Environmental policy and administrative management

Overall goal of the project is to conserve biodiversity, arrest land degradation and reduce pollution of sub-soil water. This will be the cross cutting theme of all the activities. The monthly cotton Plus is the first news magazine from the Southern Punjab which will address these problems. Context/Baseline Southern Punjab comprising the 11 districts of Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Layyah, Muzaffargarh, Multan, Khanewal, Vehari, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Lodharan and Bahawalnagar, is one of the most poverty stricken regions of the country. It is also known as the "Cotton Belt" as it produces the main crop of Pakistan, "Cotton" that along with its products earns 65 per cent of the country`s foreign exchange. The rush to produce more has resulted in the extensive and unscrupulous use of pesticides, which has polluted the underground water, threatened bio diversity, and degraded agricultural land and the environment. It has also caused serious health hazards for women and children and aggravated poverty. A study carried out by the National Institute of Health on food contamination of pesticides residues has revealed a presence of 23 out of 25 pesticides tested. Studies carried out by the National IPM programme have further certified the fact. The money earned through cotton has pressurised the cultivators to stop the traditional ways of reinvigorating soil through rotation and cover crops. With it has gone diversity which was healthy for the soil and eco-system. This has resulted in the degradation of soil which lacks in nitrogen nutrients and has been gradually losing its vitality. According to Cotton Plus correspondents banned pesticides are being marketed in Pakistan by profit mongers openly, causing numerous health problems which go undetected and diagnosed. Cotton Plus will initiate advocacy against their use. Lack of knowledge, faulty spraying equipment, and non-availability of protective gear is exposing sprayers, and cotton pickers to the hazardous effects of pesticides. A study carried out by "Shirkat Gah" at a field near Multan revealed that cotton picking women were suffering from a variety of symptoms including skin irritation, nausea, headaches, gastroenteritis, kidney problems, general weakness, eye infection, asthma etc". No specialized medical aid is available in the rural areas and no emergency cover is provided to the sprayers or pickers during the season. The bird population in such areas has considerably reduced. According to a survey it has been reduced to almost 40 per cent in some areas. Farm animals are suffering from various ailments and according to one survey capacity of dairy animals to produce milk has reduced. The monthly Cotton Plus is the first news magazine from the Southern Punjab (Dera Ghazi Khan) which is addressing these problems. The first step in this regard is an informed community that can take pro-active measures to stop the degradation of soil and harmful effects on environment and life. A lot of ill effects can be controlled if the farming communities of the area are imparted knowledge on harmful effects of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and are told about alternate ways of increasing their productivity through interventions like Integrated Pest Management techniques etc. Project Objective and Proposed Activity The overall objective is to: - Create awareness on the hazards of POPs in order to reduce pollution of sub-soil water, conserve biodiversity, and arrest land degradation. - Provide environmental information to the cultivators in order to eliminate use of environmentally unfriendly technologies and promote the use of environmentally friendly technologies. - Launching an advocacy campaign for reducing and stopping the use of POPs. - By addressing the issues stated above the project will indirectly contribute towards poverty reduction. - Promotion of environment health standards at work place for sprayers of pesticide and herbicide; and cultivators and cotton pickers, who are mostly women The objectives will be achieved by: Printing material that provides empirical evidence regarding the hazards of POPs and further explains its harmful effects on the lives of cultivators and farming communities. GEF material on the themes mentioned above will be printed in the paper and the activities of GEF and its partner in this regard will be disseminated by featurised and pictorial presentation. Giving editorial support to the campaign for reducing and gradually totally eliminating the use of POPs in the area. Jhoak will organize forums in the cotton growing areas on the issue, to be participated by all the stakeholders. Forums will be organized on quarterly basis to disseminate the information and to get feedback from the stakeholders. 5. Project Strategy The monthly Cotton Plus will provide farming communities with the relevant knowledge. Community inputs will be reflected in surveys, interviews and dialogues with the community, which will be a permanent feature. The other key points of the strategy are: Identification of stakeholders including those in the government departments, academia, consultants, private sector, local communities, pesticide companies, other UNDP projects, etc. They will be consulted on material to be used and their inputs will be included in the magazine for dissemination. Consultations with the stakeholders will be a continuous feature. GEF s material will be printed in each issue of Cotton Plus. Technologies that support grassroots

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