Implemented by SÜRKAL

What is the Socio-Economic Background to Kars?
The province of Kars has a total population of 323,000. The average size of households is six members. Despite the decrease in the proportion in recent years rural areas are experiencing out-migration.

Animal husbandry is the main income generating activity. Regardless of reliance on traditional methods in animal husbandry distinguished by pasture-feeding there is a certain level of increase in animal products, particularly in cheese for national markets. Besides progress has been observed in beekeeping.

Owner cultivation and sharecropping are the two most common ownership patterns. Low productivity in agriculture and animal husbandry and its negative impact on the household income makes the producers oversensitive to economic fluctuations.

There is an inadequate supply of both regular electricity and access to national telecommunication networks. Lack of basic infrastructure directly related to health has negatively influenced the general health conditions in the villages and threatens both human and animal health. Average literacy rates are relatively high (89%) but only 1% of the respondents had a university degree.

The main settlement problems identified by residents are poor access to drinking water systems, lack of a formal sewerage disposal system, inadequate health facilities, and the low quality of roads.

Source: EIA Household and Settlement Survey (2001)

What are the overall CIP Programme aims? 
The overall objective of the CIP is to promote sustainable social and economic development of the people living within the 4 km corridor along the BTC Pipeline, which go beyond the simple mitigation of negative impacts caused by pipeline construction. The CIP, which intends to cover settlements and sections of the population experiencing greatest poverty, will give rural communities, support associations, co-operatives, and NGOs the skills to help themselves. The projects aim at improving social and economic capacity, income-earning and economic opportunities, improving the agricultural sector and increasing rural people’s problem-solving skills through training, and organization. A series of infrastructure improvements is also planned for schools, health facilities and water and sanitation facilities.

Who will implement the project? 
SURKAL, as a NGO experienced in rural development, will implement the project and will be in coordination with the UNDP’s LEAP (Eastern Anatolia Participatory Rural Development Project). The Kars provincial Government and Provincial Agriculture Directorate have already expressed their support, and SURKAL has a good relationship with them owing to its ongoing projects in the region. SURKAL will also co-operate with the district-governate of Selim and Sarikamis, District Agriculture, Health, National Education, Public Education Directorates. For the construction of sewage refining plant (and for elements of the social infrastructure improvements) SURKAL will collaborate with TÜBITAK Marmara Research Centre.

Which groups of people will the project target? 

• Households with animals in all settlements
• The active male and female population in these households
• Underemployed young people who seasonally migrate
• Disadvantaged groups such as women and the elderly

What geographical area will the project cover? 
The Project will cover the following settlements: Kars province; Selim and Sarikamis districts; B. Bogatepe, K. Bogatepe, Bozkus, Tuygun, Hasbey, Darbogaz, Baykara, Akçakale, Yenice, Karakale, Sarigün, Basköy, Beyköy, Yeniköy, Sirataslar, Kurbançayiri, Issizsu and Karaurgan villages.

What activities will the project include? 

• Artificial insemination of animals (4,500 animals)
• Vaccination of animals to reduce infectious diseases (108,000 animals)
• Expansion of fodder crop cultivation (approximately 300 households and 3000 da)
• Pasture improvement (in 2-3 pilot villages)
• Agricultural demonstration projects (in 10 villages)
• Analysis of soil samples from 60 locations in 18 settlements
• Improvement of social infrastructure: as pilot projects implementation of drinking water in 2 settlements; sewerage system in 1 settlement; refining plant in 1 settlement with the participation of local people.
• Development of organisational capacity building via training, extension, organisation, i.e. training in 18 settlements; organisation in 15 settlements
• Skill development programs for the empowerment of women’s individual and social status.

What improvements will the project help communities to achieve? 

• Improvements in animal husbandry, the main income resource of the population, covering approximately 1,970 households and more than 13,700 people.
• Improved problem-solving skills among the farmers and/or producers.
• Empowerment of women who have a disadvantageous position both at household and community level mainly through supporting their problem solving processes
• Approximately 30% increase in meat and milk production.
• 20% productivity increase in pastures through training, sensitivity raising, technical intervention
• 50% decrease in animal mortality due to epidemics.
• Construction and/or improvement of social infrastructure in villages, which can then act as a replicable model for neighbouring communities
• Rational, efficient and sustainable use of the available natural resources
• 30% decrease in requirement for seeds and manure
• 20% decrease in the workload of women

How will sustainability be built into the project? 

Sustainability of the project will be assured by increasing productivity and income as well as capacity enhancement of the local people. Besides this target group’s practical skill level will be enhanced. In this framework, training will be given on basic accounting, market research, leadership, credit usage, participatory planning, relations with public offices and legal rights. Through training local people’s knowledge, capacity and problem solving skills will be improved.

SURKAL aims to mobilise local resources in the first year of the Project implementation. From the second year onwards it will encourage the involvement of international donors. In other words, depending on the success of the project SURKAL is planning to provide the technical and financial resources of other donors. In this framework, European Union funds will be the prime target for external resources.

For further information: 
SÜRKAL: Dr Leyla Şen (Programme Coordinator) or Dr Ahmet Saltık (Executive Director)
E-Mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it --- Tel: +90 (312) 442 1724