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GUINEA
Activity Data Sheet
>> AFR Regional Overview >> Guinea Overview PROGRAM: Guinea
TITLE AND NUMBER: Increased Use of Sustainable Natural Resource Management Practices, 675-001
STATUS: Continuing
PLANNED FY 2001 OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: $5,125,000 DA
PROPOSED FY 2002 OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: $5,880,000 DA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1998 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2005Summary: Guinean small landholders, who account for 96% of the rural population, have increasingly relied on extensive subsistence farming and environmentally inappropriate cropping patterns to satisfy their food needs. More marginal lands are being farmed, more fragile woodlands are converted to agriculture by slash-and-burn practices, and investment in the conservation of the natural resource base is very low. To help Guinea protect its fragile agro-ecological areas against accelerating environmental degradation, USAID initiated this Strategic Objective (SO) in 1998, specifically to extend application of appropriate agricultural and natural resource management practices, increase income-generating opportunities for resource-poor rural households, and help Guinea conserve its natural resource base and biological diversity. This SO is the principal USG contributor to the U.S. goal to encourage environmental stabilization in agro-ecologically fragile zones and in areas of refugee influx.
Thousands of small landholders, agricultural traders and small and micro?entrepreneurs are direct beneficiaries of this SO. Strong emphasis is placed on women, especially the socially and economically disadvantaged, as they play a crucial role in natural resource management. From the regional perspective, residents of neighboring countries whose livelihoods depend on the water flows in the three important rivers -- the Niger, the Senegal, and the Gambia -- which originate in the Fouta Djallon Highlands in Guinea, can be considered secondary beneficiaries. The success of this SO in improving water levels and river flows in the countries down-stream will contribute to sustainable economic activities in agriculture, livestock and fisheries within the region.
In FY 2001, USAID will obligate ($5,125,000) Development Assistance funds for ongoing community based natural resource activities to promote long-term investments in conserving the natural resource management, agricultural marketing, and microenterprise development activities.
In FY 2002, USAID anticipates providing development assistance ($5,880,000) which will to improve the natural resource management capacity of community-based organizations; increase sustainable farm productivity; develop income-generating non-farm small and micro-enterprises; and establish a policy environment which empowers local populations to manage their natural resources and promotes long-term investments in conserving the natural resource base.
Key Results: The attainment of this objective will result in sustainable management of 100,000 hectares of tropical forests and 30,000 hectares of farm-land by: (1) improving the natural resource management capacity of community-based organizations; (2) increasing sustainable farm productivity; (3) developing income-generating non-farm small and micro-enterprises; and (4) establishing a policy environment which empowers local populations to manage their natural resources and promotes long-term investments in conserving the natural resource base. In terms of expected results, the SO remained on the right track and its rate of progress started accelerating in FY 2000. All major performance targets were met or exceeded. Following are highlights of the achievements:
Two protected forests covering 40,374 hectares (ha) were introduced to co-management through a streamlined, more efficient process empowering local communities to share with the Forest Service the responsibilities for and the benefits of sustainable forest management. Farmers applied improved agricultural practices on over 2,000 ha of land to increase their crop yields, conserve soil fertility and alleviate the pressure on ecologically sensitive lands. Non-farm income-generating opportunities were extended to thousands, providing alternatives to environmentally destructive practices and bringing more income to families. Results will produce more land-short villagers gaining access to land for production as they keep the fruits of their investments through long-term land use contracts with the landowners.
Performance and Prospects: FY 1998 and 1999 were years of transition and restructuring of the Natural Resource Management (NRM) strategic objective portfolio, and FY 2000 saw the launching of a number of important new activities. Most significantly, the centerpiece Expanded Natural Resource Management (ENRM) project initiated field activities in six prefectures of Middle and Forest Guinea. Other new activities included Peace Corps' Environment Initiative, the Sustainable Tree Crops Program, and the P.L. 480 Title II Siguiri Food Resource Improvement project. Unfortunately, towards the end of the fiscal year, a number of violent clashes along Guinea's borders with Sierra Leone and Liberia forced the closing of NRM activities in the Forest Region. This will certainly cause a short-term adverse effect on the achievement of the expected results. USAID has worked with partners to quickly re-deploy project personnel and other resources to other geographic regions in order to minimize the negative impact. Overall, considerable progress was made during FY 2000 regarding increased use of sound NRM practices, as measured by areas of forests and farmland under sustainable management.
