Siberian Crane Wetland Project SCWP

National Study Tour to FRWO/UNDP/GEF Carbon Sequestration Project Site
14-16 May 2008, Hossein Abad, I.R. of Iran

A national study tour to the UNDP/GEF Carbon Sequestration Project site (in Hossein Abad, southern Khorasan Province) was conducted for representative members of the Fereydoon Kenar Trappers Associations, 14-16 May 2008. Twelve representative members of the Fereydoon Kenar (six people), Ezbaran (four people) and Sorkhroods (two people) Trappers Associations participated in this study tour, as well as two people from the SCWP National Coordination Unit (NCU) and one national consultant.

The FRWO/UNDP/GEF Carbon Sequestration project was started in 2003 with the collaboration of UNDP, GEF and the Government of Iran in the Hossein Abad (HA) Plain in southern Khorasan Province. The project covers 144,000 ha of the HA Plain and includes 31 villages. Village Development Groups (VDGs) were given the highest importance in this project, and the project strove to empower them in expanding participatory management in natural resources and sustainable human development, while also institutionalizing VDGs. Therefore one of the most important activities of the project was VDG formation to develop a participatory and sustainable development model. Now there are 26 VDGs within a 434 ha area that covers 14 villages and includes 914 members.

Through this project different participatory activities have been implemented to develop a participatory model. One of these activities was the establishment of a solar bathhouse in Nazdasht village to improve general health and decrease bush eradication. Meanwhile, establishment of solar well water purification was another activity implemented. Through this project VDG participation has resulted in the rehabilitation of 3,050 ha of 1,500 ha plantation areas and 1,550 ha including seed spreading. As poverty alleviation actually is combating desertification, the project development micro-credit fund mechanism has been a great success. In general the project has been implementing various activities in terms of local community mobilization, micro-credit fund and rehabilitation of rangeland with high emphasis on designing a participatory rangelands management model to rehabilitate degraded rangelands for and by the people. For more information on this project please visit: http://www.ircsp.net/index.php?lang=en

The Iranian NCU realized that this successful project can be a good example and model for the Four Trappers Associations at Fereydoon Kenar to learn about micro-credit fund mechanisms, alternative livelihood programs and participatory resource management. This was an effective approach to encourage and motivate the members of the associations to strengthen their trust funds and identify alternative livelihood programs. Therefore the main objective of the study tour was to increase the capacity of representative members of Fereydoon Kenar, Ezbaran and Sorkhroods Trappers Associations for functioning of their own trust funds and development of livelihood programs which are in line with conservation goals. This study tour was organized by the UNDP/GEF Carbon Sequestration Project (the Forest, Rangeland and Watershed Organization as the implementing agency) and the SCWP NCU in collaboration with UNDP Tehran.

The study tour was for two days. The program included indoor training by the SCWP national consultant on Training and Capacity Building for Trappers Associations (at Fereydoon Kenar NSA) and Supporting the Function of Established Trust funds, along with one full day in the field seeing the achievements of the FRWO/UNDP/GEF Carbon Sequestration project, including the Village Development Groups - a way toward local communities development and resources management; micro-credit mechanism and participatory management for rangeland rehabilitation. The participants of the study tour had the chance to visit different income generation activities such as machinery cloth weaving, embroidery, dress weaving, flower weaving, sheep fattening and native hen breeding. The Fereydoon Kenar participants discussed with the local community the main concepts of their work and successes and exchanged information.

Establishment of Solar Bathhouse (Participatory activity). Constructing solar bathhouses not only improves public hygiene and the development index, but also decreases degradation of rangelands.

Carpet weaving by local women

Native race poultry breeding

For more information please contact:

Sadegh Sadeghi Zadegan, National Project Manager
Azin Fazeli, National Technical Officer
Department of Environment, Tehran, Iran
Tel/Fax: 0098-21-88244669
scwpiran@yahoo.com


China

Iran

Kazakhstan

Russia