LTSI » Biodiversity Conservation and Protected Areas

Biodiversity Conservation and Protected Areas

Losses in biological diversity are increasingly attributed to the expanding human footprint on natural ecosystems. There is a growing global effort to stem this loss. Protected area establishment and management has been a cornerstone of biodiversity conservation, while the prevention of biodiversity loss in wider land and sea areas is also critical. Protected areas are increasingly seen as part of conservation efforts at the landscape scale. At the global scale the greatest levels of biodiversity also occur in areas of greatest livelihood need and financial poverty. These areas are also high in cultural diversity and in communities with long associations with and knowledge of natural resources. Conservation approaches that fully integrate local communities and balance equity and rights require a multidisciplinary and multi-stakeholder approach to achieve full effectiveness.

Our approach to biodiversity conservation is based on an understanding of the vulnerability of ecosystems and the reliance on these systems by rural people. We seek to enhance the positive contribution of biodiversity to livelihood protection and poverty reduction through an in-depth understanding of the biological, social, cultural and governance systems.

.....we aim to provide professional advice at the cutting edge of international biodiversity conservation and protected areas management. Working at all stages - as a designer, policy shaper, educator, and facilitator we are working towards a global network of equitable protected areas, servicing and supported by associated communities.

Our specialist team can:

Undertake cost-effective economic appraisals, resource and biodiversity inventory surveys, and environmental social and cultural impact assessments.
Facilitate the development of management plans, at strategic and operational levels, for terrestrial and marine protected areas.
Conduct and advise on protected area design, management and implementation.
Conduct research and provide practical advice on technical, political or socio-economic aspects of biodiversity conservation.
Provide expertise on legal compliance, change management, monitoring and evaluation, grant management, training and dissemination.

Relevant recent work...

Worldwide - Darwin Initiative Applications, Monitoring & Evaluation (DEFRA, ongoing)

The Darwin Initiative is a UK government small grants programme that aims to promote biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of resources around the world. The applications, monitoring and evaluation component of the Darwin Initiative is implemented on behalf of the UK Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) by Edinburgh Centre for Tropical Forests (ECTF). Regarding the Darwin Initiative, LTS takes a lead in the ECTF partnership which includes the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Edinburgh University, the Forestry Commission and The Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh. The monitoring and evaluation component operates in close collaboration with project leaders and host institutions to test and apply M&E approaches and tools to allow for knowledge acquisition amongst non-state actors and improved project implementation and design. LTS manages and administers all aspects of the applications, monitoring and evaluation component, including: arranging for the external review of reports, undertaking on-site mid-term evaluations; carrying out in-country evaluations of closed projects to assess the impact and legacy of the projects, commissioning thematic evaluations based on themes or regions. Recent thematic evaluations include, 'The Global Taxonomy Initiative', Island Biodiversity' and 'Communications, Education and Public Awareness'. From these thematic reviews dissemination briefing notes are produced and these have additionally be developed on 'Making the Most of Protected Areas' and 'Biodiversity and Livelihoods'. LTS also organises learning workshops based on CBD themes for the Darwin community.

A study for the establishment of a multiple use marine park, Montserrat, Eastern Caribbean (Montserrat Tourist Board, ongoing)

LTS has been contracted to take a lead in this study. Specific tasks include reviewing the relevant documents, convening a stakeholders workshop to provide local technical input and ensure stakeholder support. Determine, in consultation with major stakeholders and the wider community, the location and extent of the site or sites for establishment of a sustainable, multiple use marine protected area. LTS will also conduct a survey to identify the boundaries, zones, potential boundary marker sites, potential dive sites, and generalised surveys to record species richness and diversity within the area of the proposed Marine Protected Area; this will provide a proposed monitoring methodology, tested at one or two sites. LTS staff will also prepare a comprehensive sustainable multiple-use marine park management plan for use by the Government of Montserrat, which accommodates within appropriate management regimes a broad spectrum of human activities compatible with the primary goal of a marine protected area.

Editing IUCN - UNESCO Best Practice Guidelines - Sacred Natural Sites: Guidelines for Protected Area Managers

The cultural and spiritual values of protected areas are increasingly recognised alongside biological values as important aspects of protected areas. The IUCN World Commission for Protected Area, via its Task Force on Cultural and Spiritual Values is developing one the WCPA Best Practice Protected Area Guidelines regarding sacred natural sites. LTS is providing overall project management for the production of text and is the lead editor for the guidelines. This includes reviewing tasks of all editors, developing a work-plan, liaising with WCPA Best Practice Series editor and the IUCN publications unit. Support the facilitation of a consultation process with key stakeholders, especially indigenous custodians of sacred sites. It also includes a literature review and the development of case studies for inclusion in the guidelines.