A great deal of effort was invested to strengthen and advance the challenging forest co-management work. A number of actions were undertaken to reinforce the existing co-management agreement for the Nialama Classified Forest and to bring new protected forests under co-management. USAID and its partners developed a streamlined process which helped introduce co-management planning to two new classified forests -- Bakoun and Souti-Yanfu -- covering 40,374 ha, within a one-year timeframe. The total area of natural forests where sustainable management planning has begun increased from 10,266 ha in 1999 to 50,761 ha in 2000. In Nialama, the inter-village Forest Committee and the population it represents were assisted in implementing the technical management plan and improving organizational skills. In the Forest Region of Guinea, USAID adopted the community forest approach that had been successfully initiated under the European Union-funded Haut Niger project. With a grant from USAID, a local NGO helped four local forest groups put 121 ha of communal forests under sustainable management. The NGO also completed the baseline studies and village organization to lay the groundwork for the co-management of the 2,300 ha Sellykoro classified forest.
Using effective new extension techniques, the implementing partners were able to help over 3,200 farmers in target zones apply sustainable practices that improved productivity and conserved the natural resource base on 2,083 ha in FY 2000, both well over targets. This achievement was largely due to the implementation of the ENRM project in the Forest Region. The most common practices applied by farmers were the use of improved seeds and appropriate agronomic techniques such as use of straw mulch, compost, and farm manure. Some rice farmers expected to double or triple their harvests. Unfortunately, no information on yield is available due to security problems in the Forest Region.
Increases in productivity will not be sustained if producers cannot market their surplus produce at profitable prices. Agricultural Marketing Foundation (FICA), an USAID-supported NGO, helped farmers sell about $400,000 of their produce. FICA also helped its members obtain loans totaling $25,000 from PRIDE/ Finance and $277,000 from a commercial bank to finance farming operations and market produce. The repayment rate was almost 98%. Although these transactions were small in size, they represented an important step to build the traditionally very low level of confidence between agricultural operators and financial institutions. As credit becomes more accessible to agricultural producers and merchants, more investments in the agricultural sector may be expected. USAID negotiated a ten-year endowment fund agreement with the Government of Guinea (GOG) in October 1999, giving FICA until 2009 to become financially self-sufficient. A series of actions was subsequently launched to delineate a growth and sustainability strategy for FICA -- setting the stage for further efforts in FY 2001.
Regarding non-farm income-generating activities, in FY 2000, USAID helped 7,000 micro- and small enterprises expand their operations, exceeding the target by 56%. In addition, 16,357 loans worth about $3.65 million were provided to micro-enterprises. Thus, more economic alternatives were made accessible to resource-poor people. Overall, women accounted for over three-fourths of the results achieved in terms of number and amount of loans. These significant achievements can be attributed largely to the strengthening of PRIDE/ Finance as a nascent microfinance institution. The ENRM project also launched its enterprise development activities in the rural areas with the opening of two Enterprise Development Centers (CDE) and the creation of four community savings and loans associations (C3) that lay the ground-work for financial intermediation services needed to connect village-based economic interest groups with local financial institutions. Significant results are expected in FY 2001 as the CDEs expand their outreach and more C3 are established. However, the Forest Region conflict and its impact on the economy threaten the future achievements, most notably PRIDE/ Finance's goal of attaining financial self-sustainability by December 2002.
To encourage long-term investments in natural resource management in the absence of an effective application of the Land Code, and to assist women who traditionally have difficult access to land, USAID continued promoting the use of long-term land-use agreements between land-users and landowners through intensified sensitization and training activities at the community rural development (CRD) level. Twenty-six agreements were signed in FY 2000, bringing the cumulative total to 132, 15% over the target. In Lelouma Prefecture, the project helped 14 farmer groups, including four women's groups, to secure long-term agreements, with an average term of 10 years.
Starting in FY 2001, the Expanded Natural Resource Management (ENRM) project will expand its activities in its current intervention zones and also to newly selected areas. Results, for the most part, are expected to reflect an accelerating positive trend as sufficient local capacity has been developed.
Possible Adjustments to Plans: The only known potential new activity under this SO is a follow-on P.L. 480 Title II Development Activity Proposal expected to be submitted. Due to recent conflict in the Forest Region, UNHCR plans to move 80,000 refugees to the Prefecture of Dabola where there are already 9,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs). If no mitigating actions are taken quickly, the negative impact of the refugees and IDPs on the natural resources, especially forests will be disastrous. USAID and international organizations are working on plans to minimize such environmental impact.
Other Donor Programs: The European Union supports Upper Niger and Gambia River projects and a transnational park in Fouta Djallon and Upper Guinea. German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) helps protect two large classified forests in the Forest Region through its Rural Resource Management project.
