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PROJECT INFORMATION DOCUMENT (PID)
CONCEPT STAGE
Report No.: AB1953
Project Name
Region
Sector
Project ID
Global Supplemental ID
GEF Focal Area
Borrower(s)
Implementing Agency
Environment Category
Date PID Prepared
Estimated Date of
Appraisal Authorization
Estimated Date of Board
Approval
MX Access to Land for Young Farmers
LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN
General agriculture, fishing and forestry sector (100%)
P088732
P098427
B-Biodiversity
GOVERNMENT OF MEXICO-SUBSECRET SECT POL
[ ] A [X] B [ ] C [ ] FI [ ] TBD (to be determined)
November 11, 2005
April 15, 2005
July 26, 2005
1. Key development issues and rationale for Bank involvement
Mexico is the most biodiverse country in LAC, and, worldwide, ranks second in reptile diversity third in
mammal diversity, fifth in both amphibian and plant diversity (for which it exceeds the United States and
Canada combined), eighth in fish and fifteenth in bird diversity. With 1.3% of the world’s land area, it
hosts about 12% of known terrestrial biota, with very high rates of endemism. Mexico’s rich biodiversity
includes the wild relatives of some 120 cultivated plant species, including maize, cocoa, kidney beans,
and tomatoes.
Mexico’s biological wealth is extraordinary, but the future is precarious. About one-third of birds and
nearly 66% of amphibian, reptile, and mammal species are at risk of extinction. By far the greatest threat
to Mexican biodiversity is the destruction and degradation of natural habitats, including many types of
forests, shrublands, and natural grasslands. In recent decades, Mexico has suffered one of the world’s
highest deforestation rates, second only to Brazil. Data from FAO show about 1.3% of forests are
destroyed each year in Mexico, of which 66% are tropical forests, including areas of high biodiversity.
Any initiative to protect Mexico’s natural habitats must take into account the underlying land tenure and
land use situation. Several studies show that a primary cause of the rapid deforestation in Mexico is
insecure and ill-defined property rights, coupled with the lack of financial resources and instruments,
absence of inter-agency coordination, and adverse agriculture policy incentives, all of which have led to
unsustainable land management practices and resource degradation. Of particular concern are the ejidos
and comunidades (the “social sector”1), in which about 80% of Mexico’s forests are found. In these lands
especially, the lack of clarity regarding land boundaries and the resulting tenure insecurity have depressed
The social sector includes social lands classified as “ejidos” and “communal lands” representing half of the country's land.
These lands resulted from the massive land distribution process set forth in the 1917 Mexican Constitution, under which
indigenous and non-indigenous beneficiaries received rights to a house plot, sole usufruct rights for a parcel of land, and access to
communal lands subject to collective management decisions. “Ejidos” are those social lands which tenure regime is regulated by
the Agrarian Law, while “communal lands” are lands regulated by customary based land tenure regimes.
1
land investments, discouraged forest conservation and protection, and hindered previous efforts directed
at halting forest degradation.
Social sector lands, and in particular forest areas, are also home to the poorest segments of the population,
and poverty is one of the driving forces of deforestation. People living in poverty and lacking land titles
have stronger incentives to deforest in order to claim as their own the common property land recently
cleared for cultivation. Further, high levels of marginalization and poverty are a challenge for
sustainability because they favor short term projects in agricultural or livestock land uses against a longerterm planning strategy that includes forestry.
Rationale for Bank involvement
The Bank has substantial experience in the region with projects involving land tenure (administration and
reform) and community-based NRM. Mostly recently in Central America, recognizing the overlap
between conservation and land reform and administration objectives, the Bank has been strongly
promoting the incorporation of conservation objectives into those projects. The Bank also has extensive
experience with community-based forestry management and conservation in the region, including the
Mesoamerican Biological Corridor program among others. Through these regional experiences the Bank
is uniquely placed to assist the GOM to create the incentives for – and strengthen the ability of –
communities to sustainably manage biodiversity-rich lands.
2. Proposed objective(s)
The proposed project addresses one of the root causes of biodiversity loss in Mexico: insufficient
conservation of “non-state” (private and social2, including indigenous) lands stemming from
unclear tenure and lack of legal instruments for conservation. Its objective is to conserve globally
and regionally significant biodiversity through establishing a community land management
system that addresses land tenure security in priority eco-regions while simultaneously
promoting sustainable use of the biodiversity resources contained therein.
Specifically, the project would do so by: (a) enabling conservation-based planning in a
contiguous area of high biodiversity, including both private and social-sector lands; (b)
addressing tenure insecurity issues in priority biodiversity-rich areas; (c) establishing appropriate
legal and institutional instruments for the long-term conservation of those lands; (c) promoting
policy coordination among all relevant sectors at the federal and state level; and (d) promoting
the implementation of the conservation-based plans, including biodiversity-friendly productive
projects.
3. Preliminary description
1. Participatory integrated conservation-based territorial planning for priority areas. The
project would aim to strengthen participatory territorial planning for sustainable management of
important biodiversity. Rather than concentrating on individual ejidos or comunidades, efforts
would focus on targeting one or more continuous areas of important biodiversity, including
social as well as private lands, thereby incorporating beneficiaries that have been excluded from
The social sector includes lands that were classified as “ejidos” and “comunidades” following the Mexican Revolution, which
are communally owned according to a variety of schemes (see Section 2 below). Approximately 53% of Mexico’s territory
comprises these social sector lands.
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previous initiatives focusing exclusively on social sector lands. The territorial planning would
specifically promote conservation of biodiversity through ecological zoning of this land mosaic
to identify “core” areas, buffer zones, and corridors, and would specify land uses compatible for
each. It will further identify the appropriate conservation approach for each pilot area.
Specifically, the project will develop legal mechanisms (e.g., conservation easements, private
reserves and/or binding zoning mechanisms, to promote corridors, etc.) to ensure that private and
social land owners in the pilot areas will manage their lands in a sustainable manner, protecting
important biodiversity resources. Participation of, and coordination among, all key
sectors/agencies and direct beneficiaries, at the federal, state, and local level would be sought in
the development of integrated conservation-based territorial plans.
2. Consolidation of land rights in priority biodiversity rich areas. Given that the lack of clear
tenure and of articulation between tenure systems of social and private sector lands makes
integrated territorial planning for contiguous biodiversity areas extremely challenging, the
project would aim to resolve land tenure and information issues at the pilot-scale, and test
options for the effective resolution of land-related conflicts in priority biodiversity areas. It
would further strengthen the legal and institutional framework for land tenure and
administration, which is key for the long-term conservation of those areas. Consequently, this
project component will remove one of the main obstacles to long-term conservation of regionally
and globally significant areas of biodiversity that fall outside of Mexico’s protected areas system.
The lack of clear tenure and of articulation between tenure systems of social and private sector
lands makes integrated territorial planning for contiguous biodiversity areas extremely
challenging.
3. Implementation of the integrated conservation-based territorial plan. Through this
component, the project will promote incentive packages to achieve the goal set forth in the
territorial plan. Specifically, it will support the adoption of innovative legal instruments
developed under Component 1 to ensure sustainable management of important biodiversity
resources in non-state lands, and the implementation and replication of pilot sustainable
productive activities that are compatible with the conservation-based territorial plan zoning. By
doing so, the project will support the consolidation of corridors, private reserve networks and
other possible conservation options for non-state lands in the pilot areas. Building on established
local networks and entities developed under other programs and operations, these activities
would complement resources provided by the partially blended Access to Land Project, and other
GEF- and government-supported initiatives.
4. Project management and monitoring. This component would cover the administrative and
coordination costs of the project, monitoring activities, and independent evaluations and audits.
4. Safeguard policies that might apply
[Guideline: Refer to section 5 of the PCN. Which safeguard policies might apply to the project
and in what ways? What actions might be needed during project preparation to assess
safeguard issues and prepare to mitigate them?]
The project might trigger the Indigenous Peoples, Environmental, Natural Habitats, and the Forestry
safeguard policies. Special assessments and mitigating plans will be undertaken during project
preparation.
5. Tentative financing
Source:
BORROWER/RECIPIENT
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY
Total
6. Contact point
Contact: Frederic de Dinechin
Title: Senior Land Administration Specialist
Tel: (202) 473-7873
Fax: (202) 522-0262
Email: [email protected]
Anna Corsi
Title: Technical Specialist
Tel: (202) 473-3081
Fax: (202) 522-3540
Email: [email protected]
($m.)
30
10
40