1. Profile of Implementing Organization

BDRO is a non Governmental, non-political, non-sectarian and non-profit organization. BDRO has 24 CBOs in 24 villages of Taluka Badin. BDRO usually works at grass root level in the villages of Taluka Badin applying the participatory approach.

BDRO is working for the socio economic empowerment of the rural peoples and striving for the poverty alleviation through implication of different development program in the rural areas. It was established in 2000 & registered in 2002, under Social welfare Department, by a group of energetic youngsters representing both sexes. Organization has a general Body comprising on 52 members, 18 females, 10 Executive Committee members & 6 office bearers. The budget has been utilized during last two years is about Rs. 400,000.

BDRO has initiated a Media campaign, conducted 1 awareness seminar for common people, various meetings with councilors, meetings with dealers and forest officer, and prepared a CD with cooperation of KTN local Sindhi TV channel.

Organization has been working in coordination with the various donors such as Save the children, ECHO, SPO Pakistan, AASA Karachi under USAID self help Programme, Aurat Foundation, NCHD, Education department Sindh. Although BDRO has implemented many propjets with National & International donors, but now BDRO is running Aurat Foundation Resource Centre with the support of Aurat foundation Karachi, a Women Vocational Center with SPO Sindh, Women & Children Rights Network with KESSA DIMITRA a Greek International organization working in Pakistan.

2. Justification for Support - Linkages with GEF Themes and
Operational Programmes

Badin District is a costal area and most vulnerable to natural disasters, torrential rainfalls in monsoon season, upsurge of seawater, floods, cyclones and earthquakes are kinds of calamities that frequently hit this area. Poverty and shortage of fire wood and fodder have compelled the people to cut and sell the trees on large scale which has created the menace of vanishing this especial tree from earth. An other major reason of cutting this tree / bush is that, the roots of this tree are used as a herbal tooth brush all over Pakistan. Thus cutting and digging roots out of this tree/ bush completely wipes this out. This tree is earth friendly and helps in the reduction of water logging & salinity ultimately increasing the land fertility. This tree /scrub bush has very much environmental and socio economic benefits. The tree gives protection to the land from salinity and water logging, branches and roots are used as tooth brushes, its fruit is food for the animals and birds, its wood is used as firewood and for furniture. Due to all these reasons this tree is being routed out at large scale. According the the local forest Department officials that Salvadora (percica) is spread on 27 thousands acres on the land but due to it?s continues cutting process now found on 17 thousands acres only. The said tree / scrub bush is found scattered on different places In the light of above facts, there is urgent need for intervention for conservation of this tree.

At large scale this natural tree is being rooted out and at great risk and threat to be vanished from the earth. People have engaged in the business of cutting of this tree at larger scale. This project is aimed to protect/preserve this natural vanishing tree.

This project is directly linked to the bio-diversity conservation and land degradation. This project will ultimately reduce the cutting of the tree and save it to be vanished from this area.

This is significantly important locally as well as globally as the Indus delta area of which this project area is a part is already facing severe land degradation and sea intrusion because of substantially low fresh water flow downstream Kotri barrage. This tree/ scrub plant is one of the key indigenous salinity resistant plant found in the coastal area and has been a major natural resistance to soil erosion. Owing to the cutting of the roots of the tree for commercial use will utlimatelty result into complete extinction of this plant from the area. This will expose the degraded land of coastal Badin to even more severe disasters. It is already known that Badin suffers alternate cycles of extreme disasters of drought and floods. Environemental degradation and sea intrusion situation now call for protection of these plants.

Funds received from the GEF would be utilized on proposed activities and other resources would be used to implement the project well and achieve the targeted aims/objectives.

· Make reference to GEF Operational Guidelines and Country Programme Strategy for GEF/SGP Pakistan.

