DUSHANBE, June 26, 2013, Asia-Plus — A handover ceremony for “The Project for Rehabilitation of Irrigation Channels in Vanj District” was held on June 25.
Mr. Hiroyuki Imahashi, Ambassador, Embassy of Japan in Dushanbe, Mr. Nashir Karmali, Executive Officer of Focus Humanitarian Assistance (FOCUS) Tajikistan, and other relevant members of the organization and local authority attended to the ceremony.
According to Japan’s Embassy in Dushanbe, the project was funded by the government of Japan through the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) for the total amount of US$105,186 in partnership with FOCUS Tajikistan who managed the project implementation in collaboration with the local communities and the authorities.
Due to the earthquake in January 2010, irrigation channels in Vanj district of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) were seriously damaged or filled with mud and rocks. Therefore, in many areas channels were out of work while some operated at half capacity, and the agricultural productivity in the areas had dropped considerably. The damage also caused a large amount of water leaks and increased the risk of land erosion. Through this project, the irrigation channels located in seven areas in Vanj district have been repaired and are now maintained by the local communities on an ongoing basis.
This project aimed to rejuvenate the agricultural productivity through the rehabilitation of seven irrigation channels. With hydro-insulation techniques and new concrete base, the loss of water has significantly decreased. It is strongly believed that the increase in the agricultural productivity will substantially lead to enhanced income for more than 5000 inhabitants in Vanj district.
This GGP funded project promotes active involvement of local communities in sustainable development as it was driven by the needs, priorities, and directions of local communities themselves.
Grant Assistance for Grass-roots Human Security Projects (GGP) is provided to local governments, educational / medical institutions and International NGOs in developing countries. GGP supports projects in the human security sectors at the grassroots level. GGP has extended more than US$ 23.2 million for 301 projects in Tajikistan.
