OUR INITIATIVES

As ZTDA is promoting community-based tourism, we pay attention to the ecological and cultural aspects by initiating ecological actions at the community level as well as other small projects.

 

 

For the most of the tourists, Zerafshan Valley and Fan Mountains are known for the big variety of natural attractions: lakes, waterfalls, mountain peaks, and beautiful valleys with alpine meadows, juniper forest, and pastures.

The Zerafshan Valley has an important mountain ecosystem with diverse flora and fauna, but at the same time it faces many ecological problems. The population of the Zerafshan Valley lives in hilly and mountain areas, where most of agricultural land they farm is pasture and a small part is in perennial crops and orchards. Rural poverty, shifts in land management responsibilities, lack of integrated land management, and poor access to technical support are causing increasing land degradation. Pastures host plenty of rare plant species, but face threats from localized overgrazing. The unique juniper forests of the Valley are decreasing year by year due to need for firewood.

 

The awareness amongst local people for environmental issues is limited, even though the lives of the local people directly and indirectly depend on the natural integrity. A sustainable future for the region is only possible if local environmental awareness is significantly raised and joint actions are taken to prevent the destruction of this fragile environment. In summer 2008 for the first time the environment awareness action “Clean Iskanderkul Lake” has been organised by the ZTDA.

 

In October 2009 the Ecological action was conducted in Padrud village, which is located close to the 4th and 5th lake of the chain of Marguzor Lakes. The school children took part in a drawing competition. In the drawings the young painters expressed their attitude to their native region - the Seven Lakes area. From 200 drawings, the 10 best ones were chosen.

The garbage on the shores of Nofin and Khurdak Lakes was collected by three eco-patrols. The 10 winners and three eco –patrols were awarded. The main present for all school children was new sport equipment: volleyball net, balls and horizontal bar.

 

Next year ZTDA is going to undertake environment awareness campaign expanding its scale targeting the school children not only in the village Saratog, but also other 11 villages.

 

 

 

One of components of tourist activity, namely manufacturing and selling the handicraft products (souvenirs) to tourists, can become a good additional source of income for many women in rural area in the Zerafshan Valley, considering that a wool crafts has long tradition in the region.

 

In 2009, Zerafshan Tourism Development Association has launched in the frame of the project “Community Based Tourism in the Zerafshan Valley” the small initiative on handicraft development in the Zerafshan Valley.  Three groups of handcrafters in three Jamoats (Voru, Chinor and Shing) are presenting their crafts in the Zerafshan Art Store Armugon opened on the 7^th of July 2009 in Penjikent.

 

In March 2010 the new four month project on handicraft development is going to be launched. The project will be implemented with financial support of Open Society Institute.

 

Three first of the project will be admitted to the elaboration of the training modules. In April and May organization of trainings is planned, starting from preparing the wool to manufacture of new products and ways of their realization. In order to share experience with the successful handicraft associations, whose products have a good demand: NGO “Fath” (Khujand), “De Pomiri” (Khorog), “Yak Hauz” (Murgab), “Haft Paykar” (Dushanbe), Sughd Region Craftsmen Association, CACSA, the representatives of the initiative groups of the handcrafters will take part on national handicraft fair.

The handcrafters will become the members of the ZTDA, which will be in charge for promotion of the handicraft products from the Zerafshan Valley.