Protecting Natural Capital In East Africa Action Plan

USAID

Download

Abstract: To implement this Action Plan will require stakeholders working across boundaries and sectors to protect their shared natural wealth and ecosystem services on which millions of people in the East African Community (EAC) region depend. That is why this Action Plan,as well as the assessment report on which it is based,were developed through a highly collaborative process that included input from stakeholders at the landscape,national,and regional levels. Policymakers from the EAC and all six Partner States; members of multiple private sector industries; community-based natural resource managers; and a range of civil society partners provided guidance from the initial stage of landscape prioritization to validation of the assessment findings to development of a recommended strategic approach and action plan for protecting natural capital in these four landscapes. This multi-stakeholder coalition has converged around the importance of prioritizing nature-based solutions,defined by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as: ?actions to protect,sustainably manage,and restore natural and modified ecosystems in ways that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively,to provide both human well-being and biodiversity benefits.? This means investing in healthy ecosystems (or ?natural infrastructure?) that people and businesses depend on,while preserving biodiversity. A shift toward nature-based solutions is critical to the success and sustainability of conservation in the region. Each stakeholder group has a role to play in this Action Plan. There are potentially historic opportunities for the regional business community to play a leadership role,including building regional capacity to mobilize capital and increasing the pipeline of investable projects and businesses based on a nature-based solution model. For businesses to make these investments,policymakers need to create an enabling environment with regulatory frameworks that incentivize solutions that align fiscal measures with positive environmental outcomes. Private sector engagements through the East African Business Community (EABC) showed a need for increased awareness and capacity to invest in nature-based solutions. The EAC Secretariat and partner states will need to develop a program that would raise public and private sector awareness of novel land use models as viable alternatives to current unsustainable approaches. To increase the likelihood of commercial success,partner states and development partners need to create opportunities for the private sector and communities ? including providing access to business incubators and accelerators,as well as replicable models that support early stage business development. And finally,funding institutions and development partners must build the capacity of a range of implementing partners to support this Action Plan.