Environmental research

Project Location: Baneh (Lat.:36.0390310/Long.:45.8184810 ) Background: SGP/Damoon project IRA-G52-2002-018 for the first time legalized good traditional forestry practices in Havareh Khol village and it facilitated the establishment of a Forest Research Center related to University of Kurdistan for promoting community forestry In the current project the above research centre in partnership with the communities and SGP is promoting community forestry based on livelihood activities for the first time in the area to help shape a new policy in promoting community management practices in Zagros forests. Project team and the Active Core will participate in other SGP projects participatory trainings as they become available. 3 selected villages through a planning grant have listed their livelihood possibilities. In this project the community information for livelihood projects related to community forestry will be operational. Research centre will provide cofunding/parallel funding to backstop the project in technical terms on community forestry work possibly through funding from Ministry of Higher Education and also providing for a common project office. A quarterly newsletter will be prepared by the project Thesis work and papers will be promoted in the project A lessons learned booklet and a short documentary will be produced Project activities and results will be presented to experts and to SGP Forest Thematic Group by project active Core using project reports and power point presentations in order to affect policy. Forestry work will be linked to climate change indicators This project will also support another SGP project in applied rural renewable energy demonstration project in Zagros Oak Forests (IRA/SGP/OP4/RAF/07/04) to remove one of the major threats to Oak Forests which is firewood consumption. The website www.galajarepaydar.com has been designed after the project started and is operational. This website is the initiative of the grantee with the objective of reporting on ongoing activities. For more information please visit www.galajarepaydar.com

Iran