Union Council Chirah has an estimated population of 25,800 inhabitants spread over 3,225 households and 30 villages clustered into four major clusters. Poor infrastructure and lack of social and economic services, people of these villages are facing increased urbanization, global warming, deforestation, pollution, threatening of local domesticated species of livestock and poultry and diminishing of rang land contributing to global environmental deterioration and biodiversity. Majority of the land in UC Chirah is rain fed, having less fodder production and water shortage for livestock. As a result, per-acre yields are low, livestock production and domestic poultry is poor without meeting the protein needs of local community.
Besides subsistence-level agriculture, modest additional income is generated through activities such as backyard poultry farming and livestock rearing. In their present state, the livestock and poultry sectors suffer as a result of poor extension services,

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inadequate marketing support, and substantial shortages of feed and fodder. Aggravating the scarcity of livestock feed is the fact that the development of rangelands, a shortage of fodder sources and invasion of alien species of livestock and poultry to meet the unmet demands of community are putting severe negative impacts on flora and fauna of Pothohar region also effecting global eco-system. As a result, unemployment is increasing environmental problems pollution and endemic diseases are affecting the human life.
· Poultry and livestock production is considered to be one of the most efficient and economical systems of production of animal protein foods of high biological value. The project aims at conservation of the following indigenous breeds of Cow, Goat and poultry in 30 villages of Union Council Chirah rural Islamabad:

a) Dhani Cow / Bull (Indigenous Breed)
b) Brown Beetal Goat
c) Indigenous Chicks (Layal Silver Black and Fayoumi)

The above varieties of livestock and poultry are more successful in semi arid zone of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. There is a need to conserve the above indigenous rare species of poultry and livestock. We had several meetings with Poultry Research Institute (PRI), Rawalpindi, Strengthening of Livestock Project of European Union and Pakistan Agricultural Research Council regarding the conservation of the above indigenous species of poultry and livestock.

PRI has also conducted some research and they are of the view that there are two main varieties of poultry birds, which can be promoted in the Potohar Region including Murree, Rawalpindi and Islamabad Districts. These poultry breeds are: Layal Silver and Fayoumi Chick. These two varieties are better protected and can easily survive in semi arid zone of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Both RIR and Fayoumi are capable of producing eggs in eight weeks. Price of one unit (having five pullets and one rooster) is Rs. 200/- (inclusive of transportation costs).

Dhani Cow breed, Brown Beetal Goat and local hairy Goat are also vanishing quickly from the Potohar Region (including Islamabad). We have had several meetings with the experts of Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), Islamabad regarding conservation of the above two indigenous species of livestock. They were of the view that these species can be procured from Livestock Unit Haiti, Peshawar and central Punjab and can be conserved through community based participatory sustainable interventions. The price range for cow is between Rs: 30,000-40,000 per cow/bull and for one goat it is Rs: 5,000-8,000 while for poultry unit it is Rs. 300-350.
Promotion and expansion in the livestock, indigenous poultry is particularly important for a rural area of Union Council Chirah, Islamabad where socio-economic development is possible keeping special attention to domesticated biodiversity and environment to alleviate poverty by creating alternative avenues of income generation. Diversifying the scope of economic activity can help to mitigate the pressure on natural resources as well. Despite the many advantages involved, conservation of the Indigenous breeds in livestock and poultry varieties have not received sufficient attention.
The proposed activities are directly linked to GEF thematic areas of biodiversity conservation. In addition to biodiversity conservation, the project activities include sustainable livelihood management.

GEF resources will be used primarily for core management support for the project, and the technical support required for biodiversity conservation. The project will assist the local communities in forming network of men and women community organizations.
Marketing of local livestock (*Cow and Goat) and domestic rural poultry (*Layal Silver Black birds & Fayoumi birds) and their products has long been an essential pathway for income generation and livelihoods for the poor. Research has consistently shown that even the poorest can gainfully participate in livestock markets. Rapidly growing livestock markets in the developing world provide real opportunities, but also significant threats to participation of the poor due to structural changes associated with globalization, the increasing concentration of population and production around cities, and changing regulatory environments.
Project Objectives and Proposed Activity

Objective 1.
· To conserve the genetic variability of domesticated species of Cow, Goat and Poultry in UC Chirah, rural ICT.

Activities:
§ Deployment of project staff and support systems
§ Formation of Community Organizations in 30 Villages of UC Chirah rural ICT.
§ Formation of Cluster Organizations/Committees in 4 Clusters of UC Chirah rural ICT.
§ Meetings for MOU between CUP and COs/Cluster Committees
§ Signing of MOU
§ Monitoring and evaluation of project activities.
§ Quarterly Progress Reports.

Objective 2.
· To promote rural livestock and domestic poultry through capacity building of local communities.

Activities:
§ Identification/selection of community activists (through COs) for the customized training in livestock and poultry.
§ Identification of the resource persons and institutions for conduct of training activities and technical support.
§ Conduct of TNA
§ Customized training program for identified community activists to train them as master trainers aimed at sustainable conservation and management of poultry and livestock.
§ Follow-up of training activities.
§ Establish linkages with important stakeholders.
§ Procurement of poultry birds and livestock in accordance with the MOUs signed with the local community partners.
§ Distribution of poultry and livestock amongst selected community activists after getting signed MOU from COs and bond from the beneficiaries.
§ Monitoring and evaluation of project activities.
§ Quarterly Progress Reports.

Objective 3.
· Enhance household income of the target groups through the achievement of the two above-mentioned project objectives.

Activities:

§ Baseline Survey of the Beneficiary Household Incomes in 30 Villages of UC Chirah.
§ Identification and selection of cluster based mobile extension workers (1 person per cluster) through local COs.
§ Training of the identified extension workers in poultry livestock conservation and management after getting signed bond from the beneficiaries duly verified by the respective CO?s office bearers and countersigned by the Cluster based Committees.
§ Record keeping of offspring and eggs production by the respective COs and Cluster based Committees.
§ Monitoring and evaluation of project activities.
§ Quarterly Progress Reports.
§ Project end analysis of the beneficiary household income enhancement through independent consultant.

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