ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE CONSERVATION & MANAGEMENT INITIATIVESText: Prabhjot Sodhi, Anil Arora, Ricky Renthlei and Rohit Arora Colours 9810037571/SGP/November/13

Project Results• 7BokashiPiggeryUnitshavebeenprovidedbyGEF/UNDPSGP,andtherippleeffectledto

scalingupanother21 unitsfinancedbythebankthroughloanstoSHGs.Loanshavebeenreleasedto14units.

• 350farmershavebenefittedfromthetrainingprogramsonpiggery,poultry,organicfarmingandalsobytechnologytransfer,creditcounsellingandmarketadvocacy.

• 40%reductionintheinputcostsandanaverageincrementof20-50%intheharvesthasresultedbythetrainingprovidedincollectingandmultiplicationofIMOandpreparationoforganicinputs.

• Savedusageof1500kgoffire-woodperhouse-holdperannumasaresultofnewmethodoffeed-stockforthepigs,leadingtoCO2emissionreduction.Theabove28unitsresultedintoasavingof42,000kgsofwoodperannum.

• Withtheco-financingreceived,BethanySocietyalsointroducedefficientcook-stovemodelsthatreducethefire-woodsavingby60%.Atotalof15householdwereprovidedwith15cookstoves,resultinginfirewoodsavingof3240kgsperhouseholdperannum(Atotalof48,000kgsofwoodequivalentto87MtsofCO2checkedperannum).

• ManualsforBokashiPiggery,CollectionandmultiplicationofLacticAcidBacteria,organiccompostsandliquidmanureandpesticidehavebeenpreparedandwillbepublishedbothinlocalandEnglishlanguage.

• WildHoneywasanotheraspectofenterprisewhichwasanoffshootoftheprojectasanalternativelivelihoodoption.LinkagewascreatedwithMizoramand10farmersadoptedtobee rearing,at they sold200kgofhoney@Rs350/-perkg.Many farmersarenowalsogearinguptotakebeekeeping.LinksarebeingmadebytheNGOtoKhadiVillageIndustriesBoard(KVIB).

• IGSSStheGermandonorisinterestedintheprogrammeandthereislikelihoodthattheywill supporta twoyear initiative for furtherdeveloping thecapacityof20morevillagesandforformationandstrengtheningthemixedSHGs.TheNGOhasdevelopedtheprojectbasedonthelearningsfromtheGEF/SGP.

• A totalof405people includingpersonswithdisabilityarepartof theSHGsanda totalsavingofINR4,50,000(US$7,500)hasbeenmobilisedthroughartisanwork.

Ministry of Environment &Forests (MoEF), India

• Totalvalueworth$10,000ofrenewableenergyandtechnologyservicesprovidedtothelocalsinpartnershipwithDRDA.

• 50Hectaresofdegradedlandand102Hacoflandapplyingsustainableforest,agriculturalandwastemanagementpractices.

• Mr. Ricky Nelson Renthlei was awarded a Community Excellence Award at KangwonUniversity, Kangwondo, South Korea by theUnitedNations Environment Programme-EcoPeaceLeadershipCenterKorea,fordoingresearchontheprogrammeinupliftingthepeopleeconomicallyandsociallyin2012.

Lessons Learnt• Reachingof technologies is slowtothecommunities inremoteareas.Thereforepressure

onforestsisincreasingasvillagersareveryslowtotakerisks,astheyareunorganisedandprefertotakeforwardtestedmethodsandpractices.

• Inaccessibilityofthelocalinstitutionbuildingiskeepingthemawayfromthebanksatthevillagelevelandthereforecommunitiesareverylowinconfidenceandthebanksalsotakelongtimetoprocessapplicationsforloans.

• Communitycontributionsareamustinprojectactions.Communitiessharingcosts,decisions,rolesandresponsibilitiesareleadingthemtobuildconfidenceinprocessesandpractices.Pooruneducatedtakelongertimeandfacilitatorsneedtobepatientinapproachingthem.

• Newtechnologieswhichreducedrudgeryneedtobeintroducedandthenscaledup.

• RainplaysavitalpartinMeghalayaandduringtheseasonindoorprogrammesshouldbesystematicallyplannedsothattheworkprogressesasperschedule.

• Youthareenthusiasticabouttheirenvironment,theirmajorfocusistomoveoutoftheruralareas andexplore/seekbetter employment; and theproject strategies, if not linkedwithlivelihoodstheprojectactionswillsustainless.

