Application Of Participatory Approach To The Land Conversion Project

With a mixed status of introducer, implementer and extension agent, the participatory approach was applied to the land conversion project in Fuxian County. First, the target villages were classified into well-off villages, competent person-driven villages, soundly united villages, loosely-structured villages and poverty-stricken villages. Participatory approaches were incorporated into successive stages for different villages in the process of land conversion project.In the planning and designing stages, villagers meeting, on spot sketching and poster announcement were used to give the villagers full process of participation. In the selection of tree species for afforestation, farmers opinions and suggestions were respected to make the right tree planted in the suitable site. Careful and prudent investigation was conducted to make property definition and area reorganization, due to which trust and support from villagers were obtained.In the organization for implementation, farmer technicians played an important complimentary role in technical services. Decisions made by villagers themselves concerning seedling selection has ensured the seedling quality, making the survival rate increased, the seedling price reduced and farmers right protected.In the assessment of project, participation by villager carders and farmers followed by poster announcement fostered a fair atmosphere being favorable to the project management.In the stage of payment specified in the policy, farmers joining the supervision group made sure the payment policy of the land conversion project is fulfilled without any discount, strengthening the severity and strictness of the national forest policy.At the same time, cases studies were applied to have an analysis of the farmers'attitude, afforestation quality, their interrelations as well as the limitations of participatory approach. Some suggestions for improvement were put forward.The study showed that through years'implementation and practice, application of participatory approach has made land conversion project much more accepted and satisfied by villagers and the national policy achieved good results. The approach combines the public interests and private interests together, making sure the policy has a sound foundation and sustainable effect.