VZCZCXRO8376
RR RUEHAO RUEHCD RUEHGA RUEHGD RUEHGR RUEHHA RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHNG
RUEHNL RUEHQU RUEHRD RUEHRG RUEHRS RUEHTM RUEHVC
DE RUEHPE #0672/01 0661319
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 071319Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY LIMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4260
INFO RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/DEPT OF INTERIOR WASHINGTON DC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUEAEPA/HQ EPA WASHINGTON DC
RUEANAT/NASA WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDC/NOAA NMFS WASHINGTON DC
RUMIAAA/USCINCSO MIAMI FL
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 LIMA 000672 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT PASS USAID TO LAC/RSD, LAC/SAM, G/ENV, PPC/ENV 
TREASURY FOR USED IBRD AND IDB AND INTL/MDB 
USDA FOR FOREST SERVICE: LIZ MAHEW 
INTERIOR FOR DIR INT AFFAIRS: K WASHBURN 
INTERIOR FOR NATIONAL PARKS SERVICE: J PUTNAM 
INTERIOR FOR FWS: TOM RILEY 
INTERIOR PASS USGS FOR INTERNATIONAL: J WEAVER 
JUSTICE FOR ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES: JWEBB 
EPA FOR INTERNATIONAL: CAM HILL-MACON 
USDA FOR ARS/INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH: G FLANLEY 
NSF FOR INTERNATIONAL: HAROLD STOLBERG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV EAID EAGR PE
SUBJECT:  FIRST AMAZON BASIN CONSERVATION INITIATIVE PARTNERS 
MEETING 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY:  USAID held the first Amazon Basin Conservation 
Initiative (ABCI) partners meeting from February 5-8 to lay the 
foundation for developing detailed work plans to implement this 
regional, five-year, $65 million dollar program.  Over seventy 
participants from the six partner consortia, USAID, Department of 
State, Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) and the 
Government of Peru discussed a wide range of conservation 
challenges, opportunities and program management issues. 
Participants agreed to carry out the following priority actions: 1) 
formalize ACTO/ABCI relationship; 2) define priority basin-wide 
policy issues; 3) produce ABCI briefing packages for Embassies; 4) 
present ABCI program to national governments (by March 30), with 
discretion given to any local sensitivities to the ABCI program; 5) 
identify areas to support NGO partners in training and capacity 
building, communication and knowledge management, and monitoring and 
evaluation; 6) finalize life-of-project and first 18 month work 
plans; and 7) launch ABCI program with public events in each 
country.  In addition to generating consensus on next steps, this 
event provided an invaluable opportunity for participants to 
identify synergies and outline priority actions.  The design of this 
landmark program aims at building the capacity of organizations and 
public commitment for the effective stewardship of the Basin's 
unique and globally important biological diversity.  END SUMMARY. 
 
---------------------------------- 
Discussion, Projects, and Partners 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  USAID held the first partners meeting in Yucay, Peru (Feb. 5-8, 
2007) to lay the foundation for developing detailed work plans to 
implement the five-year, $65 million Amazon Basin Conservation 
Initiative (ABCI). The opening speech was given by the Protected 
Areas Manager of the Peruvian National Institute of Natural 
Resources (INRENA), Mr. Luis Alfaro, who welcomed the visitors and 
expressed support to strike the balance between biodiversity 
conservation and sustainable livelihoods in the Amazon Basin.  Over 
seventy participants from the six partners (five conservation 
consortia and the Program Secretariat; USAID (mission staff from 
Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru); the Department of State Regional 
Environmental Affairs Officer from US Embassy Brasilia; Amazon 
Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO); and the Government of Peru 
discussed a wide range of conservation challenges, opportunities and 
program management issues.  Each of the six partners presented their 
consortium members, program objectives, geographic focus, planned 
activities, potential for synergies and main challenges.  A brief 
description of each consortia program is provided below. 
 
¶3.  The "Challenging the Advance of the Deforestation Frontier in 
the Brazilian Amazon" conservation consortium will be implemented by 
Instituto Internacional de Educacao do Brasil (International 
Institute of Education of Brazil-IEB), Instituto do Homem e Meio 
Ambiente na Amazonia (Amazon Institute of People and the 
Environment-IMAZON), Kaninde-Associacao de Defesa Etno- Ambiental 
(Association of Ethno-Environmental Defense), and Conservation 
Strategy Fund (CSF).  The objective of this consortium is to 
strengthen environmental governance and empower local stakeholders 
to deal with the socio-environmental problems associated with 
deforestation in the southwest Brazilian Amazon (Amazonas State). 
This will be accomplished by building local capacity, monitoring 
landscape trends, and establishing a framework for sustainable 
learning. 
 
