Voices from the field

IFAD in Syria: voices from the field

The grass is greener: rehabilitating the Syrian Badia

After years of intensive grazing and severe drought, the Syrian steppe, or Badia, has become badly degraded. An IFAD-supported project is working with local communities to regenerate and manage the rangelands for long- term productivity. Rehabilitation has restored vegetation and helped reduce herders’ vulnerability to drought and the effects of climate change. The project has also created employment opportunities for women.

Source: IFAD

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Sanduq: A rural microfinance innovation in Syria

A local microfinance institution provides small loans for poor rural people, with particular attention to women. The success rate of the small businesses that have sprung up because of these loans has been astonishing.

Source: IFAD

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Agricultural extension theatre: The Syrian experience

The phenomenon of extension theatre – using drama to explore agricultural extension themes – has deep roots in the history of ancient theatre. Greek “saga” and Italian “Commedia dell’ Arte” have something in common with extension theatre, as do religious and traditional rhythmical performances still seen in Asia and the Middle East.

Source: IFAD

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Southern regional agricultural development project II

Syria is a middle-income country characterised by high unemployment and inflation running at about 20-30 percent in 1999. Agriculture constitutes an important sector in the Syrian economy, employing 25 percent of the labour force in 1999; at the same time, only 30 percent of Syria’s total area is cultivated. A major concern of the government’s agricultural policy is the presence of rocks derived from volcanic lava flows that limit cultivation, particularly in the south of the country.

Source: IFAD

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