The SLBAP targeted poverty alleviation in 206 union councils of ten rain-fed or ‘Barani’ districts of the Punjab through enhanced access to land, water, markets, services, agricultural inputs, technologies and employment for the population of the area.
Key objectives included:
to improve the socio-economic status of the poor through better natural resource management and improved physical and social infrastructure; to reduce the poverty of the marginal and poor populations through targeted community-based initiatives and support to off-farm income generation activities; to improve literacy and skills levels through vocational training, especially targeting unemployed women; to strengthen the capacity of line agencies for effective project management, implementation and provision of support to Union Councils, civil society and communities.
SLBAP focused on improving the economic livelihood and quality of life of the population of Barani areas (i.e. dry land areas not served by canal irrigation) in rural Punjab province. The Project improving access to inputs and markets; enhancing water storage, conservation and conveyance; and diversify sources of income, while at the same time overcoming fundamental barriers to economic development, such as illiteracy.
Project components included:
provision of beneficiary-identified medium-scale infrastructure to unions based in Barani areas; village and union council development; targeted poverty alleviation through community groups; enhanced literacy through skills training; institutional and implementation support.
The Project was designed to be demand driven by the intended beneficiaries in both design and implementation, in keeping with the Government of Pakistan’s decentralization agenda.
Update from Final Project Completion Report:
Overall, the project was rated
highly successful, with all components achieving their physical targets, objectives and Level-2 indicators despite some political and systemic problems; Appraised activities were deemed to be highly relevant and helped increase agriculture productivity, water use efficiency, access to services and incomes; The project was highly efficient and was completed at 72% of the appraisal cost. The subprojects implemented proved to be more pro-poor and less exclusionary than comparable government schemes in the same 13 localities. 293,000 beneficiaries were from vulnerable groups, including landless subsistence farmers and women. Agriculture and horticulture sector interventions directly benefited 25,433 farmers through improved productivity of 22,447 ha of land as a result of improved land fertility, additional land brought under cultivation, the establishment of fruit orchards, and the growing of vegetables. The increase in crop production over “without project” situation was as follows: wheat by 12%, maize by 73%, berseem fodder by 124%, and vegetables by 44%; Fish ponds transformed lands that were virtually barren and increased income by $1,500 per hectare. Water sector benefits included new and improved drinking water supply to a total of 21,906 households; Transport sector interventions connected 31,703 hhs to road networks via 124.58 km of rural roads, including asphalt roads, jeepable tracks, concrete roads, soling roads, and trail paths. Of the 609 completed medium-scale schemes, 329 schemes (54%) were executed by community organizations and 518 schemes (85%) were maintained by community organizations. A total of 2,546 water user associations, CCBs and O&M committees were established by the project for the sustainable use of medium-scale schemes. The project trained skilled workers, including masons, electricians and plumbers, in addition to 8,434 community activists in the operation and maintenance of medium-scale infrastructure schemes. A total of 2,517 biogas plants provide alternate fuel to 2,517 hhs, saving US$0.33 million annually with communities constructing approximately 5,000 plants using their own resources;