Project Completion Report

Sindh Coastal Community Development Project

June, 2013

International Union for Conservation of Nature Pakistan

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Cover Photo: Shah Bundar, SFD Plantations, November, 2012

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Contents 1. Background Information: ............................................................................................................. 5

1.1 Introduction......................................................................................................................... 5

1.2 Target Beneficiaries ........................................................................................................... 6

1.3 The Overall Objectives Of The Project .............................................................................. 6

1.4 Immediate Objectives ......................................................................................................... 6

1.4.1 Forestry .......................................................................................................................... 6

1.4.2 Fisheries ......................................................................................................................... 6

1.4.3 Community Development ............................................................................................... 6

1.5 IUCN As An Institution ....................................................................................................... 6

2. Improved Coastal Zone Management .......................................................................................... 7

2.1 Community Mangrove Planting .............................................................................................. 7

2.2 Mangrove Nurseries ............................................................................................................. 18

2.3 Departmental Mangrove Planting ......................................................................................... 18

2.4 Fish Ponds and Crustacean Cultivation ............................................................................... 182

2.4.1 Monitoring of Aquaculture Ponds ................................................................................. 16

2.5 Community Development .................................................................................................. 186

2.5.1 Community Organization and Planning ....................................................................... 16

2.5.2 Capactiy building and Awareness raising ................................................................... 18

2.5.3 Community Training ................................................................................................... 18

2.5.4 Events ......................................................................................................................... 19

2.5.5 Exposure Visits ............................................................................................................ 21

2.5.6 Media ........................................................................................................................... 22

2.5.7 Outreach and Knowledge Products ............................................................................ 23

3. Basic research............................................................................................................................. 24

3.1 Economic Valuation of Mangroves Ecosystem in Project Areas ........................................... 24

3.2 Baseline survey of fishries in Southern block of Keti Bundar ............................................... 24

4. Lesson Learnt and Constraints ................................................................................................... 25

5. Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 27

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GLOSSARY AND ABBREVIATIONS ADB: Asian Development Bank CBO: Community Based Organization CO: Community Organization CFD: Coastal Forest Division EIA: Environmental Impact Assessment FGD: Focus Group Discussion GoP: Government of Pakistan IEC: Information, Education and Communication IEE: Initial Environmental Examination IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature & Natural Resources IUCNP: International Union for Conservation of Nature & Natural Resources Pakistan NRM: Natural Resources Management NRSP: National Rural Support Program PBC: Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation PMU: Project Management Unit SCDA: Sindh Coastal Development Authority SSCDP: Sindh Coastal Community Development Project SFD: Sindh Forest Department SRS: Simple Random Sampling PMU: Project Management Unit VO: Village Organization

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1. Background Information

1.1 Introduction

The Sindh Coastal Community Development Project is a USD 40 million project aimed at reducing poverty among the poor inhabitants of the coastal zones of Thatta and Badin districts in Sindh. Implemented by the Sindh Coastal Development Authority, the six year programme was supported by the Asian Development Bank and the Government of Pakistan (GoP). The project strategy was to help poor families by increasing their income, access to public services and their capacity to manage the natural resource base on which their livelihoods are dependent. This was possible through establishing sustainable community managed and income generating mangrove plantations and aquaculture. The project envisaged implementation at two major technical levels, firstly, by undertaking mangrove restoration/rehabilitation activities and secondary by introducing aquaculture. Capacity building and awareness raising would formed important components of both these technical areas which environmental assessments and monitoring and evaluation took placed during the whole course of implementation. It must be pointed out that since the main aim of the project is community development in addition to ecosystem restoration, economic valuation as well as poverty and livelihoods related activities are also be undertaken within the two technical areas. Mangrove ecosystems are varied in their structure, and their function depends heavily on the nature of the prevailing environment. As such, the approach adopted for restoration depended on local conditions. It was, therefore, very difficult to generalize the techniques that should be adopted for restoration of mangroves ecosystem at a particular site. However, there are some general principles that has to be followed when planning the restoration of particular mangrove site. Above all, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of the nature and dynamics of local conditions prevalent in the mangrove ecosystem, as these will be the best guide to any restoration programme. Community based restoration has been a popular and widely used approach for rehabilitation. Fishing communities that are located around the mangrove area are generally aware of the importance of mangroves and understand the role they play in their livelihoods. They are aware that their chosen way of life depends heavily on goods and services that their surrounding mangrove ecosystem provide, and that there is an undeniable link between the mangroves ecosystems biophysical aspects and communities livelihoods. Since the lives of their communities are closely linked to the mangroves, their participation is crucial for any restoration project to be successful. One way of getting there is by imparting basic training in silvi-culture, to restore/replant mangroves, so that they are able to continue the regeneration process and contribute to long term conservation, even while using goods and services provided. The selection of the

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CBOs/local communities should be based on the capacity of these organizations/communities to handle projects of this nature.

1.2 Target Beneficiaries

The ultimate target beneficiaries of this project are the communities who live in coastal areas and depend on natural resources for their livelihoods and whose settlements are infrastructure have been affected by sea intrusion, natural disaster and ecosystem degradation. The poorer and more vulnerable have been given priority for engagement in mangroves planting and aquaculture. The project has involved the various government and non-governmental agencies private sectors relevant to coastal zone management.

1.3 The Overall Objectives Of The Project Mangrove ecosystem restoration and income generation in coastal areas of Sindh.

