October 2012: The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has published a report titled “Integrated Ecosystem Management to Combat Natural Resources Degradation in Watersheds,” which outlines lessons learned in applying integrated ecosystem management (IEM) to combat land degradation in Burkina Faso.

The “Knowledge from the field” report is the second of a series of publications that shares the lessons learned by the GEF staff while performing a learning mission of the Sahel Lowland Integrated Ecosystem Management (SLIEM) project in Burkina Faso. The aim of the publication is to produce an on-ground analysis of the execution of GEF-funded projects.

The report outlines the following six key findings and lessons learned from the application of the IEM approach to combating land degradation: mainstreaming of the IEM approach is possible, but identifying evidence of it as a catalytic effect is difficult; piloting of SILEM within the Community Based Rural Development program by the Government of Burkina Faso and the World Bank creates synergies and cost effectiveness; ensuring full project ownership by all stakeholders represents a good opportunity for consolidating and potentially up scaling the project approach; applying the participatory approach in a community-driven development is a powerful driver of sustainable land management; monitoring of impact indicators during implementation of IEM produces variable results and is costly; and financing by the GEF for piloting the IEM approach through SILEM exemplifies the GEF’s catalytic role in supporting countries to generate global environmental benefits in the context of national development.

While the GEF pilot mission did not address impacts of the project, the publication notes that SILEM has made significant progress in raising the profile of the IEM approach nationally, and lessons learned from the mission will be used to improve focal area strategies and policies, inform project design and implementation, and assist GEF’s knowledge management initiative. [Publication: Burkina Faso – Integrated Ecosystem Management to Combat Natural Resources Degradation in Watersheds]