Desertification through Rural People Participation (Experience of International Project of Carbon Sequestration in South Khorasan Province – East of Iran)

Abstract

This project was the participatory work between forest, pastures and aquiferous organization in Iran and UNDP in order to achieving revival destroyed pastures in the field of Hosein abad Sarbisheh in South Khorasan province, IRAN by using resistant varieties and absorbing additional carbon in atmosphere with profiting participation of people during 2003-2014. Carbon sequestration Projects are paying with using participatory methods in rural empowerment of low income groups and specially low income group to the development of rural infrastructure. This participation was performed for the first time a non-profit institutions and charities and takes place in the “Kasrab” Village of the project within poverty reduction, employment creation, providing sustainable livelihood opportunities,women's empowerment and environmental rehabilitation will be able to gain empower rural with resource management in addition to their capacity and necessary self-esteem to influence executive policy. The project demonstrated that desertified rangelands can be cost-effectively reclaimed by and for the benefit of the local people and that there is a significant potential to sequestrate carbon in plants and soil in these areas for overall global benefit. The lessons drawn in true collaborative rehabilitation and management of natural resources could be applied in similar places in Iran and even in other countries with similar conditions.