Project location:Khafr- Esfahan(Lat/Long:30.997309-51.476440)
Background
This is a cluster project of two SGP projects ?Dena in 2002 and Empowerment of the Local Community? (IRA-G52-2002-012) and ?Empowerment of the local tour guides of parts of Dena Mountain Region in Zagros? (IRA-G52-2004-043).

Among other outputs of SGP?s intervention (IRA-G52-2002-012) with Fars Green Center NGO, basic training for 39 local youths from 17 villages in Dena Region as eco-tour guides was provided. This project also produced the first map of the Peaks of Dena with accurate details of mountaineering routes, camps, peaks, villages, etc. This map is now an important tool for mountaineers and these tour guides.

The first cluster project to ?Dena in 2002 and Empowerment of the Local Community? (IRA-G52-2002-012) was approved in November 2004. Through the advocacy and lobbying of Fars Green Center, the Iran Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization (ICHTO) agreed to provide support to this project in

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the form of advanced training for the local youth who had received the initial and basic training as eco-tour guides in the workshops by Fars Green Center, hence the formulation of ?Empowerment of the local tour guides of parts of Dena Mountain Region in Zagros? (IRA-G52-2004-043)

This project was the second cluster to promote eco-tourism and sport tourism in Zagros through a mountain biking event organized around Dena during the Environment Week which would result in bringing together various government stakeholders with local communities, the trained tour guides and local NGOs.

Project Brief and Results
In line with World Environment Day Agenda: ?to give a human face to environmental issues and promote an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues? a number of associations and NGOs (including the grantee NGOs and the Iranian Federation of Bicycle Riders with the Federation of Fars Mountaineers) organized a mountain biking event around Dena for more than 200 people from different provinces to commemorate this day in 2005.

A number of associations and NGOs, such as the Iranian Federation of Bicycle Riders, the Federation of Fars Mountaineers, Fars Automobile and Motorbike Committee, Fars Mosbat Canal Club, as well as the grantee NGOs which were Fars Green Center and the Committee of Mountain Bikers of Fars Province were involved in this project which aimed to:
1-present the ecotour potentials of Dena and Zagros to various stakeholders
2-present the potentials of the local human resources available
3-link the local community with official organizations and agencies for the government plans of developing the region

During this week the bikers toured around Dena peaks (more than 400Km) passing the borders of 4 provinces while carrying and wearing banners of UNDP-GEF/SGP. Packages of advocacy material on environmental significance of the region as well as the products from other SGP projects in Dena such as the first map of the climbing routes of Dena Peaks and the Booklet on the Drawing of Dena Children were distributed throughout the event.

A number of various government stakeholders were part of the program and met the local communities of Sepidan, Shahid, Bideh, Dashtbal, Kahfr, Mandegan, Padena and Sisakht who had a chance to voice their opinions and suggestions about the development projects of the region.

At the national level the project received the support of I.R. Iran Broadcast (IRIB), Department of Environment and I.R. Red Crescent Society. Most significant among the local authorities was the participation of the Municipality of Shiraz, Fars Province Directorate of the Department of Environment, Bideh Township Bureau of Education, Physical Education Organizations of Fars Province as well as their bureaus in Sisakht and Sepidan Townships.

The entire event was documented in a film and photo album. A poster was prepared which includes the trail map of the route taken by the bikers. Finally, for wider dissemination a half day workshop was held in Tehran with participants from the local community to present the event with a photo exhibition.

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