Project Detail

Jakhera Wetland and Chure Conservation Project

Jakhera wetland lies in the foothills of Chure hill at Sonpur VDC in Dang district. It is just 5 min. drive from the East-West highway. This wetland covers an area of about 7 ha. and is significant as it is the resting place for many migratory birds during the winter. But the rapid siltation from the fragile landscape of the Chure has squeezed the lake half to its original size. District Development Committee has already selected this wetland as potential picnic spot and tourism area. Likewise, District Soil and Watershed Office has been involved in protecting this vanishing wetland. With SGPs initiation, a district level Jakhera Wetland and Chure Conservation Coordination committee under the Chairmanship of DDC president involving district line agencies has been formed. Joint workplan has been prepared to save the wetland and fragile Chure hills. SGP at present, working with Sustainable Community Development Programme (SCDP) and also focused on promoting alternative energy technologies such as Bio-gas and efficient cook stove reducing the pressure of firewood in the Churia hills.
Beside the biodiversity value of the wetland, it acts as a kind of storage tank for irrigation to the people living in the downstream. Likewise, the tharu communities also practice fishing by draining the water from the wetland.

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Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Community Sustainable Development Organisation

Country:

Nepal

Area Of Work:

Biodiversity

Operational Phase:

Phase 2

Grant Amount:

US$ 40,000.00

Co-Financing Cash:

US$ 43,581.54

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 9,020.00

Project Number:

NEP/01/02

Start Date:

4/2001

End Date:

12/2003

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Project Characteristics and Results

Capacity - Building Component

Community based groups and the grantee NGO mutually identify and organise training programmes for selected community members. Main emphasis is given to producing the village level specialists who render their services as and when needed. ICS promotion and construction training to 15 members, fish farming training (17 members), NTFP conservation training (21 mmebers) and exposure visit to Kankrebihar area (anather SGP project site)have been convened.

Gender Focus

Community groups and /or organisations are of three kinds-men, women and mixed of men and women. Formation of the groups is solely depended upon the interest and decision of the community members themselves. Alternate energy saving technologies such as bio-gas and efficient cook stove are promoted which address the need of women, hence their participation is highly prioritised. Of the 45 CBOs, 21 are men, 16 are women and remaining 13 are mixed CBOs. Likewise, similary these CBOs consist of 17 women chairperson and 12 women mangers in the leadership roles.

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples

Tharu communities are among the most underprivileged and backward indigenous group in the project area and are the manor participants of the programme. Some of the Tharus in the VDC are recently freed bonded labors.

Notable Community Participation

The project applies the paradigm of social mobilisation. The formation of settlement level groups with at least 80% coverage of households, weekly meetings and savings are the major thrusts which ensure the community participation to a significant level. SGP has been carrying out its activities through 45 CBOs that were formed by Sustainable Community Development Programme (SCDP). The project has joined hand with the community members in the conservation of the Jakhera wetland such as culvert and outlet construction, wetland digging and cleaning of the wetland and road maintenace and construction. Beside this, the community has been managing NTFP nursery, participated in plantation such as Napier, Eulaliopsis, stylo to fullfill the fodder demand and avenue trees to roadside.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

The project has created an endowment fund popularly known as Community Environment Trust (CET) Fund and has allocated 40 percentage of the grant amount (i.e., $16,000) to it. Participating community members can easily get this facility as loan on the basis of social collateral through their respective Community-based Organisations(CBOs). The CET fund is mobilised exclusively for small-scale green enterprises or livelihood activities. Upto now US$ 8,000 have been invested as CET fund to avial loans to 10 CBO in various income generation activites such as fish farming, poultry farming, agriculture, goat and buffalo rearing and bio-gas installation.

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

The project is a demonstration type in nature. As the site is just a 10 minutes drive from the East-west highway and is aimed to develop it as recreational area, the project site is very good for disseminating demonstrative activities carried out in the area and for promoting generate the awareness of global environment.

Project Results

The project has mobilised the CBOs formed by the Sustainable Community Developemnt Programme of UNDP. With the active support from the local CBO, the wetland area has been demarcated and a barbed wire fence of 350m has been erected in West and South boundary to prevent the potential encroachement. A check dam has also been contructed to store more water in the wetland.

After the cleaning of the land and partcipated in the pisciculture, the CBO members have started fish farming in the Jakhera wetland. Likewise, the practice of rotational grazing is initiated in the watershed of Jakhera wetland of the churiya hills. As the part of watershed manangement activities, 16 Bio-gas plants and 57 ICSs have been constructed. A biodiversity survey carried out in the area revealed that there are 48 trees, 14 shrubs, 19 herbs, 9 climbes and 19 medicinal plants. Likewise the wetland is home for 17 mammals including leopard and bears, 31 birds including 5 seasonal birds, 15 reptiles, 8 fishes and 21 invertebrates.

The project has also developed the area as a picnic spot. With the support from RRN and RCIW, the road that linked the highway and the wetland has been gravelled. Roadside plantation, construction of entry gate and ticket counter, provision of boating have also been initiated to attract the more picnic goers.

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