CUBA - PROTECTED AREAS - CONCEPT AND PDF B - final submission

UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMEGLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY PROPOSAL FOR PIPELINE ENTRY AND PDF B FUNDING Operational Programme Cross Cutting: OP# 2 & 3 [Freshwater and Forest Ecosys

UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY PROPOSAL FOR PIPELINE ENTRY AND PDF B FUNDING

Operational Programme Cross Cutting: OP# 2 & 3 [Freshwater and Forest Ecosystems]

Project Title Strengthening the National System of Protected Areas

Full Project (Estimates)

Phase One (5 years) US $ 16-20 million - Total

US $ 7-10 million - GEF

US $ 9-10 million in co-financing from the Government

of Cuba, UNDP, United Nations Foundation/UNDP, WWF and other donors (to beconfirmed)

Phase Two (5 years) US $ 21-27 million – Total

US $ 7-9 million -GEF

US $ 14-18 million in co-financing from the Government

of Cuba, UNDP, WWF and other donors (to beconfirmed)

Executing Agency Ministry of Science, Technology & Environment

Country Eligibility Cuba Ratified the CBD in 1993

Block A Grant Awarded Not requested

1 The Cuban archipelago harbors a rich and globally significant storehouse ofbiodiversity, acclaimed for its species richness, habitat diversity and biologicaldistinctiveness Although Cuba has made great strides in insulating biodiversity from human-induced threats in recent years, further efforts are needed to safeguard the integrity of naturalhabitats The proposed project would strengthen Cuba’s National System of Protected Areas

(SNAP) as a cornerstone of the nation’s efforts to protect flora and fauna in situ The project

will focus on the management of strictly protected areas (PAs), concentrating on terrestrialecosystems It is proposed that the project be divided into two phases, each with a five yearduration

2 A two-tier initiative is planned for phase one comprising field-based interventions to

remove threats to biodiversity, which will account for the bulk of project activities, andumbrella support for capacity development At a field level, activities would focus onstrengthening conservation operations in no more than six PAs, strategically selected tocapture the major terrestrial ecoregions represented in Cuba and the spectrum of managementchallenges facing the PA estate This component would provide a means of testing andadapting management approaches, and establish the know-how to manage the PA network.Accompanying capacity development interventions would strengthen policy coordination,planning, regulatory controls, monitoring and reporting functions, support training and impartawareness of conservation values — thus reinforcing the institutional foundations of SNAP.

A follow on phase would extend conservation management to other globally outstandingprotected areas, ensuring that the best practices established in phase one are comprehensivelyapplied, as well as connect protected areas by establishing corridors between priority sites

3 Cuba has adopted a progressive policy and legal framework for biodiversityconservation that reflects its obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity as well

as other international treaties to which it is party, including the World Heritage, CITES andRAMSAR Conventions The Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (CITMA),established in 1994, is charged with regulating and coordinating environmental management.The National Center for Protected Areas (CNAP) was created within the Ministry in 1994 toexecute responsibilities for protected areas Law 81 on Environment, passed in 1997,establishes enabling legislation for environmental management The Law vests CITMA withspecific responsibilities for directing and controlling protected areas in collaboration withother relevant institutions, including the Ministry of Agriculture (MINAG), Ministry ofFisheries (MIP) and Ministry of the Interior (MININT) 1 The Government created a NationalSystem of Protected Areas in 1997, and enacted legislation (Decree Law 201) giving theSystem legal backing in 1999 The Law prescribes management categories, allowableactivities, and regulations for protected areas and establishes an approval mechanism for siteestablishment

4 The Government prepared a Biodiversity Country Study in 1998 which provides anoverview of the status of biodiversity across the country A National Biodiversity Strategyand Action Plan (NBSAP) was completed in 2000 with financial support from the GEF ThePlan elaborates the pillars of Cuba’s conservation strategy, and provides an agenda for action.Eleven major objectives are specified, six of which bear directly on the scope of thisinitiative:

i Establish a representative network of protected areas to conserve natural habitats;

ii Strengthen the legal framework for conservation by drafting specifications to Laws;

iii Reinforce institutional capacities for conservation at all levels of administration;

iv Enhance capacities to monitor and evaluate the status of biodiversity, including bystrengthening scientific research capabilities, and data management systems;

v Develop integrated policies, strategies and programs for conservation and development;

vi Impart public awareness of ecological values and encourage citizen participation inconservation

