Project proposal is for PRODUCING CROPS IN COASTAL AREA OF BADIN DISTRICT, OUT SIDE THE COMMAND OF KOTRI BARRAGE. The whole area of Thatta and Badin District was pasture land. The rainfall varied from 10-12 inches in the coastal areas and out-side the Kotri Barrage Command. The area has suffered badly, since construction of Flood Protected Embankments by the British later on and by the Kotri barrage construction authorities. Before the flood protected embankment the area was flooded annually by inundation and most of coastal area faced annual floods for short time of 50-60 days. After Kotri Barrage this area was cut off and it started turning saline. There were large number of lakes formed by old and abandoned river channels, which too got flooded annually and beside attracting winter fowl from Siberia and Mongolia, there were fishes in the lakes, forage for animals also water in lakes, fruits, fuel, wood and timber. The people had to work very little to gather food. Cultivated area in Kotri Barrage was only 1.1 million acres, which was increased to 2.7 million acres after 1960 and no provision was made either for filling all these lakes or any arrangements for drinking purposes, forest and animal husbandry.

The area was one of the flourishing and rich, but today it is the poorest among the poorest. We have thought of preparing a plan for improving the conditions of the area, by introducing saline agriculture, i.e., introducing salt-tolerant plants to be utilized as a food, fuel, fodder, fibre, industrial oils, flowers and etc. These plants can withstand saline soils and also can stand saline ground water, if used for irrigation. This is not surprising as many crops can grow in the coastal area, where there is day and night splash of sea water and tides.
There are large number of the crops, which can economically be introduced in this area and some of them will be introduced.

1. PROFILE OF IMPLEMENTING ORGANISATION

Integrated Agriculture Developers was registered in October, 2,000 and has been doing well under its General Secretary Farzana for the past six years.
· The implementing agencies has been concentrating on new crops on the farm near Khesano Mori. Is also worked on cropping of arid saline areas like Kohistan of western Sindh, Thar and Nara region of Eastern Sindh, saline lands of eastern deserts and also some saline areas of Kohistan.
· Previous experience of the organization is the introducing 25 new fruits and industrial crops for the past 25 years and mostly an guidance of Ms Farzana.
· The experience of NGO - Integrated Agriculture Developers (IAD) is in the field of soil, agriculture, irrigation and drainage. We have introduced many new crops throughout Sindh with special emphasis on drought and salt resistant crops.
· Organization was established in 2,000. All its members are professional. Simple method of funding is charging the beneficiaries for services actually provided directly to the employees IAD.
· Office expenses and transport is provided from income of Khesano Mori Farms, which has 37% of area under lychee and belongs to Ms. Farzana. The number of staff excluding the members is 20. There are 5 females and 15 male members in the organization. All males are trained for the field work and all women are office workers, and administrators. The IAD has 25 members. Criteria for membership is that they will introduce new crops and pay expenses of the staff. The IAD has the capacity to carryout the work in the area because of the expertise, trained personnel and experience of introducing new fruit crops. The ongoing work is introducing new fruits and industrial crops at a number of farms at Kandiaro, Pir Kathi, Tando Jam, Tando Allahyar, and Ibrahim Kachi in various areas of Sindh.


2.JUSTIFICATION FOR SUPPORT-LINKAGES WITH GEF
themes and operational programmes
·Justification for the project activity is to reduce poverty, caused due to by change of environments by construction of flood protected embankment and Kotri barrage schemes. The past 46 years therefore have been miserable for the whole coastal area, of which the worst is Badin Taluka and surrounding areas.
·The problem has been identified in the Project Proposal is that it is very poor area. There is unemployment, lack of food, clothing and shelter, women are worst hit, unnourished, underfed so are the children. The project is to create a base for economic growth.
·The proposed project activity of Small Grand Programme will change the environments and produce new fruits, fodder, food, fuel, fibre, flowers, essential oils and herbs. This is how it fits in GEF, SGP, programme.
·Global and local significance of proposed project is improvement of environments, creating job opportunities for both men and women, creating economic returns from otherwise useless land, stopping migration of people, 80% of whom have already left the area, attracting back the people who have migrated and developing new economic base. The improved environments of crops will reduce carbon dioxide, a global intervention, in addition to local advantages.

3.CONTEXT BASE LINE
·The area of activity will be southern part of Badin District as shown in the map enclosed. The area is outside is irrigated, but due to lack of fresh water this area has saline ground water. Its problems are all together different and salinity is severe. The project area is highly saline and even if irrigation water was available it can not be cultivated. It is fit for halophytes and some halophytes flourish while on irrigation with saline water.
·The problem has been identified by a number of reports by IUCN, Government of Sindh, Fisher Folk, and consultant Research and Development Engineers, and some reports on sea water intrusion. We have visited the area recently in connection with sea water intrusion and found that this area is comparably easier to develop than the coast itself .
·The existing condition of area is discussed under the project proposal.
·The above mentioned study throws light on the whole area, but is specific. The use of saline ground water for raising agriculture crops namely; food and fodder crops, vegetables, fruit, industrial and commercial woods was prepared by Ms. Farzana in 1991 for Sindh Arid Zone Development Authority and possible crops for saline water were suggested but the above authority never executed the plan.

