Project Detail

Reduction of mountain desertification and conservation of biodiversity

Yangi-Shahr community (Jamoat) of Djirgatol district located in Rasht valley at some 250 km distance away from Dushanbe city. The district is deemed mountainous area and its borders with Kyrgyzstan. The local populations represented by different ethnic groups are mainly engaged with agriculture crops production and animal husbandry. Kashkaterak village located in eastern part of the district where the project activities will be undertaken. The village endows with 100 ha of arable rainfed lands and above 800 ha of pasturelands. In the past, wild brush, shrubbery and medicinal herbs were grown in the target area. Due to inadequate and overuse of natural resources, massive tree cutting by people and cattle overgrazing the existing lands are now badly eroded/ degraded, existing biodiversity is lost, desertification increased which cause high risks for occurrences of severe mud and snow slides, as well as seasonal flashfloods.
The majority arable and pastures lands are located on mountain rainfed slopes. As a result of disproportionate use of them, every year the seasonal flashfloods wash fertile layers thereby emerging huge gullies and ravines. The available pasturelands are badly deteriorated by melted snows (outwash) and lost their original capacities. Undertaken actions by local farmers and community residents to protect land from further erosion and degradation are insufficient and ineffective.
The project is therefore planned to improve the irrigation of 100 ha arable and 100 ha pasture lands through construction of irrigation system of 3,000 m length, and rehabilitation of bald and eroded lands through plantation of fruitless tree plants, and establishment of new orchard.

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Project Snapshot

Grantee:

NGO - Jamoat Resource Centre 'Yangi-Shahr'

Country:

Tajikistan

Area Of Work:

Biodiversity
Biodiversity

Operational Phase:

OP4 - Y3 (Jul 09 - Jun 10)

Grant Amount:

US$ 5,540.00

Co-Financing Cash:

US$ 2,445.00

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 1,990.00

Project Number:

TJK/SGP/OP4/Y3/CORE/2010/06

Start Date:

6/2010

End Date:

5/2011

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Project Characteristics and Results

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples

After completion, the completed 3,000 m of irrigation scheme officially registered in the list of assets of local state governance body (Jamoat leadership), however. All responsibilities for operation and maintenance of the irrigation supply system have been taken over by local water user committee, formed under umbrella of NGO ?JRC Yangi-Shahr?, and which consisted of local farmers and land owners of target area. Agreements for irrigation water supply reached between project owner, Jamoat leadership (local governance body) and project users, local farmers and land owners. Following this agreement the irrigation system supplies water to the target land against certain water fee collected from users, which then channeled for operation and maintenance of the irrigation pipeline. This has been clearly comprehended and accepted by local community and land owners prior to project start.

Policy Impact

Indeed the project contributed to the rehabilitation of the production mountain landscapes, promoting biodiversity conservation, poverty reduction among rural population of the remote Djirgatal district. All outcomes of the project are meeting with MDGs, international and national strategies on biodiversity conservation, combating land degradation and reduction of poverty of poor rural community.

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

The implementation of the project positively impacted to rehabilitation of local ecology conditions and surrounding environment. The land erosion and degradation level decreased, the risks for occurrences of natural disasters such as mudslides, seasonal flashfloods, and emerge of ravines and gullies reduced. The civic awareness raising campaigns and distribution of information materials and brochures on conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity (medicinal herbs production), effective SLM and rotation of pasturelands and agriculture lands, etc promoted community residents including local farmers and land owners to change their behavioral attitude to environment protection and sustainable use of natural resources.

Capacity - Building Component

The local community and project stakeholders were provided with information materials on biodiversity conservation and prevention of the land degradation in mountain landscapes. Before project implementation, the local population of Kashkaterak location had very little knowledge about biodiversity, effective and sustainable land management practices.

Notable Community Participation

The main purpose of the project was to reduce occurrences of land degradation within target area and improvement of living condition and local economy through introduction of sustainable land management practicies. Ensure access of local community to alternative irrigation scheme for 100 ha arable and 100 ha pasture lands were the key goals of the project. From the begining of the project the community residents were actively engaged in planning and then in implementation of the project activities. Mainly, they were agreed to undertake the land preparation works and partially helped with assemble of water pipelines that conveys water from the spring sources located above mountains to the lands situated downhill.

Gender Focus

The project equally engaged and provided with self-employment both men and women of the target area. Some 154 men and 50 women of the target areas directly benefited from the project activities. Considering the limited employment possibility in rural areas, in particularly among female population, women are the main workers in the production landscapes.

Inovative Financial Mechanisms

The project will be sustainable in terms of financial, ecological and institutional points of view. To ensure sustainability, the local community were actively engaged from very inception of the project. This has strengthened community stewardship and ownership during and after project implementation. The project has potential which strongly encouraged local community and local farmers to ensure sustainable operation of irrigation supply system, use and conserve biodiversity (water, land, etc). After completion of the project the living condition of the community residents and local farmers improved as the access renewed to local income generating activities from production of ecological and quality agriculture products. The gross income is sufficient to cover necessary project costs including cleaning and treatment and other activities (technical consultations, seeds, plants).

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

Today, thanks to the project the local community and landowners learnt about importance of the biodiversity conservation and land protection in mountain landscapes. Access to alternative irrigation system, consuming no electricity, created better economic oppotunities for the local community to resume production in 200 ha lands, which were used to be non-irrigable, as well to earn additional income from agriculture production and livestock farming in target areas.

Project Results

3,000 m length irrigation supply network constructed; 100 ha arable and 100 ha pasture lands irrigated and production increased/ improved; Agriculture crop production increased (i.e. potato planted in the area of 50 ha land, yield equals to 13 tons per hectare, and 650 tons, in total.) 3,000 trees planted on eroded mountain slopes;
INDICATORS: Seasonal employment created for 200 persons (June-Sep?10, May-Sep?11, May-Sep?12) working in irrigable land; Income of local farmers from production increased; Above 20 seminars conducted with local farmers and land owners; programs, minutes, photos, etc. 250 persons, community residents and local farmers, contributed free labor and participated in reconstruction works; Number of information brochures on subject ?conservation of biodiversity and sustainable land management? published and distributed among local farmers and community residents.

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