Environmental Conservation & Rural Income Enhancement project is submitted by the Community Based Organization namely Drongsep Gongphel Tshogpa (DGT) from Trashigang District (Dzongkhag). It is about a rural access road which has been initially constructed by the SDS Funding (Sustainable Development Secretariat) passing through two villages called Galing and Changmey villages. Althought the road exist, the villagers are not able to make a full use of it during the monsoon season due to road blocks caused by heavy land slides.

Therefore, the Drongsep Gongphel Tshogpa (DGT) approached GEF/SGP Bhutan for funding in order to rehabilitate the road, that would help protect land degradation in the road side areas from the environmental point of view. In general, the whole stretch of the landscape where the Galing-Changmey road passes through, is a landslide prone area. The purpose of implementing the project is primarily to develop the whole sliding areas with "bio-engineering"

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works with participatory approach.

Problems:
Although the road exists, villagers are not able to make full use of it during the monsoon season due to heavy landslides in that area. The above mentioned villages have good potential for growing potato, paddy, maize, and winter vegetables and livestock products. With the construction of the road their inaccessibility to market was solved and they started producing on a larger scale. However, since the road gets blocked during the monsoon season, it has posed a grave threat to the life of the road and ultimately the accessibility of farm products to market.

Rationale:
1. If the rural access road is properly managed and necessary mitigation measures taken, it has a good potential and opportunity to enhance rural income, improve the longevity of the roads, improve the environment along the roads and will have more sustainable gains for the villagers;
2. The project would definitely benefit in combating the land degradation as the GEF Focal Area, as it supports the maintenance of biodiveristy and the diversity of biological resources for sustainable use of activities in the Forest Ecosystem;
3. The benefits would spill over to more than 450 households;
4. The policy of Royal Government of Bhutan (RGOB) to maintain Gross National Happiness (GNH) would be realized through increased socio-economic conditions of the villages.

Objectives:
The immediate objectives of this project are:
1. Conserve the environment along the rural access roads by planting trees;
2. Construct required walls, causeways, drainage to protect the planted trees and to eventually stop soil erosion, landslides and land degradation;
3. Improvise and rehabilitate the road and make it an all weather road;
4. Create environmental awareness among the local communities.

Long-term Objectives:
1. Conserve and protect the environment of Shongphu geog and enhance rural income through improved rural access roads;
2. This project is important to compliment the hard works and efforts put by the beneficiaries to construct rural access roads to increase their income through easy access to the nearest market. It is proposed to stabilize the road and fragile sliding stretches by adopting the technology of bioengineering along the side of the roads to prevent further landslides during wet seasons and
3. Educate local people on importance of natural resource conservation to promote sustainable development in our area.

Project Activities are:
1. Environmental Awareness Campaigns - this project proposes to conduct at least two environmental awareness campaigns to educate the local communities on prevention of forest fires, need to conserve and protect our local environment, environment related policies and issues, land, air and water pollution etc. The campaign will be facititated by the District Forestry Sector and refreshment and stationeries will be provided through the project.

2. Plantations-to prevent further landslides and soil erosion and make full utilization of the road, DGT is proposing to carry out plantation and proper protection works. Plantation of sapling of recommended species will be carried out throughout the road lenght of 2.1 Km stretch. Extention and District Forestry Officials have committed to provide required technical guidance and backstopping. While the cost of tree sapling and refreshment during plantations will be met by the project, the required number of manpower for plantation will be contributed free of cost by neneficiary communities.

3. Improving and Rehabilitating the access roads:
The DGT will improve the environmental condition of the area by constructing breast walls, retaining walls, causeways and provision of stone soiling in land slide areas. Heavy widening of the road as is necessary will be contributed by the District Administration. The required unskilled labour will be contributed by the local people. The District Administration has also committed to provide technical support till the completion of the project.

Approval:
The National Steering Committee (NSC) has approved the project under two conditions;
1. The DGT will arrange to have a written committment from the communities for the maintenance of the road at all times;
2. The concerned stakeholders would monitor the project as regularly as it is possible.

The project has carried out the following activities:
1. Environmental Awareness Workshop;
2. Protection of the Galing Changmey Farm Road (degraded area) has been protected by construction of retaining wall, breast wall and side drainage;
3. The DGT has also established Private Forestry adjacent to the slide prone area to control further sliding of the soil.

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