Project Detail

The Urtsadzor Eco-Training Center: Improving capacity of local villagers for sustainable use of biodiversity resources

The core of the project is the set-up of an Eco-Training Center on communal land of Urtsadzor village. The village as well as the land belonging to the community is situated in the direct vicinity of the ?Khosrov Forest? State Reserve. Although these communal territories have a high biodiversity value and form an important buffer zone for the reserve, the area?s flora and fauna is suffering from destructive anthropogenic activities. The poor protection of the reserve?s adjacent territories has a direct negative impact on the biodiversity in the protected area.
The proposed Eco-Training Center aims to address this problem by serving the local community to improve the inhabitants? skills to use the area?s biodiversity resources sustainably. Moreover, as the village population suffers from poverty and migration due to lacking job opportunities, the Eco-Training Center will raise the local capacities to generate income based on environmentally friendly approaches and nature conservation (by offering trainings in eco-tourism, nature guiding, birding, sustainable practices in agriculture, etc.). The project will be implemented in close cooperation with Urtsadzor community and ?Khosrov Forest? State Reserve administrations.
In the long term perspective the primary objective is to involve the entire community in the management and protection of a large pristine area of communal land adjacent to the village and to ?Khosrov Forest? State Reserve.

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Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets

Country:

Armenia

Area Of Work:

Biodiversity

Operational Phase:

OP5 - Y2 (Jul 12 – Jun 13)

Grant Amount:

US$ 49,990.00

Co-Financing Cash:

US$ 78,000.00

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 16,599.00

Project Number:

ARM/SGP/OP5/Y2/CORE/BD/12/11

Start Date:

9/2012

End Date:

9/2014

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

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Project Characteristics and Results

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

As project itself in most has an educative aspect, thus all the trainings will include the Global Environment conservation details, including the approaches to mitigate the Climate Change.

Notable Community Participation

Community members will be actively involved in the training courses targeted to the sustainable use of biodiversity resources, increase of income power etc. Besides, communities will be involved in practical environmental activities such as tree planting.

Policy Influence

Environmental controlling mechanism will be implemented as a prospective model for local governing bodies? consideration by creating the position of environmental watcher. The position is financed directly by the community governing body, which is enabled through FPWC contribution.

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples

N/A

Project sustainability

Project sustainability is achieved through training results, as knowledge that will be passed to the locals will show on practice their direct benefit concerning sustainable use of biodiversity resources. Additionally, the project is sustainable on the biodiversity point of view, which is interconnected to the sustainable use of biodiversity resources, so that it is achieved to ensure the sustainable development of biodiversity resources.

Gender Focus

Several women will be enabled to provide services or B&B hosts, which will increase their independence and be more stable in income aspect. Also women who mostly take part in wild herb collection will be trained to not harm the environment while collecting herbs, mushrooms, fruits, etc.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

The development of ecotourism, scientific visits etc., which require overnight stays in the area, added the improvement of B&B hosting ability of trainees will ensure the sustainability of livelihoods, in frame of increasing the income power.

Planning non gef grant

The project sustainability and the replication processes ensure the scale up of the project, through spreading the knowledge into other communities, besides, already stated basis of FPWC in the field of education and overlapping projects going on in the target area, are a perfect incentive for further development of the project.

Replication of project activities

The successful practice of sustainable use of biodiversity resources is to be replicated by other communities both in biodiversity resources use, and by implementation the strategies into agricultural processes to ensure better harvest, based on wild herb harvesting techniques.

Policy Impact

The target group (local young people, mostly 18-25 y/o) will be informed about the basic nature conservation understandings, in order to apply those while in natural habitat. Older people who are more involved in wild herb harvesting, fruit collection, etc. are to be trained to avoid the destructive application of wild product collection.

Capacity - Building Component

The training courses applying to biodiversity conservation and agriculture will ensure the raise of potential capacity of the villagers, on a sustainable basis, which will ensure the interconnection to the other fields of activity and other communities to apply the same strategies in similar social and environmental condition.

Project Results

The project will produce the following major outputs:
? Minimum 500 residents of Urtsadzor have participated in training courses offered by the Urtsadzor Eco Center which is in place and operating. The center offers trainings focused on a broad range of sustainable and environmental friendly practices in various fields. All students of the schools in Urtsadzor, Lanjanist and Shaghaplu participate in regular outdoor environmental education classes provided by the Urtsadzor Eco-Training Center. Additionally minimum 10 young villagers (age 18 ? 25) have successfully finished a two months vocational training for nature guiding.
? The biodiversity resources of edible wild herbs, mushrooms and fruit in the area increase due to an improved knowledge of local villagers (in particular women) about correct collecting techniques and sustainable resource management.
? A broad information campaign among local residents about poaching and wildlife conservation has taken place. Additionally strict anti-poaching measures and permanent control of human impact in the project area. The buffer zone of ?Khosrov Forest? State Reserve is included in a consistent nature conservation strategy implemented by FPWC in cooperation with the community and the reserve administration.
? In the core territory logging is totally prevented. On communal land outside the core area and outside of ?Khosrov Forest? State Reserve logging is controlled and monitored by the village?s environmental officer to guarantee a sustainable approach.
? Reforestation (minimum 5000 trees) has taken place on a territory of approx. 7 hectares. At least 10 local farmers are trained in sustainable grazing management and apply these techniques.
? Eco tourism facilities in Urtsadzor community and the project area (including the FPWC Nature Conservation Area) are developed and villagers have new income opportunities as B&B hosts, guides,.
? Scientific exploration of the biodiversity in the project area is increased through cooperation between the Urtsadzor Eco-training Center with Armenian as well as international universities and research institutions.

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Indicators

Biophysical

Number of globally significant species protected by project 4

Biophysical

Hectares of globally significant biodiversity area protected or sustainably managed by project 200

Empowerment

Number of women participated / involved in SGP project 200

Livehood

Increase in household income by increased income or reduced costs due to SGP project 200

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