By decomposing organic matter, natural soil fertilizer can be generated from what is usually regarded as waste. Organic matter as weeds, leaves, cut grass, residuals from harvest, animal dung, ash, green and brown pruning material, kitchen waste, such as eggshells and vegetable peels and other organic materials are mixed and decomposed by microorganisms for producing long-acting manure.

Compost not only improves the soil structure but also its porosity, creating a better environment for the root system of plants. It also increases the permeability of heavy soils and reduces erosion and runoff by increasing the soil's water retention capacity.

Compost supplies a variety of macro and micronutrients and in general a significant amount of organic matter to the soil.

Compost also can be used for preparing liquid manure, a very quick-acting organic top dressing which can be applied if vegetables show a deficiency of nutrients or are in a phase when they need many nutrients, e.g. tomatoes after flowering. 

Given the climatic conditions in Tajikistan, with very dry summer and cold winter, compost is normally produced in pits. Most commonly, a two-pit system is recommended.

In order to develop good quality fruit yields and to enable the association of fruit growing with vegetable or fodder production in the long-run, optimal fruit tree formation is vital. From the beginning of their lifecycle, fruit trees should be formed by pruning, binding up and spreading branches. For building up stable and light-flooded trees, skeleton and fruit branches should be clearly differentiated. In the later stages of its lifecycle, maintenance pruning is used to remove superfluous fruit branches, shoots and deadwood. This allows sunlight to penetrate the inward of the tree, offering the conditions to produce bigger fruits that taste better. When fruit trees become very high and quality of fruit decline, they can be rejuvenated through rehabilitation pruning. Adequate pruning also can prevent pests and diseases, as is ensures that the trees are not too dense, and wind can pass through. The surface of leaves will consequently dry quickly after rain or dewfall and consequently spores of diseases as powdery mildew will not germinate.

The main aim of IPM is to reduce the infestation of any pest below the threshold of damage. Purchasing chemical pesticides is often too expensive for subsistence farmers. Nevertheless, some form of pest control is still vital, since a serious infestation can lead to a total loss of harvest. In this regard, the project promotes applying IPM, which requires permanent monitoring of the fields’ phytosanitary status, so that adequate measures are taken timely. For ensuring a resilient orchard in the first place, phytosanitary measures and biological pest control should be applied.  Phytosanitary measures imply using certified seedlings, free from pests and diseases. Adequate pruning is important, for removing branches infested by die-back, and for prevention of diseases like mildew, as the leaves dry soon after rainfall or dew. During a pest outbreak, homemade insecticides can be prepared by mixing spices (chilli, garlic, onion, etc.) or toxic plants (walnut, tobacco, etc.) with soap, alcohol or oil. They can be applied for controlling insects, like aphids, thrips, and mites. Another measure for controlling pests consists of providing sources of fodder and hideouts for their natural enemies.

Vegetables or fodder crops can be planted between rows of fruit trees facilitating income from the orchard from the very beginning when fruit trees have not yet entered production. Associating fruit trees with vegetables or fodder crops is especially important in Tajikistan as farmer families have only little irrigated land and thus have to use it intensively. Vegetables can be used for subsistence or sold at market, whilst fodder crops as alfalfa and sainfoin can be planted for producing hay. Other advantages of cultivating fodder plants are that these create habitats and feed pollinators and beneficial insects. Most of the species flower after fruit trees have already blossomed, thereby extending the fodder supply for pollinators and improving conditions for beekeeping. Moreover, fodder plants protect the soil from erosion.

It is cheaper to establish a traditional or semi-intensive orchard with local varieties than an intensive one based on imported seedlings since locally produced plants are cheaper and fewer plants/ha (approximately 500-600 vs 2,600-3,125) are required.

Furthermore, a semi-intensive orchard system based on local varieties allows for better vegetable growing and fodder planting between the trees. This outweighs the disadvantage that orchards established with local varieties and grafted on local rootstocks enter production later than intensive ones (5-6 years vs 2-4 years).

