Strategic approach

The GEF, through the UNDP, are investing in a 5 year catalyst programme to complement and facilitate synergies between existing and proposed grassland biodiversity conservation initiatives. This will be achieved by mainstreaming conservation objectives into the production strategies and operational practices of the agriculture, forestry, urban development and coal mining sectors so they contribute to the biodiversity conservation priorities of the grasslands biome. 

This catalyst programme is essential as presently there are many uncoordinated efforts to manage grassland biodiversity, as well as a gap between policy and implementation. In particular, mainstreaming of biodiversity into production sectors has only occurred to a limited extent in some sectors.

Tradeoffs between production endeavours and conservation needs will have to be made based on informed, capacitated and committed regulatory authorities and industry champions. Innovative interventions and incentives to secure key biodiversity priorities require focused action – for example, through conservation stewardship, off-site offsets and wetland mitigation banking. A national effort is essential to overcome these barriers.

Interventions will occur at the macro policy, market and local levels. At the macro policy level resources will be dedicated towards building capacity at the systemic, institutional and individual scales to plan, execute and monitor activities. At the market level mechanisms to incentivise good practice and correct failures will be tested and supported. And at the local level activities will demonstrate how practices in the different production sectors can be adapted to address biodiversity management objectives. There will be a feedback loop between the 3 levels.