Environmental research

The Dera Ghazi Khan is located in a strip between the river Indus and the Koh-Suleman range of mountains separating it from the Balochistan Province. It is surrounded by Dera Ismail Khan District on the North and the district of Rajanpur on its South. Indus River flows on the East across which lie the districts of Muzafargarh and Layyah. Loralai and Dera Bugti districts of Balochistan Province lie on the West separated by the Koh-Suleman range of mountains. The district is spread over an area of 11,294 Square Kilometres comprising of following two tehsils i.e Dera Ghazi Khan and Taunsa Sharif. Poverty and resource degradation are widespread in Dera Ghazi Khan. The district is mainly tribal in its nature with different tribes living in the different areas of the district. The tribal system has kept the communities uneducated and poor with little opportunities of development. The natural resources of the district are under severe threat. Those natural resources include the forests in the katcha area close to Indus River as well as inland forests and the forests of the mountainous areas of Kohi-e-Suleman. Use of wood in the traditional three stone stoves has also brought health hazards to the local communities besides forest depletion. Degradation of natural resources with the growing process of environmental degradation is one of the key issues of Pakistan. The country is locked with the vicious circle of poverty and environmental degradation as the volume of the degradation of the natural resources increases as the poverty levels increase in Pakistan. One of the key issues of concern in this regard is the degradation of forests in Pakistan as with lack of basic facilities alternative energy sources local communities are mainly dependent on the cutting forests to use the same as energy source. Besides, this has also resulted in large scale indoor air population threatening the health of the communities and negatively contributing towards the global warming and other global environmental threats. Objectives of the Project: 1.Mobilize and Organize the Communities to Increase Awareness, Skills and Entrepreneurship for adopting energy efficient technologies and products 2.Introduce Energy Efficient Products in 10 Villages to reduce indoor air pollution and promote health of women and children 3.Improve the health and hygiene awareness and conditions in 10 villages of the area Expected Results: 15,00 population of 10 villages is mobilized and aware on the issues of indoor pollution 10 CCBs formed in the Project area and their Office Bearers Elected 30 selected Office Bearers of 10 CCBs receive Organizational and Financial Management Training and working for the development of their respective communities 60 Artisans/ Community Members trained in Entrepreneurship, Manufacturing and installation of energy saving Products and 10-20 percent of them are manufacturing those products for mass replication and their income generation 10 CCBs registered with the District Government At least one project is designed by each CCBs and submitted to District Government by the end of the project Office bearers of 10 CCBs hold at least one meeting with the district officials for the solution of their problems by the end of the project Traditional three stone stoves are replaced with energy efficient stoves in 300 households Firewood consumption is reduced by 50 percent in all 300 households Health expenditures are reduced by 50 percent by in all 300 households by the end of the project Traditional Kerosene oil lamps are replaced with energy efficient and environment friendly Fanos/ lamps in 50 households. Expenditure incurred on the Kerosene is reduced by 50 percent per household 50 percent reduction in the diseases occurred due to growing indoor pollution Traditional kerosene oil lamps are replaced with Solar Lanterns in 30 households Expenditure on the Kerosene Oil is reduced by 100 percent Savings of the 30 households are increased by 5-10 percent by reduction in Kerosene and medical expenditures Traditional three stone stoves are replaced with 30 Solar Cookers in 30 households. Reduction in firewood consumption is reduced by 100 percent in 30 households Households savings are increased by 10-20 percent by no expenditure on firewood Women s work load is decreased by 30 to 40 percent in 30 households 300 women are trained on Health and Hygiene 80 percent of the trained women properly caring for health and hygiene in their households

Pakistan