Project Detail

Utilizing solar energy to control plants pathogens in soil as a sustainable alternative to conserve agro-biodiversity

The project focuses on disseminating indigenous practices and information to the conservation of soil agro-biodiversity by substituting the use of Methyl bromide, as a pest controler, and promoting the use of soil solarization as sustainable and environment freindly method to control land degradation.The project also emphasizes raising public awareness and building community and institutional capacities through envolving around 330 farmers working in 330 doums in different part of Gaza.

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Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Union of Paleatinian Agricultural Relief Committees/ GAZA

Country:

Palestine, State of

Area Of Work:

Biodiversity

Operational Phase:

Phase 1

Grant Amount:

US$ 33,000.00

Co-Financing Cash:

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 16,000.00

Project Number:

PAL/99/01

Start Date:

7/1999

End Date:

7/2000

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Project Characteristics and Results

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

Decreasing the agricultural production cost by %35. Producing more healthy products. Improving farmers health conditions by reducing engeries.

Gender Focus

Eighty six females participate in project preparation and implementation and monitoring/evaluation.

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples

The project targets 330 benefiting farmers.

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

The project utilizes different methods to raise public awareness to the impact of the new method on both the soil agro-biodiversity at the local level and the prevention of land degradation at the global level through distributing project guidelines of 2000 copies and brochure of 1000 copies, producing documentarty video tape, organizing 25 debates and conducting 5 specialized workshops for farmers.

Capacity - Building Component

There are two levels of community participation: On the farmers level: They participated in several ways by; using from farmer to farmer as an awarness raising technique, participating in project preparation and implementation, donating their lands for testing and demonstrating the project methodology and participating in the workshops and study days. On the CBOs level: Three CBOs are actively envolved in the project through participating in community needs assesment, selecting target groups and project sites, assisting in organizing workshops, following up project implementation and participating in the monitoring team.

Notable Community Participation

Project Results

Environmental benefit: Framers practices has intensively applied chemical pest controlling agents particularly Methyl Bromide. This project demonstrated a modified method for an indigenous soil solarization practices. A laboratory testing was conducted to examine soil pathogens especially Fusaium Oxysporium and Rhizoconia Salani to determine the solarization effectiveness on eliminating their damage on the agricultural plants. 95% of the farmers in Rafah area in the south of Gaza continued to use solarization after the project completion, thereby marked the reduction of Methyl Bromide use by 50 tons in year duration.
Awareness/information: The project distributed 250 copies of guiding booklet on soil solarization technique and 1000 copies of another brochure on the technique?s advantages on restoring soil fertility. The grantee also distributed video tape documenting the whole project activities and lessons learnt.
Partnership: The grantee has engaged in close partnerships with the community- based organizations during the project planning and implementation to ensure closer monitoring and sustainable application of the method.
Capacity building: Conducting 6 workshops to strengthen 380 farmers? capabilities to apply the new method and employ ?farmers to farmers? mechanism to spread out the project idea. Institutionally, the CBO partners were empowered enough to seek funding for similar projects in the future.

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