DUSHANBE, October 8, 2009, Asia-Plus -- The development goals of the Republic of Tajikistan targeting on conservation of significantly valuable agrobiodiversity and socio-economic growth of the country are commonly found in the aims and objectives of the new large-scale UNDP-GEF project on sustaining agricultural biodiversity in the face of climate change in Tajikistan, which is implemented by the National Biodiversity and Biosafety Center, press release issued by the UNDP CO in Tajikistan said.

The main objective of the project is to embed globally significant agrobiodiversity conservation and adaptation to climate change in agricultural and rural development policies and practices at national and local levels in Tajikistan.

The implementation zone of the project is supposed to cover four main areas of the country, including Baldjuvan, Shurobad, Rasht and Zeravshan. It is expected that the project will enable to sustain agrobiodiversity conservation in light of climate change as well as to increase effectiveness of detecting and forecasting the risks and vulnerabilities and plan adequate response measures to enhance adaptation capacity and develop agribusiness practices at the local and national level. In the frames of the project additional financial resources will be attracted (e.g. GEF Small Grants Program, First Microfinancial Bank, private business resources, etc.) for efficient agricultural development through sustainable use of climate change resilient species and improved market mechanisms.

The key partners of the project are scientific institutes, departmental organizations and agricultural enterprises working with climate change, agrobiodiversity and environmental sciences and policy. The project also includes a number of international agencies and financial institutions, which could contribute to socio-economic development of the targeted project zones. At the same time, Jamoat Resource Centers (JRC) and local farmers will play a key role in organizational issues in the field and substantially contribute to study, research, management and policy-making process in the targeted project zones.

Expected outcomes of the project will be evident in sustainable use and conservation of globally and locally valuable agrobiodiversity, provision of long-term food security, intellectual and technical capacity building at the local and individual level, as well as seen in efficient integration of traditional knowledge to the scientific approach and studies, which will substantially improve present-day agricultural practices in light of climate change. Furthermore, favorable indicators of socio-economic development of the targeted project areas will be echoed in the stable increase of community-based income, sufficient access to microcredit and loan services, and development of marketing and small business opportunities, which are in line with poverty reduction policy of the country.