Conservation of Biodiversity Through Natural Resource Management and Poverty Alleviation
Case Study C0227
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| Date | 1999 |
| Agency | Sungi Development Foundation (SDF) |
| Donor/support agency | GEF SGP |
| Project type | Implemented by agency |
| Geographic coverage | Pakistan |
| Locality | Hazara region |
| Biodiversity focus | Ecosystem/landscape |
| Development focus | Local communities |
| Conservation goals | Restore the natural ecological balance in ecologically degraded areas of the Hazara region |
| Poverty reduction goals | Introduce new, environmentally sustainable, income generation activities |
Summary
The basic purpose of the project 'Conservation of Biodiversity through NRM and poverty alleviation', promoted by Sungi Development Foundation (an NGO working in Hazara since 1992), is to raise public awareness on sustainable use of natural resources and to promote environmentally sound community based natural resource management systems to restore the natural ecological balance in ecologically degraded areas of the Hazara region, while at the same time raising incomes for local communities. To achieve its objectives, the project put emphasis in particular on 3 components: 1) capacity building: Sungi has put in a lot of effort to meet the training requirements of the local communities; 2) sustainable livelihoods: Sungi used the credit line provided in the project to provide small loans to the community to promote livestock and poultry; 3) promoting public awareness of global environment: Sungi is an advocacy organization and, as such, aimed at raising awareness on environmental issues throughout the project. More in details, the major activities carried out by the project were aimed at reviving indigenous varieties of agriculture, introducing income generation activities through credit for livestock, establishing seed clubs, providing training to farmers in forestry, land use planning, nursery raising, documentation of medicinal plants, and water harvesting and controlling soil erosion.
Conservation impact
The following are some of the results of the project:
- over 151,200 plants of different plant species, both forest and fruit plants, were planted during the project period, and three community nurseries of forest plants were established
- information about the availability and usage of 55 medicinal plants was collected, compiled and published in the form of a book in Urdu and distributed among the community partners
- grass species in different areas having fodder and other nutritional value were identified and relevant information was disseminated among the community members in the form of leaflets.
Poverty reduction impact
The following are some of the results of the project:
- during the project period the NRM section conducted training on forestry, agriculture, livestock, land use planning and water harvesting techniques in which 537 community members participated
- 21 small loans were disbursed to promote poultry and livestock rearing
- the two water ponds constructed in the project area are sustaining rearing of 7,570 animal heads thus benefiting approximately 1,100 people.
Strategy for Conservation/Poverty Linkages
Provision of alternative livelihoods
Provision of basic goods/services
Reference 1
http://sgp.undp.org/index.cfm?Module=Projects&Page=ShowProject&ProjectID=307
Related records above this one:
- Global Environment Facility (GEF) (Organisation O0026)