Frequently Asked QuestionsWHAT IS RIDGE TO REEF?

• TheRidgetoReef(R2R)approachisa‘‘whole-of-ecosystem’orintegratedmanagementapproach.• In Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS), Ridge to Reef refers to integrated approaches to

freshwaterandcoastalareamanagementemphasizingtheinter-connectionsbetweenthenaturalandsocialsystemsfromthemountain‘ridges’ofvolcanicislands,throughcoastalwatershedsandhabitats,andacrosscoastallagoonstothefringing‘reef’environmentsassociatedwithmostPSIDS.

• Giventhecloseinter-connectionsbetweenland,waterandcoastalsystemsinPSIDS,theintegrationoffreshwaterwatershedmanagementwithcoastalareamanagementisessentialtofostereffectivecross-sectoralcoordinationintheplanningandmanagementofland,waterandcoastaluses.

• InherentintheRidgetoReefapproachisthephilosophyofcross-sectoralcoordinationintheplanningandmanagementoffreshwateruse,sanitation,wastewatertreatmentandpollutioncontrol,sustainablelanduseandforestrypractices,balancingcoastallivelihoodsandbiodiversityconservation,hazardriskreduction,andclimatevariabilityandchange.

• Thisintegrationofcommunities,stakeholders,andnationalgovernmentswithinsuchacross-sectoralplanningframeworkisdescribedbyPSIDSasa‘CommunitytoCabinet’approach.

• The emphasis of the Community to Cabinet approach has been on the effective engagement andparticipation of stakeholders in the planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation ofinitiativesaimedatfosteringintegratedapproachestonaturalresourceandenvironmentalmanagementinPSIDS.

WHY IS R2R MANAGEMENT IMPORTANT?

TheRidgetoReefapproachexploresandtargetswaystoreducethetransfersofchemicals,nutrientsandsedimentsfromagriculture,forestryincatchments,anduntreatedwastewatertominimizethedamagetocoastalecosystems,includingcoralreefsandcoastalwaters.Thedistinctinter-connectionbetweenland,waterandcoastalsystemsinPSIDS,coupledwiththeirhighvulnerability to climatic changes and limited human resource capacitymake a strong case for the R2RapproachinthePacific.A“wholeofecosystem”and“wholeofisland”approachensuresthatpolicies,multiplesectors,agenciesandcommunityinterestsareproperlyconsideredandintegratedintheplanningandmanagementofresources.

WHAT IS THE PROGRAMME ABOUT?

• IsaglobaltestcaseoftheGEFaimedatachievingthesustainabledevelopmentofPacificSIDSwithinatrulyintegratedenvironmentalandnaturalresourcemanagementframework.

• IsfinancedviaaUSD91millionpackageofGEFgrantsandUSD333millionofco-financingfromtheparticipatingcountriesandotherdevelopmentpartners.

• Hasagoal“tomaintainandenhancePacificIslandcountries’ecosystemgoodsandservices(provisioning,regulating,supportingandcultural)throughintegratedapproachestoland,water,forest,biodiversityandcoastal resourcemanagement that contribute topoverty reduction, sustainable livelihoodsandclimateresilience.”

• Supportsandaddressesnationalprioritiesanddevelopmentneedsof14PacificIslandCountrieswhiledeliveringglobalenvironmentalbenefitsbyfocusingonamorecross-cuttingapproachtowater,landandcoastalmanagement.

• Is a GEFmulti-focal area programme that guides the coordinated investment of GEF grant fundingacross its focal areasofbiodiversity conservation, landdegradation, climate changeadaptationandmitigation,sustainableland,sustainableforestmanagement,andinternationalwatersinPacificSmallIslandDevelopingStates.

• Isamulti-agencyinitiativeinvolvingtheUnitedNationsDevelopmentProgramme(UNDP),theUnitedNations Food and AgricultureOrganization (FAO), and theUnitedNations Environment Programme(UNEP)asGEFimplementingagencies

• Is provided coordination support by the Pacific Community (SPC), a regional intergovernmentalorganisation that works with Pacific Nations in a wide range of areas relevant to programmeimplementation

• Promotesresults-orientedapproachestoprogrammedeliveryandreporting,includingtheharmonizationofGEFresultsreportingframeworkswiththeSAMOAPathwayandtheSustainableDevelopmentGoals

• Captures and shares examples of best practices and lessons learned to guide the uptake of locallyappropriate and effective approaches to the sustainable development of the Pacific’s Small IslandDevelopingStates

• Guidesthemainstreamingofgenderandcultureissues,andtheeffectiveengagementofyoungpeople,inenvironmentalandnaturalresourcemanagement

• Is supported in areas of science-based planning, human capital development, policy and strategicplanning, results-basedmanagement, and knowledge sharing through a regional GEF InternationalWatersprojectwhichisexecutedregionallybythePacificCommunity.

