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activities WORLDWIDE

Consulting ENGINEERS since 1977

Lushi, Song, Lushan and Nanzhao Counties are amongst the poorest in western Henan Province. The mainstay of the population is agriculture, supplemented by seasonal off-farm employment. Rural incomes are low and there is a shortage of timber and fuelwood. Past deforestations and lack of conservation farming principles have resulted in large areas of degraded barren land and under-stocked forests. High rainwater run-off exacerbates local flooding. And soil erosion is severe. Seven large water reservoirs are heavily affected by sedimentation. The environmental problems are complex and require a comprehensive watershed rehabilitation and management approach with the active participation of the local population.

The project aims to rehabilitate and to conserve the endangered project area by increasing forest cover on 37,000 ha currently underused and barren slope land. The project will significantly reduce soil and water erosion and will help alleviate poverty through farmer participation in forestry development and from revenues of forest produce.

The project measures comprise:
  1. Forest and forest land rehabilitation: 10.000 ha protection forest, 1,000 ha timber forest, 1,500 ha of mainly grafted economic trees, 2.500 ha of economic trees combined with soil and water conservation measures, 10,000 ha forest closure.
  2. Soil and water conservation measures: approx. 200 ha of terrace rehabilitation and construction of ca. 20 check dams in priority catchments.
  3. Preparation of the forest management plans and implementation of SFM activities for 5 different afforestation designs.
  4. Integrated watershed management in co-operation with the involved bureaux in initially one demonstration catchment in each of the 4 counties.
  5. Strengthening the operational capacity of PPO, CPOs and Township Forestry Working Stations by providing essential equipment like vehicles, office, training, mapping and forestry equipment.
  6. Training and extension at all levels by classroom and field training, study tours to other projects and capacity building by technical assistance through national and international consultants.

 

Services Provided

Provision of national and international intermittent short-term advisory services and training to strengthen the operating and management capacity of the Henan Provincial Forestry Department in:
  • Technical, financial, organisational and administrative management of afforestation projects
  • Improvement on Silvicultural Techniques: Timber Plantations, Afforestation and Closures, Stand Improvement, Enrichment Planting, Productive Protection Forest
  • Soil and Water Conservation Measures
  • Watershed Management and Erosion Control including construction and/or terrace stabilisation
  • Livestock Management and Fodder Production
  • Participatory Land Use and Forest Planning
  • Training and extension (workshops and trainings, field visits, study tours)
  • Payment of Labour Subsidies via Farmer Saving Accounts
  • Project Progress, Financial, Compliance and Impact Monitoring; monitoring of afforestation success and of thinning operations
  • Integration of Lessons Learnt and with other Programmes
  • Procurement of goods and services

(joint venture – lead firm)