Final Evaluation of the Project “Strengthening Self Reliance of Rural Communities through Integrated Natural Resource Management in the Districts of Baljuvon, Temurmalik and Khovaling” Khatlon Province, Tajikistan

The project TJK-1058 “Strengthening Self Reliance of Rural Communities through Integrated Natural Resource Management in the Districts of Baljuvon, Temurmalik and Khovaling” has been implemented within a socioeconomic context which is marked
by large scale failures and deficiencies in the political and financial administrative system from national level to the provincial, district, and local levels. Corruption and professional incapacities are widespread and deeply embedded into Tajikistan’s structure. In turn, policymaking in Tajikistan can be characterized as constant crisis management with a heavy reliance on foreign aid in all sectors.

The country’s rural sector suffers from a deficient land code and tenure system combined with non-transparent decision making processes of power elites at district level. Previously, a tremendous brain drain in agricultural know-how was caused by leaving specialists after three generations of Soviet rule. And, to make things worse, five years of civil war have left the rural population behind with a declining or already destroyed rural infrastructure. Large-scale working migration of young male villagers to Russia completes the desperate situation of the population still living the country’s remote rural areas.

Against this background, the project TJK-1058 implemented by Welthungerhilfe aims at “strengthening the self reliance of rural livelihoods in the three districts of Baljuvon, Temurmalik, and Khovaling through improved natural resource management” (overall objective). The target group consists of 1.200 direct beneficiaries (the “rural poor”) in 41 villages. The four main project results are improved energy efficiency at household level through technical improvements, improved land use management through
integrated natural resource management techniques, capacity building of local authorities, and community based initiatives on energy efficiency and integrated natural resource management.

The project proposal was successfully submitted to the EC for co-funding. Project activities started in January 2008 and were scheduled for 24 months. At the time of the final evaluation, an application for a no-cost extension of 7 months until July 2010 had been submitted to the EC for approval.