After some delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic and administrative constraints, the Forest and Landscape Restoration Mechanism (FLRM) successfully formed partnerships with NGOs and community organizations in Fiji and the Philippines to implement restoration activities.

In Fiji, the International Climate Initiative (IKI) project focuses on two sets of islands, the Mamanucas and the Yasawas, on the west coast of Viti Levu, Fiji’s main island. These small clusters of islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean are severely threatened by forest degradation and deforestation, which are having a major impact on both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. FLRM partnered with NGOs who have been providing critical support to local communities in the archipelago for decades.

The Mamanucas Environment Society (MES) in the Mamanucas and Vinaka Fiji in the Yasawas were instrumental in developing the project, providing crucial information and building on their networks, structures and experience on the ground, as well as their strong connections with local communities and government. They also both have experience of leading several key local development and environmental projects on the islands, including supporting restoration activities in the main resort. Working with local NGOs also ensures that activities will not end with the project.

The NGOs have committed to restoring land – 160 hectares for MES and 240 hectares for Vinaka – and developing livelihoods. To achieve these targets, they will undertake the following actions:

• Produce integrated participatory district and village development plans after conducting all the necessary surveys (e.g. capacity needs assessments, biophysical, socio-economic and livelihood studies) and consultations with local communities and governmental and private-sector stakeholders. These plans will integrate the restoration plans, with clear targets and activities.
• Support field restoration work (e.g. mangrove replanting, agroforestry, grassland restoration and enrichment planting) as identified in the integrated village development plans.
• Develop socio-economic activities on restored land (e.g. nurseries, honey and dried fruit production).
• Support the development of a community-based monitoring and evaluation system to follow up on restoration activities. The MES officer will produce a guide and help communities establish a community monitoring system for the duration of the project and beyond.

In the Philippines, the two partners are the Carood Watershed Model Forest Management Council, Incorporated (CWMFMCI) in Bohol and the Society of Filipino Foresters, Incorporated (SFFI) in Bataan. The FLRM’s highly successful collaboration with CWMFMCI has already resulted in significant areas being restored in Bohol. To continue this partnership, CWMFMCI has committed to restoring 400 hectares of degraded land through the involvement of seven municipalities. The restoration and associated livelihoods activities will benefit at least 80 households. Each household will receive a minimum of 5 hectares, for a total of 400 hectares of assisted natural regeneration (ANR) land, and with a target of 25 percent increase in income from the sustainable management of fire lines.
SFFI has made a similar commitment for Bataan, pledging to restore 605 hectares of degraded land through the involvement of three community-based forest management associations. The restoration and associated livelihoods activities will benefit at least 115 households.

 To achieve these ambitious targets, the partners will:

• establish fire lines around the ANR sites;
• enhance the ANR sites with agroforestry techniques and indigenous timber seedlings to ensure that communities will be able to derive livelihoods from them;
• plant and sustainably manage cash, perennial and high-value crops within the established fire lines to provide livelihood opportunities for the local people; and
• raise awareness and manage knowledge.

The FLRM is eager to follow the progress on the ground in the following months and celebrate the successes to come.

For more information contact us at: [email protected].

Mathilde Iweins (FAO)