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  • Project details

  • Program:
    Community-Based Adaptation
    Leading Organization:
    United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
    Implementing Agency and Partnering Organizations:
    UNDP, Vidergeburt 'Taldykorgan' Germans Society
    Summary:

    Background

    The project will focus on the Sarkland district of Almaty Oblast, a dry livestock-producing area. Climate is extremely continental and dry, with long winters and hot summers. Only precipitation that falls in the winter is considered agriculturally useful as the melting snow is able to seep into the soil and contribute to the soil moisture. The precipitation that falls in the summer, however, evaporates quickly and is not easily used by plants nor useful to agriculturalists.

    As long-term climate change projections in Kazakhstan and Central Asia indicate that increase in temperatures in the winters and evapotranspiration in the summers will occur, this trend has been clearly observable in the project area as with reports from the local meteorological station indicate an average increase in the winter temperature of0.3C per decade (0.2C increase annually). As winter temperature rises, less soil moisture is available for fodder growth during the spring, lowering grazing capacity for local livestock and contributing to pasture degradation.

    In response, the UNDP CBA project will focus on the reforestation of sections of the project are with Sauxal, a local drought-resistant shrub that can serve to aggregate wind-blown snow during the winter, thus “harvesting” snow for the spring melt, and thereby improving summer fodder. With co-financing, the dam on the Lepsy River will be reconstructed and basin irrigation for the local community’s haymaking lands will be available.

    Independently, the UNDP CBA project will establish Sauxal bushes in the project area to make it more resilient to the increasing aridity (as the bushes will accumulate winter snow and reduce desertification in the face of increased aridity). Increased capacity for the community to be able to sustainably produce livestock in the face of increased aridity will be built through training of community members on sustainable pasture management, access to the Sauxal bush on an on-going basis, and building a community-based mechanism to organize and finance afforestation. Lastly, the project will disseminate lessons learned for replication dn policy impact by developing a booklet and disseminating to stakeholders nationally.

    Project Components:

    The UNDP CBA project will focus on the reduction of land degradation risks stemming form increasing summer temperatures, hot winds, and declining winter snowfall. The project will build on baseline measures to irrigate local haymaking lands and rehabilitating the agricultural dam on the nearby Lepsy River. The project will also have a capacity-building component and a component aimed at disseminating identifies good practices nationally.

    Expected Outputs:

    The outputs include:

    • 1.) Reforestation of the sections of the project area with Sauxal (a local drought-resistant shrub)that can serve to aggregate wind-blown snow during winter, thus "harvesting' snow for the spring melt, and thereby improving summer fodder;
    • 2.) Reconstruction of the dam on the Lepsy River;
    • 3.) Increase the community capacity to sustainable produce livestock in the face of increased aridity.
    Contacts:

    CBA Project Management Unit:

    Project Status:
    Completed, December 2011
    Primary Beneficiaries:
    Local communities of the Sarkland district of Almaty Oblast
    Project Details
    Funding Source:
    GEF-SPA
    Financing Amount:
    $48,000
    Cofinancing Total:
    $158,000
    Total Amounts:
    $48,000
    Resources:
    UNDP CBA Project Website
    Image(s):
    File(s):
    Fast Facts - ToN Project Kazakhstan
    Final Evaluation Report, December 2011
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