Indus Development Organization (I.D.O) is non-government, non-for-profit organization founded by some political approach bearing rights activists in 1992 and got registration under Societies act of 1860, in May 1995 with registration # 3685, is striving to supervise Fundamental Human Rights violation situation and launching different advocacy campaigns and developing capacities of rural and semi-urban areas for combating the new social and economical challenges of the world. IDO is working in all sectors through communities and is conducting all the activities of capacity building applying participatory methods.

2-Justification for Support - Linkages with GEF Themes and Operational Programmes

Since times immemorial Sindh has been blessed with considerable tree cover in the form of riverine forests. About 8% of the total geographical area of Sindh (14.09 million ha) equivalent to some 1.3 million ha, is under the administrative control of Sindh forest and Wild life Department. Forest Management Plans (1999-2000), reported productive riverine forests on 0.241 million ha. From the riverine forest area 0.241 million ha, an area of 90000 ha (about 35%) was officially reported as blank and covered with sand dunes while about 39000 ha or 16% contained shrubs and small sized trees.

Matyari district bears forest and Riverian area. Riverine area and forests are comprised on one eighth of its total land near to river Indus. The riverine forest has large resource deficiency and on-going depletion to meet fodder and timber needs of growing population. Poverty and shortage of firewood and fodder have compelled the people to cut and sell the trees on large scale; as a result the forests are vanishing from the area with the passage of time.

Another major reason of cutting the trees is that it is being used in furniture and handicrafts?, thus cutting the trees is completely wiping the forest. Due to all these reasons trees which are balancing the ecology of the area since centuries, are being rooted out at large scale, and the practice of cutting forest will cause imbalance in environmental conditions and ecology of the area, therefore intervention for conservation of the forest is urgently needed. This project is aimed to protect/preserve this natural forest.

This project is directly linked to the bio-diversity conservation and land degradation. This project will ultimately reduce the cutting of the forest. The forest is main source of balancing the environmental conditions/ecology. Funds received from the GEF would be utilized on proposed activities and other resources would be used to implement the project well and achieved the targeted objectives.

This project responds to the operational guidelines and country program of Pakistan in which the forest that is under great threat will be conserved through awareness and advocacy. This project will help the people to promote the conservation and sustainable use of bio-diversity, which form the foundation for sustainable development. Rapid loss of bio-diversity poses a global threat to human being and their livelihoods. The scale of human impacts on biological diversity is increasing exponentially primarily because of worldwide patterns of consumption, production, trade, agricultural, industrial and settlements development, and population growth. The GEF operates as a mechanism for international cooperation for the purpose of providing new and additional grant and funding to meet the agreed incremental costs of measures to achieve agreed global environmental benefits and biological diversity. Global environmental benefits obtained under the CBD include reduced risks of global bio-diversity loss, the enhanced production of ecosystems and the species they contained, and increased the sustainability in the use of bio-diversity components.

3-Context/Baseline

Riverine area of Matyari district comprises on 6 union councils of its Matyari and Hala talukas, which is also our projective area. The forest area is facing worst ever degradation due to large scale forest cutting for the purpose of sell as well as for using in the furniture and handicrafts. This has resulted in the cutting of forests on the large tracts.

The project?s main objective is to protect the forest of riverian area. Local community men and social organizers of IDO informed that this forest is cut for meager amount and supplied to other areas having no other alternatives for survival. The dealers from many big cities including Hyderabad have perpetrated in the area and encourage the local villagers to cut those forests and sell them. The organization also verified the situation visiting the area.

This forest shows the picture of treeless land for miles. No tree can be seen for miles. This situation has compelled the people to cut the trees from roots to earn their livelihood. In such a situation there is strong need of intervention in the area to save the ecology of the area and the forests of the area from further cutting.

4-Project Objective and Proposed Activity

The main objective of this project is to preserve the vanishing forest. This project is intended to create awareness among the local communities of 6 union councils of district Matyari where the poor forest is under great threat to be rooted out in near future. The people who are engaged in this practice and have been the enemy of this forest will be convinced not to root out the trees on meager amount and masses of the said area will be given awareness to protect the tree, to save the bio-diversity and ecosystem.

