society organisations (local NGOs and civil associations for agricultural development and conservation), women's organisations and local communities. Thus 199 women (42.7 %) and 267 men (57.30 %) were consulted. This approach facilitated the identification of the points of view and concerns of the different actors involved in the project and also the collection of their suggestions and recommendations. Thus, the concerns and fears were analysed and the following recommendations were formulated:
for institutional meetings (technical and administrative services)
- to include the project in a participatory process and compensate for losses due to restrictions;
- involve communities in natural resource management ; - publish the list of locations on the reserve ;
- marking the limits of the reserve ;
- raise awareness of the inhabitants and residents on their rights and duties;
- raising awareness and training stakeholders on sustainable natural resource management ; - strengthening investment in green energy ;
- popularize organic farming practices ;
- to stabilize livestock in order to avoid the destruction of crops and accentuate conflicts between farmers and breeders;
- insist on reforestation with local species;
- to promote renewable energies (wind, solar, bio gas) for the electrification of the project area;
- implement a plan for the modernisation and destocking of animals in order to improve the quality of the herd;
- support farmers in the construction of livestock enclosures ;
- support farmers in the installation of hedges (seedlings and fences) for the protection of fields;
- marking out and enforcing the transhumance corridors;
- to carry out IECs towards all the actors of the agropastoral sector in order to reduce the divagation of animals;
- set up a joint committee (farmers and stockbreeders) ; - promoting the lairaging of animals ;
- to build pastoral wells in sufficient numbers to avoid competition for water resources;
- advocate for improving the telephone network (TIGO and Airtel) ;
xxiv - implement an Information Communication - Education plan on grazing management ;
- set up a compensation plan for owners of fields ravaged by animals and livestock farmers who were victims of attacks.
- make the compensation fund for victims of wildlife damage operational and accessible;
- involve all actors in the mechanism and to create local committees including stakeholders;
- designate a focal point representing the project in each locality in the project area;
- establish community radio stations and/or extend telephone networks to the entire reserve to facilitate communication and awareness raising among stakeholders;
- use mainly local Arabic as the language of communication and awareness in the project area;
- use the services of town criers and local representatives (customary and religious authorities) to mobilise stakeholders;
- create poles of attraction (creation of grazing areas with adequate infrastructure) outside the area in order to reduce the pressure on the reserve's resources;
- Drilling boreholes for the population in order to avoid the consumption of water from the ouadis, which are sources of bilharziasis;
- to make pastoral wells outside the reserve;.
- implement a butane gas outreach and accessibility plan ;
- inform and raise awareness of restrictions among all stakeholders;
- Strengthen the number of water and forestry staff to better manage and monitor the reserve ;
- marking the boundaries of the reserve to avoid the creation of new fields ; - implement a signage plan to indicate wildlife crossings ;
- to popularize renewable energies such as (solar, wind, bio gas) in order to avoid pressure on the reserve's resources;
- training the technical services on the environmental monitoring of projects and on legal procedures in case of interpellation;
- train water and forestry staff on the judicial procedure in case of infringements ;
for the populations living off the resources of the reserve - Implement a reforestation plan to reclaim degraded land;
- Encouraging the practice of agroforestry
- The modernization of agriculture and animal husbandry in order to avoid the anarchic exploitation of resources and the divagation of animals ;
- create depots and sell butane gas at a social price to avoid the exploitation of wood by the community ;
- set up local committees to monitor the reserve in order to prevent poaching and uncontrolled settlement within the reserve;
- carry out advocacy to improve telephone coverage of the project area ;
- provide committee members with mobile phones to facilitate communication among members ;
- regulate motor vehicle access to the area to prevent poaching and wildlife accidents;
- implement a training and capacity building plan for livestock farmers in mowing and fodder conservation ;
- to realize small feed factory units to avoid overloading the reserve ;
- Implement a plan for the creation of grazing areas in the project's intervention zone;
Implement an IEC plan for the populations on bush fires and the implementation of firebreaks to avoid the spread of fires in the reserve; ;
- Implement a plan for motor vehicle traffic in the reserve ;
xxv - Implement an IEC and gold panning management plan in the project area;
- Set up a plan for marking out and managing transhumance corridors;
- Implementing a plan for the creation of quickset hedges to protect crops from damage by domestic and wild animals
- to set up a crisis management committee bringing together herders and farmers in order to resolve conflicts between farmers and herders ;
- support livestock producers in the construction of livestock enclosures
- To implement a plan to compensate and support owners who have suffered losses (crop and other) due to animals and ;
- to set up income-generating activities and to advocate for the installation of micro-credit institutions in the departments .
