Project ID: 1233
Executive Board Document: EB-2002-77-R-26-REV-1

Idleb rural Development Project

Who are the beneficiaries? The first priority target group, from the poverty standpoint, will be a population of about 290 000 (about 70% of the rural population of Jabel al Wastani and Jabel al Zawia ) living in 106 villages of sizes ranging from 200 to 10 000 inhabitants. The second priority group will be the rest of the population (130 000) residing in 46 villages and other pockets of rural poverty in Idleb Governorate.

Why are they poor? The main causes of poverty in the project area are rapid population and labour force growth rates, leading to high pressure on natural resources; small farm holdings and low productivity; inadequate and untimely access to inputs and rural finance; inappropriate research activities and an inefficient extension system; limited cropping due to the rocky soil; underdeveloped post-harvest processing and marketing facilities, mainly for fruit and dairy products; and limited opportunities for employment in rural areas. In addition, rural women have poor skills for various reasons: they lack access to extension and training to develop their agricultural skills; they are recruited to do manual and repetitive tasks; and they are illiterate and as such can not access betterpaying jobs.

What will the project do for them? The project’s objectives are: reclamation, on a cost-recovery basis, of 20 000 hectares (ha) of rocky land; establishment of approximately 12 000 ha of orchards; extension service and improved research-extension linkages; on-farm soil and off-farm water conservation treatments, including the construction of 25 small earth dams; rehabilitation of 14 wells; protection and rehabilitation of springs for irrigation; marketing and market information to help beneficiaries identify new market niches and to establish linkages with potential buyers; support to village development committees (VDCs) for the adoption of a participatory approach; support for the establishment of sanduqs (informal community-based microfinance institutions) for incomegenerating production; processing and marketing opportunities suitable for investments by smallholders and rural women; gender mainstreaming by strengthening the institutional capacity of the Women-in-Development Unit of the Extension Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform (MAAR) so that it can play a more effective role in building the capacity of the extension services.

How will the beneficiaries participate in the project? The project will adopt a participatory approach to the planning and implementation of its activities. VDCs will be established and will be responsible for organizing community participation in the planning, design and implementation of community-driven activities. Beneficiaries will provide in-kind contributions towards the cost of operation and maintenance of some off-farm water-harvesting works, such as springs and small dams. They will also pay membership fees in sunduqs’ microfinance initiatives and cover the cost of borrowing for land reclamation and income-generating activities.

Loan Amount:

SDR 13.3 million (equivalent to approximately USD 17.5 million) on highly concessional terms

Total project cost:USD 46.1 million

Cooperating Institution:

AFESD

Project ID: 1073
Executive Board Document: EB-98-63-R-23-Rev-1

Badia Rangelands Development Project

In the past, the Badia provided a large part of the Bedouins' livelihood. However, various factors, including excessive utilization and a recent decree totally banning barley cropping in low rainfall areas, have led to an increasing degradation of the steppe. This has drastically diminished the contribution of th e area to the feeding of flocks of sheep, reducing Bedouin economic well-being. The main objective of this eight-year IFAD-initiated project is to re-establish the productive capacity of rangelands in Badia, while introducing measures to protect the environment and so enable the Bedouins to once again obtain a significant proportion of their flocks' feed requirements. The project will be executed in two phases:

(i)a three-year preparatory phase to establish the grounds for the participatory approach, identify the needs of the Bedouins, and conduct and assess the results of the relevant physical and socio-economic studies; and

(ii) a five-year phase for implementation of large-scale investment activities.

Approximately 25-30% of the steppe inhabitants live below the poverty threshold; about 73% have access to limited water supply and suffer from poor health services due to distance from health units; and families are characterized by the young age and high illiteracy of their members. The project will directly benefit about 16 820 flock owners who rely mostly on sheep to provide their income and sustenance. Project activities are expected to reduce rangeland degradation, pre s e rve more natural re s o u rces and improve living conditions in the Bedouin community. There will be emphasis on improving the socio-economic status of women, who have traditionally played a less active role . Innovative Features: Given the nature of the problems and the perceived solutions, the project will be executed within a strong participatory setting: groups of beneficiary cooperatives, traditional groupings and others will be involved in all stages and aspects of project implementation. The outcome of the participatory process with any given group will be the acceptance of an agreement between the group and project authorities, which will clearly define the respective contributions and responsibilities. The project design incorporates a truly participatory approach for the first time in Syria.

Loan amount:

SDR 15.0 million (approximately USD 20.2 million) on intermediate terms.

Total project costs:

Estimated at USD 104.9 million, of which USD 65.0 million will be provided by AFESD, USD 16.7 million by the Government, USD 1.8 million by a national financial institution and USD 1.3 million by the beneficiaries.

Cooperating institution:

AFESD.