This project responds to the operational Guidelines and country Program of Pakistan in which the Salvadoran tree which is under great threat will be conserved through awareness and advocacy. This project will help the people to promote the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in vulnerable area which form the foundation for sustainable development. Rapid loss of biodiversity poses a global threat to human well-being. The scale of human impacts on biological diversity is increasing exponentially, primarily because of worldwide patterns of consumption, production, and trade; agricultural, industrial, and settlements development; and population growth. The GEF operates as a mechanism for international cooperation for the purpose of providing new and additional grant and concessional funding to meet the agreed incremental costs of measures to achieve agreed global environmental benefits in biological diversity. Global environmental benefits obtained under the CBD include reduced risks of global biodiversity loss, the enhanced protection of ecosystems and the species they contain, and increased sustainability in the use of biodiversity components.

3. Context/Baseline

Badin District is a costal area and most vulnerable to natural disasters, torrential rainfalls in monsoon season, upsurge of seawater, floods, cyclones and earthquakes are kinds of calamities that frequently hit this area. This project is aimed to be initiated in 12 union Councils of Taluka Badin adjoining sea belt (Costal Area) where this tree is under threat. The funding would be sought for 1 year. The project?s main objective is to protect the tree from desertion from area.
Local villagers and the members of this organization informed that this tree is being cut for meager amounts and supplied to other areas having no other alternatives for survival. The dealers from many big cities have perpetrated in the area and encouraged the local villagers giving them greed to cut the tree on precious amounts. The organization also verified the situation visiting the area and get a CD prepared with the help of one Sindhi TV Channel KTN and telecasted.

This area has been deserted and in the clutches of water logging and salinity. This area shows the picture of tree less land for miles. No tree can be seen for miles, which has compelled people to migrate from this area. Majority of the people belonged to the agriculture and kept the cattle but now the situation has been entirely changes and people and their cattle are dying of hunger. This situation has compelled the people to cut the tree from roots to earn their livelihood. Now this area shows the picture of desert which was fertile land a few years back. The export of this tree to different countries also created a hassle to disappear from this area. In Badin there are 2 huge stocks which supply the tree to other cities and countries.

Although other studies are not conducted as yet on mentioned issue but complete story is also available on this issue which was recorded and telecasted by a local Sindhi Channel KTN.


4. Project Objective and Proposed Activity

In this project the main objective of the project is to preserve the vanishing tree of Salvadora (Percica). This project is intended to aware the people of 12 union councils of Taluka Badin where the poor tree is under great threat to be rooted out in near future. The people who are engaged and are the enemy of this tree will be convinced not to root out the tree on meager amount and the masses of the said villages will be given awareness to protect the tree to save the bio-diversity and ecosystem. The main objectives of the project are as under: To reduce the cutting of the tree. To protect / Preserve Salvadora (Percica) tree in the area especially in coastal belt of district Badin .To educate rural communities, for the conservation and protection of the Salvadoran. To Aware communities, CSO / NGOs, representatives, Govt: Official, electoral Representatives regarding this through publications, seminars and social mobilization efforts. To provides skills enhancement training in indigenous livelihood to 100 persons involved in the cutting process.


To fulfill and achieve these objectives the set of activities proposed for this project are that this organization will come in agreement with the Donor GEF in the starting, then the staff require will be hire and recruited . Introduction with all stockholders and community meetings will be conducted for formation of community groups.
On the basis of this data IEC material viz. book, poster, pamphlet, and newsletter will be developed, workshops, 10000 thousands trees will be planned in this area through local people and seminars will be conducted in 12 Union Councils and the District Government and forest department will be convinced to put ban on the cutting and selling of this tree in the premises of the whole District. The cutting of this unfortunate tree will be restricted in the District. Dealers and sellers will be given information and importance of this precious tree will be disseminated using local media workers, social workers and councilors. Community who are directly victim will be mobilized through awareness raising seminars, walks, meetings and dialogues. It is also important to develop local pressure group with the support of Local Government to impose ban on the selling and cutting of this tree. This project requires the quarterly as well as final detailed report which will be produced. According to the No. of activities will be as under:

1) Quarterly reporting of the project will be sent to the Donor.
2) Comprehensive report of the project will also be sent to the Donor.
3) 100 Awareness meetings with the targeted communities.
4) 6 Awareness raising workshop for Rural communities.
5) Meetings with District Government & District Forest Department for advocacy.
6) Monitoring, Evaluation, Audit, & Final Report.
7) One sensitization Workshop with Pesh imams
8) Indigenous skills enhancement trainings
9) One exposure visit
10) One Seminar at District level
11) One Walk
12) Formation of 48 Units in project area

The following indicators are set accordingly.

