The Background

The Criteria used in Evaluating and Submitting Success Stories to UNEP 

SUCCESS STORIES IN AFRICA

Agro-ecological Project Burkina Faso

Project in SãoJoão Baptista Valley, Cape Verde

Agropastoral Development in Mauritania

Sonnleiten Ranch Project,Namibia

Project in Kano and Jigawa States, Nigeria

Restoration in the Louga Region of Northern Senegal

Mr. Serigne Samb’s Farm,Thiambène Till, Senegal

SOS Sahel Community ForestryProject in Ed Debba, Sudan

SUCCESS STORIES IN ASIA
 

Project on Desertification Control in Naiman Banner County in China

Controlling Drifting Sand in Cele County -Western China

Afforestation and Salinity Control Using Tamarix; in Western China

The Integrated Watershed Development Programme, Jhabua District, Madhya Pradesh, India

Jhanwar Watershed Project, India

Joint Participatory Forest Management; Shiwalik Hills Haryana Province, India

The Barefoot College Project,Tilonia,Rajasthan,India

Desert Reclamation Using Shelterbelts in Thal, Pakistan
 

The project location

 
• On the Mossi plateau in the central part of Sanguié province,an agricultural area producing food and cash crops.

 
• Poorly developed soils often underlain by laterite crust
• Uncertain rainfall and recurrent droughts, especially over the last 20 years
• Accelerated degradation of forest resources due to drought and desertification
• Shortage of wood resources in relation to need
• High population densities
• Shortage of land for crop growing

 
• Protecting and regenerating natural resources, to improve productivity and rural living conditions
• Founding of forest management groupings (GCF) to control rational exploitation of wood resources
• Reconstitution of favourable environment for agro-pastoralism
• Improvement of soil fertility and thus increased productivity
• Energy conservation through energy efficient stoves
• Government regulation of urban wood-supply channels

The project achievements

 
• Effective involvement of village GCFs in preserving and developing forest resources
• Community acceptance of regulatory, supervisory role in fire control and access to grazing and cropping in forests
• Increased supply of fuelwood, building poles and forest products through better management and development of wood resources
• Improved forestry techniques in use for rehabilitating tree cover
• Empowerment of disadvantaged forester groups
• Increased incomes from GCF wood sales supplementing low agricultural incomes
• Establishment of revolving funds for community investment e.g. in infrastructure
• Voluntary adherence to the scheme by neighbouring villages and increasing membership of GCFs
• Increased awareness of the need to preserve forest resources
• Anti-erosion measures voluntarily established around fields
• Capacity building and training in seedling production, reforestation and erosion control
• Improved intra-communal relationships and conflict resolution among stakeholders and with Government

 
• New Forest Code and Land Reform programme developed, delimiting legal framework of resource exploitation in state reserves.

This project was implemented by UNDP/UNSO and local communities with funds from SIDA.

Success Stories: Africa