1 The Ministry of the Interior manages the National Forest Guard, and assists with the enforcement of Protected Area and other conservation specific regulations under an Agreement with CINAP and MINAG

III: PROJECT CONTEXT

Global Significance of Biodiversity

5 The Cuban archipelago is located in the Greater Antilles and comprises 4,196 islandsand keys The main island (Cuba), which stretches 1,250 km from East to West, is fringed byfour island groups: Los Colorados and Jardines del Rey to the North and Jardines de la Reinaand Los Canarreos to the South (see map in annex 4) The archipelago covers an area of110,921 km2, accounting for 89% of the total surface area of the Antilles Much of the landarea consists of wide plains, which cover some 79 % of the total land surface The remainingland area encompasses four mountain ranges: Cordillera de Guaniguanico, Sierra Maestra,Macizo de Guamuhaya, and the Montañas de Nipe-Sagua-Baracoa The highest point is 1,974meters above mean sea level Five terrestrial ecoregions are recognized, namely Cuban MoistForests, Cuban Dry Forests, Cuban Wetlands2, Cuban Pine Forests and Cuban Xeric Shrub.All but the last ecoregion are ranked amongst the highest priorities for conservation at aregional scale on account of their high species richness, endemism and vulnerability(Dinerstein et al, 1995) These ecoregions may be divided further into 3 bio-geographic zones(East, Central and Western Cuba) and 39 floristic districts (Vales et al 1998 –see Annex 2)

6 Cuba has the highest species diversity in the West Indies, with over 6,500 species ofhigher plants recorded, possibly 2.2% of the world total, 350 species of birds, including manymigratory species, 147 species of reptiles and amphibians, 42 of mammals and perhaps asmany as 13,000 species of invertebrates Much of the biota is unique: for instance, Cuba

harbors the world’s smallest bat (the Butterfly Bat: Natalus lepidus), frog (Eleutherodactilus

iberia), bird (The Bee Hummingbird: Mellisuga helenae) and scorpion (Microfityus fundorai) Over 50% of the flora and 32% of the vertebrate fauna are endemic to Cuba.

Endemism is particularly high amongst the vascular plants and herpetofauna although it isalso significant amongst some other taxonomic groups, including for instance, the spiders andmollusks

7 Over 75% of the endemic biota is now threatened, and 36% classed as globallyendangered (ibid)3 As in many small islands, many Cuban plants and animals have naturallylocalized distributions and small source populations, being restricted to small patches, such as

a single mountain range Habitat loss within these rangelands threatens these species withglobal extinction Other species, once widespread, have been extirpated from much of their

former ranges For instance, the Cuban Crocodile (Crocodylus rhombifer) is now found only

in the Zapata swamps in southern Cuba, and the unique Almiquí or Cuban Giant Shrew

(Solendon cubanus), an endangered insectivore considered a ‘living fossil, is found only in

montane rain forests in the country’s North Eastern wildlands Cuba also provides animportant refuge for migrating birds in the boreal winter, particularly passerines, raptors andwaterfowl, harboring the largest Caribbean populations of many species Several of thesespecies have restricted winter ranges, centered on Cuba Loss or degradation of these areas

2 In a separate study, Cuba’s freshwater marshes were ranked as Regionally Outstanding (Olson et al, 1998) Cuba’s Zapata wetland complex comprises one of the most bio-diverse marshes in the Caribbean.

3 Cuba contains 3 ecoregions in the Greater Antilles, ranked by WWF as one of 233 Priority Ecoregions globally (WWF 1999), and is also listed as an Endemic Bird Area by Birdlife International (Stattersfield 1998) The insular Caribbean islands, including Cuba, are listed as one of 27 Global Conservation

could cause the extirpation and possible extinction of sub-species and races of these birds.Finally Cuba harbors the largest populations of a number of extant, non-endemic endangered

or vulnerable birds, including the Plain Pigeon (Columba inornata), which is endangered.

