Pakistan

Background

In Punjab, more than 3.2 million acres of land have been rendered unproductive or marginally productive by salinity and water logging. The estimated per annum economic loss is PKR 176 billion. This contributes towards exasperating poverty in the province.

Objectives

The Community Development Project for Rehabilitation of Salt Affected & Waterlogged Lands (Biosaline II) promotes agriculture-based livelihoods of rural communities, especially small and medium land holding farmers; by developing sustainable farming systems for the rehabilitation of waterlogged and salt- affected lands.
The interconnected outputs of the project include:

Land rehabilitated and improved agricultural techniques promoted; and

Improved access to services, markets, increased farm incomes and employment.

Project Brief

The project builds on best practices and lessons learnt of the pilot phase implemented from January 1998 to June 2005. Bio Saline II operates in 3 districts in Punjab: Jhang, Hafizabad and Sargodha and deepens the coverage to reach out to more farmers and rehabilitate degraded lands.

Through UNDP’s support, Community Organizations (COs) are formed and trained to rehabilitate unproductive/ degraded lands.

Measures include Gypsum application to reduce salinity, plantation of Eucalyptus trees to reduce water logging, and establishment of community-based pools for agricultural implements and tube wells.

Biosaline II also supports the COs in other income-generating activities such as kitchen gardening, establishment of fish ponds and nurseries. In order to ensure ownership and sustainability with the community, activities are funded through a cost sharing arrangement between the project and the communities which contribute 20%- 50% of the costs.

Key Results

643 COs established: 478 for males known as Salt Land User Groups and 165 for females called Women Interest Groups;
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More than 1,517 CO Managers trained in Community Management Skills to effectively identify water-logging and salinity and seek solutions to restore the fertility of salt-affected lands;

203,393 hectares of land identified in three project districts i.e. Jhang, Sargodha and Hafizabad. The demonstration of reclamation technology on selected fields has encouraged farmers to be pro-active;

171,217 acres of land rehabilitated through gypsum application and plantation;

357 implement pools, 63 fish ponds, 329 tube-wells, 129 nurseries and 3,723 kitchen gardens established; and

More than PKR 1,322 million mobilized in kind (PKR 1,071 Million) and cash (PKR 251 Million) as cost sharing contribution from beneficiary communities.