¶4.  The "Conserving the Madidi-Manu Landscape of Bolivia and Peru" 
conservation consortium will be implemented by Wildlife Conservation 
Society (WCS), Asociacion para Conservacion de la Amazonia (Amazon 
Conservation Association-ACA), Fundacion Proteccion y Uso Sostenible 
del Medio Ambiente (Foundation for Protection and Sustainable Use of 
the Environment-PUMA), Fondo de las Americas del Peru (Fund of the 
Americas of Peru-FONDAM), and Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental 
(Peruvian Society for Environmental Law-SPDA).  The objectives of 
this consortium are to improve landscape planning and 
implementation, develop community-based eco-enterprises, and build 
environmental governance in the southwest Amazon of Peru and 
Bolivia.  These objectives will be accomplished by assessing and 
developing strategies to address the impacts of large-scale 
infrastructure development, planning and managing conservation areas 
at diverse scales, building local capacity for improved land 
management, strengthening the financial sustainability of 
community-based eco-enterprises, and building a shared landscape 
vision with improved environmental governance. 
 
¶5.  The "Indigenous Landscapes: Strengthening Indigenous 
Organizations in the Amazon Basin" conservation consortium will be 
implemented by The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Instituto del Bien 
Comun (Institute for the Common Good-IBC), Fundacion Sobrevivencia 
Cofn (Foundation for the Survival of the Cofan-FSC), Coordenacao 
das Organizacoes Indigenas da Amazonia Brasileira (Coordination of 
the Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon-COIAB), and 
Instituto Internacional de Educacao do Brasil (International 
Institute of Education of Brazil-IEB).  The objective of this 
consortium is to strengthen environmental management of indigenous 
lands at four landscape-level sites - two in Brazil and one each in 
Peru and Ecuador.  This will be accomplished by strengthening the 
capacity of Amazonian indigenous organizations, improving protection 
and environmental management in four target indigenous landscapes, 
and catalyzing conservation and sustainable development coalitions 
with indigenous Amazonian organizations as core members. 
 
¶6.  The "Environmental Governance in the MAP Region of Peru, Brazil 
and Bolivia" conservation consortium will be implemented by The 
University of Florida (UF), Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC), 
Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazonia (Institute for 
Environmental Research in Amazonia-IPAM), SOS Amazonia, Herencia, 
Universidade Federal do Acre (Federal University of Acre-UFAC), 
Universidad Amazonica de Pando (Amazonian University of Pando-UAP), 
Universidad Nacional Amazonica de Madre de Dios (Nacional Amazonian 
University of Madre de Dios-UNAMAD), and Instituto Nacional de 
Desarrollo - Projecto Especial de Madre de Dios (National Institute 
of Development-INADE)- Special Project of the Madre de Dios-PEMD). 
The objectives of this consortium are to reduce the loss of 
biodiversity and environmental services in the southwest Amazon of 
Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, and to serve as an example for international 
collaboration on trans-boundary issues across the Amazon Basin. 
These objectives will be accomplished by developing collaborative 
management plans for trans-boundary watersheds, promoting 
participatory planning along the trans-boundary highway, and 
expanding environmental governance capacity. 
 
¶7.  The "Sustainable Livelihoods in the Western Amazon" conservation 
consortium will be implemented by Rainforest Alliance, Fundacion 
Natura (Nature Foundation-FN), and Conservacion y Desarrollo 
(Conservation and Development-C y D).  The objectives of this 
consortium are to reduce environmental degradation and improve 
community livelihoods in the western Amazon of Colombia, Ecuador, 
Peru, and Bolivia.  These objectives will be accomplished by 
increasing the sales volume and revenue of certified sustainable 
timber, non-timber, agriculture and tourism products. 
 
¶8.  The ABCI Program Secretariat will be implemented by 
International Resources Group (IRG), Academy for Educational 
Development (AED), Instituto Internacional de Educacao do Brasil 
(International Institute of Education of Brazil-IEB), Sociedad 
Peruana de Derecho Ambiental (Peruvian Society for Environmental 
Law-SPDA), and Social Impact (SI).  The Secretariat will ensure that 
programs carried out by the conservation consortia are mutually 
reinforcing by organizing regular participant meetings and 
supporting capacity building, communications, and dissemination of 
lessons learned.  The Secretariat will also build linkages to other 
regional stakeholders by strengthening public-private partnerships 
and building regional dialogue, and will assure program-wide 
cohesion by working with NGO consortia to prepare comprehensive work 
plans and progress reports. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
Putting ABCI into the regional context 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶9.  The keynote speakers provided insights and innovative ideas on 
meeting the challenges of the agro-industrial explosion in the 
Amazon Basin, learning from multi-country programs and developing 
effective communication tools in a regional context. The working 
groups focused on compliance with USAID regulations as well as how 
to increase synergies and opportunities between and among the 
consortia so that the sum of all projects would be greater than any 
individual project.  USG representatives from USAID and the 
Department of State also met with the ACTO to discuss nextsteps and 
the roles and responsibilities of the management team and Advisory 
Panel, both charged with ensuring this project fulfills its 
ambitious regional mandate. 
 
