old Carbon Sequestration in Desertified Rangelands of Hosseinabad Project, Phase 2

Why is it important?

In view of the achievements of the first phase of Carbon Sequestration in Desertified Rangelands of Hossein Abad Project in local capacity building, gender empowerment, small enterprise generation and participation of local villagers in cost-efficient rehabilitation and management of degraded rangelands, the FRWO and UNDP agreed to further strengthen and scale-up the impacts of the Project by defining and budgeting a second phase. The following points provide the rationales behind the decision:

The Project illustrates a best practice case of how the poverty-environment nexus can be addressed in participation with local stakeholders to manage natural resources while helping rural people to mobilize their own capacities and resources for improved living standards. The project has disseminated awareness and knowledge among local people and authorities on how to cooperate in natural resource management. This innovative approach has attracted attention and interest of authorities and institutions at national level.
FRWO has set to start similar initiatives in other parts of the same province and in other provinces of the country to impact the provincial decision making and to introduce new NRM approaches to national and provincial decision makers. To that end, the capacities already built in pilot villages under Phase One should be effectively put to work for proliferation in new areas. However, the aforesaid capacities are still fragile and need to be further strengthened. Phase Two will help the capacities and results to become more robust, hence more effective to reproduce themselves in other areas. The second phase of the Project should strive to introduce the project concept and methods upwards in the FRWO (and Government at large) because sustainability of results cannot be guaranteed unless they impact larger scale planning and decision making schemes at sub-national and national levels.
The local Human Development Index (HDI), as monitored over the past few years, has indicated a steady increase. HDI is however a long term indicator that can only show meaningful changes over a longer period.
Despite the efforts, the market loop for local products has yet to be closed by taking a systematic approach to production and marketing of these products.
In the second phase, efforts should be made to create a network of national/provincial advocates of participatory work amongst government institutions.
The training centre aimed to be established in the second phase will bring together national and international partners and create Iran’s first knowledge hub for promotion and dissemination of participatory natural resource management.

In the light of the above and in view of the fact that rural community development and natural resource rehabilitation in dryland areas are slow processes, termination of the project at this point seems to be premature and a threat to the sustainability and replication of project outcomes; hence the need for further extension of the Project.

What is our goal?

The first phase of the Carbon Sequestration in Desertified Rangelands of Hossein Abad Project was initially funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Government of I. R. Iran in 2003 for a period of 7 years at a pilot site encompassing more than 30 villages in Hosseinabad Sarbisheh, South Khorasan Province. The Project aimed to demonstrate that degraded natural resource base can be restored cost-effectively, and managed sustainably by the local communities and for their own benefit. As a result of the Project activities, the rehabilitated rangelands would possess a significant potential for the absorption and retention of atmospheric carbon in plants and soil.

Upon the successful implementation of the Project, Forests, Rangelands and Wetlands Organization (FRWO) and UNDP agreed to continue their cooperation by adding a second phase to the Project.

The intends to employ participatory methods for sustainable empowerment of local communities so that the communities assume ownership and responsibility for the restoration, conservation and sustainable use of the local environment on which they depend for livelihoods. The project will advocate and demonstrate full participation of beneficiary communities in decisions and activities concerning the management of natural resources in their own areas. Lessons learned from participatory land rehabilitation and management of natural resources can be replicated throughout Iran and even in other countries where applicable.

The most important objective of the Project in phase two is to ensure that people are fully involved in sustainable management of natural resources. This objective will be achieved through creation of new Village Development Groups (VDGs), and strengthening of the existing ones. As a result, these village level entities will be legally identified, represent the needs and interest of villagers and work as a vehicle for local development. The Project activities will include employment generation, extension and marketing of village products, application of innovative methods of farming and natural resource management, improving livelihoods and enhancing socio-economic indicators, and public awareness. A bottom-up planning approach will be used to achieve the desired results. Especial attention will be given to the transfer of transfer of knowledge and experience among villagers.

Phase two of the Project intends to use participatory methods for sustainable empowerment of local communities so that the communities assume ownership and responsibility for the restoration, conservation and sustainable use of the local environment on which they rely for livelihoods.

The Project will advocate and demonstrate full participation of beneficiary communities in decisions and activities concerning the management of natural resources in their own areas. Lessons learned from participatory land rehabilitation and management of natural resources, as well as best practices and experiences can be used to instigate similar endeavours throughout Iran and elsewhere.

How will we achieve it?

The Project intends to employ participatory methods for sustainable empowerment of local communities so that the communities assume ownership and responsibility for the restoration, conservation and sustainable use of the local environment on which they depend for livelihoods. The Project will advocate and demonstrate full participation of beneficiary communities in decisions and activities concerning the management of natural resources in their own areas. Lessons learned from participatory land rehabilitation and management of natural resources can be replicated throughout Iran and even in other countries where applicable.

The Project will particularly focus on three main outcomes as follows:

Participatory rangeland management practices (as established in Phase One) are further strengthened in target areas and the impacts on carbon sequestration monitored and documented;

Local communities further empowered and their livelihoods improved; and

Community-based and bottom-up decision making for natural resource management is advocated and promoted at national level.

While strengthening the existing VDGs, the project will extend its coverage to new villages in the same sub-basin where new VDGs will be established.

What have we achieved in Phase One?

The CSP1 has been successful in establishing and demonstrating a model for community-based approaches to natural resource management. The social mobilization mechanisms employed by the project, including the micro-credit/micro-saving schemes and the Village Development Group (VDG) network created under the project have shown significant impact. Likewise, the participatory rehabilitation of rangelands has proved effective and cost-efficient. Major achievements of the project in its first phase include:

A wealth of knowledge and experience on participatory management of rangelands;

Participatory rehabilitation and conservation of 13572 ha of degraded areas;
80.6% reduction in the consumption of fuel-wood by local communities as a result of the introduction of new sources of energy;
A locally adjusted model for carbon sequestration in dry land ecosystems;
Demonstration and promotion of innovative land and water management techniques at pilot level, which have been extended to some other parts of the country;
A network of VDGs (mixed, male, and female) that oversee the use of micro-credit mechanism;
A set of micro-credit/micro-saving schemes at VDG level;
Enhanced vocational skills among local inhabitants, particularly women;
130 small business initiatives that contribute to improved livelihoods at the village level; and
Significantly, increased awareness at local and national levels regarding partnership with local people to restore and protect the natural resources.