An Overview Of Our Solution
Pakistan at 3rd among 10 most-affected countries by climate change and rain-fed regions are highly vulnerable to extreme weather events. Rural communities are uneducated about climate change, confused about the facts or don't believe their actions can make a difference. PODA has developed Climate Smart Model Farms (CSMF), has the ability to adapt changing climatic conditions, extreme weather events and resilient to high temperature and prolong droughts. Rain-fed communities of 56 villages (48,609 populations) developed CSMF and producing quality food and harvesting rainwater toward sustainable water and food security. CSMF is creating social change of behavior, 87-90% environmental friendly, cost effective, easy adaptive, highly resilience, less energy dependent and impact low on CO2 footprints/reducing GHG emissions by cultural practices.
- Population Impacted: 96,590 Rural, 4500 Urban
- Continent: Asia
Last name
Organization type
Context Analysis
Climate change and extreme weather events such as, erratic rainfall, hailstorm, drought, sand storms and floods in rain-fed areas of Pakistan. Rural communities of rain-fed regions are uneducated about climate change, confused about the facts or don't believe their actions can make a difference. It's not clear exactly how climate change will affect people psychologically, but it's likely to be devastating. In last five years 23.6% of local population of rain-fed areas migrated to the nearby cities for employment, because of crop failure by extreme climate change events and prolong droughts. Communities under rain-fed agriculture are suffering very badly from ground water pollution and scarcity for drinking water, livestock and domestic usage. High temperature in summer average temperature 40°C with maximum to 47°C with occasional hot and dry winds full of dust storms. The main stay of food and economy of these people is rain-fed agriculture and traditional livestock rearing.
Describe the technical solution you wanted the target audience to adopt
To create and distribute easy-to-understand informational materials, training’s and climate adaptive model will explain how human behavior influences climate change and how humans can cope with and adapt to a changed environment. Keeping in mind these facts PODA developed technical solution Climate Smart Model Farms (CSMF) in 28 villages and started integrated climate adaptation smart farming. CSMF has the ability to adapt changing climatic conditions, extreme weather events and resilient to high temperature and prolong droughts. One CSMF is divided into sub-plots 1) CSMF of Fruits/Vegetables Damage Probability Risk 2) CSMF Staple Food Crops Planting Scheduler 3) CSMF of Rainwater Harvesting & Water Deficit Calculator 4) CSMF of Composting/Biological Diseases Control & Zero Tillage 5) CSMF of Livestock/Poultry Animals. Farm green and dry waste collected into composting ditch to prepare natural fertilizer and promote minimum/zero tillage techniques on farm to conserve soil moisture.
Type of intervention
Describe your behavioral intervention
CSMF aims to tackle three main objectives: sustainably increasing agricultural productivity and incomes; adapting and building resilience to climate change and reducing GHG emissions.
Seeing is believing; after PODA initiatives local communities started to take interest in how PODA team and youth volunteers are applying simple and cost effective scientific technologies. Smart climate tunnel farming of off-seasonal organic vegetables was surprised locals. It brings very motivational change among locals when they come to know that there were no application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Previously, all the small farmers in rural areas were spending a lot on fertilizers, seeds and pesticides which increase input cost of farm production. All the farm inputs were produced and prepared at the farm like composting, rainwater harvesting and biological control of plants diseases. CSMF is completely based on agronomic, meteorological scientific principles.
As needed, please explain the type of intervention in more detail
Due to extreme climate change impact on rain-fed agriculture small farmers left over their profession and moving to other professions. In last five years 23.6% (Punjab SID-5/2016) of local population of rain-fed areas migrated to the nearby cities for employment, because of crop failure by extreme climate change events and prolong droughts. PODA is trying to create awareness among locals through technology transformation and smart climate adaptive agriculture farming to overcome urbanization and promote organic kitchen farming. PODA organization ensuring climate adaptation, mitigation and creating agriculture resilience practices among locals to create positive social changes toward capacity building for livelihoods skills. PODA developed Climate Smart Model Farms (CSMF) in 28 villages and started integrated climate adaptation smart farming but it is not enough for other areas. CSMF has the ability to adapt changing climatic conditions, extreme weather events and resilient to high temperature and prolong droughts. Every CSMF were designed by the agri-professionals with full involvement of climatologist and meteorologist groups. One CSMF is divided into sub-plots 1) CSMF of Fruits/Vegetables Damage Probability Risk 2) CSMF Staple Food Crops Planting Scheduler 3) CSMF of Rainwater Harvesting & Water Deficit Calculator 4) CSMF of Composting/Biological Diseases Control & Zero Tillage 5) CSMF of Livestock/Poultry Animals.
Describe your implementation
Mobilize small farmers to form climate change action groups and organizing social mentoring and technical capacity building education and trainings about climate change, adaptation and mitigation and its impact on their lifestyle, surrounding environment, food, water and sustainable agricultural development. Development of education tools-kits on environmental changing issues for training youth and women groups particularly local school and college students in the district. Organizing awareness and education program on Climate Change Education (CCE) and Cultural and Biological Diversity (CCCBD). Organizing emotional and motivational campaigns i.e. Plant a Tree to Be a Green Man, Monsoon plantation scheme, Go Green Plantation Campaign, olive plantation on degraded, deforested sites of the target area by students.
In the initial phase of the project, community members (both male and female) gave very negative response and showed their mistrust on PODA. They said that “NGOs are not doing fair jobs”. People also criticized PODA’s why organization is not providing them the resources as compare to teaching them education about climate change and other practices. After two year of project implementation PODA conducted survey by independent institute PMAS-AAUR to analyze the impact. Small farmers of 56 villages developed and started their own CSMF and producing staple food and earning for family to adapting climatic conditions. Initially it was very difficult to mobilize and convince local farmers and women because of cultural taboos’ and social norms but after the PODA deep interest communities realized the worth of our work and initiative and started to cooperate with our team. Extreme climate change and high temperature caused obstacle to work in field and it took one year for our team to acclimatize with local weather conditions.