Clearly, the continued survival of a host of species, both endemic and non-endemic, hinges

on the preservation of their habitat underscoring the importance of Cuba’s protected areas

Threats to Biodiversity

8 Natural forests cover around 14% of Cuba’s total land surface4 and freshwaterwetlands for some 8% of the surface area Anthropogenic disturbances, particularly in thenineteenth and early twentieth century have resulted in large-scale alteration of the naturallandscape, with a subsequent loss of habitat and of constituent biodiversity Cuban biologistsestimate that, since 1600, some 960 plant species and over 250 vertebrate species have eitherbeen extinguished, or rendered endangered, threatened or vulnerable This equates to 15% ofthe original flora and 41% of the vertebrate fauna (WWF 1997) In the face of these trends,the management of remaining natural habitats for conservation purposes and rehabilitation ofsurrounding landscapes is of the essence Recognizing this, the Cuban Government has made

a concerted attempt over the past decade to protect natural habitats, and threats to manyprotected areas at least, appear to have declined in the course of the past six years.Nevertheless, a number of threats persist—their magnitude and determinants varying greatlyfrom area to area The main threats to terrestrial biodiversity include habitat loss, overharvesting of some species, water pollution, bio-invasion and visitor use and infrastructuraldevelopment

a Loss of Habitat: Habitat loss has historically been spurred by expansion of the

agricultural frontier, both for the cultivation of sugar cane, tobacco and other cash crops,and for cattle ranching The rate of expansion of large and medium-scale agriculture intowildlands has diminished in recent years, and the protected area estate is no longerthreatened with permanent land conversion, although the threat endures outside theboundaries of some PAs However, shifting cultivation occurs in several parks,particularly in mountain areas, as is the case of the globally important Humboldt NationalPark in Eastern Cuba, where repeated slash and burn is leading to forest degradation TheGovernment has begun to address the threat posed from the expansion of shiftingcultivation through encouraging agro-forestry and other conservation friendly farmingsystems suitable for upland forest environments To complement this effort, conservationobjectives will need to be nested within agricultural sector strategies with sustainedinvestment in integrated land management and policy and programmatic coordination

b Over Harvesting of Wild Resources: The harvest of fuelwood, timber, wood stems

(primarily for the tobacco industry), certain non-timber forest products (particularlyornamental orchids, air plants and cacti) and fauna has contributed towards the pastdegradation of forest ecosystems Several established and proposed protected areas facepressures from over harvesting (i.e the Guanahacabibes and Desembarco del GranmaNational Parks) Although harvests of wild resources for subsistence purposes do not onthe whole seriously threaten the population viability of target species, gradualcommercialization of resource uses poses a threat in some cases5 Cuba signed CITES in

4 An additional 7% of the territory is covered in forest plantations

5 Logging no longer poses a threat to protected areas in Cuba A new Forestry Law was passed in 1998 (Law 85), classifying forests (including natural forests and plantations) for conservation, timber

1990 and has since made a sustained effort to manage the trade in native wildlife.Controls have been successful for some species, including Cuba’s colorful land snails,but the Cuban Parrot, Crocodiles and some mollusks are still collected and underpressure The international trade in plants and animals does not constitute a significantthreat, although vigilance is needed as pressures will almost certainly accelerate overtime

c Pollution: The pollution of rivers and streams, mainly by the sugar industry, has led to thecontamination of wetlands country-wide While point source pollution has decreased inrecent years, following investment by the Government in pollution abatement schemes,the threat of water pollution remains a problem in some areas such as in Delta CautoFauna Refuge, and to a much lesser extent in the large Zapata wetlands complex

d Invasive Species: Introduced plants and animals, including the Indian Mongoose

(Herpestes auropunctatus), dogs, cats and feral pigs prey on wildlife such as the Almiquí,

ground pigeons, reptiles and other species This threat is a particular problem within parts

of the Cuban Moist Forest Ecoregion Invasive plants, such as casurina (Casuarina

equisetifolia), Cayeput (Melaleuca leucadendron), Marabu (Dichrostachis cinerea) and

Juniperus sp., pose a problem in other areas by out-competing native flora While, therehas been some investment in controlling invasive plants on agricultural lands, there hasbeen limited investment in the control of invasive species within the bounds of protectedareas, and financial and technical support is needed to establish the local know-how

e Visitor Use and Infrastructural Development: The tourism sector has witnessed adevelopment boom in Cuba in recent years following active promotion of and investment

in the industry Some two million foreign tourists visit Cuba each year, up from less thanone million five years ago Tourists travel to Cuba primarily to visit its beaches andsample its culture, but a gathering number of visitors are taking the opportunity to alsovisit protected areas during their stay Given that the sector is expected to grow rapidly incoming years (perhaps by as much as 15% per annum), such visitation, and associatedinfrastructural development poses a threat to the integrity of protected areas Aninvestment in land use planning, visitor education and other aspects of visitormanagement within and adjacent to protected areas is urgently needed to contain thesepressures Although carefully managed nature-based tourism has the potential to createalternative and conservation compatible sources of rural livelihoods, so diminishing

threats stemming from many of the afore-mentioned sources, ad hoc developments will

almost certainly exacerbate these other pressures, and so cause habitat deterioration

