Project Detail

Improved wildlife habitat management in the Gndasar-West Community Conserved Area of the South-East Lesser Caucasus Ecological Corridor through introduction of sustainable farming practices and enhanced patrolling system

Zangakatun Community is located in the western part of Ararat region and is included in the South-Eastern Lesser Caucasus Eco-Ecological Corridor. The Eco-Regional Corridors are defined in Ecosystem Profile, Caucasus Hotspot, developed by WWF with funding from Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund in 2003.
In 2018, as part of Eco-Corridors Fund-supported activities, Zangakatun community established Gndasar-West Community Conserved Area (CCA) to promote ecologically sustainable land and resource use in 7,170 ha of communal land.

To implement the conservation activities in the eco-corridor of Zangakatun, the community administration and Fund for Biodiversity Conservation of Armenian Highland (FBCAH) signed 7 year-long conservation agreement with WWF-Armenia that includes a wildlife habitat management plan of Gndasar-West Community Conserved Area for the period of 2018-2025. The plan aims to help conserve valuable wildlife habitats and secure ecologically sustainable land use in Zangakatun community within the South-Eastern Lesser Caucasus ecological corridor in Armenia.
FBCAH, being in charge of the Gndasar-West Community Conserved Area management, will utilize the SGP funding to improve the wildlife habitat management in the community of Zangakatun through introduction of sustainable land use practices in agriculture, enforcement of patrolling and monitoring system and awareness raising among local population. In particular, the project plans to construct an efficient gravity-flow irrigation systems to make re-cultivation of about 27 hectares of idle farmlands possible; and enable farmers to cultivate high-value vegetable crops and fruit trees, such as late ripening apricots that are usually sold at a premium price. Additional income generated from re-cultivation of the idle lands will ultimately decrease the dependency of the local population from surrounding environment and reduced pressure on wildlife populations and thus support biodiversity conservation.

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Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Fund For Biodiversity Conservation of Armenian Highland

Country:

Armenia

Area Of Work:

Biodiversity

Operational Phase:

OP6 -Y4 (Jul 18 - Jun 19)

Grant Amount:

US$ 50,000.00

Co-Financing Cash:

US$ 31,920.00

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 21,700.00

Project Number:

ARM/SGP/OP6/Y4/STAR/BD/19/25

Start Date:

6/2019

End Date:

3/2021

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Project Characteristics and Results

Replication of project activities

Armenia has numerous communities with similar problems where low efficiency of conventional farming result in lower yields and incomes, making local population even more dependent on wildlife resources. Furthermore, due to the lack of awareness, the human factor in environmental conservation or destruction was not considered by local population and little efforts have been made to conserve the wildlife. Most of the communities in Armenia still oriented towards nature resource consumerism. Thus, the successful implementation of this complex model of community-oriented conservation introduced by the project will make it possible to replicate it in other biodiversity significant communities and regions of Armenia.

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples

N/A

Linkages gef projects

N/A

Planning gef grant

N/A

Planning non gef grant

N/A

Policy Influence

N/A

Inovative Financial Mechanisms

The experience and knowledge gained during the project will be used by FBCAH for the implementation of similar projects in other community conserved areas.

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

The project activities and successes will be highlighted and disseminated via the FBCAH?s Facebook page, Twitter and other social media, information channels, press releases, press conferences and interviews. Project knowledge materials (booklets, calendars etc.) will be developed and disseminated. The project results will also be presented to wider rage stakeholders during the project closure event.

Policy Impact

The project supports Zangakatun community capacity to implement biodiversity conservation in the newly established Gndasar-West Community Conserved Area. Implementation of the conservation activities are based on the Biodiversity Management Plan adopted by the community administration and include introduction of alternative biodiversity-friendly income generation activities, wildlife caretakers patrolling, biodiversity conservation, and awareness raising among the local population. This is part of a larger pilot initiative in South-East Lesser Caucasus Ecological Corridor and the project results and lessons learnt will be proposed to policy makers for replication and scaling-up of the model community-based landscape conservation practices supported by this project across the country.

Notable Community Participation

The project will actively engage local youth in conservation and sustainable farming activities. A young Caretakers? friends group who will be established to assist the CCA Caretakers in monitoring and patrolling activities. A set of educational and knowledge materials on the importance and value of local biodiversity as well as economic activities contributing to its protection will be published and disseminated among the youth as well as provided to the local school for extracurricular educational activities.

Capacity - Building Component

The project will contribute in awareness raising and education at the community level regarding biodiversity conservation and biodiversity-friendly income-generating practices with special focus on ecotourism. Field seminars on ecology and habitat requirements of endangered species and threats will be conducted for local schoolchildren, youth and the CCA Caretakers. Public meetings and campaigns will target local people to raise their awareness about the importance of the area they reside in for endangered species and the need for their protection. Local farmers will receive practical knowledge and skills on innovative climate-smart agro-ecological farming practices for improved productivity and income.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

The socio-economic benefits of the project include introduction of sustainable land use and water-efficient farming practices, such as cultivation of high-value vegetable crops and fruit trees etc., that will help the farmers to get additional income. It will be achieved through construction of an efficient irrigation system to enable irrigation of additional 15 ha of idle lands and improve irrigation of 12 ha of cultivated lands that are in lack of sufficient water supply and irrigation schedule for proper distribution. The project experts will continuously provide consulting support to the farmers on proper crops selection that could be grown in the area, ensuring improved yields and increased income among the beneficiary farm households. Farmers will also receive practical knowledge and skills on climate-smart innovative farming practices successfully piloted and tested by the SGP.

Project sustainability

The sustainability of the Project results will be achieved by: ? Availability of irrigation water and increased income from the newly established high-value crop farming; ? Improved community understanding of the importance and value of local biodiversity. Involvement of the active village group of friends of nature who will assist Caretakers in detecting poaching, patrolling and monitoring activities; ? Availability of funding for regular patrolling and project management from WWF for promoting sustainable land use practices in the community of Zangakatun for the next 7 years. It is expected that as a result of the improved economic situation of the community the municipality will be able to support patrolling and monitoring of the conserved areas from own budget later on.

Gender Focus

Women constitute 50% of the community population who are primarily involved farming and selling products in the market. Thus, female population will directly benefit from the improved farms? productivity and income as a result of the newly constructed irrigation system and high-value crops cultivation supported by the project.

Project Results

The project will produce the following results:
? 2300 meters of irrigation infrastructure is constructed enabling irrigation of 15 ha of additional agricultural lands where fruit orchards are planned to be established;
? Irrigation of 12 of lands is restored due to renovated and more efficient irrigation infrastructure;
? 29 households cultivate previously abandoned land plots in the project area;
? 10 young people participated in young caretaker?s training and are involved in patrolling;
? 10 Camera traps are installed in biodiversity conservation core zones for wildlife monitoring purpose;
? 8 preventive signs are installed for improved biodiversity conservation and prevention of uncontrolled grazing, tree logging and hunting
? 2 photo cameras are provided to the wild animal Caretakers.

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Indicators

Biophysical

Hectares of globally significant biodiversity area protected or sustainably managed by project 7170

Empowerment

Number of women participated / involved in SGP project 29

Livehood

Number of households who have benefited* from SGP project 29

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