Establishment of a Revolving Fund for Training and Propagating the Native Endangered Species of Plants to Combat Desertification in Sistan & Baluchestan (Link To UN Poverty Alleviation Project) (IRA-G52-2001 & 2002-007(IRA98G52))

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Project Details & Results

Project location:Bent/Dahan villages Sistan (Map Nikshahr)(Lat/Long:26.097252-61.748657)
The project is a model of integrating human development activities into environment protection programmes. A number of Dahan Village Community Organizations of Neekshahr Urban District (Sistan Baluchestan Province) will be trained to propagate the endemic endangered species of plants to combat desertification and generate household income. The project will also involve the empowerment of the local community in the planning, implementing, monitoring and reporting of such projects through training and workshops. Part of the project budget ($US 5,800) will be used to establish a revolving credit fund to support other GEF/SGP eligible projects that can be linked with poverty alleviation programmes of the region. The project will benefit from the expertise and assistance of the Forests and Rangeland Organization in the region. Booklets and films will be prepared to document the lessons learned. A workshop will be held in Tehran for dissemination of best practices

Notable Community Participation
The project will be implemented through community orgainzations formed in the UN Poverty Alleviation Project with the collaboration of an NGO.

Capacity - Building Component
During the process the NGO will train the locals in reporting the progress and monitoring the project. Workshops will be held to train the locals on propagating the local endangered species and how to work towards combating desertification. The locals will also be empowered to link with government agencies such as Forest and Rangeland Organization. The NGO will train 6 SGP grantees on community mobilization. To build capacity and document lessons learned booklets and films will be prepared. A workshop will be held in Tehran and on the project site for the dissemination of best practices at the end of the projectand and train SGP grantees.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods
The endemic species will be a source of income generation. Part of the project budget ($US 5,000) will be used to establish a revolving credit fund to support other GEF/SGP eligible projects that can be linked with poverty alleviation programmes of the region.

Gender Focus
The Women Community Organizations will be involved to work side by side with the men. After the first amendment income generating activities through their traditional needlework was encouraged.

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples
The indigenous people will be mobilized through the community organizations to be conscious about the environment.

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment
The project will promote public awareness about the local and global environment, dangers of desertification and the importance of endemic plants and endangered species.

Project Results
Dahan village is 250 years old. It is located Southwest of Nikshahr Town and placed in the plains of three mountains.

• Awareness-raising
  
  Raising the awareness of community organizations in Dahan Village (formed through UNDP’s Poverty Elimination through Social Mobilization Project), on the biodiversity value of local herbal species including the highly endangered Oil Tamarisk (Moringa Peregina). Due to excessive exploitation this economically valuable plant was in the verge of extinction even though historically it played an important role in preventing desertification. This project successfully attempted to increase awareness on negative human factors such as uprooting and excessive grazing.
  
  A 75-hectar field to plant saplings and seeds was established 10 kms from the village with the support of local Department of Natural Resources.
  
  
  
• Empowerment
  
  10 out of 250 families learned to plant, harvest and protect the seeds, planted saplings in their backyards and in a 75-hectar field, and sold the improved sapling to government agencies.
  
  
  
• Social Effects
  
  Community people from lower classes, as is classified in the region, active in this project, obtained votes in the first rural council election. This was unprecedented in Balouchestan were a tradition of social sects influenced from India and neighboring Pakistan was in place.
  
  
  
• Gender and income generation
  
  Women income generating activities on making scarves has given them a new status in the family structure. These products are being marketed in Tehran. To this end the Women's CO has been awarded another SGP project (IRA/G52/2004/044) to for training of the women in marketing and consumer survey in coordination and assistance of another SGP project (IRA/05/02 (50th)) with the goal of empowering the communities in sustaining and marketing the alternative livelihood products of SGP interventions.
  
  
  
• Training
  
  Many NGO’s (mostly SGP grantees) were introduced to and learned from this grantee the process of establishing a micro credit fund through workshops.
  
  
  
• Lessons Learned
  
  A local project coordinator residing in the village and fully trusted by locals can ensure reduction in threats to project success as well as reduce project cost by reducing many expenses involved in long distance project coordination.
  Presence of specialists with technical and participatory expertise in the project’s implementing team is very important.
  
  
  
• SGP’s Learning
  

School in Dahan Village, Sistan & Baluchestan Province, IRAN	Oil Tamarisk	pic 3 of 2001_007	pic 4 of 2001_007
pic 5 of 2001_007