Identifying climate finance and carbon pricing opportunities in the forestry sector of Ukraine

Identifying climate finance and carbon pricing opportunities in the forestry sector of Ukraine

Consultancy services to identify climate finance and carbon pricing opportunities in the forestry sector of Ukraine

The mission of this project was to scope carbon pricing and climate financing opportunities in the forestry sector in Ukraine, including recommendations for strengthening the MRV systems, as well as building overall capacity at SFRA and MEPNR on these topics. The work is divided into three (3) tasks:

  1.  Identify the potential and list the different climate finance and carbon pricing options for the forestry sector in Ukraine, including the benefits and challenges of each option and provide recommendations for next steps.
  2.  Assess the existing MRV system for the forestry sector and identify any gaps relevant to climate finance and/or carbon pricing in the sector, along with recommendations to improve the MRV system’s performance and capabilities;
  3. Conduct capacity and knowledge building workshop(s) on carbon pricing and climate finance topics relevant to the forestry sector, including best practices approaches to MRV of the sector.

Description of actual services provided by your staff within the assignment:

  • Identification of climate finance and carbon pricing opportunities in the forestry sector of Ukraine.
  • Deliver two capacity building workshops in Ukraine on hybrid mode to share the outcome of the assignment to relevant national stakeholders and client.
  • Assessment of Ukraine´s existing MRV system for the forestry sector.
  • Identify gaps and deliver recommendations for climate finance, carbon pricing and MRV settings.

COUNTRY

UKRAINE

IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD

2024 · Ongoing

DONOR · PARTNER

EU · The World Bank

Oiko provided services for the sustainable management of natural resources and economic development through local community engagement.

Oiko provided services for the sustainable management of natural resources and economic development through local community engagement.

Consultancy services to support sustainable management of natural resources and economic development through local community engagement

The aim of this project was the provision of consultancy services to support sustainable management of natural resources and economic development through local community engagement.

The WB assignment is part of the package “EU4Environment Program¨, the EU-funded program aims to preserve the natural capital of EU´s Easter Partnership (EaP) countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine), as well as increasing the people´s environmental well-being.

Forest coverage areas in Georgia

Description of actual services provided by your staff within the assignment:

  • Baseline mapping for community engagement on forests and other NRM
  • Profor methodoly surveying of 32 communities in 4 countries
  • GIS and RS
  • Workshops and Capacity Building
  • Developing practical knowledge on community engagement in NRM
  • Disseminating lessons learnt from community engagement opportunities in NRM in the EaP countries

 

COUNTRY

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova

IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD

2024 · Ongoing

DONOR · PARTNER

EU · The World Bank

Designing nature-based solutions with an ethnic and gender-equity approach in the Celaque rural mountain communities

Designing nature-based solutions with an ethnic and gender-equity approach in the Celaque rural mountain communities

Oiko designed nature-based solutions (NbS) with an ethnic and gender-equity approach, to increase the resilience of rural mountain communities in protected natural areas affected by extreme weather events in Honduras

The objective of this Technical Assistance was to strengthen the resilience of rural mountain communities to the impact of climate change located in the Montaña de Celaque National Park in Honduras.

Achieving this objective required risk assessments, co-design of an Adaptation Plan built around Nature-Based Solutions (NbS), and capacity building in the communities, national institutions, and local government.

 

 

As a result, the final outcome was the design and implementation of a model of co-governance for an ecosystem-based adaptation plan, which entails the possibility of replication and upscaling in other similar areas. The project enabled local communities to take ownership of activities that will help them to manage natural resources and strengthen their human capacity, with the aim of improving their quality of life and generating rural sustainable development in their communities.

Moreover, the development of Naturebased Solutions aimed at sustaining resilient ecosystem services and reducing risks to natural disasters will promote agro-environmental models and facilitate the reincorporation of indigenous communities’ traditional practices such as ancestral socio-ecological measures to improve livelihoods and strengthen resilience to extreme weather events.

 

COUNTRY

HONDURAS

IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD

2022 · 2023

DONOR · PARTNER

UNEP/CTCN

Locals from Chimis Montaña

 Capacity building monitoring in the 3 selected communities

The izote plant is used to control landslides and to feed the local population

Local crops located on high slopes with constant risk of land slides

Oiko provided technical assistance to the Government of Paraguay to leverage the value of their natural resource assets, with a focus on the forest, for greener and more diverse exports

Oiko provided technical assistance to the Government of Paraguay to leverage the value of their natural resource assets, with a focus on the forest, for greener and more diverse exports

Oiko analysed the potential for bioeconomy opportunities in Paraguay, identifying growth in selected markets for high priority value chains for the bioeconomy

The project analysed the potential for bioeconomy opportunities in Paraguay, identifying growth in selected markets for high priority value chains for the bioeconomy. Gaps in policy, institutional and financial requirements were identified in order to capitalize on the selected bioeconomy opportunities. The analysis resulted in the identification of three (3) value chains in the bioeconomy connected to the forestry sector where Paraguay could substantially increase its growth over the next 5-10 years. Based on the analysis, strategic repositioning options for Paraguay will be identified, including which segment(s) could be targeted, and the necessary investments as well as policy, regulatory and institutional changes that would be required to support the development of Paraguay’s productive capacity within the segment.

