In The Name Of God Performance Report of Hablehroud Project- 2015 Forests, Range & Watershed Management Organization Deputy Of Watershed Management, Range and Desert Affair Sustainable Management of Land and Water Resources of Hablehroud Project Office Title: Performance Report of Hablehroud Project (2015) Forests, Rangeland, and Watershed Management Organization/ By: Hablehroud Project Deputy of Watershed Management, Range and Desert Affair/ Sustainable Management of Land & Water Resources of Hablehroud Project Hoshang Jazi, Mohammad Hadi Nocheh, Ali Mohammad Baho, Zohreh Jamshidi, Hoda Karimipour, Syed Vahid Khatami, Prepared by: Mohammad Rastin, Ahmad Golivari, Sheyda Aghazadeh, Shahla Tavangar, Abouzar Kooshki, Somayeh Mirzaeei, Rouhollah Darvish Translator: Masoumeh Nasiri Designed by: Dariush Golsorkhi Printed and bound by: Omran Publish Forests, Ranges & Watershed Management Organization, After Mini City – Artesh Boulevard. Tehran Adress: Zip Code: 1955756113 Tel: 22488572 www.hablehroud.ir Appreciation We have to express our appreciation to “Provincial Governor’s office, Plan and Budget Organization, Governor’s office, Regional Water Authority, Jihad Agriculture Organization, Local Communities and Research Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources in Tehran and Semnan Provinces, United Nations Development Programme” for their supports which enabled Sustainable Management of Land and Water (Hableh-roud Project) to achieve its main goals and outcome. 4 ≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡ Performance Report of Hablehroud Project- 2015 ≡≡≡≡≡≡ Introduction 6 ≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡ Performance Report of Hablehroud Project- 2015 A glance at the Project’s Phase I One of the present obstacles to the integrated and comprehensive management is the weak participation of the public in the development projects. In other words, the development plans are being prepared and implemented without the continuous participation of the stakeholders. Development experts believe that the stakeholders’ participation guarantees the success of any plan or program and in fact the primary objective of development is the attainment of participatory management. Although various endeavors are taken place to institutionalize public participation in watershed management, a specific practical mechanism is yet to be developed in Iran. The phase I of the Sustainable Management of Land and Water Resources (SMLWR) Project commenced in 1997 based on a joint initiative of the Islamic Republic and Iran and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at Hablehroud Watershed Basin with an area of 1.2 million hectares as its pilot region. Four plans (with 4 separate plan documents) were designed. One of the plans, entrusted to the Management and Planning Organization, was drawn up as the umbrella entity to coordinate the overall activities and conduct the strategic planning for the other three thematic plans on watershed management, combating desertification and sustainable agriculture. These plans launched their activities at specific pilot sites and the managers of all four plans were selected from Iranian experts. The international group’s project assessment The international experts assessed the Sustainable Management of Land and Water Resources of Hablehroud Project in 2001 whose results are indicated below: ▂ Many problems involved in sustainable management of land and water resources are taken into consideration in Hablehroud Watershed Basin and could be extended to the other regions of the country ▂ The cooperation of three executive institutions under the framework of a single watershed basin is the first endeavor of its kind in Iran with valuable hands on experiences ▂ The experience with Participatory Rural Approach (PRA) has been very limited in Iran and Hablehroud Project is an important pioneer in this field ▂ Despite the cultural limitations on women participation, their cooperation in the participatory planning has enhanced women’s role in group decision-making ▂ The Project enjoys trained and motivated personnel with practical experience in participatory processes. Phase II of Hablehroud Project After the conclusion of Phase I, in a joint meeting of representatives from the Ministry of Jihad Agriculture, Planning and Management Organization, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UNDP, it was decided to commence the Phase II of Hablehroud Project as a high priority national project. Thus, an international consultant was contracted to develop the project document for Phase II. The integrated management strategy of Hablehroud Watershed Basin became the main agenda of the Phase II. The preparation of such strategy coupled with the well documented past