1.4 Immediate Objectives

1.4.1 Forestry

• To undertake mangrove rehabilitation / restoration for maintaining the ecosystem for its traditional forestry uses and non forestry related benefits.

1.4.2 Fisheries

• The strengthen institutional capabilities for coastal zone planning and development and management of fisheries resources.

1.4.3 Community Development

• Involvement and motivation of coastal communities in resource management and environmental protection.

• Additional income generation with alternative means of earning and living.

1.5 IUCN As An Institution

IUCN Pakistan (IUCNP) has three offices in the country with a total of 105 personnel. The IUCNP Office is IUCN’s largest country office in Asia and it is unique because most of its staff is locals. IUCNP as an international organization has done a commendable job in the last 23 year of its existence. Due to its relative good image within the country and outside in South East Asia, it has been able to attract a number of donors to support activities in its core areas. ADB is one which has supported IUCNP development activities through its technical assistance fund. Under SCCDP, IUCNP was responsible for the monitoring of departmental mangroves plantations and management, raising of community mangrove plantation and environmental assessment of shrimp/crab farms and for the

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creation of awareness among the local population as well as the capacity building of the governmental organizations Information, Education and Communication (IEC) was designed.

2. Improved Coastal Zone Management One of the most unique and complex activities under this project has been the design and implementation of a multi-stakeholder approach to coastal zone management as summarized in the table below.

This section shares the processes, methodologies and milestones achieved. 2.1 Community Mangroves Planting In the project life IUCN Pakistan successfully established community-based mangrove plantations over an area of 350 ha in the two target areas Thatta and Badin districts. Replication was not possible in Badin district as the initial trial plantation raised over an area of 7 ha failed to survive. The main limitations in this regard were the non-availability of suitable sites with regular tidal inundation required for establishment of mangrove plantation. Nonetheless the community-led plantations demonstrated a very high rate of survival. Details of community based mangrove plantations established under the project during 2009 to 2011 are given, as per Table below

ADB and SCDA(PMU)

IUCN

Disctrict Governments

Sindh Fisheries

Department

Sinhd Forest Department

NRSP

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Table: Details of Community Plantations Established under SCCDP Name of site Area

planted Species Overall

Survival % Status Before

planting Bhoori village Turshan creek, Keti Bundar N 24 03 45.4 E 67 27 31.1

280 ha Mixed Avicennia marina, Rhizophora and Ceriops

80% Blank mud flats with natural grass

Haji Doongar Jat village, Jati N 24 13 04.0 E 68 14 21.3

70 ha Mixed Avicennia marina, Rhizophora and Ceriops

70% Blank mudflat with a few scattered A. marina trees and natural grass

2.2 Mangrove Nurseries Under this sub-component, mangrove nurseries were established at suitable intertidal sites. The seeds collected from mature mangrove stands were raised in polythene bags filled with sweet earth. And then maintained in rectangular nursery beds for about six months time till ready for transplanting in the field. The below table showed the stock raised under the community component of the project. Table: Planting stock raised in Nurseries

# Mangrove Nurseries 2009 2010 2011 Total

i. Keti Bundar 50000 - - 50000 ii. Bhoori village, Keti Bundar 20000 - 50000 70000 iii. Haji Doongar Jat village, Jati 43000 40000 - 83000

Total 203000 2.3 Departmental Mangroves Planting Given the key role of Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) in mangrove rehabilitation efforts, the project design incorporated an impact-monitoring task which was assigned to IUCN. This involved third-party monitoring of 10000 ha mangroves rehabilitated/replanted by the Coastal Forestry Division of Sindh Forest Department with the following objectives:

i. To assess the quantity and quality of mangrove rehabilitation work undertaken by SFD-CFD under the project under the current and previous years and report the same to the Project Executing agency.

ii. To provide positive technical feedback to the CFD on deficiencies in the implementation of the mangrove rehabilitation component.

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This was a particularly challenging task given the size of the area to be covered and also proved to be another instance where IUCN was able to innovate. Using a simple random sampling (SRS) approach IUCN develop a methodology using randomly generated GPS coordinates to select sample plots within the planted areas for data collection. SRS is a widely used sampling technique that helps in drawing inferences about population estimates from the randomly selected samples.

The M&E methodology adopted an annual monitoring frequency to measure success of previous years’ mangrove plantations against the various indicators identified in the monitoring framework developed by IUCN Pakistan for the purpose. The monitoring indicators included survival percentage, species composition, plant growth and natural regeneration. The annual M&E of newly planted mangrove areas started in 2009 with initial mangrove plantations raised by the Sindh Forest Department during the year and remained continuous throughout the project period. The objectives of each monitoring report were as follows:

i. Assess quantity and quality of mangrove rehabilitation work undertaken by CFD and report the same to the Project Executing agency.

ii. Provide positive technical feedback to the CFD on deficiencies in the implementation of the mangrove rehabilitation component.

iii. Enhance overall outcome of the mangrove rehabilitation sub-component. In total IUCN submitted five M& E reports for the mangroves raised by the Coastal Forest Division of the Sindh Forest Department.

Monitoring and Evaluation process over the project life

The results of monitoring and evaluation and feedback, generated through the M&E exercise generated positive lessons that helped the Sindh Forest Department in better management of mangrove rehabilitation activities during the subsequent years.

