By: Parvin Pakzadmanesh, Saeid Nouri Neshat, Mehdi Almasi, and Seyed Ali Sajed
Boompajuhan Society
Tehran, 2010
Publisher: Olive Leaf Publishing (Barg-e Zeitoon)
ISBN: 978-600-5424-11-6
Cover Design: Hamid Khani
Experiences from local activities to protect environment and Natural Resources
The present book is a collection of experiences of community-based activities for protection of environment and natural resources in Iran and other countries. The book is published within the project of the Community empowerment and awareness raising for conservation of Asiatic Cheetah (IRA/05/10 (58th)) started in 2006 in Touran (located in Semnan Province in Iran) as well as Touran Asiatic Cheetah Local Participation and Livelihood Project (IRA/SGP/OP4/RAF/07/05 (96)) started in 2008 in the same area; both projects have been implemented by Boompajuhan Society with the support of GEF/SGP.
The experiences of other countries have been selected from a book entitled Community Action to Conserve Biodiversity: Linking Biodiversity Conservation with Poverty Reduction, published by GEF Small Grants Programme, Equator Initiative and United Nations Development Programme, printed in March 2006.
The first case study is about Indus dolphins or “Bhulan” as it is known in local vernacular, is a blind river cetacean endemic to Pakistan. This species was once distributed throughout the Indus River System but now it is only found below the Taunsa Barrage upto Sakhar Barrage. Today it is one of the most endangered Cetacean species of the world. The main threat to its growth is due to the building of barrages, industrial and urban pollution and over fishing by local fishermen.
To investigate the status of this species, a number of research studies and surveys has been carried out by various Government Departments, WWF-Pakistan and IUCN. But so far no efforts have been made to involve community of local fishermen in the process of its conservation. The present story is about how community has been involved over there through Adventure Foundation of Pakistan which is already running some boat safaris from Taunsa Barrage to Ghazi Ghat for Dolphin viewing and Bird Watching, of course with the help of local community by using their traditional wooden boats which are environment friendly and do not create any disturbance in the natural habitat of the Dolphins. A community based ecotourism project launched at Taunsa Barrage has helped a lot to create awareness about conservation issues among the local community as well as among visitors coming in this area. The income generating aspect of the project has motivated the fishermen community to understand the value of rich ecotourism potential of their area. The Indus Dolphin Conservation Project at Taunsa Barrage has established itself as a good example in conservation. It is the first example of an organised community based ecotourism project in Pakistan. The success behind this initiative can be attributed mainly to the dynamic partnership that has evolved between the Adventure Foundation of Pakistan, the World Wide Fund Pakistan and the United Nations Development Programme. The project has been funded by UNDP-GEF/SGP and technical assistance is provided from WWF-P.
The second experience is about Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE). The organization was founded in 1997 to respond to the negative environmental effects of unsustainable resource use (such as manatee poaching, illegal fishing and logging, and destructive farming methods) focusing on conservation. In particular, its formation was a reaction to a spate of manatee killings in the Gulf of Honduras - Belize is home to the largest population of the endangered West Indian manatee in the world.
Community support for conservation is ensured through the participation on TIDE’s advisory boards of residents who live on or adjacent to the areas. Its Board of Directors includes fishermen, a farmer, a tour guide operator, a community worker, a teacher, and the Dean of the local University, who are drawn from all parts of the Maya Mountain Marine Area and from all major ethnic groups in the Toledo District. It also works cooperatively with government officials and has extensive links with the academic community in Belize and abroad, working with graduate students in marine biology, for example. Additionally, TIDE has built partnerships with the private sector to serve as in-bound tour operator with tourism services to local providers.