Protected Areas System

9 When CNAP was first established, more than 400 applications from the scientificestablishment and local authorities to establish new protected areas were pending rulings Asone of its first assignments, the Center undertook a priority setting exercise to determine theextent to which these applications met basic criteria for inclusion in the PA network,including ecoregional coverage Pursuant to the review, some applications were accepted andothers rejected The PA System presently comprises 79 sites of national importance, and 185sites of local importance6, within eight management categories, corresponding to the sixcategories in the IUCN classification system Categories 1-IV of the IUCN system and 1-6 of

the Cuban system correspond to strictly protected areas Table 1 provides a summary of thecategories, distribution of protected areas across each category, and description of allowableactivities

Table 1: Protected Area Categories

PROTECTED AREAS

(L OCAL IMPORTANCE )

ACTIVITIES ALLOWED

Estab Prop Estab Prop.

I Natural Reserve 2 3 0 4 Scientific research only; public access is

restricted.

II National Park

(generally larger

areas)

10 5 0 0 Recreational uses, education, species

management and environmental rehabilitation; subsistence uses of wild resources are allowed Ecological

1 7 0 33 Only those activities that do not harm the

attribute to be protected In general, research and managed tourism are permissible.

IV Fauna Refuge

(to manage a

particular

species)

2 6 4 46 Only those activities that do not harm the

attribute to be protected (i.e scientific research, education etc.) In general, research and recreational use, in addition to intensive management interventions to protect target Managed Flora

1 0 1 14 Productive activities and traditional land uses

that do not adversely affect aesthetic values.

6 Many of these sites happen to be contiguous: taking the case of Biosphere Reserves, both the Reserve and the core, where gazetted as a National Park or other PA category, are counted separately After correcting for such overlap, 15 ‘clusters’ of protected areas (of national importance) may be identified PAs of local importance generally constitute set-asides and are smaller than those of national importance.

including taking of non timber forest products; v]the Institute of Physical Planning (IPF),responsible for town and country planning ; vi] national government agencies concerned witheducation and culture, including the Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Culture; vii] theMinistry of Tourism, charged with tourism promotion, and viii] national and internationalNGOs, including PRONATURALEZA, and the Foundation for Nature and Man (bothnational), and WWF Canada and other international groups that are gradually expanding theirprograms in Cuba These stakeholders will be involved fully in designing projectinterventions

11 The default scenario, in the absence of support from the GEF is described below.While Cuba’s investment in its protected area system is significant and will continue, thecountry lacks essential know-how and capacities to fully contain the threats to protected areasand further on-site investment is needed to assure the sustainability of conservationmanagement Thus the conjunction of pressures described above would undermine thenatural integrity of protected areas, and threaten their global conservation values Financialsupport is urgently needed from the international community to pilot conservation methodsthat are appropriate to the local context and specific management dilemmas, sensitise staff tothese new approaches, and build their capacities to execute them, and strengthen theinstitutional framework for managing PAs These needs mark out the entry point for a GEFintervention

i Planning and Monitoring: The three responsible management authorities prepare

annual work and financial plans for the purposes of making annual budgetary appropriations.But of the protected areas so far established, only ten have Management Plans, leaving anunmet need for site-focused planning Management Plans are essential to provide theblueprint for management at specific sites, prioritize activities and gear operations so as tomitigate prevailing threats However, the capacity to prepare these plans is inadequate andneeds strengthening Data collection, management and interpretation capabilities need to beimproved in tandem, with the introduction of GIS and other advanced planning tools.Monitoring and evaluation functions also need to be strengthened and linked to planning,enabling management to be adapted as pressures change While scientific institutionsundertake biological studies, there is a dearth of applied research geared to site management

ii Administration: The SNAP constitutes an ambitious attempt to protect a

representative sample of ecosystems in Cuba Cuba is committed to graduallyoperationalising new protected areas, but lacks the financial wherewithal to properly manage