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Improved better management practices by the Sindh Forest Department led to improved success percentage in the areas planted during subsequent years. The year wise survival in all the areas planted from 2009 to 2013 was estimated and has been reflected following table:

Table: Survival/success % in Mangrove Areas Planted under SCCCDP Site Survival/Success %

2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 % % %

%

%

Keti

Bundar 100* -

- 87 84 76

Shah

Bundar 96 61.5 81 70 64

Overall 98

61.5

84 77 70

* The data reflects the verification of planted area (GWR, 22 June, 2013) The findings of the M & E reports are submitted below

The first M & E report covered 1426.5 ha of newly planted mangrove areas in Shah Bundar (967.5) and Keti Bundar (459 ha) as carried out by the Coastal Forest Division (CFD) till September 2009. The second M & E report more specifically pertained to 1288 ha of newly planted mangrove areas in Shah Bundar (671) and Keti Bundar (617 ha) carried out by the Coastal Forest Division (CFD) till October 2010 and generally covers the plantation established in 2009 covering around 1800 ha.

Keti Bundar 3619, 35% Shah Bundar

6731, 65%

Areas & Site wise Target Achievement 2009-2013

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The third M & E report pertains to reportedly 2800 ha of new mangrove plantation carried out in Shah Bundar (1500) and Keti Bundar (1300 ha) by the Sindh Forest Department–Coastal Forest Division (SFD-CFD) during 2011 and the evaluation of mangrove plantations carried out by SFD-CFD at Keti Bundar and Shah Bundar during previous years i.e. 2009 and 2010, as per following details.

# Name of Site Year Wise Actual Area Planted (Ha) 2011 2010 2009

i. Keti Bundar 1300 716.5 832.5 ii. Shah Bundar 1500 683.5 967.5 Grand Total 2800 1400 1800

The fourth M & E report covered a reported 2000 Ha of new mangrove plantation carried out in Shah Bundar by the Coastal Forest Division - Sindh Forest Department (CFD-SFD) during 2012 as per the following details.

The final M & E report covered the additional areas of 2000 hectares awarded to CFD to raise mangrove plantation within six months of 2013. The department has tackled 1580 ha of Shah Bundar and 770 ha of Keti Bundar as per the following details

Keti Bundar Shah Bundar

Over All

0

20

40

60

80

100

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Keti Bundar 76 84 87 0 100

Shah Bundar 64 70 81 61.5 96

Over All 70 77 84 61.5 98

Perc

enta

ge

Comparative Survival Patterens - Year wise

# Name of Site

Total Area (Ha) Planted

Year of Plantation

I Shah Bundar

2000 2012

Total 2000

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2.4 Fish ponds and Crustacean Cultivation In keeping with the focus on livelihoods, a series of aquaculture activities were designed to generate income-generation opportunities for coastal fisher folk communities.

Under this sub-component of the project, pilot scale aquaculture activities were to be initiated in Thatta and Badin districts including the establishment of 20 shrimp/crab ponds and 20 seaweed/bivalve rafts in coastal areas. Based on the result of these pilots, it was planned that aquaculture activities be expanded to establish 80 more ponds.

In the course of the project this was amended to a total of 30 aquaculture ponds. The sites were all identified by the Sindh Fisheries Department.

For the establishment of pilot ponds, local communities were to be mobilized and engaged in the pilot initiatives with support from NRSP while the environmental assessment and monitoring of pilot interventions and subsequent expansion were assigned to IUCN Pakistan.

The purpose of the Initial Environmental Examinations (IEEs) was to identify adverse environmental consequences and proposes mitigation plans. IUCN was able to carry these out using a diverse team comprising EIA experts and NRM experts and using guidelines provided by the ADB.

All the IEES’ proposed environmental management and monitoring plans and measures for continuous environmental monitoring of the proposed interventions during construction and operation phases.

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2009-2013

Shah

Bun

dar,

6731

Ke

ti Bu

ndar

, 361

9

1800 1400

2800

2000 2350

10350 ha

ctar

es

Graphical Represtation of Area Planted at Both Sites

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It is of note that the findings of the IEEs, which were carried out by IUCN between 2010 to 2012, proved timely and instrumental in identifying operational and other issues

arising from the planned activities and the selected sites. IUCN was therefore able to make recommendations for alternate sites and options to the Project proponents. However, it also needs to highlight that there was an administrative delay at the project end in adoption of these recommendations which affected the progress of the activities.

This along with weather conditions has resulted in at the time of project closing the activities themselves are in progress. The findings of the IEE are summarized below: The first IEE was conducted in February 2010 with view to assessing potential for 10 shrimp/crab ponds on approximately one hectare of land identified by the Sindh Fisheries Department along Ambra creek near Garho Town of the Thatta District. This site location was Ambra creek (240 20’ 11.1” north latitude and 670 35’ 39.6” east longitudes) at a distance of approximately 5 km from Garho Town. The IEE revealed that the site was declared a “Protected Forest” in 1958 under the Pakistan Forest Act 1927 and, as a “Wildlife Sanctuary” in 1958 under the Sindh Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1972. In effect under these laws, the proposed aquaculture activities were prohibited. Additionally the site which was an unsurveyed wasteland also turned out to be the subject of a dispute in ownership claims between the owner and the Government. It was therefore recommended that the site location and the project design be reconsidered to make it consistent with the project objectives. A second IEE was prepared in December 2010 of the site near village Meeru Jat some 4.5 km away from Garho town (240 19’ 26.37” north latitude and 0670 34’ 28.86” east longitude). This land was located in the Union Council Garho, Taluka Ghora Bari District Thatta and under private ownership. The land was donated to Community Organizations belonging to the village Haji Mehaar Kapoorani for establishment of the pilot project comprising on a series of 10 shrimp/crab ponds, each measuring 0.1 ha (20m x 50m) to be operated on communal basis.

