SCS-SGP Partnership Implementation Review Timeline November 2007 signature of Communiqué - SCS & SGP September 2008 signature of Agreement - UNDP & UNEP September 2008 transfer of funds to UNOPS Projects implemented between May 2009 and May 2011 Agreement to: Fund an equal number of SGP projects (12 each) Follow priorities of the SAP Provide training to SGP national co-ordinators in TDA and SAP priorities

SCS-SGP Partnership Implementation Review A total of 31 projects in six countries were executed under the partnership SCS Funds = $ 554,702 SGP Funds = $ 541,574 Co-financing = $ 808,495 Total = $1,904,771 Mean Project Size $35,364 grant funds $26,080 co-financing Total $61,444

SCS-SGP Partnership Implementation Review Rationale for the Partnership Difficult for full-sized IW projects to deal with all levels from Central Government down to communities; SGP has an existing delivery mechanism at the national level to engage communities; SCS had an inter-governmentally approved SAP with clearly defined targets; SGP has no framework for IW community level projects; SCS had various regional fora to engage national co-ordinators with local governments, scientists and regional experts

SCS-SGP Partnership Implementation Review Strategic Action Programme for the South China Sea Top priority loss and degradation of coastal habitats, primarily mangrove, seagrass and coral reefs but also coastal lagoons, and coastal freshwater swamp forest. Second priority issue management failures with respect to the linkage between fish stocks and critical habitats Pollution neither a priority issue, nor a transboundary one since 10x present nutrient loads would not impact the basin measurably. However among pollution sources domestic wastes top priority; and, Nutrients the priority contaminant

SCS-SGP Partnership Implementation Review SAP Targets Seagrass: 21 areas totaling 26,576 ha to be sustainably managed by 2025; adopt 7 new MPAs focused on seagrass Mangroves: 57,361 ha to be transferred to National Parks and MPA 21,000 ha deforested mangrove land to be replanted; 11,200 ha degraded forest to be subject to enrichment planting Coral Reefs: 53,130 ha in identified sites to be managed by 2015

SCS-SGP Partnership Implementation Review SAP Priorities Total Mangrove 12 Coral Reef 6 Seagrass 5 Coastal Lagoons 3 No Habitat Focus 7 Total Number 33

SCS-SGP Partnership Implementation Review SAP Targets for habitat management Area hectares % of Target Seagrass managed area 2,079 8% Coral Reef Managed area 2,388 4.5% Mangrove managed area 12,618 0.7%

SCS-SGP Partnership Implementation Review The Impacts of SGP Projects - Community awareness Meetings, discussions presentation of basic information Creation of quasi management bodies with: regular meetings responsibilities such as mangrove replanting, fisheries patrolling Exchange between neighbouring communities

SCS-SGP Partnership Implementation Review The Impacts of SGP Projects - Socioeconomic benefits Countering illegal fishing through; physical barriers, and patrolling increases artisanal fish catch; Sustainable management of swimming crab and land crab; Nypa palm; Value added to local products including aquarium fish; fish paste; Development of new sources of income from ecotourism & “home stay

SCS-SGP Partnership Implementation Review The Impacts of SGP Projects - Environmental benefits More difficult to measure except: some monitoring of habitats; Increased % cover; Increased biodiversity implied environmental improvement by increased; fish catch; in cases of mangrove and coral reef replanting

SCS-SGP Partnership Implementation Review The Impacts of SGP Projects - Wider impacts/replication Exchange between neighbouring communities: 4 projects Cambodia, 3 in Indonesia, 1 in Thailand and 3 in Viet Nam Designation of project individuals as resource persons by provincial and national governments Recognition of projects as learning or demonstration centres e.g. China project designated as “provincial science popularisation base”; 1 in Thailand selected as a model for mangrove management; 1 in Viet Nam model for community fisheries management

SCS-SGP Partnership Implementation Review CONCLUSIONS The partnership has been effective and beneficial to partners, specifically to: the national SGP programmes involved, through the provision of an inter-governmentally approved framework for nationally executed international waters projects; the implementation of the SAP for the South China Sea in terms of significant contributions towards the achievement of the SAP priorities and targets

SCS-SGP Partnership Implementation Review CONCLUSIONS The effectiveness of the partnership reflects the fact that: the SCS project was able to make use of a GEF approved mechanism for engaging local communities in activities in support of the SAP; choice of the SGP projects and oversight of their execution was left to the national committees and the SGP operational procedures; language and communication difficulties were avoided since SGP operates in the national languages of the countries concerned; and, the SGP mechanism for fund committal and disbursement is rapid and efficient..

SCS-SGP Partnership Implementation Review On the basis of this analysis it may be concluded that: partnerships between the SGP programme and full-sized GEF international waters projects can be highly effective in mobilizing community involvement in the achievement of SAP targets; the SGP SCS partnership could be used as a model for future partnerships in other regions.