Gilé national reserve

Gilé national reserve

Technical Brief

Financing
French Global Environment Fund (FFEM)
Beneficiary
Republic of Mozambique
Grant amount
€ 1 M
Date of approval 
27th of November 2008
Date of signature
to be signed
Project duration
2009 to 2012 (4 years)
 

Objective

 
The Gile National Reserve is the unique protected area of the Zambezia Province, Northern Mozambique, and one of the last wild areas in the region. Covering around 210.000 hectares, the reserve offers an exceptional biodiversity and hosts various critically endangered species. Heavily damaged during the civil war period, the reserve now faces growing pressures on its natural resources.
 
The project's objective is to rehabilitate and preserve the reserve, encouraging the population living nearby (in the so-called "buffer zone") to use its natural resources in a sustainable way.
 

Project content

The project is part of a broader development program supported by various stakeholders, among which IGF Foundation and the Italian NGO COSV. In June 2007, a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the Ministry of Tourism (MITUR) and IGF Foundation, assigning to the Foundation the reserve co-management. IGF Foundation is in charge of implementing the activities financed by the FFEM.
 
The project has five main components:
 
Component 1: Improvement of the reserve management
  • the buffer zone is defined/created,
  • the reserve management plan is reviewed,
  • the park staff (mostly rangers) is trained,
  • infrastructure are built/rehabilitated (roads, bridges, buildings, tourist facilities, etc.) and equipment is provided (vehicles, etc.).  
Component 2: Wildlife restoration and ecological monitoring
  • inventory of the reserve natural resources and ecological follow-up,
  • reintroduction of endangered species (such as the black rhinoceros) and key species monitoring.    
Component 3: Community development and governance structure
  • socio-economic studies are undertaken and monitoring indicators defined,  
  • governance structures are created to ease communities' involvement in the reserve management,
  • practices for the sustainable management of the buffer zone's natural resources are defined with the communities,
  •   wildlife breeding and rural activities are developed to support communities' development (conservation and traditional agriculture, social infrastructure construction / rehabilitation),
  • carbon sequestration projects are identified and implemented.
 
Component 4: Valorization of the buffer zone
  • feasibility study and setting-up of a community-based hunting zone.
 
Component 5: Implementation, monitoring & evaluation
  • awareness raising and communication around implemented activities,
  • a technical assistant supports the project implementation.

Financing Plan

 
Total budget of this 4-year project is € 3.7 M (among which 27% come from FFEM financing). The financing plan is as follows:
 

 

Donors
Amount
Percentage
FFEM
€ 1.000.000 
27%
Italian Cooperation/COSV
€ 1.200.000 
33%
IGF
€ 687.400 
19%
Private Partners
€ 568.700 
15%
MITUR
€ 203.500 
6%
FAO
€ 20.000 
1%
Total
€ 3.679.600 
100%


 

 
The Ministry of Tourism (MITUR) is responsible for the whole project. IGF Foundation implements the activities financed by its own funds, by its private partners and by the FFEM. COSV implements the activities financed by the Italian Cooperation.
 
IGF Foundation activities are mainly focused on reserve rehabilitation (including the staff training), buffer zone creation, tourism development and community participation in the buffer-zone management. COSV activities concentrate on the buffer-zone development
 

Expected outcomes

  • the reserve succeed in its missions of biodiversity preservation, awareness raising / education and research and manage to capture revenues from the sustainable management of its natural resources; these revenues are shared among the State and the communities;
  •   the reserve ecosystems are restored and the ecological monitoring enables the taking of appropriate management decisions,
  • the reserve and the buffer zone's natural resources are used in a sustainable way by the communities who are involved in decision-making,
  • revenues generated within the buffer zone allow the natural ecosystems of the reserve to be protected.

 

* Download the project presentation in English