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The IEE advised the introduction of local species culture to avoid adverse impacts on the ecosystem or biodiversity. The assessment also brought to attention the concerns related to the design of proposed intervention. This essentially pointed out that collective construction of ten ponds at one location would not necessarily transfer project benefits to the fisher folk as compared to single-household based segregated ponds scattered in various communities. The latter would be easily replicable and adapted to the single family operation and maintenance capacities, and will have more potential for up scaling However, this aspect needs further discussion and involves revision of basic design as provided in the SCCDP project document (PC-I). As an outcome of these assessments, news sites were identified by the Sindh Fisheries Department at Shah Bundar and Badin. On account of the sites being under flood/rain waters the environmental assessments were delayed till October 2011 when the sites were reported by the Fisheries Department to be accessible. In October 2011, a team of IUCN experts undertook an environmental assessment of the identified sites at Shah Bundar and also found conflicting ownership claims by different local communities on the proposed site. New sites were therefore identified at Shah Bundar. A third IEE was prepared in March 2012 for the purpose of assessing the impact of establishment of 10 shrimp/crab ponds on approximately one hectare of land identified by the Sindh Fisheries Department along Ambra creek near Garho Town of the Thatta District. The proposed site lay adjacent to village Yousif Bhatti located on Shah Bundar road at 240 13’ 057” north latitude and 0670 54’ 37.26” east longitude and was originally part of an agricultural terrain. The proposed design of pilot ponds was ultimately found too investment- intensive for the coastal community to replicate and a recommendation put forth to project proponents to reconsider the design. Low technology, low input and household managed single ponds were suggested as a suitable alternative. The final and fourth IEE was conducted in May 2012 to assess the feasibility of setting up 10 shrimp/crab ponds on approximately one hectare land identified by the Sindh Fisheries Department near Golo Mandharo Village Badin District. The site under assessment was located adjacent to Golo Mandharo Village (240 21’ 47.6” north latitude and 680 40’ 56.9” east longitudes) at a distance of approximately at approximately 1 km from the Golo Mandharo Village. The IEE brought to light a constraint in the social feasibility in that the landowners who had allocated the proposed land for pilot ponds establishment were in fact less motivated towards participatory management and benefit sharing under the proposed intervention.

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Moreover, the proposed design of pilot ponds was found to be investment-intensive for implementation and replication by the communities. It was therefore proposed to the project proponents that the social feasibility of the proposed intervention be reviewed.

On November 2012, the IUCN team, along with officials of the Fisheries Department and NRSP, visited the site at Badin where they observed issues related to erratic tidal inundation at the proposed site and also low motivation among the CO towards community-based management of the proposed pond site. A recommendation was made by IUCN to undertake a feasibility assessment of the proposed site by the Sindh Fisheries Department officials to determine the availability of tidal inundation and freshwater prior to finalization of the site and a detailed environmental assessment. As mentioned above administrative delays in adopting IUCN’s recommendations and adverse weather conditions affected the project progress. It is also important to note that the incidence of conflicting ownership claims that arose during the assessment exercises could have been averted due to verification of land records prior at the time if site selections. As at the time of completion of the project, out of 30 aquaculture ponds 10 had been constructed at Garho site and 20 were under construction at Golo Mandro and Yousif Bhatti, Shah Bundar sites respectively. Crab seed for 5 ponds was stocked in the last week of March, 2013 and remaining 5 ponds were stocked with shrimp seed in April-June, 2013.

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2.4.1 Monitoring of Aquaculture Ponds The IUCN team comprises of a biologist and an ecologist visited shrimps/crabs pond on May 17, 2013 in the Haji Mehar Khaporani village, Garho to collect field data of newly released larvae of mud crabs. So for five out of ten ponds were stocked and the remaining ponds would be stocked when the viable and healthy seed of shrimps would be available. Initially the Sindh Fisheries Department had stocked 14000 mud crabs weighing 250-300 mg in each pond. As per their plan they would be stocking the crabs from time to time as and when it is available in the market. It was reported that staff was facing some difficulties in procuring appreciable number of stock. After passing through the fattening process of 15-25 days, the ready stock was being sold to a vendor on spot who has then export the purchased commodity to Karachi market. It was informed that male crabs have a high commercial value and after the fattening process, a male crab of 300-400 gm has a market price of Rs. 400/- whereas the female of the same age and weight has Rs. 60/- in Karachi. A trained team of Sindh Fisheries Department comprising of field supervisors along with the communities watcher are working under Assistant Warden for the maintenance of aquaculture ponds on a full time basis. Field observation revealed that the cleaning operations of debris, stone, plastic bags etc was poor and there was a need for immediate cleaning operation. Moreover the burrows of crabs were quite visible on the sides of the pond which indicate that the frequent movement of water from water to land. It was important and to note that data and the findings of the monitoring report would continue to evolve as the monitoring and evaluation is a continuous process. The findings and analysis presented in the report pertain specifically to the ground situation at the pond in time when the monitoring exercise was taken. 2.5 Community Development 2.5.1 Community Organization and Planning The rationale for enhanced community involvement was a logical outcome of the fact that they were the primary beneficiaries of goods and services obtained through mangrove ecosystems (livelihoods to the fisheries sector, acting as a source of fuel wood and fodder and serving as a natural barrier against cyclones and storms). They have also contributed to the loss of mangrove forest cover, although this was a combination of lack of institutional governance, over-use of resources and lack of awareness amongst local communities.