266 discrete sites The baseline situation would be characterized by sub-optimal levels ofmanagement Clearly, new administrative arrangements are needed to create cost efficiencies,and thus expand the impact of the funding that is available Amongst other things, establishedand proposed sites need to be organized into clusters that can be managed by sub-regionaloffices This would enable management to be harmonized across sites with commonecological attributes and threats and enable scale economies in PA operations to be captured iii PA Operations: At the present moment, 43 sites (33 of national importance and 10 of

local importance) have been operationalized to some degree These include one WorldHeritage Site (another is under establishment) and 6 Biosphere Reserves The sites each havesome rudimentary infrastructure, but lack adequate equipment inventories These

inadequacies hamper efforts at site management Communications infrastructure is especiallypoor, and visitor interpretation centers, and visitor management facilities are urgently needed.Donor support is needed to defray the one-time investment costs of developing infrastructureand supply equipment for enforcement and other vital PA functions CINAP, MINAG, andthe MIP currently employ some 2000 staff dedicated to PA management, and MININTemploys 1000 Forest Guards While this is substantial, there is a need to better distributehuman resources across SNAP At present, 3 PAs account for nearly 30% of the total staffcomplement

iv Capacity Building: The Government provides routine training to park rangers and

technical staff, maintaining a mobile training program In addition, some 40 staff havereceived short-term training at overseas institutions, such as at Colorado State University inthe USA and CATIE in Costa Rica with funding from WWF, UNEP and other organizations.However, the capacity of park rangers and technical staff to perform the full suite ofprotected area functions is inadequate, necessitating that the in-country training program bestrengthened The Program will also need to be expanded to cover a wider range of PAmanagement functions such as the control of invasive species, with a focus on ‘hands-on’instruction in the field This will require the establishment of demonstration sites to pilotinnovative management measures and gain experience in their application The authoritieshave created information networks for biosphere reserves and wetlands to disseminatelessons, but these will need to be broadened and improved as a vehicle for disseminatinginformation

v Institutional Coordination: While CNAP gives direction to Protected Area

management, establishing regulations and management standards and approving managementplans, management operations at a site level are performed by other agencies CITMA hasprimary responsibility for managing Natural Reserves, National Parks and EcologicalReserves, while the Ministries of Agriculture and Fisheries have authority over other PAcategories and MININT assists with regulatory enforcement New institutional arrangementsare needed to strengthen coordination at the operational level across all responsible agencies.Additionally, the capacity of CNAP to audit the quality of management interventions inprotected areas will need strengthening At present, CNAP has a staff on strength of just 20

vi Sustainable Livelihoods The Government has established two incipient programs

that are linked to protected areas and aim to advance ecologically sustainable development,one for mountain ecosystems and the other for watersheds Cuba’s four mountain ranges andthe Zapata swamp have been designated multiple use protected areas, within which NationalParks and other PA management categories have been established for strict protection Anumber of investments are planned, including in environmental restoration throughreforestation, and development of alternative livelihood options For example, MINAG isproviding assistance to enable upland communities to adapt their farming systems, and inparticular shifting cultivation, to better reflect agro-ecological conditions and alternativeenergy supplies are being developed to satisfy domestic energy demands (to reduce fuelwoodconsumption)

At a country level, the Government plans to increase forest cover to 27 % of the land surfacefrom a current total of 21%, establishing multiple use woodlots that can supply ruralcommunities with timber, building materials and other products This effort is important toreduce the harvest of these resources from natural forest stands There has been some

experience planting native species, mainly in Biosphere Reserves This technology needs to

be applied to silvicultural systems in the vicinity of other PAs Finally, while the country hashitherto focused on promoting mass tourism, there is recognition that the nature basedtourism sector needs attention too If developed carefully, this could provide conservationcompatible livelihoods and contribute towards the sustainability of PA management.However, for this to occur, financial mechanisms need to be introduced and earmarked forconservation

vii Environmental Education The Center for Environmental Education, attached to

CITMA, is responsible for guiding environmental education programs countrywide TheMinistries of Education and Higher Education and citizens groups are responsible forimplementing these programs Although education programs are being carried out in theenvirons of 24 protected areas, mainly at the community level, the national education drivehas tended to focus on ‘brown’ issues A National Environmental Education Strategy hashowever, been developed, and establishes conservation education as a priority There is aneed to put the Strategy into action by expanding conservation awareness efforts, to improveunderstanding of the values of natural ecosystems, and the role played by PAs in protectingthem