experiences paves the way for the development of a model applicable in the other regions of the country. The envisioned model could enable the project to implement the detailed concepts and schemes to ≡≡≡≡≡≡ Introduction ≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡ 7 utilize the participatory approach in sustainable management of land and water resources inside the watershed basin as well as the other development projects. Therefore, the Sustainable Management of Land and Water Resources (SMLWR) project was extended for another 5 years until the end of 2016 by the seventh meeting of the Project Board comprised of the Deputy Minister and Head of the Forests, Rangeland and Watershed Organization (FRWO), the United Nations Resident Representative in Iran, Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other members of the Project Board. They emphasized on the sustainable economy as an appropriate tool for the integrated management of natural resources along with the inter-sectoral cooperation, control of land degradation and improvement of living standards for the local residents. The Phase II of Sustainable Management of Land and Water Resources of Hablehroud Project intend to attain a suitable model for the integrated management of watershed basins in the arid and semi-arid regions of Iran. Also, it envisions enhancing inter-sectoral cooperation and materializing the participatory approach at the local level. The main outcomes of the project in line with the above-mentioned goals are the development of the National Action Plan to be used in other watershed basin managements in the country and to control the land degradation through the improvement of the living standards for the local residents. The Phase II outcomes and objectives The Phase II of Hablehroud Project envisions attaining the following 2 major outcomes and 4 outputs: Outcome #1: Development of a model for the integrated planning and management of the land and water resources in the watershed basin in line with the sustainable development of the basin Output 1.1: Design a framework for sustainable economy and establishing a linkage with the national accounts in order to attain sustainable development throughout the watershed basin Output 1.2: Design the strategies for participatory management and an integrated management model for the watershed basin concentrating on sustainable management of land and water resources in the arid and semi-arid regions and subsequently submit them to the national authorities for their mainstreaming into the governmental policy- making framework and planning Outcome #2: Enhance the management status of land and water resources and control land degradation through the participatory approach at the watershed basin Output 2.1: Document, monitor and assess the best practices and innovations related to the management of land and water resources Output 2.2: Sustainably improve the living standards and capacities of the basin residents and ameliorate the management of natural resources ≡≡≡≡≡≡ 8 ≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡ Performance Report of Hablehroud Project- 2015 Scope of the Project Implementation The implementation scope of Hablehroud Project in Phase II includes Hablehroud Watershed Basin in Tehran and Semnan Provinces encompassing Firouz Kouh, Damavand, Garmsar and Sorkheh Counties. ≡≡≡≡≡≡ Introduction ≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡ 9 Members of the Operational Team of the Project During 2015 Parviz Garshasbi Acting National Project director Hushang Jazi National Project Manager Hoda Karimipour Senior Technical Expert Hosseinali Mohammadi SMLWR Project Expert Zohreh Jamshidi SMLWR Project Expert Niloufar Dehghan Financial and Procurement Assistant Vahid Ebrahimi/Pantea Azari Financial and Procurement Assistant General Director of Natural Resources and Watershed Management and Gholamabass Abdinejad/Ali Kiyan Secretary of Monitoring and Planning Committee of Tehran Province Deputy of Watershed Management and Provincial Project Manager Saeid Tabakhi/ Hamidreza Zakizadeh -Tehran-SMLWR Project Rouhollah Darvish/ Shahla Tavangar Provincial Expert -Tehran -SMLWR Project Head of Natural Resources and Watershed Management Office & Yadolah Akbaritalarposhti/Ali Khalili Secretary of Watershed Management Committee - SMLWR Project - Damavand Abuzar Kousheki Provincial Expert -Damavand -SMLWR Project Head of Natural Resources and Watershed Management Office & Javad Rezaee/Jamshid Juibari Secretary of Watershed Management Committee - SMLWR Project - Firozkooh Ali Mohammad Bahu Provincial Expert -Firozkooh -SMLWR Project Rouhollah Darvish/ Somaeh Mirzaee Provincial Expert -Firozkooh -SMLWR Project General Director of Natural Resources and Watershed Management and Alinaghi