3-2004- Cooperation with ÄRÄN Consulting Company was successfully carried out after their invitation for tourism organizing plan for OWAN Lake and the surrounding villages.

During the period spanning 2004 and 2009, the first program as a series of projects entitled “capacity building through empowerment of local communities for conservational objectives” was carried out in the surrounding villages of OWAN Lake in ALAMOUT Region of Qazvin Province. Results of survey research, concerning participation level in region’s cultural models and also participatory rural assessment (PRA) methods were employed for planning these projects. These activities were collectively carried out in the frame of a primary plan entitled “planning grant for extracting baseline for the protection project and sustainable usage of the OWAN Lake and surrounding villages”) with collaboration of local community and colleagues’ group as well as endorsement of SGP as the planning grantee. Thereafter, the results were used to draw up action plans. Facilitation and PAR: Participatory Action Research techniques were utilized in execution of the respective projects in order to empower the local communities to attain the objective of the sustainable environmental conservation and protection in two international projects entitled “EIA for SGP project “Sustainable usage of the natural resources of OWAN Lake” through) (and “Protection and Sustainable Use of OWAN Lake and OWAN Village Through Empowerment of Community”). (Photo:31,32)

 

• “Environmental impact assessment of rural tourism and ecotourism on OWAN lake surroundings” (SGP project was accomplished under the conservational plans of this region.

• The project “Protection and Sustainable Use of OWAN Lake and OWAN Village through Empowerment of Local Communitywas performed with support from SGP in the general scope of land degradation and with the approach of benefitting from ecotourism.
• Two-day workshop entitled “Exchanging experiences with local community of OWAN village” was also successfully held in 2006. (Photo:33)

 

After several reviews, the plan “OWAN’s Rural Fund” was successfully performed with collaboration of local community for creating alternative jobs that are more compatible with environment and natural resources to enable revival of some handcrafts such as carpet and rug-weaving. This project was evaluated as a very fruitful one, being able to create over 35 sustainable jobs in a small village.

• The project “Management of conservation and ecotourism utilization of OWAN Lake” was carried out by the local community for sustainable utilization of this sensitive and rare ecosystem. This project managed to gather the village residents after a number of complexities and bottlenecks for establishing a rural cooperative company so as to undertake the needed responsibilities for conservation of the region.
• The video report “Fire in Reedbed” about severely detrimental impact of mass tourism on OWAN Lake was displayed on a limited scale in private sessions in the presence of authorities.

•  The project “empowerment of local community in the waste management and conservation of environment for the surrounding villages of OWAN Lake” was carried out with the collaborative help of the local ALAMOUTBÄNÄN association and the Rural Construction and Development Office of Municipalities and Village Prefects Organization. In 2009, “2-days workshop on empowerment of local community in management of waste and environmental protection” was held with hosting more than 50 individuals from the rural council members, village authorities, and people from villages of OWAN, ZARÄBÄD, ZAVÄRDASHT, KOUSHK, DIKIN, and VARBON, And also with hosting of the esteemed prefect of ALAMOUT, ALAMOUT’authorities in the Environment Organization, and a reporter from the provincial TV channel attended the ceremony for the surrounding villages of OWAN Lake. Among the empowered participants, 17 individuals declared their readiness as instructors for waste management and environmental protection with the intent of face-to-face instruction in 8 surrounding villages. Thanks to activity of these empowered persons, all the residents in these 8 villages were highly trained, and this planning resulted in capacity building for implementation of the “participatory management of rural waste” project.

Through empowerment of the local community regarding waste management, the village and the lake were rescued from uncleanliness and contaminations. An improvement of 20% in waste production control and a progress of 30% in its separation were observed. During the project implementation process, more than 3,000 persons were given instructions related to separation in the waste origin and cooperation with waste management in 8 villages; this figure equals 100% of the inhabited and immigrant population. Keeping in mind that a number of this population comprised principal members of waste management group including trainers, village authorities, councilors, and health officials and also their families. It can be asserted that at least 3 percent of total population have been empowered and fulfilled the separation task. According to numerous individuals of trainers, including village authorities, and health care officials, the project has yielded a significant percentage (around 20%) in reduction of waste production and 30% improvement in the separation. In October 2009, rural affairs authorities of Qazvin Province visited a village under protection of “DIKIN” project by surprise and found out that virtually 100% of dry and wet trash had been placed separately in the appropriate containers. This plan was also assessed as highly successful and received the title of the best provincial and nationwide project in 2010. (Photo:34,35)

Given this success, the rural constructor Mr. Ali Hayatee was chosen as the best rural constructor of the year.

• The documentary: “Two-day workshop on empowerment of local community in the waste management and conservation of environment” was produced for the surrounding villages of OWAN Lake. (Photo:36,37)

• Physical and ecological capability assessment for ecotourism and rural tourism of OWAN Lake surrounding(Photo:38)

• Environmental impact assessment of rural tourism and ecotourism on OWAN Lake surrounding(Photo:39)

• Environmental carrying capacityassessment of OWAN Lake for ecotourism. (Photo:40)