Description of actual services provided by your staff within the assignment:

  • Market analysis of the global evolution and future trend of the selected sectors.
  • Identification of Paraguay’s current global positioning.
  • Identification of more attractive, higher value-added segments that Paraguay could target.
  • Identification of policies, supporting institutions, and infrastructure that Paraguay requires (at a minimum) to compete successfully and appropriate greater value in current markets and penetrate new markets.
  • Consultations with the public and private sectors.

 

COUNTRY

PARAGUAY

IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD

2022 · 2024

DONOR · PARTNER

The World Bank

El Chaco Region

The dried riverbed of Rio Pilcomayo in the General Diaz Chaco region

Environmental feasibility study for Paraguay

Environmental feasibility study for Paraguay

Environmental Feasibility Study for Paraguay

Since the beginning of the 1990s, the EU and Paraguay have been gradually strengthening their ties. The European Union (EU) was very active in Paraguay, specially supporting the Agenda for Change and the Strategic Framework and Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy. The priorities under an era of climate change threats have shifted and the EU is highly committed now to the New Green Deal to respond to the challenges of climate change and Paraguay´s economy and ecosystems are extremely exposed to the risks of deforestation and climate change impacts.

Map of Paraguay showing the key biodiversity areas overlaping the official protected areas. Source: Oiko

The EU Delegation (EUD) in Asuncion requested technical assistance to identify strategic areas of support the future EU cooperation with Paraguay in the sector of environment ́protection and fight against climate change. The goal of this proposed assignment is to analyse the specific environmental and climate change challenges in Paraguay and to shape the EU support to the Government in this sector.

The objective of this Inception Report was to present the proposed approach, methodology and action plan of this technical assistance.

The expected results

  • An analysis of the environmental and climate change challenges and opportunities in the sector
  • To provide reliable evidence on the environmental hazards (climate change, deforestation, air pollution, water and land degradation, and biodiversity)
  • To analyze the coherence and pertinence of sectoral policies and legislation
  • Review the existing institutional capacities and resources; to analyze coordination roles and stakeholders leaderships, socio-economic interests
  • To propose areas of support, objectives and expected result indicating alternative modalities of interventions and instruments for the future EU support to the sector in Paraguay in the framework of the Team Europe Initiative.

The anticipated outputs

  • A political economy analysis of the current situation in the environment and climate change sectors, including: i) the main challenges and constraints, ii) the analysis of the main relevant policies and programmes, iii) the institutional set-up, iv) a stakeholders analysis and a mapping of existing environmental projects; types and concentration of their benefits
  • A proposal for areas of support for the future EU cooperation with Paraguay
  • A Preliminary identification (specific objectives, expected results, activities, indicators and overall estimated budget) of an EU programme in one of the proposed areas.

COUNTRY

Paraguay

IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD

2021 · 2022

DONOR · PARTNER

EUD/—

Protected waterbodies at Limoy

Mbaracayú National Reserve

How the Obsolete Soviet management systems survive climate change in Kyrgyzstan

How the Obsolete Soviet management systems survive climate change in Kyrgyzstan

Integrated Water Resource Management in Syr Darya

As a highly mountainous country, Kyrgyzstan is well endowed with water resources such as glaciers, lakes, rivers, marshes, and reservoirs. Water resources are abundant and provide Kyrgyzstan with a unique comparative feature for development.

The geographic situation of Kyrgyzstan in the center of the Eurasian continent – distance to main water bodies, high altitude of terrain and proximity to continental deserts – make weather patterns extreme and one of the most vulnerable countries in Central Asia to climate change risks. Additionally, poor infrastructure from soviet times and poor management practices have translated into inefficient water use, resources wastefulness affecting crucial economic sectors such as agriculture, hydropower, as well as drinking water supplies.

Satellite image of Kyrgyzstan showing how it’s topography is well endowed with water resources such as glaciers, lakes, rivers, marshes, and reservoirs.

The risks of climate change exacerbate the country’s vulnerability to food insecurity, health problems and sustainable development. The population of 6 million is predominately rural and highly scattered, highly vulnerable to climate related events, such as drought, desertification, floods and landslides. Climate change will undeniably exacerbate existing water availability problems such as safe and clean drinking water, sanitation and sewage systems, rural irrigation for agriculture, hydropower, water transboundary rules, posing additional risks to the achievement of national sustainable development priorities. Furthermore, decline in water resources have been identified as one of the most severe climate change risks facing the Kyrgyz Republic, with glacial melting projected to significantly reduce available water resources in the longer-term.

