DUSHANBE (TCA) — The Minister of Finance of Tajikistan, Abdusalom Qurboniyon, and the World Bank Country Manager for Tajikistan, Patricia Veevers-Carter, late last week signed an agreement on the allocation of additional financing for the Tajikistan Environmental Land Management and Rural Livelihoods Project. The additional financing of US$2.83 million was approved by the World Bank Board of Executive Directors in June 2015, the World Bank said.
“This additional financing will help expand the project to additional jamoats of Tajikistan, where communities need support in implementing sustainable land management and rural production practices,” said Patricia Veevers-Carter. “It is important that farmers are equipped with knowledge and resources to mitigate climate change risks to be able to achieve greater food security now and in the future.”
The Tajikistan Environmental Land Management and Rural Livelihoods Project launched in October 2013 is working with rural communities in six districts of Tajikistan’s Khatlon Oblast and Regions of Republican Subordination to support sustainable management of natural resources and increased resilience to climate change risks. This is done by providing grants to villages and resource user groups for climate adaptation and sustainable land management measures, engaging civil society organizations to work with communities on these issues and supporting analytical and knowledge sharing activities.
To date, the project has reinforced Pasture User Groups in Jirgatol and Tavildara districts to implement pasture and livestock management plans that are supporting improvements in livestock management, pasture production, and pasture rehabilitation. In addition, Water User Associations in Farkhor and Kulob districts are implementing on-farm water management plans to address issues such as salinity, water logging, and soil erosion. Through the additional financing, the project will expand its geography and support to different climate vulnerable jamoats, supporting 6,500 additional households, bringing the total direct beneficiaries of the project to over 27,000 households or 162,000 people. It will further help expand farmers’ access to knowledge and skills on both sustainable land management and climate resilient practices.
The original project is being funded by a US$9.45 million grant from the Pilot Program for Climate Resilience of the Strategic Climate Fund (PPCR) and a US$5.4 million grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Trust Fund. It is also supported by beneficiary contributions from local communities of around US$2.03 million. The Additional Financing provides grant resources of US$2.83 million from the International Development Association (US$0.83 million) and PPCR (US$2.0 million). It is implemented by the Committee for Environmental Protection of Tajikistan and will close in 2018.