Meghalaya

Smokeless Cook-stove

Biodiversity Conservation

Climate Change

Bethany SocietyLady Veronica Lane,Laitumkhrah,Shillong-03, MeghalayaTel/Fax- 0364-2210631Email-bethanyngo@rediffmail.com

Regional Co-ordinatorCoordinator/Office-in-charge,CEE North-East,ChenikuthiK.K. Bhatta Road, Guwahati- 781003Tel: 0361 2667382 Fax: 0361 2665914Email: ceenortheast@ceeindia.org

Country Program ManagerGEF/UNDP Small Grants ProgrammeCEE Delhi.C-40, South Extension II, New Delhi- 110049 Phone: 011-26262878-80Email: prabhjot.sodhi@ceeindia.org ceedelhi@ceeindia.org www.sgpindia.org

NameoftheOrganisationBethanySociety

GeographicalAreasSawSymper,MawsynramBlock,EastKhasiHills,Shillong,Meghalaya

Beneficiaries5,500(2,600males;2,100females;800children)

SGP Grant Rs.10,00,000(US$16,667approximately)

Co-FinancingTotal-Rs.37,57,500(US$62,625)

InCashRs,10,000–KhasiHillsAutonomousDistrictCouncil;Rs.15,000–NationalBankforRuralDevelopment(NABARD);Rs.14,00,000-MeghalayaCoopApexBankandMeghalayaRuralBank

InKindRs.10,000–PublicWorksDepartment,Govt.OfMeghalaya;Rs.5,000–MartinLutherChristianUniversity;Rs.3,000–BotanicalSurveyofIndia;Rs.1,500–IndianCouncilofAgricultureResearch(ICAR);Rs.20,000–IndianAgricultureResearchInstitute(IARI);Rs.6,60,000–assubsidyandRs.8,00,000–asloanbyDepartmentofVeterinaryandAnimalHusbandry;Rs.8,33,000–GovernmentDRDAprogramme

ProjectTimePeriod1stMay2009to31stMarch2013

NumberofPeopleTrainedTotal–3,965920–onprojectdevelopment,monitoring,evaluation,etc.;650–onorganicfarming;820–onIndigenousMicro-Organisms;750–BokashiPiggery;200–BokashiPoultry;70–Feedmaking;405–SHG’s;150–SoilTesting

ProjectBackgroundIn1982Dr.HigaattheUniversityofRyukyus,Okinawa Japan, discovered a specific groupof naturally occurring beneficial micro-organismswithanamazingability torevive,restore, and preserve. He named this groupE.M.(Effectivemicro-organisms).

IMOistheabbreviationforIndigenousMicro-Organisms. IMOisacombinationofusefulregeneratedmicro-organismsthatexistfreelyinnatureandarenotmanipulatedinanyway.

Thismixtureincreasesthenaturalresistanceofsoil,plants,water,humansandanimals.IMOconsiderablyimprovesthequalityandfertilityof soil aswell as the growth and quality ofcrops. Bethany Society (BS) approached theGlobal Environment Facility United NationsDevelopment Programme / Small GrantsProgrammehostedbyCentreforEnvironmentEducation. Several discussions resulted intodeveloping an approach for promoting theconservationandscalinguppractices in theuseofthismodelBokashiPiggeryTechnology.

IMOconsistsofthefollowingfivefamiliesofmicro-organisms:

1. Lactic acid bacteria: these bacteria aredifferentiated by their powerful sterilisingproperties.They suppress harmful micro-organismsandencouragequickbreakdownoforganicsubstances.Inaddition,theycansuppress the reproduction of Fusarium, aharmfulfungus.

2. Yeasts: these manufacture anti-microbial and useful substances for plant growth. Theirmetabolitesarefoodforotherbacteriasuchasthelacticacidandactinomycetegroups.

3. Actinomycetes: these suppress harmful fungi and bacteria and can live together withphotosyntheticbacteria.

4. Photosynthetic bacteria: these bacteria play the leading role in the activity of EM.Theysynthesizeuseful substances fromsecretionsof roots,organicmatterand/orharmfulgases(e.g. hydrogen sulphide) byusing sunlight and theheat of soil as sourcesof energy.Theycontributetoabetteruseofsunlightor,inotherwords,betterphotosynthesis.Themetabolitesdeveloped by thesemicro-organisms are directly absorbed into plants. In addition, thesebacteriaincreasethenumberofotherbacteriaandactasnitrogenbinders.

5. Fungi that brings about fermentation breaks down the organic substances quickly. Thissuppressessmellandpreventsdamagethatcouldbecausedbyharmfulinsects.

WhatisBokashiTechnology?