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The use of a participatory development strategy was felt to be the best approach as it seeks to engage local populations in development projects by ensuring their participation with a view to long-term and more sustainable results. The approach adopted by IUCN for community-based plantings was a collaborative one with various stages as detailed in the process below.

All the activities were carried out by IUCN staff with NRSP support on community mobilization and trainings. One milestone of this project was the innovation of community incentives for mangrove protection of established plantation on a sustainable basis. This approach deviated from the conventional approach of hiring of ‘community watchers’ for mangrove protection that is based hired individuals involved in mangrove plantation protection rather than creating ownership of the entire community in the protection of established mangrove plantations. The negotiated terms of partnership with the CO/CBOs essentially focused on the sustainability of the established plantations through a community-level protection mechanism based. Under this approach, a scheme of community protection incentive was created which was based on positive incentives for community involved in mangrove protection. Under this incentive scheme, the financial benefits were received by the CBO based upon number of newly plants that survived as a result of community protection that is, more the number of mangrove plants surviving as a result of protection more the financial incentive for the community. Under this scheme, periodical payment incentives were given to the CO/CBOs on the basis of the actual number of surviving plants at the selected site for one and a half year after initial work started.

Site Identification Target

Community Identification

Target Community Mobiliztaion

Community Training in mangrove plantation,

nursery management

Community involved in Mangrove Plantation Projects

Community Training in

protection and sustaining plantations

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Payments to the CO/CBOs would decrease with each non-surviving plant to motivate the community to adopt effective measures to protect the newly raised mangrove plantation. The rationale behind this approach was to inculcate a sense of responsibility and ownership among the entire community to sustain mangrove planted sites. Therefore the project can claim to have demonstrated successful use of communities in the core activities. 2.5.2 Capacity building and Awareness raising As mentioned above the success of the community component is largely attributed to the hand-on capacity building and of local communities, CBO’s, VOs’ and implementers on ecosystems restoration. The capacity building and outreach programmes designed and implemented included formal and informal trainings, FGD’s and awareness-raising activities focusing on mangrove ecosystem and its importance to the livelihoods of the local communities. Additionally, exposure visits for stakeholders involved in coastal resources management were organized to provide to introduce them to the participatory management and sustainable development approaches. The overall success of the community integration can be gauged by recent Focus Group Discussions held in March 2013 at Keti Bundar where representatives ( landlords, fishermen, businessmen, government servants, local NGO, etc.) reaffirmed their willingness to contribute towards the sustenance of mangrove forests and new plantations. 2.5.3 Community Training Under this component, both informal and formal training programmes were conducted for the project communities and the partners. The informal training to the community

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members involved on-site practical training to the CO/CBO members in mangrove plantation, nursery establishment, plantation management and participatory monitoring. The trainings were conducted in local setting using a variety of tools involving documentaries, presentations and discussions to keep the participants engaged in effective learning process. The training was conducted in Sindhi language to achieve better understanding of technical aspects by the participants. Formal one-day training sessions were conducted through preparation of training modules covering several topics including mangrove silviculture, economic and livelihood importance of mangrove ecosystems, role of mangroves in protection against coastal disasters, mangrove plantation and nursery establishment and participatory management. The training targeted local fisher folks, members of community groups, field officials Sindh Forest Department and field staff of NRSP. These trainings were organized in various coastal villages of Taluka Keti Bundar, Shah Bundar, Badin and Jati benefiting more than 506 participants. A total of 15 trainings were carried out over the project life, all of which yielded practical

results. As an example, in following two trainings held on the theme of “Participatory conservation of coastal resources” in July, 2010 at Haji Dongar Jat village and in April, 2011 at Bhori village respectively, the trained communities were part of the mangrove community plantation component of IUCN. The target communities were active in selecting sites,

picking the suitable seeds from the forest, and planted the area successfully and involved in setting-up nurseries in the planted area for restocking in case of any failure or dead plants. As the monitoring reports indicate, their role in managing and maintaining the plantations and nurseries has yielded positive results. 2.5.4 Events The project also highlighted issues through the celebration of key environmental events throughout Pakistan with different themes feted each year. The presentations and talks covered multiple aspects of coastal resources including the role of mangroves in fisheries development, carbon sequestration and disaster protection and the internal and external threats facing sustainable management of coastal resources.

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Most of these events also ensured engagement of students and community members in mangrove plantation activities, debates and poster competitions. Table List of Events Celebrated under the SCCDP

# Event Date Venue # of Participants I. World Environment Day 5 June 2009 Village Haji Dongar

Jat

II. National Tree Planted Day 18 August 2009 Gharo and Korangi creeks

100

III. World Wetlands Day 02 February 2011 Shaheed-e-Millat College for Women Karachi

300

IV. World Environment Day 05 June 2011 Keti Bundar 150 V. World Wetlands Days

02 February 2012 Shah Bundar 200

VI. World Environment Day 05 June 2012 University of Sindh Jamshoro

250

VII. World Wetlands Day 2013 2 February 2013 Keenjhar Lake Sindh Fisheries Department

190

IUCN staff was able to spotlight the project and its activities through these events, as gauged by the press coverage.