¶10.  Daniel Nepstad, Senior Researcher at the Woods Hole Research 
Center and Amazon Institute for Environmental Research, described 
alarming deforestation trends in the Basin and highlighted 
opportunities for establishing economic incentives to maintain 
forest cover, e.g., environmentally-sound soy bean certification and 
carbon markets.  Global markers and consumer demands are forcing 
producers to obey the law and apply best practices. He advocated 
both efforts to transform industry by rewarding good behavior, and 
the importance of working with large actors, such as banks and 
private sector. 
 
¶11.  John Pielemeier, former USAID Brazil Director, outlined lessons 
learned from the Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment 
(CARPE) and other regional programs.  These included the need for 
simple governance structures, balancing participation with 
efficiency, applying a long-term planning horizon, e.g., 20 years 
attracting outside financing to supplement USAID funds, and 
especially working through a regional organization such as ACTO. 
 
¶12.  Anthony Collins, Specialist in Information Technology at the 
International Potato Center, highlighted key lessons and best 
practices in sharing knowledge and communications, including the use 
of new collaboration tools. He focused on the importance of keeping 
tools simple and demand driven. 
 
¶13.  Working groups focused on:  training and capacity building, 
communications and knowledge management, monitoring and evaluation, 
emerging regional policy issues, program management, and synergies 
among program partners.  Presentations also included an overview of 
USAID's environmental compliance requirements and a uniform template 
for work plans and performance reports.  Participants met in working 
groups, informally and in plenary sessions to identify potential 
areas of synergy and collaboration, as well as to explore actions to 
achieve a broader, Basin-wide impact. 
 
---------- 
Next Steps 
---------- 
 
¶14.  The participants agreed to carry out the following priority 
actions: 1) formalize the ACTO/ABCI relationship; 2) define priority 
basin-wide policy issues; 3) produce ABCI briefing packages for 
Embassies; 4) present the ABCI program to national governments (by 
March 30), with discretion given to any local sensitivities to the 
program; 5) identify areas to support NGO partners in training and 
capacity building, communication and knowledge management, and 
monitoring and evaluation; 6) finalize life-of-project and first 18 
month work plans; and 7) launch the ABCI program with public events 
in each country. 
 
¶15. USG points of contact:  Connie Campbell, LAC/RSD is the 
Cognizant Technical Officer (CTO) for the cooperative agreements 
that fund the "Indigenous Landscapes: Strengthening Indigenous 
Organizations in the Amazon Basin" and the "Environmental Governance 
in the MAP Region of Peru, Brazil and Bolivia" conservation 
consortia, and the USAID contract that funds the Program 
Secretariat.  Julie Kunen, LAC/RSD is the CTO for the cooperative 
agreements that fund the "Challenging the Advance of the 
Deforestation Frontier in the Brazilian Amazon" and the "Sustainable 
Livelihoods in the Western Amazon" conservation consortia.  Laura 
Cornwell, LAC/RSD is the CTO for the "Conserving the Madidi-Manu 
Landscape of Bolivia and Peru" conservation consortium.  USG points 
of contact within the Basin are: Ricardo Roca, USAID Bolivia, for 
activities in Bolivia; Ernani Pila, USAID Brazil, for activities in 
Brazil; Bruce Bayle, USAID Colombia, for activities in Colombia; 
Doug Mason, USAID Ecuador, for activities in Ecuador; Steve Olive, 
USAID Peru, for activities in Peru; and James Story, Department of 
State Regional Environmental Affairs Officer US Embassy Brasil, for 
activities in other Basin countries. 
 
-------- 
Comment 
-------- 
 
¶16.  The participants left with a strong sense of ownership of the 
overall program and commitment to collaboration in order to achieve 
a significant conservation impact across the Amazon Basin.  The role 
of the USAID missions in the region, as well as the Department of 
State Regional Environmental Hub and individual Environment, 
Science, Technology, and Health (ESTH) officers at post (especially 
those without a USAID presence), is to ensure that this program is 
fully explained to those government ministries with mandates that 
cover the subject areas considered in the ABCI program.  Early and 
frequent interactions with the governments in the Amazon Basin will 
ensure political buy-in throughout the process and offer an 
opportunity for increased dialogue on environmental issues in the 
countries.  (These activities should be coordinated through the ABCI 
overall coordinator, Connie Campbell at LAC/RSD in Washington as 
well as through the individual points of contact in each country and 
the CTOs charged with making final decisions on work plans, etc. for 
each of the consortia.)  In addition, keeping government 
interlocutors involved in this process may generate the kind of 
synergies envisioned by the ABCI through such activities as 
increased Global Environmental Facility programming in biodiversity 
conservation in various countries and other similar activities.  END 
COMMENT.
STRUBLE