Lalibela Agro Plantation Pilot Project

Transcription

1 Lalibela Agro Plantation Pilot Project Project document, draft 1.1 February

2 Table of Contents 1. Objectives Background Experience of the cooperative so far Project strategy Logical framework matrix Prerequisites Special considerations Project management Reporting, Monitoring and Evaluation Project budget in Birr and in Euro Timetable List of people involved in developing the project Visual documentation

3 Lalibela Agro Plantation Pilot Project 1. Objectives Objective: To contribute establishing a pilot model site for tree planting, tree maintenance and eco-friendly tourism. Long term objective: To contribute to environmental rehabilitation, community income generation, and to promote eco-friendly tourism. 2. Background The biological conditions around the environmental degradation and the very high poverty rate (the income level of households is considerably below the poverty line) are due to multifaceted human made problems. Agricultural malpractice, abusive utilization of natural resources aggravated by shortage of rainfall considerably reduced crop production and is leading to frequent food insecurity. Elders remember that only in 1935 Lalibela was densely forested and fertile with surplus production of various grains. 85% of the land used to be covered by trees. Nowadays there are only remnants and patches of forests mainly around churches and inaccessible areas. After nationalization of the land people have been and still are cutting trees and selling woods for different purposes. Many farmers in the area cultivate sloped and hilly land, causing top soil to wash away during torrential rains. The genetic diversity of Lalibela domesticated plants and its unique natural flora is increasingly being eroded because of the long history of disruptive interventions by the community and weak local management in the face of an expanding population and the increasing needs of farming land. There is an extremely urgent need to break the vicious circle of land degradation, low agricultural production, food insecurity and poverty. Lalibela has an opportunity to counter the poverty and environmental problems by counting on the tourism sector, which is growing and has become the major sector for job creation and economic growth. Lalibela is nowadays the main tourism attraction site due to its unique and rich cultural heritage, the famous rock churches, the rites and traditions followed by priests and pilgrimage from all over the country. There is a growing number of educated and committed individuals in the local tourism sector who recognize the importance of ecotourism and who are willing to volunteer their work and expertise for the benefit of present and future generations. In fact there are several local initiatives ongoing to preserve the cultural heritage of Lalibela and to promote eco-friendly tourism. One of such local initiatives was the establishment of the Lalibela Abune Yosef eco-tourism cooperative which has the ultimate goal of integrating tourism with the environment and rehabilitating the area through planting trees. The approach followed by the cooperative is to involve the local community, create awareness and understanding by the local population of the need to preserve cultural heritage and the environment and to create through its activities income generating and job opportunities. The cooperative was founded by 15 young highly motivated volunteers involved in the tourism sector and with skills in agriculture, tourism management and accounting. The cooperative has received legal permission from the 3

4 regional cooperative office, has collected starting capital from its members, has planted hundreds of indigenous trees such as junipers, olive trees, fig trees and some type of suitable exotic trees such as gravelly, jacarandas and highland fruit trees. The cooperative has elaborated a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) and has identified a number of key issues that need to be addressed to ensure successful and sustainable operations. There is limitation of finance and capacity especially for watering of the planted trees and the need to motivate local farmers to be actively involved in the cooperative s activities. The growing tourism in Lalibela is a great opportunity for income generation, but is also a threat to the fragile environment and the rich but equally fragile cultural heritage in Lalibela. The cooperative is a tangible effort by local tourism representatives to promote eco-tourism. This initiative not only promotes community awareness building and community involvement, but also has the potential of encouraging tourists to provide funds for ecological conservation. While independent and having a separate legal and management status from the cooperative, the project will build upon the tree planting activities of the cooperative, the acquired positive and negative experience and the far sighted vision of the most active members involved in the environmental field. Finally the initiative of this pilot project inspires itself to the Green Belt Movement founded by Kenyan Professor Wangari Maathai in The movement has in the meantime also reached. The Lalibela initiative shares the mission of the movement which is to strive for better environmental management, community empowerment and livelihood using tree-planting as an entry point. The movement is known internationally, has been highly successful and may be a convincing reference for tourists. 3. Experience of the cooperative so far Strong motivation by young and visionary cooperative founder and members Mix of available expertise in agriculture, law, accounting, economics, tourism Strong support by local Government Main problem was installation of the watering system Lack of incentives for the volunteers in the tourism sector Lack of understanding and support by local farmers Poor maintenance of trees Poor coordination of activities 4. Project strategy Address the key problems of environmental degradation and poverty building upon the potential of the tourism sector which is the motor of growth in Lalibela Establish a pilot project with tangible results benefitting the community and the environment The project achievements and approach should serve as a model for replication 4

5 The project will be implemented through cooperation and interaction between representatives of the eco-tourism sector, the farmers and the local government The project will work on the premise that success can only be achieved through the active involvement of the local farmers. They need to be convinced, trained and given incentives to show them the value of tree planting The project was conceived and will be implemented by young generation future oriented and committed professionals in the eco-tourism sector in cooperation with the farmers community, women and girls, schools and churches The project will start with a pilot phase funded by an international NGO and by individuals as well as by volunteer work and funding by members of the local tourism sector After the pilot phase lasting 2 years, the project will attain self-sustainability through tourism funding of purchased trees The trees planted will be from species suitable to the indigenous environment and producing high value fruits (avocado, mango, papaya, olives) The project intends to strengthen the image of Lalibela as an eco-friendly town promoting environmental rehabilitation, community development and eco-tourism 5. Logical framework matrix Shown as annex 1 6. Prerequisites Continuous involvement of local volunteers Clear, recognized project coordination and management Support by local administration Support by the community and particularly the farmers Successful fund raising from NGOs and private local and international sponsors 7. Special considerations The gender dimension will be awarded particular attention. Girls from the schools and the female local guides will be involved in project activities, girls from the villages will be involved in tree planting and maintenance, women of the Labella community will be involved in garbage collection and compost preparation. To the latter two groups monetary incentives will be provided during the whole pilot project, and high attention will be provided to awareness building, teaching and training. The tourist guides will provide support to the project initially on a voluntary basis. Once the project will generate income, the guides will be rewarded by being given an incentive in the range of 30% of the net income. Parallel and linked activities with this specific project will be flower and honey production. These will be implemented by the cooperative and are intended as commercial activities. 5