Key speakers from the project were also able to convey their messages to a wide audience on the factors affecting mangroves degradation and the plights of communities. As an example, in 2012, the Deputy Director Sindh Coastal Community Development Project, presented on the rehabilitation of mangroves, solar energy, and alternate livelihoods.

In 2013, on the occasion of World Wetlands Day, the Director General, Sindh Fisheries Department shared a presentation on Keenjhar Lake and the spillway that the Government of Sindh has constructed. He brought to the audience’s attention the fact that 8 centers existed around the lake where the fishermen sell their fish and that about 45000 people residing near the lake were dependent on it for

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their livelihoods. The events were also a good platform for energizing youth and school children through field-based activities such as planting campaigns and competitions. This ensured the sustainability of the awareness-raising by reaching-out to next –generation stakeholders. Each event was met with good feed-back and was participated in by a wide range of stakeholders. 2.5.5 Exposure Visits In the course of the project life, IUCN was able to organize two very topical exposure visits for the officials of PMU, SCDA, Sindh Fisheries Department and Sindh Forestry Department. The intent behind the choice of topic was to expose government officials to innovative and participatory approaches in mangroves and other natural resources management. The visits were spread out between 2010 and 2012. A first exposure visit was organized to Gawadar Jiwani, Ganz, Shabi, Pushkan, Sapat Bundar and Pasni from 13-15 May 2010. This successfully introduced seven (7) PMU officials to participatory mangrove restoration approaches used by IUCN in a similar project along the Baluchistan coast. The visit also provide an opportunity to PMU staff to share their knowledge and experience with staff of the Gwadar Development Authority, Baluchistan Coastal Development Authority and other relevant governmental and non-governmental organizations. Visits to the turtle beaches and mangrove forests and

plantations (the latter developed with different techniques) provided a platform to observe the latest trends in mangroves forestry. A second exposure visit titled ‘Participatory Natural Resources Management northern areas of Pakistan’ was organized from 9-15 July 2012 and based on the rationale that the northern areas represented one of the pioneering models of participatory natural resources management initiatives in the country. Their community-based models provided excellent opportunities of learning for the government and other stakeholders in the Sindh provinces with a view to replicating the models in the coastal areas. During the visit, eight participants from the PMU, SCDA and Sindh Fisheries Department were able to several community-based interventions related to participatory

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management of forests and wetlands, community development, community engagement in tourism and management of wildlife. The visit also provided participants an opportunity to undertake collaboration with local communities, government agencies and NGOs, cultural exchange and team building. The thematic scope of activities covered experiencing ecological variations as these occur with changing elevation, observing community engagement, benefit sharing and management of rehabilitated historic building, the Shigar Fort Resort; community mobilization and engagement in different initiatives such as raising protective plantation along the river bank to check soil erosion, construction of flood protection embankments at Marapi Shigar village, conservation wildlife at ‘Jarbaso’ lake; community based interventions by Local Support Organization in Shigari Khurd related to agriculture, livestock and education; community engagement in tourism at Upper Kachoora lake; community engagement in protection and management of wildlife in Deosai National Park and the livelihood opportunities provided by the beautiful natural landscape of the area to the local communities. The participants were able to exchange knowledge and learning experiences with government and non-government organizations including Agha Khan Rural Support Program, Forest & Wildlife Department and World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan. Feedback from the exposure visits indicated a high level of satisfaction from the stakeholders. 2.5.6 Media Under the communications component of the project, to maximize outreach to a wider section of coastal and inland communities, IUCN designed and broadcast, in collaboration with radio, Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation Hyderabad, a series of awareness raising and outreach programmes. These programmes which were launched between 2011 and 2013 included discussions and interviews on coastal issues with thematic experts, environmental features, Kacheris, and environmental messages. The community radio programmes were used to sensitize a wider audience on various aspects of coastal resources including, forests, fisheries, aquaculture, wetlands, wildlife, agriculture, livestock water and threats facing them from deforestation, degradation and pollution. The total number of programmes and their categories is listed below

# Item Description & Quantity Qty.

01 (Interviews/Discussions/Katcheris in Sindhi language of 30 minutes duration each

104 Programmes

02 Environmental Features Sindhi language of 20 minutes duration each

15 Programmes

03 Environmental Slogans/Spots (Messages) in Sindhi language of 30 seconds duration each

360 Spot Messages

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All the programmes can be made available for repeat broadcast through Radio Pakistan Hyderabad, and IUCN. The Kacheri programmes involved community based discussions on environmental issues and some episodes involved discussion with women on such issues. This is believed to be the first ever reported_ participation of coastal women in such a programmes and demonstrates the successful promotion of gender integration in participatory strategies. 2.5.7 Outreach and Knowledge Products To enhance visibility and expand outreach the project was also promoted through various knowledge products designed and developed by IUCN and distributed among project communities during event celebrations. Details of the products are given below: List of Knowledge Products Developed Under Project

# Product Quantity i. Fact sheets in Sindhi, Urdu and English 6000 ii. Stickers 4000 iii. Caps 1000 iv. T-shirts 376 The project activities were also disseminated through various other means including press releases and press briefings, participation in talks and panel discussions on television, publications of web stories, uploading of project reports on web page http://iucn.org/about/union/secretariat/offices/asia/asia_where_work/pakistan/projects/proj_sindh/ and highlighting the project at regional forums