Principal Contractors, Grantees or Agencies: Winrock leads Volunteers in Technical Assistance (VITA) and Land O'Lakes in implementing the new ENRM project. Opportunities Industrialization Center International (OICI) and Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) focus on food security and sustainable agricultural production under the P.L. 480 Title II-funded projects. VITA assists PRIDE/Finance in carrying out its microcredit program. Peace Corps implements activities related to agro-forestry and environmental education.
FY 2002 Performance Tables
Performance Measures:
Indicator FY97 (Actual) FY98 (Actual) FY99 (Actual) FY00 (Actual) FY00 (Plan) FY01 (Plan) FY02 (Plan) Indicator 1: Number of non-agricultural production enterprises that have expanded in activity zone 1,849 2,817 4,156 7,000 4,500 8,000 9,000 Indicator 2: Area of forests in the zone of activity managed according to a sustainable management plan 10,134 10,148 10,266 50,770 49,000 51,000 79,000 Indicator 3: Number of acceptable Natural resources management plans prepared with assistance of NGOs or GOG agents (cumulative) 61 94 124 156 150 178 228 Indicator 4: Area of land under sustainable agricultural practices in the zone of activity 127 233 373 2,083 639 5,000 7,000 Indicator 5: Number of land use agreements signed between land owners and land users 38 55 106 132 115 162 202 Indicator Information:
Indicator Level (S) or (IR) Unit of Measure Source Indicator Description Indicator 1: IR Number ENRM,DNEF,OICI,Peace Corps, ADRA, HEPA (Performance reports, activity reports, etc) This indicator represents the number of non-agricultural production enterprises that have expanded in the targeted zone. The expansion of activities can be measured in terms of revenue, number of employees, or asset value. A micro-enterprise has no more than three employees. A small enterprise employs between four and ten employees. Indicator 2: S Hectares (ha) ENRM,DNEF,OICI,Peace Corps, ADRA, HEPA (Performance reports, activity reports, etc) The total number of hectares of forest land managed by communities, households or State according to a management plan which lays out in detail how the critical natural resources (soil, forest, range, fauna, and water) will be managed. The plan should include the actions and their implementation schedule in terms of time and space, and resources necessary for the implementation. A management plan is deemed sustainable if it conserves the natural resource base while increasing benefits to resource users. The term "community" refers to a village, a hamlet, a group of villagers/farmers, or an association of farmer/villager groups. Indicator 3: IR Number ENRM,DNEF,OICI,Peace Corps, ADRA, HEPA (Performance reports, activity reports, etc) A natural resource management plan is a plan that describes in detail how the natural resources (soil, forest, fauna, range and water) are managed. A plan is judged acceptable when it includes actions that lead to sustainable natural resource management , an implementation calendar and the resources necessary for its implemenation. Indicator 4: IR Hectares (ha) ENRM, DNEF, OICI, ADRA, Peace Corps (Performance reports, activity reports, etc) The total number of hectares on which communities and/or households apply practices which have been shown to have decreased degradation rates of critical natural resources (e.g., soil, forest, range, fauna, and water). Specialists from the GOG and other institutions will identify such practices for each land type. The following practices have been identified to date: rock bunds, contour planting, live fences, mulching, compost application, alley planting, crop rotation, protecting heads of water sources with tree plantation. Indicator 5: IR Number Winrock, DNEF (Performance reports, activities, reports. Etc) Land use agreement is a document by which the land owner(s) allow an individual land user or a group of land users to have long-term usage of the land. These agreements give a certain degree of land security to landless people. The work undertaken by Land Tenure Center under the Natural Resources Management Project will serve as a model for this type of land use agreement.
U.S. Financing
(In thousands of dollars)
Obligations Expenditures Unliquidated Through September 30, 1999 14,056 DA 5,366 DA 8,690 DA 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 CSD 500 ESF 227 ESF 273 ESF 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 FSA 33,773 DFA 33,773 DFA 0 DFA Fiscal Year 2000 3,574 DA 4,526 DA 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 ESF 207 ESF 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 FSA 46 DFA 0 DFA Through September 30, 2000 17,630 DA 9,892 DA 7,738 DA 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 CSD 500 ESF 434 ESF 66 ESF 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 FSA 33,819 DFA 33,773 DFA 46 DFA Prior Year Unobligated Funds 0 DA 0 CSD 0 ESF 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 DFA Planned Fiscal Year 2001 NOA 5,125 DA 0 CSD 0 ESF 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 DFA Total Planned Fiscal Year 2001 5,125 DA 0 CSD 0 ESF 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 DFA Future Obligations Est. Total Cost Proposed Fiscal Year 2002 NOA 5,880 DA 0 DA 28,635 DA 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 ESF 0 ESF 500 ESF 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 DFA 12,000 DFA 45,819 DFA
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Last Updated on: May 29, 2002 |