12 The objective of the full project is to improve management of the National System ofProtected Areas by addressing gaps in the default baseline By supporting a number of site-based demonstration/investment activities geared to mitigating a cross section of threats/risks and refining conservation practices and approaches, the project will build the capacity toperform protected area management functions, including planning, enforcement,interpretation, public outreach, financial administration and reporting In particular, capacitywill be developed in Cuba to manage protected areas on an adaptive basis so as tosuccessfully contain both present and future anthropogenic threats The replication of newapproaches and methods will be facilitated within the framework of a 5-year SystemsOperations Plan for SNAP, to be developed as part of project preparation This will define thefocus of activities and funding priorities over the medium term, ensuring that interventionsare targeted at the most critical repositories of biodiversity within the PA network To ensurethat this effort is institutionally sustainable, ancillary capacity support will also be extended

to management authorities, with a focus on training, improving controls, policy coordination,data management, and monitoring & evaluation This support will serve to improve thedischarge of their responsibilities

13 Given the high ecological heterogeneity of Cuba and impracticality of addressingmanagement needs in all ecosystems and PA categories through a single initiative, the projectwill focus on protecting terrestrial ecoregions of recognized global importance A phasedapproach is proposed, whereby support will initially be geared towards strengthening strictlyprotected areas, so conserving critical refugia GEF funding for a follow on phase would then

be solicited (through a subsequent proposal) The follow on phase will strengthenmanagement systems in other priority PAs and establish biological corridors between sites

14 Up to six demonstration PA sites will be picked as the focus of intervention in phaseone, strategically selected to capture a representative sample of terrestrial biodiversity,including alpha, beta and gamma diversity, and particularly, rare, endemic, and endangered

species In addition, attention will be paid to management issues, so as to ensure that thesample contains examples of the different management challenges facing the Protected Areaestate Other criteria for selection include 1] the likelihood that threats to biodiversity can besuccessfully abated, and 2] the ability to secure co-funding A total of ten candidate sites havebeen identified (see Table 1) Selection will be confirmed during project preparation7

Table 2: List of Candidate Sites for Demonstrations

Cuban Dry Forest Turquino National Park

Cuban Dry Forest Alejandro de Humboldt National Park

Cuban Dry Forest Pico Cristal National Park

Cuban Moist Forest Desembarco del Granma National Park

Cuban Moist Forest Guanahacabibes National Park

Cuban Moist Forest Sur Isla de la Juventud

Cuban Pine Forest Viñales National Park

Cuban Wetland Ciénaga de Zapata National Park

Cuban Wetland Delta del Cauto Forest Reserve

Cuban Xeric Shrub Baitiquirí Nature Reserve

15 The following activities are proposed for funding under phase one The list is subject

to change, based on the outcomes of further planning exercises and stakeholder engagement

It is anticipated that field demonstration/investment activities would absorb the bulk ofproject resources (between 70 and 75% of total funding), with umbrella capacitystrengthening accounting for the remainder of costs The cost of these activities will beshared between the GEF and other financiers, following an assessment of incremental costs

Demonstration/ Investment Activities at the Site Level

i Planning & Administration: Management Plans for protected areas would be preparedwhere lacking using participatory planning tools, and operational planning capacitieswould be enhanced to abet work planning To reduce threats stemming fromexternalities imposed by development activities, the project would systematicallyintegrate conservation objectives into local development plans, including for thetourism sector Support would be provided to improve financial administration,reporting and information flow to CNAP, other management authorities, localgovernment and rural communities The feasibility of clustering protected areas foroperational management purposes will also be established

ii Threat Mitigation: Infrastructure would be developed, and equipment and trainingsupplied Coordination with law enforcement agencies, including the Forest Guardwould be improved to arrest malfeasance, and surveillance and reporting systemsstrengthened The Government of Cuba would rationalize staffing across the PAnetwork to ensure that sites are adequately resourced The project would support thecontrol of introduced predators, evaluating the success and cost-effectiveness ofdifferent approaches Visitor management systems would be improved to control theimpacts of tourism Associated interventions would be developed to strengthen

7 Information on the biological attributes of these areas, and prevailing threats, is provided in the annexes.

pollution controls and forest management as required to realize conservation outcomes.iii Monitoring & Evaluation: Indicators would be developed to monitor conservationprocesses and management impact and monitoring efforts fully institutionalized andlinked to national data gathering and planning systems Monitoring and evaluationoperations will be tied to annual operational planning and to long-term managementplanning

iv Sustainable Livelihoods: The Cuban Government will promote the development ofnature tourism, conservation compatible forest industries and sustainable agriculture toimprove economic conditions within communities neighboring the protected areas

