Project location:Bidgol - Kashan(Lat/Long:34.057628-51.475067)
Background

Indigenous knowledge of local farmers of Chaleh Sonbak who farm in the desert low spots of Aran and Bidgol is also a desertification act as it prevents the movement of desert sand by the yearly meticulous work done in spring of each year for cleaning the low spots for preparing the farming lots. This method of farming in the desert low spots has been affordable realized by access to localized trapped high ground water table. For generations the seasonal farming has generated income for the traditional local farmers who reside in Aran and Bidgol which not long ago were two neighboring villages near Kashan. Nowdays the older famrers who traditionally commuted to the desert with mules for transportation to and from Aran and Bidgol are faced with two growing cities, hence the use of mules seem to become more cumbersome as the old barns now found themselves in the middle of the two cities and the urban environment can no longer tolerate them. The area is divided into defined plots of desert land and has official ownership by individual farmers which collectively run this area with the new generation abandoning the practice and many of the plots are left to wind erosion. The collective management system was called Dashtbani System which is now remembered and through meetings with the farmers it was decided to try to document the ongoing activities and to revitalize the management system for keeping the local practice alive.


Our SGP project aims to provide funds and support to:

? help to revitalize elements of the old management system

? to improve the practice and to document the traditional knowledge

? easing local access between the lots

? setting up traditional huts as Dashtbani centers

? Advocacy and generating government support for the project based on the local needs