Project Name: Fauna and Flora

Purpose of Grant:
Fruit and nut forest conservation through capacity support for local NGOs

Continent: Asia

Area of Support: Natural Environment

Applicant: Fauna and Flora

Amount: £10,000

Date of Grant: October 2008

Description:
In October 2008 a grant of £10,000 was agreed for Fauna and Flora International (FFI) to strengthen the capacity of the local NGO Zan va Zamin “Women and Earth” in Tajikistan. The grant was made to enable Zan va Zamin to take action to ensure that the ancient and globally important fruit and nut forests were used sustainably. These activities are necessary to safeguard the forests biodiversity and to ensure the continued existence of the forest resources as the rural communities in Tajikistan depend on them for their survival
A report from FFI has been received: ‘With the support and supervision of FFI Zan va Zamin carried out biological and socio-economic surveys, using household interviews, to identify areas of conflict between the needs of conservation and of people and between the local communities and the local state forest service. The project focused on the area of Childukhtaron Zakaznik. Six seminars for local people were held to increase understanding and support for forest conservation. A needs assessment of the local state forest service identified a) the lack of basic equipment and facilities needed for good forest management, and b) informed the design and implementation of training on general biodiversity conservation, nursery establishment, forest legislation, and participatory forest management. Next steps include conducting meetings between local people and the forest service to discuss how they currently use the forest and to identify possible solutions which integrate forest use and forest conservation.
The region’s unique wild fruit and nut forests are of exceptional ecological, socio-cultural and economic importance, and are home to a rich variety of wildlife and plant species, including walnut, apricot and wild apple. In addition to general ecological services, these forests provide a highly nutritious food source for rural communities, medicinal plants, timber for fuel and construction, and fodder for livestock; the selling of forest products often constitutes the only available cash income for many rural poor. Poorly regulated and uncontrolled use of the forests, driven primarily by poverty, a lack of alternative income sources and a lack of knowledge and understanding, put large areas of these ancient fruit and nut forests under severe and immediate threat of being severely damaged. Conserving Tajikistan’s highly productive, and both nationally and internationally important, fruit and nut forests will contribute to sustaining the livelihood source of forest-dependent communities, and thus preserve their economic and social integrity.’