Capacity Support

v Operational and Policy Coordination: New institutional mechanisms will be established

to improve coordination between management authorities and coordination with thedevelopment strategies of the productive sectors The feasibility of establishing aNational Council on protected areas would be reviewed during preparation Thecapacity of CNAP to perform its legislated PA audit functions would be strengthened

vi Training: A comprehensive training program would be supported, linked to the sitedemonstrations, but also including study tours to other protected areas in Latin Americaand the Caribbean to expand the range of management skills amongst PA managers vii Financial Mechanisms: The feasibility of establishing earmarked user fees and othermechanisms to capture the consumer surplus associated with visitation to protectedareas will be established and appropriate financial mechanisms developed and linked tooperations at sites

viii Information Management: The capacity of authorities to collect, interpret and utilizeinformation for PA management purposes will be improved, with an investment ininformation management systems The links between field centers and headquarterswould be strengthened by improving communications infrastructure and informationflow

Linkages to other GEF Financed Projects in Cuba

16 The GEF has financed two Enabling Activities and one full project in the BiodiversityFocal Area The Enabling Activities (both UNEP-GEF financed) have included preparation ofthe Biodiversity Country Study and National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan Bothefforts have abetted priority setting for conservation informing development of thisinitiative UNDP-GEF has funded a full project to protect biodiversity in the SabanaCamaguey Ecosystem in northern Cuba That initiative focuses on integrated coastal zonemanagement and conservation in globally important coastal and marine ecosystems Whilecomplementary, the two projects focus on different landscapes and management challenges

Linkages to UNDP Programs in Cuba

17 The Executive Board of UNDP approved the First Country Cooperation Framework

(CCF) for Cuba in September 1997, covering the period from FY 1997 to 2001.Environmental protection constitutes one of four thematic areas for cooperation Theprotection of biodiversity is listed as the top priority for support under this area To this end,UNDP is assisting the Government of Cuba to source funding and technical assistance.UNDP will secure co-financing for this project for activities that facilitate sustainabledevelopment, including improving forest management and peoples participation in resourceconservation UNDP will also play an active role in fostering policy dialogue with theGovernment of Cuba and brokering funding from other parties, including bilateral agencies

Sustainability and Potential for Replication

18 The Government of Cuba will shoulder the recurrent costs of managing the protectedareas System Demonstration activities sponsored by the project will develop cost-effectivesolutions to management dilemmas that can be systematically applied across the PA network.Not only will this improve the effectiveness of management efforts, it will reduce costs-per-unit effort The project will also expand linkages between management authorities andinternational conservation agencies and donor bodies, helping to generate new investmentsand enabling Cuba to learn from best practices established elsewhere the region Themobilization of co-financing for the project from the Government of Cuba, UNDP and donoragencies will spread the risk inherent in intervention and expand the basis of projectownership A major focus of interventions will be to internalize conservation objectiveswithin sector strategies at each site, so ensuring a better match between conservation anddevelopment By investing in awareness raising and education, the project will build newconstituencies for conservation amongst the public at large, which will be crucial forsustainability

19 The PDF B grant and associated co-financing appropriated by the Government ofCuba will finance activities required to prepare the full project, and scope out capacitystrengthening activities These activities will be scheduled over a ten-month time frame

O UTPUT 1 A FIVE- YEAR SYSTEMS OPERATIONS PLAN FOR THE SNAP IS DEVELOPED

Activities: A 5-year Systems Operations Plan will be prepared for the protected area

network, defining objectives and providing a blueprint for replicating the managementapproaches developed under this project The Plan will 1] define the number of protectedareas to be established over the next 5 years; 2] elucidate the sequence in which new andexisting protected areas will be operationalized; 3] elaborate the capacity strengtheningneeded within the System Consequently, it will give bearing to activities proposed under thefull project and to associated programs, helping to magnify the global conservation benefitsaccruing from these efforts Activities will be costed, enabling the Plan to be used as a basisfor informing funding decisions by the Government of Cuba and leveraging other fundingcommitments

1.1 Convene a National Planning Workshop involving all major stakeholders to prepare aStrengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Analysis of SNAP;

1.2 Conduct an assessment of the priority capacity development needs of PA managementauthorities;