· 50% reduction in the cutting of trees in 12 U/Cs in one year?s period.
· 10000 trees plantation ( Neems, Acacia,etc)
· At least 100 people involved in the cutting business of this plant will be adopting alternative livelihoods
· Ban on unsustainable cutting of the trees by District Govt.
· Stoppage of stocks in district Badin.
· Information to 5000 local community people in 12 Union councils of Taluka Badin.
· The project is intended to be launched in 12 Union councils of Taluka Badin which are lying in costal belt. All the people who are engaged in the business of cutting and selling the tree and other who are unaware from the importance of this precious tree. Both the sexes without any discrimination will be the direct/indirect beneficiaries of this project. The actual numbers can be given after the base line survey.


5. Project Strategy

This organization has already consulted the various organizations and groups who feel the same tree in danger. The organization has already identified the NGOs, Government bodies, academia and other local organizations. This organization has developed the directory of Organizations working in this District. So it is not difficult or this organization to identify the local, national as well as international organizations to coordinate and get support from their experience and skills. This organization will look after and carry on over all activities of this project but the assistance from other local organizations and network will be appreciated. Women who are direct victim of this menace will be made beneficiaries who collect the wood. The women who, their families dependent on cutting of this tree will be assisted to provide skills enhancement training in indigenous livelihood to 50 persons involved in the cutting process.

Local people and the environment friendly groups who got information with the support of District Government will carry on the project activities after the ending of the funding. Project will be linked with local government, forest department and handed over the Union Council who will be the totally responsible to protect and preserve this tree and end the cutting of this tree possible. BDRO Badin will entirely responsible for sustaining the project. Communities will be practically involved for ownership of Salvadoran (Percica) tree and its production.



6. Technical Feasibility

Organization has skilled manpower having the same project expertise and experience. The activities of the project need the skilled staff to conduct awareness meetings with communities as well as with government official , stake holders, publication of the booklets, pamphlets, posters, to conduct workshops ad seminars, to mobilize the community, to keep record of the project, skilled persons for reporting and finally the persons for monitoring and evaluation. The organization has already worked on various projects successfully. So the many members of the organization are prepared to work on this project successfully. If the GEF provides assistance in all above said activities, this will be the lesson and learning for this organization. GEF is voluntarily invited to monitor the on going of the project activities. This will help the NGO to achieve the objectives successfully. In the data collection the Union Councils of the said area will be contacted and information will be got. Other NGOs which are working in the fields of environment will be coordinated and contacted to get the benefit from their experience. The advertisement will published in local newspapers, poster and hand outs will be distributed to invite the experiences of the said people and institution, the project staff will exposure the Sultan Pur Sukkur there same project had run.

7. Anticipated Results

· The over all impact of this project will be positive on environment as well as on beneficiaries.
· The cutting of the tree, collecting the wood and selling is a difficult process because the dealers bought the root of the tree and wood on very meager amount. It is time and muscle consuming task.
· This project will directly impact the environment viz. water, air, and biodiversity. Water logging, salinity and the water, air pollution will be reduced.
· There will be positive impact of this project on human beings and the environment of said area.
· There will be 4 CBOs in each Union Councils and 48 in all 12 union councils. These committees will be the strong protective pressure groups in this area. There is risk of opposition by the cutters, dealers of this tree. No Government agency will oppose this project.
· There are chances of resistance from above mention groups to stop the activities of this project. But this resistance and opposition will be resolved by using the leadership skills by the project committees with help of the environment friendly local peoples.
· 10000 thousand trees plantation will impart an exposure of more greenery in the targeted villages.
· Through the skill development training indigenous livelihood occupation will be promoted.
· The main stockholder of the community religious leaders will be sensitized.