BokashiPiggeryisaJapaneseandKoreanpigconservationandrearingsystempropagatedbypractitionersofnaturalfarmingwhichuses“Micro-organisms”techniques.IthasbeenintroducedforthefirsttimeinIndia,inMeghalaya.BokashiisaJapanesewordmeaning“Fermentation”.Thistechniquekeepsthepigpensodourless,ensuringhygienicpractices,betterhealthandfastergrowthofpigs.ThishashadapositiveimpactonthetraditionalpigrearingsystemofruralpoorfarmersofKhasiHills.Bokashicompostispreparedfromchickenmanure,topsoil/forestsoil,woodash,charcoal,water,IndigenousMicro-Organism(IMO),bamboovinegar,andeggshells.Ricebranisrecommendedasanimportantingredientofthiscompost.IMOalsoplaysamajorroleinconservingandpropagatingthistechnique,asitsapplicationonthefloorofthepigshadedeodorisesit.Moreover,italsoprovidesorganiccompostasaby-productwhichisbeingusedbytheruralfarmerstocultivatevegetables.

IndigenousMicro-Organism

ProjectObjectives• TrainselectedvillagecommunitiesinthecollectionandculturingofIMOfromcommunityforestsandtouseitforsustainableorganicfarmingandpiggerymanagement.

• PreservetheenvironmentbycausingreductioninCO2emissionandcheckpollutionoflocalstreamsandriversbyrecyclingofwaste.

• RevivethedegradedfarmlandswiththeuseofBokashicompostandorganicfarming.

StrategicApproachTheNGOBethanySocietyadoptedtheparticipatoryapproach,usingthevillagemapsasmeanstobuildingrapportandtrust,whichalsoledtocreatingawarenessandagreementsinvillageshowtodotheprogram.

Later the NGO adopted theformation of local kinshipbased, local institutions:42 mixed self help groups(SHGs)wereformedandtheirmembers given training onpiggerymanagement,poultry,organic farming, book-keeping and documentation.38 SHGs were graded bythe bank and were linkedfor loans and subsidies andnearly Rs 550,000 as loansprovided, to a saving of Rs150,000madebytheSHGs.

NABARD Farmer’s Clubprogrammewassetuptoimplementtheactivitiesontheground,suchasstrengtheningfarmingtechniques and awareness onmarkets and credit linkageswith regard to the production ofvegetablesandlivestock.

LocalVillageVolunteerswere thenmadeawareof running theprogramandwere impartedskillsbasedtrainings.Focussedtrainingprovidedtothefarmers:

•Training in the collection and multiplication of IMO and Organic Compost,andtheiruseinlivestockmanagementandproductionofvariousinputsforagriculture.Itwasconductedinallthe14villagesand15farmersamongthemvolunteeredtouseapartoftheirfieldforexperimentationofgrowingrice,potatoandvegetables.

•Training in piggery conservation and management,operationalizingBokashimodelPiggery,auniquemethodwhichreducesdrudgery,smellandproduceshealthierpigs.Thistrainingwasconducted forall the14villages (14programs)andover500villagersavailedof thetraining.

•Training in organic farmingwithregardtopotatoandvegetableswasconductedforallthevillagesandmorethan510villagersweretrained.Theuseofmicro-organismsfromtheforest,whichisapartofthebio-diversity,wasdoneforincomegenerationpurposesandforBokashiPiggeryandnaturalfarming.

•Linkagesestablishedwith- 1)MeghalayaCooperationApexBankandMeghalayaRuralBanktoaccesstimelyandcheapcredit;

2)Government/DRDA/(DistrictRuralDevelopmentAgency)programs for in-kindfinancialassistance;

3)ManyoftheGovernmentagenciessuchastheForestDepartment,RuralDevelopment,theAutonomousDistrictCouncil,BotanicalSurveyofIndia,ICAR,NABARDandBanksbothfortechnicalandfinancialassistance,thatleveragedcashandin-kindfinancialsupportfortheprogrammeactivities.

Preparation of Bokashi Compost

Collection of Indigenous Micro-Organism from the Forest

ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE CONSERVATION & MANAGEMENT INITIATIVESText: Prabhjot Sodhi, Anil Arora, Ricky Renthlei and Rohit Arora Colours 9810037571/SGP/November/13

Project Results• 7BokashiPiggeryUnitshavebeenprovidedbyGEF/UNDPSGP,andtherippleeffectledto

scalingupanother21 unitsfinancedbythebankthroughloanstoSHGs.Loanshavebeenreleasedto14units.

• 350farmershavebenefittedfromthetrainingprogramsonpiggery,poultry,organicfarmingandalsobytechnologytransfer,creditcounsellingandmarketadvocacy.

