Environmental policy and administrative management

Project location:Souteh village, Fereydunkenar, Mazandaran (Lat/Long:36.641078-52.540741) Studies attest to a deterioration of species diversity in the region due to the application of various chemicals in the paddies of the Caspian Sea region. A main strategy in this project would be the empowerment of farmers to adopt alternative crop management such as Integrated Participatory Pest Management (IPM) and Farmers Field School (FFS) which negates the use of such dangerous chemicals. Part of the local people s livelihood depends on catching migrating birds. Promoting viable alternatives, such as mixed farming of paddy and fish is deemed feasible only if the field is clean. In fact, sever chemical pollution of water in paddy farms is already a main limiting factor to rearing fowls as a complementary source of livelihood. Some of the approaches adopted by the project are relatively new to the nation, and might be of national significance in terms of introducing alternative solutions to a number of critical problems facing agriculture and environment in Iran and the neighboring countries. Focusing on rice, sustainable crop protection and management will be demonstrated, using IPPM/FFS approach. Farmers participatory work will lead to minimized use of chemicals in five Waterfowl Damgahs. Practical methods will be applied to reactivate and protect the population of natural predators and other useful insects though biological pest control in an area of about 250 ha. These activities will be carried out by about 25 male and female farmers empowered to apply IPM and integrated crop management. Members of the Damgahdar Community will be trained to act as the trainers of other farmers in the later phases under farmer-to-farmer training programs. Although covering a relatively small area, the project bears significance of national scope because the rural sector needs appropriate and extendible models for sustainable plant protection. Other activities include awareness raising, capacity building and documentation of the project process. Finally, CDs, booklets and videos on the lessons learned will be prepared to disseminate the best practices which will be shared through two workshops in Tehran and the project site

Iran