Sharing lessons learned for replication

The process of establishing the Pakistan’s first MPA has led to a number of valuable lessons being learned, mainly regarding how stakeholders from various sectors (federal and provincial governments, civil society and academia) can collectively work towards pushing through policies for environmental conservation. Pakistan also has a large coastline, and this process can now be replicated for other sites which are rich in biodiversity. Some other potential MPA sites have already been identified, including Churna Island, Miani Hor, and Gwatar Bay.  Through regular meetings of the MFF NCB and other regional gatherings Pakistan continues to share its experience establishing Astola Island MPA and vision to establish additional areas.

Strong interest from policy-makers, IUCN Members and civil society to replicate the process to establish Astola Island MPA in other coastal areas in Pakistan.

The MFF NCB is a valuable 'soft governance' platform.  Whilst not a formal body, it's unique membership provide a forum for advocay and policy influence with input from a cross section of stakeholders with an interst in coastal resource managment.  The continued engagemnt of the NCB will be vital for supporting the development of a management plan for Astola Island and for achieving sustainable coastal resources management in Pakistan.

Efficient irrigation technology

Conventional irrigation in the area of the solution had been furrow irrigation only. This technology requires large amounts of irrigation water. In cases of shortage of irrigation water, in particular in drought situations, which due to climate change are increasingly frequent, furrow irrigation is not possible - the water just cannot reach all parts of the field and be taken up by the plants.

 

In the case of potatos increasing heat causes stress to plants.

 

As more efficient and climate change adapted irrigation technologies of  drip irrigation have been introduced. Drip irrigation allows for a locally targeted provision of irrigation water to individual plants. Additionally it can be used to apply fertilizer in correct dosage and extremely efficiently.

 

The sprinkler irrigation is highly suitable for potatoes and can help to  reduce heat stress in cases where sufficient water of suitable quality is available. 

The  readiness of farmers to try new irrigation technologies was much driven by the increasing awareness about the limitations of the conventional furrow irrigation, experience of water shortages and the policy of the national and regional governments to apply water efficient irrigation technologies, e.g. in the newly irrigated lands of Sayhun town, which are fully dependent on the costly pump irrigation with water from Syrdarya river. The need was met by the availability of engineering and agricultural knowledge and funding provided by GIZ.

Drip and sprinkler irrigation have  been successfully tested in various crops, but the economic viability of these efficient irrigation technologies varies. Drip irrigation is only economically viable where limited irrigation equipment can allow for production of high yield of expensively sold crops, e.g. fruits and melons. For mass crops, like onion and potato, the investment required is too high compared to the prices achieved for the harvest. However, if irrigation water becomes more scarce, irrigation equipment becomes more affordable and/or prices of agricultural products increase, this situation may change and drip irrigation may become affordable for such crops as well.

 

Sprinkler irrigation already nowadays can be efficient where increasing temperatures challenge the productivity and quality of potato crop.    

Diversity of water sources

Irrigation water can be used from different sources. In the region, where the solution is implemented these are:

- the Syrdarya river, from where it is pumped through large pipelines;

- irrigation canals;

- wells;

- small springs, which are captured by simple means;

- rainwater collection from the roofs of houses.

 

The different water sources are related to a diversity of governance systems. The regional government owns and maintains large pipelines and canals, medium irrigation canals are in the responsibility of district water management authorities and smaller structures are cared for by the communities or by individual farmers.

 

Depending on the amounts of irrigation water available and the associated costs there are increasingly new and water efficient technologies applied for irrigation of the lands.

The diversity of sources of irrigation water is an enabling factor by itself.  Together with the availability of diverse technologies it allows for the continuation of irrigated farming under the conditions of climate changed induced increasing aridity and irrigation water shortage.

Irrigated agriculture can be effective and efficient with different sources of irrigation water. Creative innovations and the application of best practices allow for the capturing of even small sources of irrigation water and their use for the cultivation of irrigation dependent crops and thus for generation of local income. By this the resilience of land users to the impact of climate change is improved.

Consultation on agricultural practices and inputs

The agricultural service provides farm-specific advice on choice of crop and the best combination of seeds (varieties), fertilizer, pesticides, cultivation and irrigation technology. The purpose of this building block is to provide the farmers with the best available knowledge to guide their decisions and practice. 

Sometimes it may happen that the agronomist advises the farmers to apply a needed input at a certain time, but the farmers do not follow this advice, since at that time they either do not have the financial means for purchasing the recommended inputs or lack access to it. Thus, the provision of advice would not be effective.

The local agricultural extension service combines long-year experience in the specific region with knowledge on internationally available best practices. Further, the extension service collaborates closely with the agricultural departments in the respective districts and it is trusted by the farmers. The collaboration with the GIZ project allowed for the integration of additional state-of-the art technologies.

Agricultural extension needs to be tailored to the specific conditions of the local farmers and all advise has to take into consideration their needs and opportunities, while providing new knowledge and directly applicable suggestions.

Designing Community Action Plans

Community led initiatives have a higher chance of success. Working with the community for the community is one of the best ways of ensuring process and results ownership.

In our reference case of Vihiga County, after desseminating results of the baseline survey to the intevention community, with the guidance of all participating partners the locals were allowed to brainstorm and come up with possible feasible interventions.

This largely contributed to the success of the project as the participants enthusiastically made effort to ensure successful implementation and continuity. Some members voluntered their land and other resources towards the project, it beng their very own.

