Relevance to IFAD Projects : Investing in the community approach

The proposed programme will benefit resource-poor communities in agropastoral systems of the dry areas of West Asia and North Africa by generating opportunities for empowering local communities and their institutions, better managing common resources, improving livestock productivity thereby enhancing rural incomes and livelihoods. The programme contributes directly to the development of regional and national strategies by providing them with a vehicle and options for intervening in the dry areas with higher expected successes to improving livelihoods, resource distribution and sustainable use of the natural resources.

Moreover, the programme provides opportunities for stakeholders to gain higher returns on their investment through the complementation by other partners intervening in different priority areas. In addition, the programme contributes to IFAD’s 2001 Strategy for the Near East and North Africa, as well as to AFESD strategy in the Arab Countries, and particularly to the focus on seeking opportunities to overcome natural resources constraints and the decentralization of responsibility and authority for natural resources management, with a clear emphasis on community management of common natural resources.

The programme will contribute to the efforts of the CGIAR to develop Integrated Natural Resource Management (INRM) approaches to improve the production and livelihood strategies. In these efforts, the programme will help institutionalize the community approach within the national programs of the eight countries involved.

The programme will be of direct relevance to, and is expected to cooperate closely with, IFAD and other development projects in the region through the transfer of "best-bet" technologies and resource management options, methodologies, institutionalization of the community approach in agricultural research and extension, and the mainstreaming of the community approach developed by the programme in future development projects in the dry areas. Relevant projects may include the following :

Algeria :

• I-581-DZ Pilot Project for the Development of Mountain Agriculture in the Watershed Basin of Oued Saf Saf
• Sidi Frej community is in the area covered by the former IFAD Oued Mellag Development Project

Jordan :

• I-468-JO : National Programme for Rangeland Rehabilitation and Development - Phase I
• I-509-JO : Yarmouk Agricultural Resources Development
• I-392-JO: Agricultural Resource Management Project in the Governorates of Karak and Tafilat

Lebanon :

• I-448-LB : Agriculture Infrastructure Development Project
• I-569-LB : Cooperative Rural Finance Programme

Morocco :

• I-556-MA : Rural Development Project in the Mountain Zones of Al-Haouz Province
• I-437-MA : Rural Development Project for Taourirt – Taforalt
• I-260-MO : Livestock and Pasture Development Project in the Eastern Region

Syria :

• I-477-SY : Badia Rangelands Development Project
• I-363-SY : Jebel al Hoss Agricultural Development Project
• I-311-SY : Southern Regional Agricultural Development Project - Phase II

Tunisia :

• I-499-TN : Integrated Agricultural Development Project in the Governorate of Zaghouan
• I-394-TN : Integrated Agricultural Development Project in the Governorate of Siliana
• I-348-TN : Integrated Agricultural Development Project in the Governorate of Kairouan
• The new Integrated Agro-pastoral Development Project in the South East of Tunisia