The project objective is:

· to create awareness campaign for the local communities of riverian area of district Matyari, social activists, CBO?s and NGO?s.
· to make Campaign for imposing ban on unsustainable and illegal cutting of the forest
· to arrange alternative livelihood training including handicrafts and nursery raising trainings for the local persons involved in the cutting of forest.
· To establish two nurseries and plantation of 10000 trees through local communities

Key activities to achieve the objectives:

Objective-1: Create awareness campaign for the local communities of riverian area of district Matyari, social activists, CBO?s and NGO?s

Activities:
· Identification of targeted villages and persons and other stakeholders.
· Baseline survey of targeted localities and stakeholders.
· 50 small awareness meetings in villages of riverian area and formation of CBO?s(forest protection committees)
· Identification and meetings with local CO?s, NGO?s for awareness

Objective-2: Make campaign for imposing ban on unsustainable and illegal cutting of the forest, establishment of nurseries and plantation of trees specially the ?BAHAN? trees being used in Lacquer wood work ?Jandi? local handicraft.

Activities:
· Formation of 18 CBOs (Forest protecting committees)
· Meetings with District Government and District forest department for the ban of illegal and unsustainable cutting of Forrest and illegal selling in market
· Campaign for ban on forest cutting through forest protection committees
· Advocacy seminar on district level.

Objective-3: Arrange trainings for alternate livelihood for the local persons involved in the cutting of forest.

Activities:
· Skill enhancement Trainings to 60 persons in local handicrafts and nursery raising
· Development of 60 simple machines for Lacquer wood work to be handed over to trained people

Objective-4: Establish two nurseries and plantation of trees

Activities:
· Establishment of two nurseries through local communities
· Plantation of 10000 trees in project area purchased from local communities nurseries
Indicators:
· 50% Reduction in the cutting of forest in 6 union councils in one year.
· At least 60 people involved in cutting business of forest trees will get alternative livelihood in one year.
· 60 simple machines of lacquer wood work (JANDI) will be handed over to trained people
· In one year 10000 trees including ?BAHAN? will be planted.
· Over 5000 people of riverine (Kacha) area of district Matyari will get awareness about the importance of forest and trees in 12 months.
· People of project area will be aware of environment and the ecology and their impacts on land, water and human health.
· Both the sexes belonging to project area will be the direct beneficiaries of project actual No can be given after survey.
· Ban on unsustainable cutting of trees by district government.




5-Project Strategy:

IDO has already consulted the various CBOs and groups who feel the forest in danger. IDO has already identified the NGOs, government bodies, academia and other local organizations so it is not difficult for this organization to identify the local, national as well as international organizations to coordinate and get support from their experience and skills. IDO will look after and carry on overall activities of this project but the assistance from other local organizations and networks will be appreciated. Women who are direct victim of this menace will be made beneficiaries who collect the wood. The women and their families dependent on cutting of this tree will be assisted to provide skills enhancement training in local handicrafts of the district which is already internationally marketable.

Local people through forest protection committees and other environment friendly groups who got information with the support of district government will carry on the project activities after the ending of the funding. Project will be linked with local Government, Forest Department and Union Councils who will be the totally responsible to protect and preserve the forest. IDO will entirely be responsible for sustaining the project. Communities will be practically involved for ownership of forest and its production.

Although there is a threat of cutting of the forests by the influential peoples, however, the local communities are becoming aware of the benefits and the importance of the forests and even have been raising their voice against the illegal cuttings of the forests. With the mobilization, organization and skill development of the local communities those communities would be further empowered to assert their ownership of the forests and they would strongly resist the illegal cutting of the forests by the influential persons. In this regard, the project would also strengthen the linkages of the local communities with the local government agencies. These communities would also seek the help of the local government agencies to frustrate the efforts of the illegal cutting of the forests by the influential people.

Anticipated results

· The overall impact of this project will be positive on environment as well as on beneficiaries.
· The cutting of the forest collecting the wood and selling is a difficult process because the dealers bought it on very meager amount. It is time and muscle consuming task.
· The project will directly impact the environment, air and bio-diversity and air pollution will be reduced.
· There will be positive impact of this project on human beings and the environment of project and adjacent areas.
· There will be 18 CBOs (forest protection committees) as strong protective pressure groups in the area. There is risk of opposition by the cutters, dealers of this tree.
· Through the skill development training of livelihood, occupation will be provided to 60 persons in the project area.
· Two nurseries would be established through local communities and trees would be planted