Community-Based Ecosystem Management Project

The main objective of the PIDR is to achieve the goals as defined in the rural development strategy: (i) sustainable growth of agricultural production; (ii) protection of biodiversity and sustainable ecosystem management; and (iii) reinforced human capacity in the rural sector. These three objectives are shared among the three operations of the PIDR: (a) PRODEL: The Project (intended as Phase 1 of the Local Development Program) will assist the Government of Chad in designing and implementing a decentralized and participatory financing mechanism that aims at empowering rural communities and decentralized institutions to manage development funds in a transparent way and according to their own priorities, eventually contributing to the decentralization agenda. Specific phase I program objective will initiate and test, in a limited number of areas, the community-based approach while helping the Government develop a coherent regulatory framework for the decentralization process and a masterplan for its implementation. The project will also pilot activities on current natural resources management strategic issues (particularly land tenure, pastoralism and water) in order to identify solutions to be implemented in the subsequent phases. (2) PSAOP: The objective of the Agricultural Services and Producer Organizations Project is to increase rural income and reduce poverty in rural areas, while preserving the natural resource base. (3) PCGRN: The project focuses on the application of sustainable land-use methods through the reinforcement of local management capacities to improve the management of the area’s (Mayo-Kebbi) natural resources (woodlands, soils, pastures, waters, wildlife and fish). The project is based on the reinforcement of local management capacities in the West Mayo-Kebbi rural population. The project’s long term objective is to establish a functioning, sustainable agricultural ecosystem, which will provide a better livelihood to the rural population. The global environmental objective of the GEF alternative is to promote community-based integrated ecosystem management of targeted fragile ecosystems in the framework of sustainable rural development in Chad, thus combating desertification and preserving biodiversity while fostering multiple global environmental benefits.