Traditional varieties of fruit trees are normally better adapted to local climate conditions and are more resistant or tolerant to pests and diseases. That implies economic benefits as costs for applying pesticides are reduced considerably, production levels are stable, and less irrigation water is needed.

In addition, local varieties bear fruits much longer (30-50 years vs. 10-12 years). It is recommended to involve specialists and consult with local nurseries before beginning reproduction of fruit trees seedlings since grafting requires some experience. Local nurseries can establish collections of varieties for cutting scions and hand them over to interested fruit growers.

The Durban CEBA initiative has expanded on the original ecosystem management, and reforestation approaches. This was done by embracing a more holistic understanding of the link between communities and the ecosystems that underwrite their welfare and livelihoods, especially in the face of climate change risks. It involves climate-relevant knowledge transfer, creating local jobs and developing small businesses, all of which help to ensure cleaner, greener and more sustainable neighborhoods. As a result, communities become less dependent on costly utilities and services, and through their direct participation, they become joint owners of  a new green economy sector in Durban. Key elements include:

• The management and/or restoration of local ecosystems. This is primarily through improving, for example, river flow regulation and erosion control, which can boost climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.
• Ensuring communities understand climate change related risks and how to adapt to and better manage climate related disasters.
• The upliftment of local communities through the establishment of “green jobs” for the poor and unemployed.
• The establishment of delivery partnerships between the eThekwini Municipality, other spheres of Government, Businesses, NGOs and local communities.

EThekwini Municipality adopted an innovative forest restoration approach termed the ‘Indigenous Trees for Life’ concept that was developed and pioneered by the Wildlands Conservation Trust. The concept involves the training of Tree-preneurs within beneficiary communities. Facilitators teach the Tree-preneurs how to grow and care for indigenous tree seedlings in ‘home nurseries’ until these reach a suitable height. Initial training is done within the community area, and ensures transfer of knowledge about where to collect seeds and how to grow them. Ongoing support and mentoring continues through-out the project. Trees are traded for credit notes, which can be used to purchase groceries, bicycles, building materials, or to pay for school fees or vehicle driving lessons. In addition, a “sustainable livelihoods” approach aims to develop livelihood generation through training community entrepreneurs in local food production techniques. To further enhance and bolster these benefits, a Reforestation Centre of Excellence was established at the Buffelsdraai Reforestation project site. This centre will showcase the innovative reforestation techniques, on-site research by local students, and use of sustainable technologies in the building itself.

In addition to its original conceptualization as a mitigation project, the Buffelsdraai Landfill Site Community Reforestation Project delivers several important adaptation benefits, ensuring the improved supply of a large number of other ecosystem services (e.g. water quality, flood attenuation, sediment regulation, river flow regulation). All of these ecosystem services further enhance the adaptive capacity of local communities and reduce the impacts of short- and long-term climate hazards such as heavy rain events with high erosive capacity, floods and erosion on local residents and grey infrastructure. Thus, it demonstrates the strong and vital link that exists between natural ecosystems and the human communities they support and protect, and between the human communities that support, restore and protect local ecosystems.

The purpose of this building block is to strengthen the capacities of the 10 IP communities and the implementing agencies. IPs are empowered and supported with biodiversity-friendly livelihoods to ensure that their potential is maximized. As for the implementing agencies, personnel is trained on ICCA documentation and cultural appreciation for them to provide adequate support and informed guidance to the IP communities.

New policies are created and former policies are consolidated to recognize and support ICCAs overlapping with protected areas. Policies are harmonized to establish common ground among the stakeholders and the IPs living within the area for the recognition, respect, development, and promotion of ICCAs as protected areas in the country. These policies are also in line with the country’s targets on the Sustainable Development Goals, Convention on Biological Diversity’s (CBD) Aichi targets, Philippine Development Plan, and Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP).