What We Do
Disaster Mitigation
The Disaster Management sector works with rural herding communities whose livelihoods have been affected by extreme winter disaster. The sector seeks to reduce poverty and vulnerability in these rural households through the strengthening and diversification of income sources and through the enhancement of resilience to natural disaster and extreme climate variability The sector implements projects which encompass a range of actions, addressing the root causes of poverty and vulnerability in target communities, so that long-term sustainable solutions can be achieved.
Key Disaster Management activities include -
Disaster response planning, building community resilience, and working closely with communities in developing and implementing disaster mitigation strategies.
Sustained Poverty Reduction through Agricultural Development Project (SPADE)
This project works with approximately 800 herder families whose livelihoods have been affected by extreme winter condition locally called dzud. SPADE seeks to reduce poverty and vulnerability in these rural households through the strengthening and diversification of income sources and through the enhancement of resilience to natural disaster and extreme climate events. The vulnerability of livestock herding to natural disasters, environmental degradation and extreme climate events has left many households in extreme poverty.
SPADE project beneficiaries consist of poor and ultra poor rural households from across 10 soums in Zavkhan Aimag, whose livelihoods have traditionally been dependent on livestock herding. The project, which commenced in 2008, seeks to use a multifaceted approach to address the key vulnerabilities of participant communities, so that a sustainable long-term solution can be developed. The project has implemented activities in the key areas of agriculture, pasture and stock management, community health and income generation.
In 2010 the SPADE project continued to capacity build cooperatives on the areas of leadership, organizational management, business planning, and budgeting. Cooperative gardening skills had continuously been honed by engaging them in continuing education on gardening employing both technical as well as strong on-the-field trainings.
This year the project also introduced the individual farm lot system mode of production to cooperatives. The system had encouraged productivity among cooperative members that also resulted to members investing 15-20% of their income to build cooperatives capital. The new approach had not only increased productivity and cooperatives capital but it also strengthen its social capital by fostering greater level of participation and accountability among cooperative membership.
The project continued to support cooperatives with mixed vegetables, fruit and fodder seeds, hand tools and fuel for land preparation. The project also enhanced the ability to cooperatives to extend their growing season by assisting them in the construction of solar greenhouses.
The project also supported the initiative of cooperatives to market their produce. Every harvest season cooperatives organize a harvest market fair in partnership with the local government units. The market activity has gained high social acceptance among the local population over the years. It is being regarded as a festival where they were given the opportunity to buy fresh vegetables produced in their own community and the opportunity to celebrate with the cooperative members in songs, dances and even games. The affair had become more than just a market activity but also a social and cultural activity where it showcased not only cooperatives products and services but also exposed their cultural and artistic skills.
The SPADE Zavkhan project is funded by ADRA Germany with financial support provided by the European Union.
