CACILM: Demonstrating Local Responses to Combating Land Degradation and Improving Sustainable Land Management in SW Tajikistan-under CACILM Partnership Framework, Phase 1

GOAL The project will contribute towards the achievement of the following long-term goal: “The improvement of the sustainability of arid climate irrigation land management in Tajikistan in order to safeguard the livelihoods and economic well-being of rural populations and the functional integrity of national ecosystems” The project will, through local on-ground pilot activities, test and demonstrate replicable ways in which rural farmers and communities can address key land degradation and livelihood problems. From these activities will be drawn lessons and best practices which can be directly replicable throughout the irrigated areas of the country, and the central Asian region as a whole. OBJECTIVE The project objective is stated as follows: “to demonstrate the potential to implement replicable Sustainable Land Management initiatives at the local level in Tajikistan and to build the capacity of local structures to do this” GLOBAL BENEFITS The principal direct global benefit will be the demonstration of viable, community/ farmer driven approaches to achieve more sustainable land and water management of low land irrigated valleys leading to a reduction or prevention of continued land degradation processes. This will directly lead to an improvement in the long term functional integrity of the southern lowland valley arid ecosystems in Tajikistan which can be replicated both in the country and other Central Asian States. Specific global benefits will include: ?Protection of vital watershed areas within trans-boundary river basins ?The improved conservation of biodiversity, particularly globally important and severely endangered “tugai” riverine forests remnants and desert foothills. ?Enhanced carbon sequestration through improved capacities to prevent desertification and sustainably manage forestry and land resources ?Increased institutional capacity to sustainably manage lowland valley irrigated farming systems through practical lessons learned, in-process experience and direct capacity building NATIONAL BENEFITS The principal national benefit will be the provision of a tested and tried mechanism and best practices for achieving economic and financial sustainability of lowland irrigated farming areas, crucial to the livelihoods of a significant proportion of the population and to the national economy. Indirect national benefits include the following: ?Enhanced productivity and production of irrigated areas ?Greater empowerment and self-sufficiency of resource users and stakeholders to participate directly in the conception, monitoring and adaptive management of lands and resources. ?Improved socio-economic status and sustainability of rural communities ?Reduced risks of natural disasters.