6 8. Project management Will be lean, action oriented, based on volunteer work and international advice. It will consist of: One project coordinator (Daniel Mhrite) One project manager (Destaw Arage) One accountant (Tesfaw Derbie) Technical international support in project management, monitoring, evaluation, international promotion and fund raising will be provided on request by the local team 9. Reporting, Monitoring and Evaluation The project manager will provide quarterly progress reports to the local Government and the funding NGO. A final report will be provided upon project completion. Independent monitoring and evaluation visits will be done by a representative of the funding NGO at its own costs 10. Project budget in Birr and in Euro The project budget estimation for the first 2 years is Birr (appr EUR) o Birr (appr EUR) in the first year mainly for building and material, but also for maintenance, training and monetary incentives o Birr (appr EUR) in the second year mainly for maintenance, training and monetary incentives Starting from the third year, the annual costs for maintenance, training and monetary incentives should be earned by the project s benefits and tourist s contributions 6

7 11. Timetable 03/14 04/14 05/14 06/14 07/14 08/14 09/14 10/14 11/14 12/14 01/15 02/15 03/15 04/15 finish water installation install a rain water tank carry out water soil conservation produce organic compost/fertilizer build mini-nursery site design and produce brochures, leaflets and posters create web-page build green house for trees maintain mini nursery site visit to site promoted by the local tourist guides Distribution of brochures at hotels and churches plant, maintain trees and monitor survival rate organize workshops and festivals for the community present project to schools mobilize the local community training for members, local communities and schools 12. List of people involved in developing the project Shown as annex Visual documentation Shown as annex 3 7

8 Annex 1 Logical framework matrix Output 1: Pilot tree planting site established with a well working watering system for tree survival Success indicator: number of trees planted and tree survival rate Activities Inputs Costs in Birr Timeframe 1. To improve the watering system finish water installation install a rain water tank enable water soil conservation 2. To produce trees water pipe and labor water tank (material and labor) water soil conservation labor build mini-nursery site volunteers and experts for seed preparation, collection and replication, tools, equipment and labor maintain mini nursery site build green house for trees organic compost/fertilizer production guards, local professionals green house shed, labor compost collection, pit preparation *) To plant, maintain trees and monitor survival rate labor by volunteers and rural community monitoring system of trees planted and survival rate... whole project duration 4. To design and implement an accounting system for project costs and income generated from tourists accountant expert IN KIND by project management whole project duration 5. To create awareness and mobilize the local community organize workshops and festivals for the community present project to schools mobilize the local community, in particular students, girls from the countryside, women for compost collection and preparation members of the project on volunteer basis system of incentives IN KIND *) whole project duration 6. To provide training for members, local communities and schools experts *) whole project duration 8

9 Output 2: A system for motivating tourists to purchase trees as basis for self-sustainability established Success indicator: the monetary contributions by the tourists enable the project to be self-sustainable after two years of operations Activities Inputs Costs in Birr Timeframe Design and production of brochures, leaflets and posters Distribution at hotels and churches by tourist guides Creation of web-page International expert for design Printing in IN KIND upon completion of the site Visit to site promoted by the local tourist guides Tourist programs include site visits IN KIND whole project duration *) costs that will occur repeatedly, in the first and second year included in the project, afterwards earned by project s benefits (self-sustainable) 9

10 Annex 2 List of people involved in developing the project Name (+ function if defined already) operation base age picture Daniel Mhrite Appointed Project Coordinator 40 Destaw Arage Tourist Guide Appointed Project Manager 27 Tesfaw Derbie Appointed Accountant 48 Fentaye Baynes Chairman of the Kebele Beyene Abate 36 Sisay Amare 30 Wasihun Ayele 27 10

11 Girma Debash 26 Meseret Dessale 19 Eshetu Durgie 29 Sofonias Hiletewark 26 Endayene Kasaye 32 Geza Kassa 29 Belaynew Mengesha 26 Esayas Mersha 29 11

12 Habtu Tigst 24 Briuktawit Wandamagn 21 Belay Yirdaw 27 Donatella Magliani Former director of UNIDO and IAEA Expert for development cooperation Vienna, Austria 60 Manfred Schwab Project Manager IT-Expert Vienna, Austria 62 Francesco Rocco Photographer Milano, Italy 29 12

13 Annex 3 Visual documentation View from Labella (Hotel Mountain View) to North-West View of erosion on the mountains in the South of Labella 13

14 Seedlings planted recently on a certain slope of the mountain South of Labella New planted tree on this slope about 4 years old More trees on this very same slope 14

15 The more inaccessible the area, the more chances have trees to be still there not cut Some old trees did survive because they are owned by a church. 15

16 Existing tree nursery, sponsored by the local government. This nursery provided the trees that have already been planted. 16

17 Teamwork in defining the project scope and planning the steps how to proceed 17

18 Defining tasks and estimating costs for every single task 18