Building the resilience in a mountainous ecosystem and its people capacities to adapt to climate change:
The main goal of the project:
· To build the resilience of a mountain ecosystem face to Climate Change
· Building a poor community’s capacities to adapt to climate change
The magnitude of the problem I aim to address:
The project will make a big difference at the level of both the local ecosystem and the well being of the concerned community. In fact, the project will replant forest and fruit trees, and will preserve the small plants until a certain age. Thus, it will restore the ecosystem.
On the second hand, people will get the required knowledge and skills to be more prepared to face intense rain, to design and implement good practices to better adapt to climate change (to choose the right crop to raise and also the right tool/technology to make it happen), and will shift toward a sound behavior.
Things that will be different in the community as a result of the project:
As a result of the project there will be a big change on both aspects of the ecosystem and capacities of the locals. The ecosystem will be restored and the people will gain the skills and the knowledge to better adapt to Climate Change in their daily activities.
The project background summary:
Where: In a mountain area
Who: A poor community, (farmers, harders, women, young people, local authorities.)
What: To build the resilience of a mountain ecosystem and to build the capacity of a poor community to adapt to climate change
Why: To face the inundation issue and its negative effects;
How: Through some practical activities, capacity building workshops.
When: As soon as possible; this year!
This project is tackling the issue of inundation in a small poor mountain community which is farming and grazing subsistence. Those inundations are due to an alarming erosion that is resulting from a huge deforestation, combined to some intense rain. This situation is exacerbating with the effects of climate change. The project is aiming at building the resilience of the ecosystem and its people capacities to adapt to climate change. This will be done, as soon as possible this year, through some practical activities and capacity building workshops. Once implemented, the project will improve the well being of the local community and the young people will stick to their land.
The SMART technique:
1. Building the resilience of a mountain ecosystem face to climate change
- By the end of the upcoming rain season we will plant 3000 forest trees on the mountain, with the assistance of the forest department.
- By the end of March 2012, the community farmers will plant 1000 fruit trees on the hill (almond, olives, apples, cherries…) as identified with the agriculture department.
- On June 2012, the community members will build 3 gabions along each ravine.
- During the upcoming rain season, the community members will plant specific tree (400 trees) around each gabion.
- By the end of the year, the community leaders will consolidate the irrigation system through underground canalization.
2. Building a poor community’s capacities to adapt to climate change
- 20 farmers will benefit from 2 workshops on best practices and best crops to adapt to Climate Change. (March – April)
- 50 community members, including local authorities will benefit from 2 workshops on early warning and preparedness to intense rain (July – August)
- 15 community members will benefit on workshop on how to build gabions (June – July)
- The community members will install a greenhouse to raise the local community vegetables and needs; to insure the local food security. (January – February)
The challenges and risks I face in achieving the project objectives:
-Some components of the project are very expensive, for example, the canalization and building the gabions.
-The success of the reforestation requires a great motivation of the local population, especially from herders who should look after the small plants.
The quality needed for the project manager:
As a project Manager, I will:
· Share my vision with my team,
· Communicate Clearly,
· Help the members to develop their skills,
· Be able to develop a realistic work plan,
· Monitor the progress of the project, and performance of the team members,
· Be able to develop partnership with other actors, who share the same goals and objectives,
· Respect each team member.
Activity | Period/Duration | Expected Outcome | Indicators of achievement | Partners/Stakeholders involve | Responsible |
Objective 1: By the end of the upcoming rain season we will plant 3000 forest trees on the mountain, with the assistance of the forest department. | |||||
Digging the holes for the trees | By the end of November 2011. | Holes | Number of holes | Community members | Local association |
Trees transportation to the site | At the beginning of the rain season. | Trees transported | Number of trees. | Forest department. | Association |
Planting the trees. | Just after the arrival. | Trees planted | Number of the trees | Forest department. | Forest department |
Objective 2: By the end of March 2012, the community farmers will plant 1000 fruit trees on the hill (almond, olives, apples, cherries…) as identified with the agriculture department. | |||||
Digging the holes for the trees | By the end of February 2012 | Holes | Number of the holes | Community members | Association |
Purchase and transportation of the fruit trees. | At the beginning of March 2012 | Trees transported | Number of the trees | Community members | Association |
Planting | Just after the reception of the trees | Trees planted | Number of the trees | Community members | Association |
Objective 3: On June 2012, the community members will build 3 gabions along each ravine | |||||
Purchase and transportation of the materials and equipments. | At the beginning of June | Gabions build | Material and Equipment in site | Agriculture Department | Agriculture Department /Association |
Construction of the gabions | June | Gabion build | Number of build gabion | Agriculture Department – UNDP- Forest Department | Local association members |
Objective 4: During the upcoming rain season, the community members will plant specific tree (400 trees) around each gabion. | |||||
Digging the holes for the trees | Beginning of December | Holes | Number of holes | Community members | Local association |
Transportation of the trees | End of December | Trees transported | Number of trees. | Forest department. | Association |
Planting those trees | End of December | Trees planted | Number of the trees | Forest department. | Forest department |
Objective 5: By the end of the year, the community leaders will consolidate the irrigation system through underground canalization. | |||||
Purchase/Transportation of the piping and other materials | Sept- Dec | Equipment on site | New ditch build | Agriculture Department – UNDP- Forest Department | Association |
