Financial sustainability: in near future from realization of tomato seedlings the local farmers can earn a total of 15 thousand tajik somoni (equivalent to $3,300), from tomato fruits 5 thousand tajik somoni (above $1,000), from compost fertilizer 15 thousand TJS (or $3,300), and in next year the realized seedlings can give a benefit of 90 thousand tajik somoni (or $19,000). In total the financial income from realization of the agriculture product and seedlings will be equal to 125 thousand tajik somoni, which is equal to some $27,000.
Institutional sustainability: the project is a demonstration of the sustainable agriculture practices and can serve as example to each local farmer of the target district. Nowadays, the components of the project are applied by 100 local farmers of the target area, thereby increasing their income and improving their livelihoods. Construction of 2 new greenhouses is expected in 2 local farms by September 2011. Presentation of the achieved results and best farming practices take place among district administrations of three districts (Nosiri Khisrav, Shaartuz, Kabodiyon).
Social and economical sustainability: the implementation of the project allowed improvement of the livelihoods of 12 local farms, ensured employment of 75 community members, including 60 women and 15 males, contributed to the increase of land productivity, which were no longer used. The project created better economic opportunity for 8 community residents and encouraged them not to migrate to Russia. The demonstration plots also generated income for 12 local farms while more than 100 rural people learnt how to use and apply best farming techniques and sustainable agriculture practices.
It is a demonstrational project that enabled local farmers to learn from locally available demonstration plots and practicized expiriences on SLM and alternative land farming tecniques. The success of the project proved by replication of its components in different areas outside the project area by local farmers. the local farmers acknoweldged that expereinces and practices demonstrated under the project can be easily applied in different areas as the condition of land and status of agriculture development is poor and no longer useful. By applying the project best practicies and lessons learnt on agriculture and land farming one can increase land productivity and improve the livelihoods.
Inovative Financial Mechanisms
The financial benefit equals to 125,000 tajik somoni (some $27,000) from sale of seedlings of tomato, tomato yield, tree plants, compost fertilizers; 75 community members ensured with employment and more than 100 rural people learnt about using innovative and alternative farming techniques;
Gender Focus
The important aspect of the project was insurance of the equal participation of the male and female in implementation and development of sustainable agricultural techniques and best farming practices. Due to the high migration of the male population a great load of the project activities fall on women's shoulders. There are 12 local farmers participated in the project activities where the number of males and females were equal. During education campaigns some 15 rural people out of which 6 women and 9 men were engaged and participated. In construction works at demo-plots some 75 local people were engaged including 34 men and 41 women.
Capacity - Building Component
The key objective of the project aimed at building and strengthening of the local capacity of farmers, landowners and community residents of the target area. To achieve this the project initiated and enhanced its cooperation with agriculture scientists of national academy, local experts and international agriculture and technical NGOs. The local farmers were selected based on the simple criteria of poor ecological conditions due to land use and land-use change, desert-lands, and 80% of land is badly eroded by underground water. As a result, the choice of the agriculture scientist fall with farmers that engaged in agriculture production, especially through land use. The project supported 6 training courses among 12 local farmers on, organic farming, pest-management, alternative irrigation, nursery development, agro-techniques and improved land use and land-use change. In addition to local farmers, representatives of state authority, local committee on environment protection, agriculture department, and local agronomists were invited and taken part in the training courses.
Policy Influence
The project activities focused on the promotion of the SLM and sustainable agriculture best practices within local communities. The activities and results achieved under the project contribute to the achievement of international objectives stated in the convention of the land prevention from desertification and deforestation, as well as reduction of use and production of chemicals/POPs in agriculture and land farming practices. In addition, the project ensured capacity building and enhancemetn of local population through provision of environmental education and awarencess campaings on SLM, sustainable agriculture development and land farming techniques in the face of climate change.
Notable Community Participation
The project engaged participation and contribution of 12 local farmers (Dekhkan Farm) from three community of the target district. Each demonstrational plot was established with efforts of 4 local farms. By this, some 25 community members were provided with self-employment.
The community members participated in the planning process, provided in-kind contribution through allocation of 3 hectare of land, ensure transportation costs, provide 3-months food for laborers, organic wastage for composting, wooden boxes for composting and heating materials;
Project sustainability
The project is successfully completed. The achieved project activities are sustainable as it ensures better economic opportunities and financial benefit to the local farmers who are engaged in the demonstration plots. The harvested yield from the lands, which were previously unused and, or lost their production capacity, generated additinoal income and benefit to the local farmers. The gained knowledge and best practicies enabled the local farmers to enrich thier lands, prevent soil from further errosion thereby develop thier farms and improve their living conditions.
Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment
The project served not only for demonstration of best farming practices but also ensured the information mechanism for gaining and enhancement of the necessary knowledge and skills.
The project contributed to the increase of the knowledge and education of 12 local farmers and 3 representatives of the local authorities. However, the community residents of the target areas and family members of the target farms indirectly benefited from the project activities. This was proved by replication of the project components outside the project command areas.
The education campaigns consist of training courses and seminars enhanced the local capacity and thereby fill the illiteracy gap among local population who accustomed to disproportionately use the natural resources, especially water and land. The participated farmers from neighboring communes are now able and ready to apply the gained agriculture production and land farming practices on their lands, thereby inculcating gained knowledge and skills to other local farmers.
Justifications for training thematic: excessive use of chemical fertilization and loss of production landscapes; Poor pest-control management, low-capacity of farmers, lack of knowledge ? caused low income farm. ineffective and overuse of irrigation and salinization, entire degradation and loss production capacity, reduction of landscape production for rural poor, increase of internal conflicts due to land shortage; low income from fruit production due to no existence of special knowledge and skills on orchard development and fruits production; Unavailability and, or no access to information on innovative, ecological and environmentally-friendly technologies in agriculture sector.
Results of education campaings: 12 local farmers and 3 representatives of the local authority gained necessary information on environmentally-friendly farming technologies, advanced care, land degradation decrease and land rehabilitation, increase land production without application of severe damages or losses. Demonstration of the SLM best practices and experiences of other countries. some 400 family members of the local farms indirectly benefited from the project activities. The gained knowledge and skills were plasticized within demonstration plots and outside of the project targeted areas. 12 local farmers established demonstration plots in the area of 3 ha land, planted 30,000 seedlings and received 30 tons of compost fertilizers. Outside of the project, 100 rural households of three communes set up composting pits, 15 rural households already used the dripping system for irrigation of the land, 10 local farmers applied mulch system (half-rotten vegetable matter, peat, etc., used to prevent soil erosion or enrich the soil) in their lands, 10 rural households use biological (technical) pest control to prevent plantations, 10 local farmers use sideration (seedbeds crops used till its transformation into organic fertilizers).
Policy Impact
There are number of acts of law and governing documents on rational land use and use of the natural resources. For example, Water and Land codex, law on ?environment protection? and ?vegetable kingdom? and so on. Tajikistan signed and ratified number of international conventions such as, convention of land prevention from desertification, mitigation of climate change and conservation of biodiversity, and the priorities indicated in them served as baseline for this project. Arhus convention played an essential role on increase of awareness of local population on environmental protection and conservation of natural resources. The detail mechanisms and action plans are included in the national strategies and action plans linked to the international conventions and protocols on climate change, prevent land desertification and deforestation, and biodiversity conservation. The project objectives also focused on the enhancement of the local capacities through promotion of the environmentally friendly technologies on land use and farming practices. Another important aspect of the project is to reduce the use of chemical in agriculture and land farming, improve water management and use, and reduce environmentally unfriendly technologies for agriculture production and land farming, which more or less addressed the issue of GEF thematic area of reduction of POPs/ chemicals in agriculture and land use.
Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples
Under the project one demonstrational plot in each three rural communes of western province Khatlon has been established. The demo-plots designed to pilot environmentally-friendly technologies and approaches on greenhouses establishment, organic land farming, community nursery development, rational water use and organic fertilization (composting).
The activities of demo plots focused on improvement of knowledge capacity and practical experiences of rural community residents and local farmers, who life largely depends on agriculture production. The local community when learnt about the project, by all means desired to help and contribute to the project. The local community and farmers have participated in the project activities. In the planning stage of the project 12 local farmers, out of which 6 farms are female-headed, were engaged. They were opted to conduct assessment and identify the suitable areas for establishment of demo-plots. The selection criteria were simple included but are not necessary limited to: farms with low-capacity land production, water and chemical erosion lands, abandoned rainfed lands ? desert-land, have no agro-machinery and finance and very poor. The demo-plots components were undertaken in a total of 3 ha lands, one hectare in each commune.
Once the areas of demo-plots were selected, the local farmers together with community members took part in construction works. Around 25 persons of each commune, totally 75 persons of three communes, volunteered their time and force during construction works. In addition to a labor provided the local farmers and community members contributed 5,000kg reeds for greenhouses insulation, 30 tons of manure and organic wastage to set up composts, during 3 months provided free food to laborers, ensure transportation of materials to the project sites, and withdraw 3 ha lands for construction.
During construction, the local farmers and community members themselves constructed 18 wooden boxes of composts, set up nursery for 30,000 seedlings ($20,000 gross income), land preparation (furrowing), irrigation and handling. After completion, the local farmers and community members ensured sustainability of the project activities by continuation and expansion of the SLM best practices in their farms and neighboring farms and lands.
Project Results
Under the project one demonstrational plot in each three rural communes of western province Khatlon has been established. The demo-plots designed to pilot environmentally-friendly technologies and approaches on greenhouses establishment, organic land farming, community nursery development, rational water use and organic fertilization (composting).
The activities of demo plots focused on improvement of knowledge capacity and practical experiences of rural community residents and local farmers, who life largely depends on agriculture production. The local community when learnt about the project, by all means desired to help and contribute to the project. The local community and farmers have participated in the project activities. In the planning stage of the project 12 local farmers, out of which 6 farms are female-headed, were engaged. They were opted to conduct assessment and identify the suitable areas for establishment of demo-plots. The selection criteria were simple included but are not necessary limited to: farms with low-capacity land production, water and chemical erosion lands, abandoned rainfed lands ? desert-land, have no agro-machinery and finance and very poor. The demo-plots components were undertaken in a total of 3 ha lands, one hectare in each commune.
Once the areas of demo-plots were selected, the local farmers together with community members took part in construction works. Around 25 persons of each commune, totally 75 persons of three communes, volunteered their time and force during construction works. In addition to a labor provided the local farmers and community members contributed 5,000kg reeds for greenhouses insulation, 30 tons of manure and organic wastage to set up composts, during 3 months provided free food to laborers, ensure transportation of materials to the project sites, and withdraw 3 ha lands for construction.
During construction, the local farmers and community members themselves constructed 18 wooden boxes of composts, set up nursery for 30,000 seedlings ($20,000 gross income), land preparation (furrowing), irrigation and handling. After completion, the local farmers and community members ensured sustainability of the project activities by continuation and expansion of the SLM best practices in their farms and neighboring farms and lands.