- to carry out hydro-agricultural developments in the Ouadis for the development of market gardening;
for women living off-reserve resources
- to carry out reforestation and popularize agroforestry practices;
- create butane gas depots and sell it at a social price to alleviate the suffering of women and to prevent the abusive cutting of firewood;
- facilitated access to national and regional markets for the sale of agro-pastoral products;
- to carry out hydro-agricultural developments in the Ouadis with a view to developing market gardening, which are activities mainly practiced by women;
- to build water points for human consumption in order to facilitate the drudgery of women and children; .
- train female producers in the biological pesticide factory;
- train women in mowing and fodder conservation;
- Provide for a compensation system to take care of women victims of losses of market gardening crops due to wild animals;
- Facilitated women's access to income-generating activities (fattening of domestic animals, small trade, market gardening, etc.).
For youth living off-reserve resources
- Advocate with companies for the recruitment of young people in the implementation of the project;
- Encourage the installation of credit institutions in the project area;
- Advocate with credit institutions to facilitate access to credit for young people;
- Fight against immigration by financing IGAs (livestock, small businesses, market gardening, etc.) for young people;
- Raising awareness on literacy and schooling of young people;
- Involve youth in monitoring the reserve to combat poaching;
- Establish a bushfire committee involving youth.
For disabled people living in the project area
- Establish an organizational framework for the disabled at the level of each department;
- Create a training centre for disabled people in each department;
- Create ramps for disabled persons in schools and in technical and administrative services;
- Take into account the vulnerability of persons with disabilities in the event of loss of property;
- Involve people living with a disability in the implementation of the project.
xxvi D- Critical major environmental and social issues and risks of the potential ALBIA project sub-project implementation areas
Eight (8) major environmental and social issues in order of importance in relation to the implementation of the project have been identified for the ALBIA project area:
The first issue is the problem of bush fires caused in part by passing motor vehicles, cattle herders by fireplaces and passing travellers or tourists (cigarette butts discarded through negligence). It is important to set up fire management brigades in the villages bordering the reserve;
the second major issue that could arise from the project is the challenge of land issues.
New investments could require the acquisition of land and lead to expropriations. This possible expropriation should be carried out by involving the administrative authorities of the ministries concerned, the targeted communes and customary officials, taking into account the texts in force in order to avoid conflicts. In addition, conflicts between farmers and herders and between herders and breeders due to the concentration of livestock around water points could accentuate the degradation of crops or competition for water;
the third issue is the problem of the invasion of buildings by sand and their destruction by the wind. Visits to the sites revealed that the sand dunes have invaded the salal and Kouba - Oulanga schools. The mission was able to observe the destruction of a livestock service building and a water tower in Salal by the wind. Thus the infrastructures to be built by the project should be well dimensioned taking into account the wind force and the movement of the sand dunes;
the fourth issue is the problem of pesticide management. With the completion of the project, the issue of pesticide management in the project area could become a real concern if this management method persists. This current management could accentuate health risks and biodiversity loss, particularly the reduction of fish fauna.
In addition, the use of mercury and cyanide by a mining operation located on the periphery of the reserve could lead to water and soil pollution, often resulting in the loss of wildlife. An audit should be carried out by the State in order to propose adequate measures for the management of these polluting substances at the level of the mining operation;
the fifth at stake is the problem of the bouviers children who are out-of-school children. This situation could worsen with the presence of the project if awareness-raising actions are not carried out at the parents' level.
the sixth is the destruction of crops by wild animals. In addition, commercial livestock production is one of the greatest threats in the reserve both to the wildlife populations and to grazing for local livestock. There is a need for a permanent system of compensation to manage the loss of crops or other assets due to wildlife in the reserve;
xxvii
The seventh issue is the issue of gender disparity and the relevance of Gender-Based violence (GBV) in the project area. The project is therefore called upon to reduce this disparity and set up a GBV management mechanism in the project area;
I. the eighth issue is the transmission of pathologies between domestic animals, wild animals and populations. An epidemiological management and surveillance system should be set up in the project intervention zone.