Deadline: 1-Sep-23
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking applications for a Cooperative Agreement from qualified entities to implement the USAID Flagship Caribbean Marine Biodiversity Activity.
The purpose of the USAID Flagship Caribbean Marine Biodiversity Activity (referred to as “the Activity) is to reduce threats to coastal and marine biodiversity in priority areas in the Caribbean. This is consistent with the USAID Biodiversity Policy and the USAID Climate Strategy. The Activity will enhance climate resilience and human well-being of local communities, women, youth, and other marginalized groups. Specific biodiversity focal interests include key ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrass beds, and coral reefs, as well as communities of invertebrates, sharks, rays, reef fish, marine turtles, and marine mammals, with special emphasis on manatees.
Program Focal Interest
- Specific biodiversity focal interests identified for the scope of the Activity include key ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrass beds, coral reefs. In addition, key species such as invertebrates, reef fish, sharks and rays, marine turtles, and marine mammals with special emphasis on manatees within the Caribbean region are also biodiversity focal interest for this design. Mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass beds, and other coastal natural systems serve as nature-based solutions to climate change. Healthy coastal ecosystems can capture sediment, slow destructive wave energy, and attenuate coastal erosion and storm surge, thus acting as barriers against extreme events. Mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass beds also sequester carbon, thus contributing to climate change mitigation. Coastal ecosystems also serve as valuable ‘nurseries’ for many marine and coastal species, thus helping to maintain healthy stocks that are an important source of food.
- Changes in marine ecosystems and subsequent habitat loss in the Caribbean are causing widespread loss in species diversity. For example, the loss of coral cover and the degradation of remaining reefs negatively impact populations of sea urchins and parrot fish. Seagrass beds, which are key habitats for many species of fish and invertebrates, are experiencing severe degradation and species loss. The loss of mangrove cover reduces the availability of food, breeding grounds, and nursery sites for a variety of marine organisms, including many species of reef fish and invertebrates. All of the above impacts the well-being and livelihoods of communities which are closely tied to the use and conservation of biodiversity (e.g. fishers, tourist guides, and farmers).
Threats to Biodiversity
- The Activity has identified broad threats to marine and coastal biodiversity in the Caribbean region based on a ranking of these threats and an assessment of the manageable interests of USAID. Multiscale threats, drivers and stressors are adversely affecting coastal and marine biodiversity in crucial coastal and marine ecosystems in the Caribbean. The Activity design team has rated highest those threats to coastal-marine biodiversity from unsustainable fishing practices, coastal land conversion for development, runoff and disposal of water and land-based contaminants, and unregulated recreational activities linked to tourism. Other direct threats to biodiversity identified include rising nutrient pollution, contamination from increasing volume of industrial effluents, expansion of unsustainable agriculture, loss of forest cover, increased erosion, and conversion of mangroves to agriculture and aquaculture. Additionally, increasing sediment discharge into streams and rivers flowing into coastal ecosystems, development of unsustainable tourism infrastructure along with the consequent destruction of mangroves and seagrass beds.
- In addition, climate change has negative impacts throughout the Caribbean region, particularly on the smaller islands. Climate-related threats include rising sea surface temperatures, ocean acidification, greater frequency and intensity of hurricanes, and high rainfall events. Climate change is causing coral bleaching, disease outbreaks, and ocean acidification. Additionally, climate change exacerbates the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events which can have devastating effects on both marine and coastal ecosystems. Coral reefs are expected to continue experiencing a significant decline in the next few decades. The remaining reefs continue to experience bleaching, disease outbreaks, algae overgrowth, and physical damage from more frequent and more intense hurricanes. Climate change also appears to be damaging seagrass beds, as increased temperatures interfere with photosynthetic mechanisms, reducing primary production and provision of habitat for the adjacent reef communities.
Intermediate Result
- Intermediate Result 1: Increased leadership, advocacy, and financial support by large-scale tourism actors where applicable for improved management of MPAs/MMAs and adjacent areas.
- Intermediate Result 2: Improved solid waste management practices by large-scale tourism actors.
- Intermediate Result 3: Increased sustainability of the fisheries sector and related ecosystems through actions by large-scale tourism actors.
Funding Information
- Award Ceiling: $20,000,000
Geographic Focus: The geographic scope of the Activity includes countries in the insular Caribbean region, speaking Spanish, English, and/or French. Specifically Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, and Saint Kitts and Nevis. Within these countries, the Activity must have the intent to positively impact biodiversity in biologically significant areas that are affected by large-scale tourism operations including big-name resorts, restaurants, airports, ports, and entertainment establishments among other related private sector activities. Interventions for this Activity should target the private sector present in multiple islands in the Caribbean. USAID understands that there will also be indirect benefits to other countries outside USAID’s manageable interest given the geographical nature of this Activity
Eligibility Criteria
- Open for the any type of entity.
Evaluation
- USAID may conduct external mid-term, external final performance evaluations, and whole of project evaluations to address key performance concerns and to track achievement towards expected results. Performance evaluations will be used to improve project and program management, justify assistance resources with evidence and data, ensure accountability, capture best practices, and test the underlying development hypotheses of the project and strategy. In line with USAID’s evaluation policy, it is anticipated that a performance evaluation could be conducted for this activity.
- USAID will use the findings and recommendations that come from the evaluations and assessments to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of ongoing activities by developing post-evaluation action plans for ease of tracking implementation.
- The evaluation design will be structured around the CDP PAD hypothesis and key questions to assess the Recipient’s performance and on-the-ground outcomes of regional and host-country biodiversity conservation efforts to reduce threats to at-risk species and habitats.
- An impact evaluation is not planned for this project because some of the high-level biophysical results related to biodiversity resilience may not be measurable during the project life cycle, due to the decelerated time associated with biophysical improvement and its measurement. However, unplanned evaluations or assessments may be conducted in the event that USAID identifies the need to assess specific components of project activities. Unplanned evaluations may be triggered by activities that are seemingly under or over performing.
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