Carbon Sequestration in Hossein Abad, Phase 1

Why is it important?

The ongoing global climate change is largely attributed to the extensive use of fossil fuels and the subsequent drastic increase of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere. As scientific research confirms that the world is getting hotter it is also becoming more evident that climate change imposes an environmental challenge, which will affect the lives and survival of plants and animals.

One visible sign of global warming is the occurrence of more frequent and severe draughts. This in combination with the use of unsustainable natural resource management practices have, in recent years contributed to the ever increasing occurrence of desertification.

Almost 60 percent of Iran’s 1.64 km² land area is covered by drylands. Land subject to such environmental degradation will have less vegetative cover and experience a subsequent decrease in the level of atmospheric carbon usually captured by plants. Re-plantation of arid and semi-arid rangelands is considered to help control desertification by increasing the vegetative cover of the land and thus rising the level of atmospheric carbon in plant tissues.

What is our goal?

From a global standpoint, the overriding objective of this pilot project is to sequester atmospheric carbon in dryland areas by increasing the vegetative cover of the land. The project aims to demonstrate that desertified rangelands can be cost effectively reclaimed by and for the benefit of the local community. The project also assumes that there is a significant potential to sequestrate carbon in plants and soil for the overall global benefit in the area.

On a national level, the project is in line with the development priorities of the government of Iran in aiming to combat desertification and improve the productivity of the semi arid land areas.

Locally, the rehabilitation of the project site (Hossein Abad) in Southern Khorasan aims to help improve the socioeconomic status of local communities, and thus eradicate abject poverty.

How will we reach it?

Facing the challenges of desertification, UNDP promotes a community based approach to natural resource management in partnership with the Forests, Rangelands and Watershed Management Organisation (FRWMO) of the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad. The strategy behind the activities implemented will be to empower the local community to take active part in the decision making process that manages the land while promoting institutional change that allows and encourages these individuals to participate.

In order to ensure the sustainability of the project, emphasis will also be put on ownership and capacity building in the community. Lessons learnt will be documented in order to replicate the project in similar places in Iran and other countries, which face similar environmental conditions.

What have we achieved?

Rehabilitation of degraded rangelands started in 2005 when the project mobilized local communities by helping them organise themselves in Village Development Groups (VDGs). These VDGs, which are currently more than 30 in number, were specially formed to empower men and women to take part in the decision-making processes related to their natural resources. The most important result of the project is that the local population is now organized to actively take part in the planning and decision-making for the development of their villages and the protection of their environment.

The continuous participation and involvement of community members is an important result for the project. Furthermore, women are currently holding more than one third of the positions available in the Community Development and Resource Management Committee, representing the presidents and secretaries of VDGs. As an important step towards gender balance in a rather traditional area such achievements promotes the country’s progress towards MDG 3, which is to advance gender equality and empower women.

The full participation of local communities has strengthened the communities’ sense of ownership over the rehabilitated areas. As a result communities are taking the role of the protectors of the local area’s natural resources which can be seen by their active involvement in maintaining plant nurseries, selecting and replanting patches of land and protecting the replanted area. As of the end of June 2008, the local villagers, through their VDGs, have participated in the production of more than five million seedlings and re-plantation of almost 9000 ha of degraded rangelands, either reseeded or replanted, and put under community-led protection.

The project has promoted alternative businesses by offering vocational training in the area and establishing a microcredit mechanism for VDG members. More than half of the projects’ activities in previous years have been aimed at vocational trainings that help villagers establish income generating initiatives. These newly acquired skills have been utilised through the establishment of alternative businesses, funded by the small loans acquired through the micro-credit fund. This fund, which is financed by the project, is made by contributions received every fortnight at the VDG meetings from the VDG members’ small savings and re-loaned to the group members.

Taking benefit of the ample sunlight available in the area, a number of solar energy facilities including water desalinators and a solar bath have been put up in Hossein Abad. The VDGs have provided villagers with gas-fuelled ovens and a liquefied gas distribution facility has been established and is run by VDGs. As a result the dependence on fuel wood has decreased from 800 kg per household per year to 80 kg in the pilot area. This in turn has resulted in freeing numerous working hours normally spent by young boys and girls in search of firewood.

The project has followed a participatory and well-pursued documentation strategy in order to produce regular reports, publications and documentary films.

Financial Delivery

The following is the breakdown of expenditures per year since the inception of project activities.

Source of Fund	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2003-2010
GEF Funds	$24,481.46	$153,521.17	$242,316.17	$212,953.51	$63,674.03	$39,606.41	$543.96	$793.25	$737,889.96
UNDP funds	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$215,402.59	$203,444.79	$208,530.44	-$5,125.03	$622,252.79
Donor - AUSAID	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$6,034.78	$0.00	$6,034.78
Total	$24,481.46	$153,521.17	$242,316.17	$212,953.51	$279,076.62	$243,051.20	$215,109.18	-$4,331.78	$1,366,177.53