• 40%reductionintheinputcostsandanaverageincrementof20-50%intheharvesthasresultedbythetrainingprovidedincollectingandmultiplicationofIMOandpreparationoforganicinputs.

• Savedusageof1500kgoffire-woodperhouse-holdperannumasaresultofnewmethodoffeed-stockforthepigs,leadingtoCO2emissionreduction.Theabove28unitsresultedintoasavingof42,000kgsofwoodperannum.

• Withtheco-financingreceived,BethanySocietyalsointroducedefficientcook-stovemodelsthatreducethefire-woodsavingby60%.Atotalof15householdwereprovidedwith15cookstoves,resultinginfirewoodsavingof3240kgsperhouseholdperannum(Atotalof48,000kgsofwoodequivalentto87MtsofCO2checkedperannum).

• ManualsforBokashiPiggery,CollectionandmultiplicationofLacticAcidBacteria,organiccompostsandliquidmanureandpesticidehavebeenpreparedandwillbepublishedbothinlocalandEnglishlanguage.

• WildHoneywasanotheraspectofenterprisewhichwasanoffshootoftheprojectasanalternativelivelihoodoption.LinkagewascreatedwithMizoramand10farmersadoptedtobee rearing,at they sold200kgofhoney@Rs350/-perkg.Many farmersarenowalsogearinguptotakebeekeeping.LinksarebeingmadebytheNGOtoKhadiVillageIndustriesBoard(KVIB).

• IGSSStheGermandonorisinterestedintheprogrammeandthereislikelihoodthattheywill supporta twoyear initiative for furtherdeveloping thecapacityof20morevillagesandforformationandstrengtheningthemixedSHGs.TheNGOhasdevelopedtheprojectbasedonthelearningsfromtheGEF/SGP.

• A totalof405people includingpersonswithdisabilityarepartof theSHGsanda totalsavingofINR4,50,000(US$7,500)hasbeenmobilisedthroughartisanwork.

Ministry of Environment &Forests (MoEF), India

• Totalvalueworth$10,000ofrenewableenergyandtechnologyservicesprovidedtothelocalsinpartnershipwithDRDA.

• 50Hectaresofdegradedlandand102Hacoflandapplyingsustainableforest,agriculturalandwastemanagementpractices.

• Mr. Ricky Nelson Renthlei was awarded a Community Excellence Award at KangwonUniversity, Kangwondo, South Korea by theUnitedNations Environment Programme-EcoPeaceLeadershipCenterKorea,fordoingresearchontheprogrammeinupliftingthepeopleeconomicallyandsociallyin2012.

Lessons Learnt• Reachingof technologies is slowtothecommunities inremoteareas.Thereforepressure

onforestsisincreasingasvillagersareveryslowtotakerisks,astheyareunorganisedandprefertotakeforwardtestedmethodsandpractices.

• Inaccessibilityofthelocalinstitutionbuildingiskeepingthemawayfromthebanksatthevillagelevelandthereforecommunitiesareverylowinconfidenceandthebanksalsotakelongtimetoprocessapplicationsforloans.

• Communitycontributionsareamustinprojectactions.Communitiessharingcosts,decisions,rolesandresponsibilitiesareleadingthemtobuildconfidenceinprocessesandpractices.Pooruneducatedtakelongertimeandfacilitatorsneedtobepatientinapproachingthem.

• Newtechnologieswhichreducedrudgeryneedtobeintroducedandthenscaledup.

• RainplaysavitalpartinMeghalayaandduringtheseasonindoorprogrammesshouldbesystematicallyplannedsothattheworkprogressesasperschedule.

• Youthareenthusiasticabouttheirenvironment,theirmajorfocusistomoveoutoftheruralareas andexplore/seekbetter employment; and theproject strategies, if not linkedwithlivelihoodstheprojectactionswillsustainless.

Meghalaya

Smokeless Cook-stove

Biodiversity Conservation

Climate Change

Bethany SocietyLady Veronica Lane,Laitumkhrah,Shillong-03, MeghalayaTel/Fax- 0364-2210631Email-bethanyngo@rediffmail.com

Regional Co-ordinatorCoordinator/Office-in-charge,CEE North-East,ChenikuthiK.K. Bhatta Road, Guwahati- 781003Tel: 0361 2667382 Fax: 0361 2665914Email: ceenortheast@ceeindia.org

Country Program ManagerGEF/UNDP Small Grants ProgrammeCEE Delhi.C-40, South Extension II, New Delhi- 110049 Phone: 011-26262878-80Email: prabhjot.sodhi@ceeindia.org ceedelhi@ceeindia.org www.sgpindia.org