June 2007 - The second project was able to create a total of 1,848,148 work hours of direct and immediate employment, equivalent to 7,701 jobs, through investments financed under the project. This represents 74% of the total planned objective. This ratio is satisfactory in light of constraints faced during the first year of the project. Moreover, since the project’s main objective was creation of labor in areas with a high rate of unemployment, it is fair to say that this objective was achieved.
Currently, it is untimely to assess the longer term economic, social and environmental impacts of the project. In the long term, a consulting firm will be retained to assess the project impacts. In reality, the project is only in its second year of implementation.
However, it is clear that revenues derived from income-generating activities, especially those targeting women, have mainly focused on improving accessibility to food, nutrition, health and education. Upgrading and rehabilitation of rural roads has alleviated the isolation faced by many communities by linking production areas with markets and thus increasing agriculture’s value added. The large number of contracts for works have helped create 110 small and medium local enterprises which approved more than 400 contracts, greatly stimulating the local economy.
The central and regional services of MADR, more specifically the forestry service, were strengthened through training and the provision of communication and transport equipment. Moreover, greater trust and cooperation were achieved between government service departments and the communities due to exchange of information, better communication and dialogue among all concerned parties, as well as through wise investment decisions. The first investments thus developed were able to subsequently generate a large number of permanent as well as seasonal jobs (7,600) and were the direct result of management, development and maintenance of these investments.
Through sound and sustainable management practices, a large number of investments targeted environmental protection works as well as the preservation and rational development of natural resources in the project area. As of end October 2006, 1,239 ha of reforestation, 762 ha of forestry development and 303,000 m3 of torrential adjustments were completed. These figures are expected to rise by March 2007. In the long term, these works will help to increase the vegetation cover, and thus carbon emission confinement; will reduce erosion, especially in watersheds, will protect social infrastructures against flooding and dams against silting.
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