Partners offered some financial support to kick start the project, and also agri nutrition knowledge and skills.

Inclusivity

Collaboration

Community active participation

For an intervention to work best, let it be community owned and actioned from inception, with the guidance of other participating partners like the government and donors.

Collecting Agirnutrition and Konwledge, Attitude and Practice Data

Reliable and recent data about the study community is a key contributor to the success of an intervention.

Data provides prior knowledge of the community and possible areas of collaboration with other exisiting projects, if any exist.

In our Vihiga project, results of the baseline survey informed us of the current situation (exisiting nutritional gaps). The results were also shared with the communities and it is from these findings that the communties based their deliberations and came up with possible ways of tackling the problems found.

For scaling up of the project in Turkana and Ethiopia, we will utilize agrinutrition data collected earlier in both areas.

Data collection in the mid and end will help determine the effectiveness or otherwise of the intervention

  • Selection of a representative sample 
  • Accuracy in data collection, entry and analysis
  • Simplified dissemination of research findings to enable uderstanding by the community hence relevant intervention.
  • It is important to carry out a diagnostic study before any intervention plans in order to establish exisiting gaps
  • Our use of mixed methods in data collection helped in data verification
  • It is important to invest in the whole research process-data collection, cleaning and analysis for accurate representative results.
Creating a dynamic dialogue among stakeholders

Through a dynamic multi-stakeholder dialogue process, the project provided a platform to resolve conflict among stakeholders and to re-invest in institutions.  It also helped stakeholders come together, build consensus and co-develop alternative solutions to the challenges they face.

Also, by organising the illegal loggers into groups, it was easier to work with them, including ensuring their support needs were being met. 

The project brought diverse stakeholders within the forest sector together to negotiate viable options for dealing with chainsaw milling, which had become synonymous with illegal logging.

By providing a pathway for the illegal loggers to engage in legitimate business operations, notably artisanal mining, it provided an alternative livelihood option and an incentive for them to participate, which had numerous positive impacts.

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Raising awareness and efficacy through information sharing

The project developed a strategy that entailed reaching out to illegal loggers as well as others, including the forest communities and those parties responsible for regulation and trade. They did this by presenting strong and relevant incentives for engagement, based on empirical information about the current situation and forecast for the country’s environmental resources in the future, and also by offering them the opportunity to help co-develop alternative solutions to these challenges.

 

Note: while the project was mainly focused on the illegal loggers, and the possibility of developing alternative livelihoods for them, its secondary target audience was the Forestry Commission, which is responsible for managing Ghana’s forestry resources.  Over the years, the Commission has also 

faced numerous challenges from murder of forest guards and accusations of corruption to poor communications with resource managers and forest communities. 

 

A strategic approach was developed based on information generated, a felt need and a strong sense of trust. The discussions confirmed the need for alternatives livelihoods to illegal chainsaw milling and the concept of support for artisanal milling emerged. 

Engaging with the ultimate beneficiaries was essential for the project to be effective.  Thus, dialogues were facilitated among stakeholders, including illegal loggers, at the district, regional and national levels. This allowed for input and consensus building at all levels.

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Product Innovation and Development Using Applied Technology

The continuation of organizing every group of the village is to hold a training and development of post farm production such as improving quality of raw materials, packaging, marketing, and research and development. Applicable technology (i.e. fish farming intensification (biofloc), fish food production using pepper and rice farm waste supported mechanical processing, organic fertilizer using processed waste of fish farming, etc) is required and it has to be simple technology so that the people can operate, maintain, and even build the machine itself. Widening the range of market and technology information can be obtained from training events and various exhibitions. Up until the final stage that the local people are fully capable to execute and develop themselves. The future evolving technology that is going to be applied in the village has to be controlled so it doesn't exceed its biocapacity(an estimation of capacity given to an ecosystem/biological productive area to absorbs waste and produce natural resources).

  • Executing initial research of post farm product development and application of applied technology
  • Widening the distribution of those products to big cities nearby.
  • Product development with various practical and modern packaging
  • Green packaging development to eco-friendly material/plastic subtitute material (i.e using plastic subtitute package, such as, plastic from sea weed, maizena, etc).
  • Product innovation (i.e. powder, essential oil, etc) to create more variety of products and increasing brand value
  • Network expansion to export market
  • Understand which local companies we're going to collaborate with and regional distribution line.
  • Discover various organic community and product innovation, green packaging innovation, and applied technology to support these.
  • Enriching product and market knowledge and its legal barrier so we can improve human capacity to overcome those challenges.
  • Using up to date media as marketing strategies (online marketing) so increasing information tech savviness is mandatory for villagers.
Conservation fund

As a strategy of connection and contribution of the citizenship, because in the first edition (2013) We were able to finance all expenses, a conservation fund was generated from the collection of the cost of the registration of the event, the fund was delivered to the Promoter Group CPY and it was invested in conservation actions and sustainable use of the territory, with the fund was bought trap cameras for monitoring biodiversity.
This proposal was not sustainable for following editions, due to the considerable increase of the participation and the associated costs, currently we use the fee of the registrations to complete the event financing.

Have an emblematic conservation project in the region.
Having achieved the total financing of the initiative in its first year.
To have a permanent governance space (Cooperation System and CPY promoter group)

It is necessary to devote greater effort to the raising of economic resources to maintain the conservation fund.
To allocate the money raised in local projects, helps to strengthen the relationship between the promoter group and the community.
Having an external institution that helps finance 100% of the event, allows the creation of the conservation fund.