Project area. The project will be implemented in five districts in eastern Khatlon region, namely Dangara, Temurmalik, Baldzhuvan, Muminobod and Shurobod. Some 79 per cent of Khatlon's rural population is poor, making it the region with the highest incidence of rural poverty in the country. Target group. The primary target group will be poor and very poor households in the five districts of Khatlon. Specifically, the project will seek to provide benefits to the following groups: (i) rural poor people living in extreme poverty who are either landless or barely able to achieve subsistence on household plots; (ii) subsistence and semi-subsistence farmers, in particular those willing to move to more commercial farming; and (iii) the rural unemployed, underemployed and self-employed. Project objectives. The project's development goal is to reduce poverty for 18,750 households in the target districts. The purpose is to increase the profitability of small farms (including household plots) across the project area. In order to achieve this, the project has three components each with an associated outcome, as follows: (i) enhanced capacity of institutions; (ii) improved access by farmers to technologies and productive infrastructure; and (iii) effective and efficient project management. Project description. In addition to project management, the project will have two components:
Important features. Tajikistan is the poorest country in Central Asia. The project will be the first IFAD operation in the country and will be guided by the subregional strategic opportunities paper for Central Asian countries, prepared in 2005, particularly with regard to the paper's emphasis on improved natural resource management, land reform and the strengthening of grass-roots organizations. The project is also aligned with the IFAD Strategic Framework 2007-2010, particularly in its focus on improving the livelihoods of the rural poor by strengthening their organizations and enabling them to access productive technologies and resources. The project has been included in the Government's strategy for rural poverty reduction for 2007-2009. Its design is based on harmonizing the best practices of two NGOs currently active in the project area, Mountain Societies Development Support Programme (MSDSP) and CARITAS. This innovation will lead to much-enhanced collaboration, mutual learning and sharing for stronger community development. Other innovations specific to the project include the introduction of participatory technology development and the strengthening of research-extension-farmer linkages. Cofinancier and domestic contribution. MSDSP is expected to provide a grant of US$0.26 million. The domestic contribution is expected to amount to US$2.39 million. |
|
 |
 |
 |
