Diyarbakir, Batman and Siirt Development Project

Diyarbakir, Batman and Siirt Development Project

 

The project area is in eastern Anatolia and includes three of the poorest provinces in the country. Farms are small and farming is rainfed. Output is low. Poor rural households cope by combining limited agricultural and/or livestock production with wage labour on large-scale farms or with off-farm employment. Many poor farm families depend on income from members who have migrated in search of employment. Non-farm employment is likely to become increasingly important for poor families as agriculture becomes more market-oriented and competitive

The aim of the project is to improve employment opportunities for poor rural people, particularly women and young people. It supports:

• village improvement programmes for the poorest areas, mainly in upland and mountainous zones
• rural economic growth, focusing on areas with a potential for development
• activities that build poor people's capacity for employment

 

Village improvement programmes have the aim of achieving demand-driven benefits for poor villages. They raise villagers' awareness of their entitlement to development support. They promote farmers' education and training and provide funds for improvements in small-scale social and economic infrastructure.

Project activities are geared to stimulating economic growth and diversification on the basis of sound investment analysis. Supply chain analysis of local commodities that have a comparative advantage make it possible to identify profitable opportunities for establishing new rural businesses or expanding existing ones. The process of supply chain analysis lays the foundation for development of strategic investment plans.

The project includes training activities to build the knowledge and skills that poor people need to take advantage of opportunities for employment.

UNDP project page

 

Source: IFAD