From Nov 2018 to June 2019, OIKO conducted several field missions to Kyrgyzstan to support the Agency for Hydrometeorology, Ministry of Emergency Situations, Ministry of Finance and Dept. of Water in the formulation of the National Integrated Water Resource Management System. The OIKO Team piloted an institutional appraisal of the integrated water resource management sector to identify priorities for the climate resilience actions to be financed under a total amount of 21 million euros EU budget support to the Government for 2020.

COUNTRY

Kyrgyzstan

IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD

2019

DONOR · PARTNER

EU

HydroMet station in Kyrgyzstan

Kurpsai Reservoir in Kyrgyzstan

GHG Emissions in the Forestry Sector in Ethiopia

GHG Emissions in the Forestry Sector in Ethiopia

GHG Emissions in the Forestry Sector in Ethiopia

The Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector is responsible for just under a quarter of anthropogenic GHG emissions mainly from deforestation and agricultural emissions from livestock, soil and nutrient management in Ethiopia. AFOLU plays a central role for food security and sustainable development in Ethiopia.

Anthropogenic land-use activities (e.g., management of croplands, forests, grass- lands, wetlands), and changes in land use/cover (e.g., conversion of forest lands and grasslands to cropland and pasture, forest degradation and biomass burning, afforestation) cause changes superimposed on natural fluxes.

OIKO delivered technical support, training and capacity building to the Government of Ethiopia to reduce GHG emissions in the forestry sectors formulating advice on:

 

  • the preparation of reforestation
  • forest management
  • forest conservation policies and projects and the related budget estimation

COUNTRY

Ethiopia

IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD

2019

DONOR · PARTNER

EU

Ethiopian mountains

Rural population

Tracking Climate Finance to Monitor Impact on Nature

Tracking Climate Finance to Monitor Impact on Nature

Tracking Climate Finance to Monitor Impact on Nature

Traditionally, Climate Public Expenditure Institutional Reviews (CPEIR) have been the most representative tools available to conduct assessments of public programs with climate change objectives in national strategic documents. OIKO conducted a CPEIR in the Forestry Sector in Jamaica to align EU budget support and provide supplementary robust data and evidence to base climate policy recommendations and future climate spending decisions – both for mitigation and adaptation.

Both, policy decision makers and the citizens need to understand how and how much they are spending (aid and tax revenues) on their national climate change responses. Climate change mainstreaming in budgeting process of different ministerial expenditures is today a prerequisite to comply with the National Determined Contributions to UNFCCC. Specifically, OIKO aided the Planning Institute, the Department of Forestry of Jamaica and the EU Delegation in preparing Climate Investment to help decision-makers to:

 

  • better understand the resource and gaps required to finance their national response to climate change;
  • monitor and track climate finance flows – whether from domestic or foreign sources;
  • assess the cost effectiveness and impact of existing and potential climate expenditures;
  • prioritization of scarce public resources in order to achieve more climate-compatible national development;
    increase transparency over resource allocation and management.

COUNTRY

Jamaica

IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD

2017

DONOR · PARTNER

EU

Jamaican tody (Todus todus)

Hurricane Ivan path

Hurricane Ivan devastation

Bhutan for Life · The Greatest Conservation Story Never Told

Bhutan for Life · The Greatest Conservation Story Never Told

Bhutan for Life · The Greatest Conservation Story Never Told

Bhutan is facing a threshold. Low economic agriculture diversification is causing risk and vulnerability and youth unemployment. Given the natural scale of conservation policies and areas, while agroforestry practices are growing integrating trees, forage, and the grazing of domesticated animals; there is an increasing demand for land, and human-wildlife conflict is swelling and currently Bhutan faces several challenges to have adequate interventions to help rural residents mitigate it in a responsible and conservation friendly way.

Bhutan is also experiencing increased poaching and the country’s current enforcement capacity is unable to effectively tackle it. Because of Bhutan’s geographical location, Illegal wildlife trade will become a serious concern for wildlife conservation in the coming years.

Bhutan’s altitude map. The country’s average altitude is 3.200 mts. While the Drangme Chhu valley drops to 97 metres below sea level, the summit of Gangkhar Puensum is 7,570m above it.

Bhutan has built a strong alliance with WWF to create Bhutan For Life, a financing mechanism to keep this small, little-known country in the distant Himalayas a conservation treasure.

With the support of the European Union, OIKO worked closely with Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Bhutan to critically review the Renewable and Natural Resources (RNR) sector to support sustainable agriculture and sustainable forest management in Bhutan.

OIKO produced an evaluation report highlighting objectives, progress and sustainability results achieved, and proposed an action plan for sustainability and climate readiness during the implementation of the RNR.

COUNTRY

Kingdom of Bhutan

IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD

2011

DONOR · PARTNER

NMWH · GCCA+ · EU

Asian elephant

Asian wild cat