Construction of the new ditch | Dec | New ditch build | New ditch build | Agriculture Department – UNDP- Forest Department | Association |
Objective 6: 20 farmers will benefit from 2 workshops on best practices and best crops to adapt to Climate Change. (March – April) | |||||
Identify a venue for the workshops | Feb- March | Association | Association | ||
Send invitations | Feb -March | Association | Association | ||
Identify facilitators | Feb -March | Agriculture Department/Association | Agriculture Department/Association | ||
Hold the workshops | March - April | A list of best practices and best crops | Workshops held and number of participants | Agriculture Department/Association | Agriculture Department |
Objective 7: 50 community members, including local authorities will benefit from 2 workshops on early warning and preparedness to intense rain (July – August) | |||||
Identify a venue for the workshops | June - July | Association | Association | ||
Send invitations | June - July | Association | Association | ||
Identify facilitators | June - July | Meteorological department/Association | Meteorological department/Association | ||
Hold the workshops | July – August | An Emergency action plan | Workshops held and number of participants | Meteorological department/Association | Meteorological department/Association |
Objective 8: 15 community members will benefit of workshop on how to build gabions (June – July) | |||||
Identify a pilot site | May- June | Association | Association | ||
Send invitations | May- June | Association | Association | ||
Identify a facilitator | May- June | Agriculture Department/Association | Agriculture Department/Association | ||
Hold the workshop | June- July | A local knowledge and expertise to build Gabions | Workshops held and number of participants | Agriculture Department/Association | Agriculture Department |
Objective 9: The community members will install a greenhouse to raise the local community vegetables and needs; to insure the local food security. (January – February) | |||||
Purchase and installation | January | UNDP – Association- Agriculture Department | Association | ||
Identify the management team | January | UNDP – Association- Agriculture Department | Association | ||
Preparation of the greenhouse for the effective exploitation | February | An installed and ready to operate greenhouse | An installed and ready to operate greenhouse | Management team | Association |
Budget responsible:
The responsible for the management of finances for the project is the president of the association whose name is Saïd ZIRRI. He will be assisted by the treasurer whose name is MOSTAPHA.
People and volunteer management:
So far, we don’t have any material to manage our volunteers. However, besides some training that are foreseen to develop the team spirit and the staff, we are thinking of designing a manual for them. This manual will give them an insight about their job description (what to do and how to do it the best way).
Estimated Budget:
Project activity | Unit/Quantity | Unit coast in MAD | Total in MAD |
Planting forest trees | 3000 | 0 | 0 |
Planting fruit trees | 1000 | 2 | 2000 |
Building gabions | 3 for each of the 3 ravines | 305 | 2745 |
Consolidating the irrigation system | 1500 | 1500 | |
Workshops on best practices and best crops to adapt to Climate Change. | 2 | 200 | 400 |
Workshops on early warning and preparedness to intense rain | 2 | 200 | 400 |
workshop on how to build gabions | 1 | 100 | 100 |
Installing a greenhouse | 1 | 900 | 900 |
Grand Total | 8045 |
Potential Challenges:
Some of the major assumptions I have made in designing my project are:
· The local farmers and community members will build the gabions by themselves
· The UNDP as well as the local partners (the water and forest and the agriculture department) will support the project.
· The timeline of the project activities will be respected.
· The budget estimated will be enough for the project implementation
· The goal and objectives of the project will be achieved, (decreased inundation negative impacts, poverty alleviation, food security, decreased migration…)
I want to learn more about the following three key things:
· Who will transfer to the community members the knowledge and skills on how to build the gabions.
· How far the identified agencies are willing to financially support the project?
· If respecting the timeline set by the project will help us meet our objectives?
Evaluation:
The evaluation aims at ensuring the follow up of each single activity of the project to make sure it was done in time and successfully. It’s also a tool to share the project progress with different stakeholders, especially with the donors. Also it’s a way to ensure timely adjustment in case something went wrong during the implementation.
Evaluation tools and techniques to be used:
· Evaluation sheets distributed to participants at the end of each activity/workshop,
· Personal assessment done by the agencies’ staff,
Baseline information required:
· The situation of the degradation of the ecosystem in the village,
· The level of knowledge and skills that the community members have regarding adaptation to Climate Change,
· The number of young people and the degree of poverty in the village.
Logistical & resource considerations:
Time – One year was estimated for the implementation of the project starting from November 2011, to respond to the different requirement for each activity.
Money – The contribution of the community is estimated as in kind donation (labor and food) the department of water and forest will contribute with forest plants, the meteorology direction will contribute with expertise. For the other component of the project, money needed is estimated to $US 5.464,10
People – The project relays greatly on the community people’s contribution as a major resource (Voluntarism).
Approach to the analysis of information: To analyze the information related to the project implementation, we need regular monitoring and timely execution of the tasks. A focus on the major challenges will be done to avoid delays and bad surprises.
Stakeholders:
· As the project is considering holding some capacity building workshops, each workshop will be subject to an evaluation at the end of each realization. (Some evaluation sheets will be distributed to the participant to collect their impressions and satisfaction).
· During the implementation of the project the partners’ representatives will be observing and assessing the success/quality of each single component in which they are involved.
Communication:
Reporting is extremely important for two main reasons:
1. It’s a way to share the progress of the project with the donors, highlighting the challenges and realizations)
2. To communicate the lessons learned and the successes to the other stakeholders. Those lessons will be used for future project and initiatives.