• Has a ProgrammeCoordinatingUnit, hostedby the Pacific Community’sGeoscienceDivision in theFiji Islands providing technical, operational, reporting andmonitoring support as requested by theparticipatingPacificIslandCountries.

WHERE DO YOU OPERATE?

• TheGEFPacificRidge toReef Programmeactivities are executed in: Cook Islands, Federated StatesofMicronesia,Fiji,Kiribati,Nauru,Niue,Palau,PapuaNewGuinea,RepublicoftheMarshalIslands,Samoa,SolomonIslands,Tonga,TuvaluandVanuatu.

WHAT DOES THE PROGRAMME AIM TO ACHIEVE?

TheprogrammewasdevelopedtoprovideanopportunityforPacSIDStodevelopandimplementintegratedapproachesforthesustainabledevelopmentofislandeconomiesandcommunities.ThepracticalapplicationofR2Rprinciples*presentPacSIDSwithauniqueopportunityto:UPSCALE:

Test, refine,replicateandupscaleeffectivemainstreamingeffortsof ICM/IWRM/SLM/SFMconcepts,practicesandpolicies.

BUILD CAPACITY:Buildcapacityoflocalprofessionals,newstakeholdergroups,andcommunityleaderstobuildsufficienthuman capital on the islands for leading adoption of integrated and participatory mechanisms tocomplementtraditionalmeasureandapproaches.

SUPPORT LIVELIHOODS:Introducedresilientmeasuresincatchmentpilotdemonstrationstoreduceeconomiclosses,increasefarmerincome,andsustaindrinkingwatersupplies.

IMPROVE PUBLIC HEALTH:Improvehumanhealthwithcontinuedaccesstosafedrinkingwaterduringdroughtsandreductionofsewagepollutionofgroundwatersuppliesandshellfish.ThespecificGlobalEnvironmentalBenefits(GEBS)deliveredthrougheachnationalR2Rdemonstrationprojectwillbedefinedwithineachcountry’srespectiveProjectIdentificationForm.

Global Environmental Benefits1. Protectionand/orsustainableuseofgloballysignificantbiodiversity,includingagro-biodiversity,in

PacificIslandforests,agriculturallands,watersheds,andcoastalareas;

2. Improvedprovisionofagro-ecosystem,forest,watershed,andcoastalareaecosystemgoodsandservices;

3. Reduced GHG emissions from agriculture, deforestation, forest and coastal degradation andincreasedcarbonsequestration;

4. EnhanceclimateresilienceofPacificIslandecosystemsandsocietiesthroughR2Rprogramsupporttolowemission,climateresilientdevelopmentpathways;and

5. ImprovedmanagementofcoastalandfreshwaterresourcesofSIDSconsistentwiththeGEF5IWStrategy,includingconservationofcoastal‘BlueForests’thatcomplementMPAsunderbiodiversity.

National BenefitsAdoptionofICMpoliciesandmeasureswillinvolveplanningforinfrastructureinvestmentstopreventhighriskareas,andreduceemergencycostsfornationalbudgetsinreactiontodisasters.

Local BenefitsImprovedecosystemservicesrelatedto:

• Foodproduction• SafeDrinkingWater• ProductiveSoils,• Cleanandhealthyenvironmentsandresiliencetoimpactsofclimatechange

Restorationandprotectionofmangroves• Enhancelocalfishingincomes• Reducethevulnerabilityofcoastalvillagesandurbanareasfromstormsurgesandsea-levelrise

Sustainableforestmanagement• Securelivelihoods• Enhancedfoodsecurity

Droughtmanagementanddrinkingwatercontaminationmeasures• Improvepublichealth

Cross-cuttingGender

• Enhance women’s engagement to optimize impact of interventions at all levels, improvinglivelihoods.

WHAT IS THE SAMOA PATHWAY?

• RenewingcommitmenttothesustainabledevelopmentofSmallIslandDevelopingStates,worldleadersagreedin2014toalandmarkactionplanattheconclusionoftheUnitedNationsThirdInternationalConferenceonthosenationsheldinApia,Samoa.

• Unanimously adopting theoutcomedocument entitled “Small IslandDeveloping StatesAcceleratedModalitiesofAction”—SAMOAPathway—theHeadsofStateandGovernmentandotherhigh-levelrepresentativesalsoreaffirmedthatSIDSremained“aspecialcase”forsustainabledevelopmentduetotheiruniqueandparticularvulnerabilities(documentA/CONF.223/3).

• The text set out newmodalities of actionon a rangeof issues, including sustainable, inclusive andequitableeconomicgrowth,climatechange,sustainableenergy,disasterriskreduction,sustainableuseofmarineresources,andmeansofimplementingthoseobjectives.

HOW DOES THE PROGRAMME CONTRIBUTE TOTHE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS?

• TheSGDsprovideaguideforactioninthekeyareaswheregovernments,theprivatesectorandcitizenswillhavetoinvestinordertosustainablytransformtheireconomies.

• InitiativesoftheR2Rprogrammeaimtodelivertangibleandquantifiableglobalenvironmentalbenefitsby focussingon cross-cuttingapproaches towater, landand coastalmanagement that captures thelinkagesacrossGEFfocalareaswhicharealignedtoSDGoutcomes.

Media RelationsIngaMangisi-MafileoCommunicationsandKnowledgeManagementAdviserGEFRidgetoReefProgrammeGeoscienceDivisionPacificCommunitySPC-PrivateMailBag-Suva,FijiTel:(679)3249302|Ext:36302Mob:7523060and9421499Email:fonongam@spc.intWeb:www.spc.int

HOW DO YOU OPERATE?• TheoperationoftheR2Rprogrammeissupportedinareasofscience-basedplanning,humancapital

development, policy and strategic planning, results-based management, and knowledge sharingthroughtheGEFPacificRidgetoReefInternationalWaters(GEFPacificR2RIW)projectwhichisexecutedregionallybythePacificCommunity.

• RidgetoReefpilotprojectswillbeimplementedthroughtheGEFPacificR2RIWproject,aredesignedtostrengthenRidgetoReefintegrationbyestablishingsynergiesamongtheworkofthevarioussectoragenciesandtheGEFR2RSTARProjects,betweengovernmentsandcommunities,civilsocietyandtheprivatesector.

• TheProgrammeCoordinatingUnit(PCU),hostedbythePacificCommunity’sGeoscienceDivisionintheFijiIslands,istaskedwiththeprovisionoftechnical,operational,reportingandmonitoringsupportasrequestedbytheparticipatingPacificIslandCountries.

• ThePCUalsofacilitatestheconsolidationandsharingofsectoralknowledgeandexpertisetosupporttheuptakeofbest-practicemanagementapproachesinpolicy-makingandplanning.

• LedbytheRegionalProgrammeCoordinator,thePCUpossessesmultidisciplinaryexpertise,includingadministrationandfinancialmanagementofficers,tosupportprogrammecoordination.

WHAT IS A GEF R2R STAR PROJECT?

• STARistheSystemforTransparentAllocationofResources.• Thereare13GEFR2RSTARprojectswhichaddressnationalprioritiesanddevelopmentneedswhile

deliveringglobalenvironmentalbenefitsinlinewiththeGEFmulti-focalareastrategies.• Theseprojectsareexecutednationallyonabilateralbasis,andimplementedbyUNDP,FAOandUNEP.

WHAT IS A GEF R2R IW PROJECT?• TheR2RInternationalWatersprojectisexecutedregionallybythePacificCommunity(SPC).• TheprojectsaredesignedtostrengthenR2Rintegrationbycreatingsynergiesamongtheworkofthe

varioussectoragenciesandtheGEFR2RSTARprojects.

WHAT IS THE PROGRAMMATIC APPROACH?

• Itisanoverarchingvisionforchangethatisbestachievedthroughaseriesofinterconnectedprojectsundercommonobjectives;

• Anticipatedresultsaremorethanthesumofitscomponents;• Itsinterlinkedprojectsaimedatachievinglargescaleimpactsonglobalenvironment;• Itsoverallobjectiveistosecurelargerscaleandsustainedimpactsonglobalenvironment.

HOW CAN I CONTACT THE PROGRAMME COORDINATING UNIT?

Programme ManagementDr.AndrewJonesInterimProjectManagerGEFPacificRegionalRidgetoReefProjectGeoscienceDivisionPacificCommunitySPC-PrivateMailBag-Suva,FijiTel:(679)3249258Email:andrewj@spc.intWeb:www.spc.int