Protected Areas Development Programme Phase 2: Ghana

The prime objective of the Protected Areas Development Programme (Phase II) is to enhance the conservation of biodiversity heritage in Ankasa and Bia Conservation Areas, as well as the Krokosua Hill Forest Reserve which is a designated Globally Significant Biodiversity Area. PADP II will consolidate long-term management prospects for the focal protected areas. This will be achieved mainly through further improving the conservation and management capacity of the Wildlife Division of the Ghana Forestry Commission, and by complementing park infrastructures for administration and tourism. Off-reserve conservation is to centre on expansion of the participatory concepts developed during the first phase to a wider surrounding area. Programme support for eco-tourism development and income generating activities will contribute to reduced poverty in adjacent rural communities.
Phase II is primarily an institutional strengthening intervention, with emphasis on building the capacity of existing local institutions and personnel, and enhancing the effectiveness of existing infrastructure. The approach involves the project playing a catalytic role to enable the Wildlife Division and other sectoral stakeholders to build sustainable management capacity, rather than simply providing a vehicle for implementing activities.
LTS is responsible for overall project management and administration including the recruitment and administration of staff, and provision of all technical support. LTS is supporting the implementation of management plans and is establishing business plans for Ankasa and Bia conservation areas; developing alternative livelihoods for populations adjacent to reserves and as part of that establishing appropriate tourism facilities; developing options for long-term sustainable financing, including Payment for Environmental Services opportunities.

Mahale Ecosystem Management Project - Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (Frankfurt Zoological Society)

LTS was contracted to lead the design and development of the monitoring and evaluation plan for the Mahale Ecosystem Management Project which was co-financed by the European Commission and implemented by FZS in partnership with Tanzania National Parks. The LTS consultant trained project staff in logical framework based monitoring and evaluation, and facilitated the development of a monitoring and evaluation plan for the project. The task was also expanded to assist the project team to develop a similar monitoring and evaluation plan for the Mahale Mountains National Park Management Plan.

Review of microfinance initiatives in protected area and environmental contexts in East Africa (WWF, CARE, ongoing)

LTS identified the need for and designed a review of selected savings and loan schemes that have been established in the context of protected area or natural resource management projects. LTS then worked in partnership with WWF and CARE Tanzania to secure the funding and personnel to carry out the review. LTS led the field review of six project sites, four in Tanzania and two in Kenya. The review used participatory social approaches to evaluate the schemes. Three overarching criteria were used. 1) Financial viability both on long term and short term, including the strengths and weaknesses of the different models. 2) Environmental sustainability particularly in reference to the biodiversity or environmental objectives of projects that have promoted these schemes. 3) Socio-cultural acceptability and strengthening, examining issues of governance, as well as contribution to poverty alleviation. Each site was visited for 4-5 days. The results and lessons were compiled analysed and presented for consideration by the LTS, WWF and CARE partnership.

Evaluation of DFID's ten year Renewable Natural Resources Research Programme

LTS, in collaboration with its partners is now conducting an evaluation of DFID's ten year Renewable Natural Resources Research Programme. This evaluation constitutes an important opportunity to reassess and redirect DFID's RNRR programme and strategy within the context of DFID's agenda and priorities as stated in DFID's Research Funding Framework for 2005 to 2007 (final draft/May 2004). Our methodology is process based and designed to identify the impact of the Renewable Natural Resources Strategy on all its stakeholders, across the different disciplines and at practice and policy levels. We will identify key components of the research programmes that impact on poverty. Participatory methodologies will be used to ensure attribution of impacts to different stakeholders and draw together the lessons learnt from all components and relate them to the different stakeholders' interests.

Technical support to community conservation, project design, monitoring and evaluation (Frankfurt Zoological Society)

The Serengeti-North Luangwa Ecosystem Management Project (SLEMP) is a 5-year integrated conservation, development and landscape management initiative being jointly implemented by Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS), with co-financing from the European Commission's Programme on Tropical Forests in Developing Countries. LTS provided technical inputs and capacity building into the community conservation components of the Serengeti and North Luangwa Ecosystem Project. It provided project management support, and capacity building of FZS staff and back stopping for the project, particularly with respect to monitoring and evaluation. The project logic was assessed, as was progress on implementation of project's goals. Training was given on monitoring and evaluation and monitoring and evaluation plans for the Serengeti and North Luangwa components of the project were developed through participatory workshops. Key challenges were identified towards project implementation particularly over the community conservation component and recommendations made. Technical review and inputs were made into the design of a project to establish a trust fund mechanism for the Serengeti ecosystem.