Proposta para Financiamento pelo gef – Global Environment Facility

III.Project Justification

85. 
    On the previous session, a group of actions that Brazil have been developing in the past years was mentioned and described, looking for the implementation of the Conventions on biodiversity, climate change and combat to desertification.
    

85. 
    Despite of those important improvements, there are indeed various initiatives and a number of organizations working at the implementation of the Conventions. The risks of lack of coordination, action fragmentation and fund pulverization are considerable. However, it is observed that the edges of thematic domains are well defined and the intersection areas, very limited. It is reflected also at he number of partnerships established by the focal points. The main programs in the thematic areas of biodiversity, climate change and combat to desertification lack integrated objectives and scope of work, neither count with institutional coordination mechanisms and, with rare exceptions, there is thematic coordination at the local level – if that exists, it is pioneering or ad-hoc. Apparently, there is space for an optimization of many activities, based on a wider integration and coordination of activities, exploring and amplifying the intersection areas between different thematic spheres.
    

85. 
    The activities fragmentation in the scope of each theme is dues to the complex character of environmental actions. They require a long-term approach and integration of environmental concerns at sectoral policies. Nevertheless, in despite of the transversal nature of environmental themes, there is a tendency on handling with various components of the subject in the same way, submitted to a pre-established institutional division.
    

85. 
    It also contributes to this tendency to fragmentation, the institution survival rationality, creating and justifying specific areas of acting and responsibility. On the other hand, even though it makes more difficult integration, not always the institutional specialization is pernicious once it generates good results, presenting a high analytical sophistication on given themes.
    

85. 
    Within this context, the present project intends to work focused on the activities fragmentation as a systemic capacity problem, aiming at the fulfillment of the common global environmental management objectives and the integration between different thematic activities at national level. The project will promote a greater integration of the main environmental management initiatives, as well as will commend new initiatives in which integration does not enter into conflict with the production of good results in a thematic area.
    

85. 
    Considering that the resources for the fulfillment of a self-evaluation exercise at the national level are considerably limited, it is important to narrow the project focus and scope to the main activities in the scope of the implementation of the three Rio Conventions. This narrowing causes the exclusion of other related international instruments and aims at a more selective participation. Such choice will favor the maximization of the impact in the project resources use.
    

85. 
    Besides the Governmental actors, the main NGOs and environmental research institutions and other non-Governmental actors that implement relevant actions in capacity development within the project thematic area will be involved through consultations. As possible, the project shall use already established commissions, and this will be defined in the initial planning stage.
    

85. 
    The project is justifiable as a supplementary action to diverse activities, programs and projects that are been implemented in the scope of the three Conventions by many actors, revising and evaluating the work done and prioritizing activities, in order to promote a better integration and articulation between different efforts, specially those on capacity development.
    

IV.Objectives and linkages of the NCSA project with ongoing activities

NCSA Proposal Focus

69. 
    The present project proposal fits within the capacity initiative of Global Environment Facility (GEF), named NCSA - National Capacity Self-Assessment.
    

70. 
    The main point is the identification of national capacities which permit the implementation of the objectives and actions of the Rio Conventions: biodiversity, climate change and combat to desertification. They represent, respectively, the three thematic areas embodied by the NCSA. This project aims at assessing the main initiatives in Brazil related to the effectiveness of these legal international instruments. These initiatives include implementation of policies, strategies, programs, plans and national laws. Include as well the identification of capacities on individual, institutional and systemic levels. The NCSA explores the interface between global and national environmental management questions.
    

71. 
    There are three main processes foreseen in a NCSA to be implemented: (i) elaboration of thematic profiles; (ii) deepen analysis, identifying gaps and demands over development capacities; and (iii) elaboration of a strategy/action plan for development of mentioned capacities. In the Brazilian case, focus will be on inter-institutional dialogue and transversal thematic approach, looking for integration between various actions over the implementation of the Conventions in the country.
    

85. 
    As main objective, the NCSA shall:
    

Identify priorities for the development of capacity and concrete actions that may optimize national efforts in the thematic areas of biodiversity, climate change and combat to desertification, maximizing advantages derived from the activities developed on each Convention, avoiding simultaneously, the duplication of efforts.

85. 
    As specific objectives, the NCSA shall:
    

1. 
   Identify the activities on capacity development, plans and strategies within the respective thematic areas of biodiversity, climate change and combat to desertification;
   

2. 
   Determine the needs on capacity development related to the thematic areas involved in the NCSA work, through scientific researches, considering the potential for a better integration and coordination between the thematic areas.
   

112. 
     Based on the results derived from items 1 and 2 above, the viability of elaborating an action plan proposal shall be studied, based on consultation and participation, taking as basis the capacity development priorities for the global environmental management in Brazil, establishing links with important initiatives in course. This second stage would need additional help from different financial sources.