The principal reasons for project development are that the extensive use of pesticides has adversely damaged the environment and biodiversity in Rahim Yar Khan. Various health hazards are found due to the use of pesticides directly affecting the health of all those involved in spraying, picking and harvesting. Even the pesticides are getting dissolved into the ground water thereby increasing the risk of entering the food chain. The indiscriminate use of insecticides especially in cotton growing areas resulted into manifold negative effects on the ecosystem and human beings. It has disturbed the natural pattern of prey and predators leading towards extinction of many farmers? friendly insects, and initiating resistance in the pests. On socio-economic dimensions, it has increased cost of production and damaged the rural economy due to environmental degradation and crop failure. It has furthermore, become a permanent source of health hazards among the farming communities. Among the other harmful impacts is contamination of soil, water and air which are consumed by the residents and cause one or other medical problems. The net outcome is increased rural poverty and migration of the rural population to the urban areas.

The project aims at solving the problem of excessive pesticide spray on cotton crop in the project area to help reduce the environmental hazards to conserve biodiversity and so improve income generation. The project will specifically focus to reduce the use of pesticides to the minimum of 50% during the project life.

The project is designed to be implemented in the Union Council 45-P of Khan Pur Tehsil District Rahim Yar Khan to help train the farming communities in management of the cotton pests during the project period.

Union Council 45-P (Tehsil Khan pur) is located at a distance of about 25 Km in the South of Rahim Yar Khan city. The population of children 0-18 years is 46% (13,800) of total population (30,000). The segment of population suppose to be economically active (18 to 60) represented 50% (15,000). Proportion of population as out of working age (above 60) is just 4%.

The major kharif crop in the Union Council 45-P is cotton, while in Rabi wheat is cultivated as only major crop. The average yield of cotton in this area varies from 18-20 Maunds from an acre. The total area under cotton in Union Council 45-P is about 5,000 acres.

The proposed activity is to implement a one year project with cotton growers in Union Council 45-P of Khan Pur Tehsil of Rahim Yar Khan with the communities organized under the fold of HDF Development Organizations (DOs). Following will be the immediate project objectives:

· Conservation of insect biodiversity through 50% reduction in use of pesticides and promoting IPM technology with cost benefit ratio favoring to the farmers..
· Motivation and skill enhancement of communities (men and women) to increase their farm income and raise awareness to reduce air, water and land pollution by minimizing use of persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
· Reduce poverty of the farming communities through rationalized use of environment compatible practices.
· Training and capacity building of 500 farmers in the field of community integrated pest management in the Union Council 45-P of Tehsil Khan Pur by holding 20 FFS.
· Reduce health hazards to the cotton growers, consumers and wild life of the area.

(a) Impacts on participants/beneficiaries.

· The average number of insecticide sprays for control of target pests will be deceased from 10 to only 5.
· Farming communities will save Rs.3000, 4,000 per acre by reducing inputs cost from 7000-3000 per acre.
· Awareness about the level of pests and their management by safe methods will be raised.
· The capacity and skills of project staff and HDF will be developed because of technical backstopping from ECI IPM Team and availability of IPM training modules, brochures and extension material.Therefore farmers will become more educated and able to evaluate new technologies by themselves.

(b) Demonstration value, i.e. value of the activity as a mode for possible replication.

The primary objective of the project is reduction in number of insecticide sprays, preparation of training modules and information package for staff of HDF and ECI and their community organizations to enhance their skills and capacity. The resource will ultimately be available for replication of similar activities in other areas of the Province of Punjab if like minded NGOs / CBOs are interested.

(c) Value as a learning experience

The project activities such as farmer field schools are of tremendous experience for learning the new techniques and their replication in other areas.