Kurzbeschreibung
(Englisch)
|
Bhutan ranks 155 among 175 countries in UNDP's Human Development in 1999. 80% of its population earn their income from agriculture and forestry. It is a declared policy of die Royal Goverment of Bhutan to increase and diversify the agriculture and forestry production with die aim to achieve national food security and to ensure a forest cover of 60%. For accomplishing this goal, a research System has to be in place, particularly considering the most diverse environment of the Himalayan state which poses major challenges to the farmers and other users of natural resources.
From 1992-1996, the Ministry of Agriculture has established four Renewable Natural Resources Research Centres as service components in support of development activities. The RNR RCs cover die four regions of die country and each of them is responsible for a regional as well as a national (forestry, field crops, livestock and horticulture) research mandate.
The objectives of die RNR research System is to contribute to a sustainable use and diversification of food production. It should also help preserve the biodiversity and assist in developing production technologies which are more efficient and can be applied in the extremely varied and mountainous environment. Since there search should meet die practical needs and mainly benefit the farmers, die RNR RCs conduct an adaptive and applied appraoch. The centres take into account the concrete requirements, conduct the research as much as possible on farmers' fields and disseminate the results again to the farmers, Government agencies and other stakeholders.
Since 1995, SDC supported three out of the four RNR RCs: the Centre in Yusipang (national forestry mandate), the one in Jakar (livestock mandate) and the RC in Bajo (field crop rnandate). During this first phase of assistance, the support concentrated on enabling die new RCs in Yusipang and Jakar to take up operations and conduct first research activities. On the one hand, die physical basis had to be established (research buildings and facilities). On the other hand, the research programs had to be developed, professional staff to be recruited and rnanagement systems to be put in place. At Bajo, SDC financed an innovative watershed research project that can serve as model for the other RNR RCs.
In die new phase (Project Phase 2, July 2000- June 2003), to which this proposal refers, emphasis will be placed on consolidating the initiated work at die individual RNR RCs and on strengthening the collaboration and coordintion among the four Centres. The research centres Yusipang and Jakar will finalise the construction of research buildings, will further develop and finetune their research programmes and will enhance die competencies of their staff through training. Focus will also be placed on improving die dissemination of research results to the farmers. For this purpose, an international extension expert will be newly assigned to the project. In Bajo, SDC will continue to support die watershed project. At national level, a number of mechanisms will be set up to ensure an effective and efficient cooperation and coordination among all research centres. A Management Committee, comprising all heads of the centres, will be establisbed with the task to look that information is exchanged among die RNR RCs and that the different activities at the centres will complement and support each other.
Project Phase 2 will be under thie overall responsibility of Helvetas. The SDC/ Helvetas coordination office in Bhutan will closely collaborate with the RNR RCs and die MoA departments involved in RNR research.
The total budget for Phase 2 amounts to CHF 5'260'000.-. ,be RGoB contribution stands at Nu. 70.1 million (about CHF 2.6 million). The project is finally integrated into national implementation structure and external financial support is partly under national execution. An evaluation of the Bajo project will take place in 2002; a combined evaluation for Yusipang and Jakar is planned for 2003. The project corresponds with the priorities determined by the SDC/Helvetas country programme Bhutan.
Credit proposal: RNR RCs (Phase 2000-2003) 1
Texte nach Vorlage gescannt.
|