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3. Basic Research In consultation with the PMU, IUCN undertook a series of research based activities comprising economic valuation study and baseline studies. These are detailed below 3.1 Economic Evaluation of Mangroves Ecosystem in Project Areas: IUCN undertook a study on Mangrove Plantations in the coastal Talukas of Thatta district. The Study was carried out by a consultant. The process involved a rigorous methodology in which the Consultant and IUCN team conducted field visits to Keti Bundar Taluka. Training was provided to field enumerators, selected earlier from the local area, as part of the field survey to cover households and villages. The surveyors also pre-tested the questionnaires randomly in the field following which information was extracted on their experiences test and any difficulty which may have arisen in communicating with the respondents. This aided in finalizing the initial draft of the questionnaires. A number of Focus Group Discussions (FGD) were also held at Keti Bundar with representatives belonging to different professions and trades. The draft final report of the valuation study has already been submitted by the consultant. ADB mission and IUCN has offered their comments on the report which is being incorporated and the final report will be submitted before the end of the month. 3.2 Baseline survey of fisheries in Southern block of Keti Bundar Under the sub-component on improved coastal management, IUCN was tasked also to establish fish baselines at the sites of mangrove plantations. An initial baseline survey was therefore carried out in 2011 of the mangrove plantations raised under the SCCDP Project by the IUCN and Sindh Forest Department (SFD). This covered IUCN’s mangroves plantations at Bhoori-Keti Bundar and Jati, spread over an area of 350 ha, and SFD’s plantations at Keti Bundar and Shah Bundar covering an area of 6000 Ha. The sites under assessment were located at Keti Bundar, Shah Bundar and Jati areas. The methodology used for the baseline was rigorous. Data was collected from five locations and diverse methods were used to identify a representative data collection method in order to reflect the real time needs of the project. A number of interviews and FGDs were also conducted to ascertain the views of the fishermen on the fisheries population dynamics over a period of two generations. This helped to generate a holistic view of the fish/shellfish availability in and around the plantation sites. Samples were taken from all the five plantation sites with the status of the fish summarized in two categories i.e. direct catches in numbers and percentages and the current status as per the local fishermen & scientific support data for a holistic picture of the resource status in the target sites.

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The baseline brought to surface some concerns related to the abundance of fish & shellfish species, finding a decline in abundance of the fish & shellfish in the area as compared to past records observations by the local fishermen. It was felt that the mangroves raised under the project could prove to be a secure nursing and a breeding ground for fish & shellfish. 4. Lessons Learnt and Constraints The purpose of a project closing discussion is to identify amongst other things, best practices, constraints, and how to replicate or ensure continuity. As IUCN has regularly been reporting minor operational issues in its monthly, quarterly and annual progress reports, these will not be detailed here. Some of the constraints in the project relate to man-made while others arose from weather related constraints. Mobilization advances released in favour of IUCN were not sufficient and once exhausted; IUCN was obliged to utilize borrowings from other donor projects before these were reimbursed to IUCN. On the operational side, the project was hindered to some extend in by delays in financial releases which caused delays in implementation of project activities but not to the detriment of overall success. The success of the community mobilization and payment schemes is one of the key features of the projects. While mobilization and organization into an organized collective was the task allocated to NRSP, IUCN was able to implement this in letter and spirit. IUCN’s engagement with the community was done in a transparent and well-documented manner through agreements that define each party’s roles and responsibilities and set-out the payments to be made as incentives. IUCN was also able to get the communities to open bank accounts for the payments and to ensure that these were well-received. The payment incentives themselves to the communities for protection of newly raised mangrove plantations yielded positive results at Bhoori and Haji Doongar Jat villages. Additionally, the various trainings provided to the communities also payed off in that the success rate of the plantations maintained by them was positive. As mentioned in the preceding section, the initiative to use radio-based outreach also provided to be a successful experiment. The Kuchehri Programs, Dramas, Spot messages, Question competition and interviews proved a very effective tool for the creation of awareness among the coastal population as certified by Radio Pakistan through caller telephonic calls.

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The most constraints arose from delays in the implementation of the aquaculture component. This is attributable to a combination of factors ranging from site selection to weather. The environmental assessments of identified aquaculture sites and environmental monitoring of their operation were delayed due to slow progress of fisheries component and the issues related to conflicting ownership claims over the proposed sites and low motivation of target communities towards their participatory management and benefit sharing. On account of the aquaculture project sites at Badin and Shah Bundar being under flood/rain waters in September 2011, the scheduled visits for the environmental assessment were cancelled. In consultation with the Sindh Fisheries Department the Environmental Assessment of Shah Bundar site were re-scheduled for the following month. On the planting side, the non -availability of suitable land for mangrove planting in Badin district was one issue.