4.PROJECT OBJECTIVES PROPOSED ACTIVITY
The proposed activity is the combination of raising agriculture on saline land and saline water:
·Immediate object of the project is introduce new crops, which will demonstrate the techniques and the other people can copy and replicate. It could increase employment for both men and women, reduce poverty, create a kind of self-respect and independence among the population.
·Expected project disciplinary will be the introduction of number of corps which are unknown in the area and their ultimate use for food, fuel, fodder, fibre flowers, essential oils, industrial products etc.
·The project will be on small scale, but can easily be replicatable. The NGO would produce bulletin on each crop and give it to stake holders, concerned officials, and local self-government and others interested, including local NGOs.
·The activity will start with survey of the land, selection of land by NGO?s social mobilisers, study in details of the soil and ground water or other source of water. According to the ability of soil and water crops will be introduced. Since the task is difficult only 10 plots of one acre each will be selected and suitable plants planted on them. The first phase will take 3 months when land will be prepared, crops planted and then they will be looked for 9 months before handing over to the owners. Owners will give under taking that these are demonstration plots for the period of 5 years and will allow interested parties to replicate it any time during the period.
·Target beneficiaries in term of socio-economics, and gender shall be both men and women 50:50 basis. The women to do light field operations and men to do heavy operations. The plots have to be saved from grazing domesticated and wild animals for first 2-3 years by the owners.
·The indicators of the development shall be success of growth of the various plants and their utility. Thus if the plants show good growth, it shall be called a good success of the Project. Very fact plant growth is in indication that project is successful in highly saline soil and highly saline ground or surface water. It is measurable in terms of growth, certain plants would produce the 1st crop in 1st year, but repetition of the same crop next year will ensure high yield. The NGO would consider the SMART indicators measurable in terms of growth, attainable in terms of good growth reliable in terms of success, time-bound in terms of establishment of plant in first year.

5PROJECT STRATEGY
The strategy of the project is to produce crops on land which is already saline and ground water there is also saline.
·In this case no NGO other than Integrated Agriculture Developers (IAD) has requisite experience and expertise. The stake holders will be the owner of the land, local people concerned and officers of the district and other future development donors. Some NGOs may show interest and they may be involved in training rather than being stake holders.
·Key stake holders are the leaser of land.
·Recipient organization IAD, will select the land after social mobilization, will get seed bed prepared, plant crop and irrigate with saline water. Once crops comes up there will be inter-cultivation weed control, mulching done if mulch material is present, diseases control and elimination of insects by proper chemicals.
·Role of partner organizations will be nil except land owners
·Dialogue and network with other NGOs and community groups will involve periodic meetings and discussions.
·This will be GEF-SPG project, but it will have no direct connection with LIFE, TRF and other organizations. It is felt that some NGOs may be interested and they can be helped to understand project as observers.
·Some other NGOs may like to involve themselves in these activities and they will be accommodated if they bear their own cost.
·Nurseries will be established for the plants at suitable places. Some plants grow on fresh water and once established in nursery they can be transplanted in saline lands on saline water. Number of nurseries will depend and it is possible that only two nurseries may catter for the whole area one on fresh water and other in saline land on saline or fresh water.

Gender involvement.
·Women will be fully involved. Women will be taught to plant crop fertilize and control insect and diseases. There will be mulching and guidance will be given to them by women supervisors of IAD. Men will be required initially to do some work making watercourses, ridges and furrow, bring water form suitable area.
·The plants will produce food, fodder, fruit, fuel, and flowers. Perennial crops could be grazed after a couple of years. In general there will be little fodder in first six months, but after this enough grasses will come up and these will be cut and used as feed for sheep, goat, camels and cattle. This would give some income. In the 1st year land owner would be given Rs.7,200 annually to sustain but after land turns green with weeds and grasses for fodder owner should sustain itself.

6.TEHNICAL FEASIBILITY
Under the project the people have not seen grass, fodder, fuel fruit and oil trees and bushes growing in coastal saline land and saline ground water. They will see for themselves these trees and fodders in the coastal area, growing. No body hither to has tried to make use of these, because of the vast irrigated area on Indus water. The general impression is that the only fresh water is used for raising crops. Nature uses every bit of land and water, of any quality and produces some or other vegetation and we have just forgotten to copy the nature, to which we are force to turn now, as we do not have extra land and fresh water available.

The domestication of crops started some 9,000 years ago, on natural rain and salt free land, but domestication of crops on saline land, saline water even sea water was possible. Some crops like wheat, barley, millets, sugarcane, culinary beets, maize and potatoes had evolved in brackish water area and could flourish well in saline water of 5,000 ppm.

7 ANTICIPATED RESULTS
Research during past 50 years shows that many crops can grown on saline land and also on saline water. The results are known from research world over and we have to adopt those methods.
·The project has great demonstration value. Introduction of these crops first time in Pakistan will attract many people in agriculture business, agriculture and Forest department officers, District Nazims, NGOs and many other farmers who will learn from this project.
·The potential risks are the destruction of plot by wild and domesticated animals and owners of the land have to take care of these in their own interest.