External connections
USAID Small Grant Program, Korea Green Foundation, China Agricultural University, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Oxfam, Pakistan Agriculture Department, Ministry of Climate Change & Food Security and Barani Agriculture Research Institute. All organizations and key partners support us to implement this projects with financial and technical support. Local stakeholders and agriculture research stations provide us climate date and assist PODA to design smart practices to adapt environmental changes. Above universities sent their technical staff and professionals to the PODA trainings and workshops to deliver capacity building trainings and education. PODA working very closely with Ministry of Climate Change & Food Security (MCCFS) to develop climate smart policy integration as best cultural practice for rain-fed region of Pakistan. PODA also trying to reduce the application of chemicals and promoting harmful effects of different agricultural practices in crop production like excessive application of fertilizers, herbicide and pesticide, sowing of genetically modified organism crop seeds (GMOs), hybrid crop varieties. During the project stakeholder and focal persons from local government department have visited project activities and technical session. PODA also involved district health and agriculture water management department in field level rainwater conservation tillage practices.
Who adopted the desired behaviors and to what degree?
After two year of project implementation 53.2% of the total population in targeted areas have stated rainwater conservation for vegetable farming. Seasonal tree plantation scheme resulted in the rich biodiversity of fruit and evergreen plants in the area to protect soil erosion and degradation. CSMF introduce plants and crop seeds which have maximum adaptation to high temperature and highly drought tolerant. The project was fully adapted and replicated by the 53 villages (63,681 populations) in two years to duration and showed huge impact on the social change in lifestyle, responsibility toward water and food security by locals.
During second year almost 1064 women farmers out of 5000 established low tunnels at their home and fields.
Our 129 project participants developed rooftop rainwater harvesting model at their homes and 203 families are developing micro-catchments. School going children and youth were mobilized to reduce wastage of water and its importance for life.
How did you impact natural resource use and greenhouse gas emissions?
Capacity building trainings on social behavior changes about farm waste management to prepare composting, organic fertilizer helping environment from field waste burning and GHG emissions. Soil water conservation tillage practices to save maximum water and decrease the energy load. Zero-tillage or minimum soil tillage. CSMF also creating awareness among farmers to apply biological methods to control diseases and pest which also reducing application of dangerous chemicals, protecting biodiversity and low CO2 foot prints along with providing quality food. Application of green energy (solar) system on farm for fruit orchard irrigation also reduced the energy consumption and input cost. The targeted area has efficient sunshine hours for 7-8 months with high temperature so PODA took initiatives to protect natural resources for domestic energy consumption and fire burning. CSMF also introduced efficient solar cooking stoves and build the capacity of women to adapt it for daily cooking.
What were some of the resulting co-benefits?
After the communities adaption to Climate Smart Model Farms (CSMF) the crisis of water, food insecurity and malnutrition become less and project survey showed that 38% of the total project beneficiaries’ have sustainable access to enough staple food. Independent survey and audit report illustrated that 53.2% of the total population in targeted areas have stated rainwater conservation for vegetable farming. Community participation in PODA seasonal tree plantation scheme resulted in the rich biodiversity of fruit and evergreen plants in the area to protect soil erosion and degradation. Women are the key factors in agricultural practices and 60-65% of rural women are involved in fruit farming, fruit value addition, livestock and poultry farming. CSMF introduce plants and crop seeds which have maximum adaptation to high temperature and highly drought tolerant. The project was fully adapted and replicated by the 53 villages (63,600 populations) in two years to duration and showed huge impact on the social change in lifestyle, responsibility toward water and food security by locals.
Now, Punjab government, local research station and stakeholders requesting PODA to initiate CSMF project replications in other climate vulnerable districts. Unfortunately, organization has not enough funds to start replications in other districts.
Sustainability
Government of Punjab, Pakistan acknowledges the project and practices as best social and economical project in the province. CSMF project has sustainability to social, economical and financial prospective. PODA still managing this project and replicating it with the participation of local communities and stakeholder to other remote areas for sustainable climate adaptation agriculture farming in the region. Now, Punjab government, local research station and stakeholders requesting PODA to initiate CSMF project replications in other climate vulnerable districts. Unfortunately, organization has not enough funds to start replications in other districts.
Return on investment
Low level tunnel structure can build very economically and we usually suggest developing it by our self to save money. Zero-tillage practices always help small farmers to save the water in soil and minimize the cost of tillage operations. Only once farmer have to buy seeds, next all the seed produced by the farmers at their farm to ensure seed purity, quality and prevent from GMOs seed. CSMF always recommend farmers to apply biological methods to control plant diseases and pest it also save money, energy and maintain the good quality of food at farm. Farm outputs are well enough for staple food, seasonal and off-seasonal vegetables, fruits production, livestock and poultry farming return comprehensive investment.
How could we successfully replicate this solution elsewhere?
CSMF is the only climate change adaption and mitigation solution to produce good quality food without risk of natural disaster. CSMF need previous five years of meteorological data and any agriculturist can do the data analysis and on the bases of provided data smart farming technologies can be developed. This model is very easy, simple and moveable to any site or region only with small intervention of local weather data-set and micro-climatic conditions. Same project was replicated with minor changes of temperature and crop varieties by another organization in Sindh province by our partner organization and PODA team trained the master trainers for that project. Total cost to develop a CSMF is less than $500-700/acre which needs to install a tank to conserve rainwater for farm plants, PODA developed more than 80 CSAM as model farm on different sites with totally cost for $39500 in two years.