Focus Group Discussion on Climate Risks in Lower Kofarnihon River Basin

In March month of 2022, a number of focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted among the selected communities of Shahritus, Kubodiyon and Nosiri Khusrav districts of Tajikistan within the framework of the Project on “Integrated landscape approach to increase resilience to climate change between smallholders and farmers and pastoralists”.

The FGDs conducted by the Project consultants aimed to identify the problems and priorities of the above-mentioned jamoats. This activity was implemented as part of the larger outcome of the Project, improving the understanding and knowledge of the heads of mahallas, Project beneficiaries, public activists on climate change resilience between small farms and pasture users, developing the intellectual capacity of the Project staff and beneficiaries. It was a great opportunity for introducing the Project objectives and sharing the expectation among different stakeholders and groups. During the FGDs, the participants got familiarized with the main components and activities of the intervention, main objectives, expected outcomes, and impact of the Project. This was achieved successfully and by the end of the FGDs, most of the participants had a better understanding of the issue and expressed their strong interest in cooperation.

It is worth mentioning that each jamoat was represented by 15-17 gender-balanced individuals with diverse backgrounds and from different institutions. In total, around 125 participants took an active part in focus group discussions and shared their valuable insights. The data collected from the FGDs covered a wide range of issues at local levels that would be considered during the implementation of the main activities. At the end of the discussions, the participants came up with many exciting ideas and suggestions that would be considered during the Project implementation.