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5. Conclusion As per project design, IUCN has been assigned the role of continuous monitoring of departmental mangrove component in addition to the Environmental Assessment (EA) and monitoring of crabs and fishing ponds. Beneficiaries’ income generating activities have been encouraged to be environmentally friendly and sustainable through the ongoing work of NRSP and IUCN to train fishermen/villagers in the approaches and in overall sustainable environmental management IUCN Pakistan as particularly monitored and reported on the SFD plantations and the Shrimps & crab ponds under the Sindh Coastal Community Development Project. All the concerned departments including IUCN, NRSP and Sindh Forest Department involved in their sphere in order to monitor and evaluate the coastal community development works. The overall conclusion is that the Sindh Forest Department has attempted the target of mangrove plantation over 10,000 ha assigned to them under SCCDP with the overall highly satisfaction level of survival or success. Up to 2013 the net area planted has been estimated 10,250 ha against reported areas 10,000 ha by SFD, with a net difference of 250 ha which makes 2.43% of the total target area which is surplus to the actual target. The Sindh Forest Department successfully achieved 100% target by June 2013. The Sindh Forest Department sets Guinness World Record on June 22, 2013 by planting 847,275 (770 ha) mangrove propagules in Turshan Creek at Kharo Chan in one day time. Establishing mangrove nurseries in the target areas provided backbone support in maintaining the plantations during nonseeding months of the year. Training and skill imparting program for the field staff and community in nursery raising is value addition and a long term investment in the mangrove foresty. Skilled staff protected and looked after nurseries effectively and monitoring results shown that the mortality remained less over the project period. Good and healthy saplings were observed during the frequent monitoring process. The practice of raising container plant nursery should be continued for the purpose of maintenance, gap filling and restocking in failure areas as a backup for raising mangrove plantation in non-seeding season. Unfortunately, the community/CBOs are still reluctant to take full charge of the mangrove plantations. As a result, SFD has to play its limited role in maintenance of young plantations in the future. Although, various coastal community development works have opened the venues in terms of some monetary benefits for the coastal communities, yet the time is required to acknowledge them. This has led to a slow down of activities under environmental awareness raising programs. Despite the delay in starting the project, SFD has shown good progress in restoration of mangroves. Initiatives involving communities have been largely successful. However, future work will depend upon strategic priorities set out by the programme and upon donor responses to related project proposal. Progress reports (Notes), area maps/sketches, GPS coordinates, GIS map development are an effective tools and should be continued and priority be given as it has proved an effective means in planning, implementation, management and monitoring the areas tackled under SCCDP

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Monitoring and evaluation exercise should be a permanent feature of such interdepartmental and multidisciplinary projects. Under the Information, Communication (IEC) communication and outreach strategy involved a celebration of events, distribution of print materials, community outreach through a series of radio programmes, presentations at various forums, publishing of information through press releases, web stories and participation in television programmes which was well received and proved an effective part of the SCCDP. Awareness raising events was organized at various levels involving community members, policy makers, students and media to ensure far reaching impact of the project at the local and national levels. In order to outreach a wider section of coastal and inland communities, a series of awareness raising and outreach programmes were designed and broadcasted through Radio Pakistan Hyderabad from 2011 to 2013. These programmes included discussions and interviews on coastal issues with thematic experts, environmental features, Kachehries, and environmental messages. The community radio programmes were used to sensitize a wider audience on various aspects of coastal resources including, forests, fisheries, aquaculture, wetlands, wildlife, agriculture, livestock water and threats facing them from deforestation, degradation and pollution. The Kacheri programmes involved community based discussions on environmental issues and some episodes involved discussion with women on such issues. This is believed to be first ever participation of coastal women in such a programme. The project activities were also disseminated through various other means including press releases and press briefings, participation in talks and panel discussions on television, publications of web stories, uploading of project reports on IUCN-SCCDP web page. By taking into consideration relevant international experience IUCN has been able to demonstrate the advantage of its network in this important intervention that is directly relevant to environmental improvement and will also impact on fishermen's livelihoods.

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Mangroves are salt tolerant plants that grow in inter-tidal zone in estuarine regions and deltas along coastlines and constitute important coastal wetland ecosystems. They protect coastlines, coastal cities, villages, hamlets, communities, and coastal installations from wind and tidal action, and are considered as major defensive shield against cyclones and tsunamis. Mangrove ecosystems provide numerous goods and services including support to the fisheries sector by serving as breeding grounds for shrimp and fish species; acting as nesting grounds for numerous flora and fauna and providing fuelwood for communities and fodder for livestock. Pakistan has a long coastline extending to about 1,026km, along the coasts of Baluchistan and Sindh bordering the Arabian Sea. The Sindh province has a coastline of approximately 350 kilometres, a major portion of which comprises of the Indus Delta a Creek system on river Indus. The Indus delta mangroves cover an area of 600,000 hectares (Ha) consisting of 17 major creeks and extensive mudflats and is one of the largest expanse of mangroves in the world extending from Korangi Creek in Karachi (west), to Sir Creek adjacent to the Indian border (east). Pakistan’s mangrove ecosystem provides a number of valuable goods and services including supporting the fisheries sector: approximately 200 species of fishes are reported to be found from the Delta. In addition, mangroves are a nesting ground for wildlife of terrestrial and marine origin including green turtles, dolphins and migratory birds. Local communities depend on mangroves for household uses including construction and energy needs. Mangrove fodder is used for livestock and camel browse on these mangroves. Mangroves also hold strong potential as a source of earning from tourism and recreation. Inadequate flows from upstream, indiscriminate cutting, grazing, lack of awareness, sea intrusion and pollution. Indus delta was originally home to eight species, only four remain: Avicennia marina, Rhizophoramucronata, Ceriopstagaland Aegiceruscorniculatum. Pakistan’s current mangrove forest cover is approximately 80, 000 Ha. It has declined rapidly over a period of past 80 years due to various anthropogenic reasons such as upstream cut off in Indus River water

INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE PAKISTAN PROGRAMME 1, Bath Island Road Clifton – 75500 Karachi, Pakistan Tel. +92 2135861540 Fax +92 21 35861544 www.iucn.org