The third experience is about community-based activities done to protect the natural resources in Silves Island (Amazonas, Brazil) by the Associação Vida Verde da Amazônia (AVIVE) supported by the World Wildlife Fund – Brazil. Associação Vida Verde da Amazônia (AVIVE) was born after women in Silves enrolled in a course organized by the community environmental group ASPAC (Silves Environmental and Community Preservation Association) on medicinal plants and a project with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on endangered and medicinal plants of Amazonia. The “Sustainable Production Community Project for Essential Oils” began with the collection of paurosa (rosewood) tree leaves, a soap-making workshop,demarcation of a small garden where preciosa, puxuri, cumaru, and pau-rosa were grown, and the distribution of moulds and glycerin from Sao Paulo. Since the pilot project, AVIVE has blossomed, developing, producing, and marketing a line of vegetable soaps on regional, national, and international markets.
Rosewood oil is a primary fixative in perfumes in great demand nationally and internationally. It is produced principally by the Brazilian states of Amazonas and Pará. Exports have decreased considerably during the last few decades due to intensive overexploitation of this species without the replanting being obliged by law. By using sustainable extractive techniques that do not require the harvesting of the tree, AVIVE’s work protects a tree on the world’s endangered species list.
The fourth project depicts the results of two projects that have been implemented in Touran (located in Semnan Province in Iran), by Boompajuhan Society or ECO Researchers Society (ERS) that was established in 2002 by a group of active students of environment of various universities in Iran. The group was formally established as an NGO in the Ministry of Interior in 2004. The first project aimed at the Community empowerment and awareness raising for conservation of Asiatic Cheetah (IRA/05/10 (58th)) that was started in 2006 in Touran and the second one was done to increase local participation (IRA/SGP/OP4/RAF/07/05 (96)) that was started in 2008; both projects have been implemented with the support of GEF/SGP. The first project was done with an aim to increase the existing capacities within the targeted villages as well as to train game guards to establish more contacts with people in local communities. Also, a series of public meetings were arranged in the targeted villages and trainings on environment and conservation were carried out in schools. Within the framework of the second project a participatory facilitation team was engaged to help establish Local Active Groups and assist to form local funds for livelihood practices.
The next part deals with the issue of grassroots activities against desertification in the north of Chile. In that region, inadequate management of a growing goat population, a high rate of wood resource exploitation, and drought have all aggravated desertification. In the Limarí Valley, desertification is exacerbated by extreme poverty and the isolation of the shepherd peasants who populate the area. Government action has not been sufficient in reversing this negative feedback loop. As a result, local groups have themselves taken on the task of searching for alternatives to the overexploitation of their natural resources to meet their needs.
The sixth case is about the local group of Chibememe Earth Healing Association (CHIEHA) which is located in the Sangwe Communal Lands in Zimbabwe, which has been involved in restoring local biodiversity and raising people's awareness on environmental issues. The project was funded by the GEF/SGP in 2000.
The Sangwe lands border on the Save River, which is currently threatened by heavy siltation. To help prevent the land degradation that contributes to this, CHEHA has established nurseries for indigenous plants and planted vertiva grass and indigenous species in the Zivembava forest. The project has re-introduced a number of indigenous crops such as sorghum, millet, cowpeas, groundnuts and other drought tolerant crops. During good harvests, they have managed to produce enough for own consumption and for sale.
Thanks to this project, household crop output has doubled. In addition to improving local food security, community members have also begun to sell crop output. The benefits from the sale of the crops and non-timber forest products are shared through extended families and communal resource sharing systems. CHIEHA estimates that over 50000 people have been reached through their international bicycle rides and drama performances conducted since 1998. The new environmental and cultural center will further support awareness efforts.
The last case is about a project that is concerned with the seasonal rehabilitation of Dorge Sangi Wetland – located in Sirangoli, Naghadeh, in West Azarbaijan province in Iran - which is a designated Ramsar Site after the drought. A planning grant had been awarded to the NGO continue assisting the government agencies to keep the canals open and to conduct the baseline studies to formulate a project help maintaining the seasonal wetland and help to promote multi-sectoral cooperation.
The main project was involved in dredging the 18 Km of canals from Qadar River to maintain the flow of the unused farming water during winter. The ecosystem was diligently monitored and the group extensively continued seeking the cooperation of the local authorities for different permits and awareness raising programs.
