ESMS support and monitoring for the BIOPAMA Programme

The Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management (BIOPAMA) Programme assists the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries to address their priorities for improved management and governance of biodiversity and natural resources. The BIOPAMA Action Component, through different types of grants, is supporting activities on the ground for strengthening the management effectiveness and governance of protected and conserved areas. By adopting a landscape approach, these actions also contribute to enhancing local livelihoods through sustainable use of the natural resources and ecosystem services, as well as increasing the resilience to the impacts of climate change.

Grant recipients under the Action Component need to align with IUCN’s Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS). This involves the early screening of project proposals, the development of project-specific Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs) as necessary, and regular monitoring and reporting. AAE supports IUCN to ensure such alignment of grant projects with IUCN’s ESMS.

Main tasks

• Development of a revision template for grant projects at a) ESMS screening stage, b) ESMP development stage and c) monitoring and reporting stage
• Revision of ongoing projects to understand the extent of alignment with the IUCN ESMS and identify areas of improvement
• Coordination and follow up with IUCN and BIOPAMA regional offices based on identified needs
• Revision and assessment of ESMS compliance of submitted project proposals under the 2022 grant calls
• Development of ESMS training material and contribution to safeguards training as needed

The team combines general safeguards expertise with special backgrounds on gender and Indigenous Peoples.