Social
Impact Report
Besh Barmag
Bird Migration Count
Autumn 2018
Editor Tomas Axén Haraldsson
- Introduction (English/Azerbaijani)
- Job creation
- Local financial gains
- Capacity building – individual & institutional
- Conclusion, Links and media
Introduction
The sacred rock Besh Barmag overlooks
the narrow coastal plain between the Caspian Sea and the foothills of the
Greater Caucasus. Field research and explorative activities at Besh Barmag
since 2007 have revealed this place to be one of the most important bird
migration ”bottlenecks” in the entire Eurasia. The monitoring period September
– December 2018 was the most extensive to date and a fairly complex operation
with paid staff, volunteers, organized monitoring, logistics and communication.
Nearly 3 million migrating birds were
counted during the three month period which has sent awe through the
international ornithological community. The interest these birds have attracted
can be detected also outside the ornithological sphere; in terms of job
opportunities, local income, strengthening of local organisations and individuals
as well as positive images from a rural part of Azerbaijan. This report will
describe these non-ornithological results and values and how a source from
Mother Nature, birds in this case, can bring about jobs, income and positive
change in rural areas.
A wealth of short reports, photos and
impressions from the field can be seen at www.birdingaze.blogspot.com
A research paper with the
ornithological result of the period will be published in Sandgrouse, the journal of the Ornithological Society
of the Middle East, Caucasus & Central Asia (OSME)
We are grateful to the organisations,
charities, tour operators and individuals who have sponsored our work during
this and previous seasons.
Kai Gauger
Biologist and co-founder of the Besh Barmag Bird Migration Count
Biologist and co-founder of the Besh Barmag Bird Migration Count
Quşlar pul qazandırır!
Xəzər dənizi və Böyük Qafqaz dağları arasında yerləşən Beşbarmaq ərazisi
son illərdə dünyanın vacib ornitiloji ərazilərindən biri olduğunu isbat
etmişdir. Son illərdə ərazidə aparılan müşahidə və monitorinq proqramları eyni
zamanda yerli iqtisadiyyatın canlanmasında, yeni iş imkanlarının
formalaşmasında da rol oynamaqdadır. Məlum məsələdir ki, əsas gəlir qaynağı
aqro-iqtisadi fəaliyyətlərə dayanan ucqar bölgələrdə əlavə gəlir qaynaqları
yaratmaq çətindir.
Üç aylıq Beşbarmaq Quş Müşahidəsi proqramı çərçivəsində yaradılmış iş
imkanları bunlardır:
Akkomondasiya (gecələmək) yeri:
Lahiyə ərzində gecələm üçün müşahidə məntəqəsindən cənubda, Zarat kəndində
yerləşən “Zaratuştra Ailəvi İstirahət” adlanan və 5 ədəd iki mərtəbəli evlərin
olduğu kompleks istifadəyə götürülmüşdür. Sössüz ki, yerli istifadəçilərin az
olduğu payız mövsümündə bu kompleksin 3 ay istifadəsi əlavə gəlir deməkdir.
Yerli əhalidən olan bəzi xanımlar təmizlik işlərinə köməklik edərək əlavə
qazanc əldə etmişlərdir. Kompleksin evlərdən kənarda yerləşən mətbəxi üçün
ödəniş olunmuş və yeməklərin hazırlanması üçün Bakıdan aşbaz dəvət
olunmuşdur.
Bazarlıq:
Lahiyə müddətində kənddə yerləşən mağazalarda 8000 AZN-dən çox pul ərzaq
məhsulları və digər şeylərin alınmasına xərclənmişdir. Yerli dükan sahiblərinin
gəlirləri bu 3 ay ərzində 30% artmışdır. Eyni zamanda bəzi şeylərin alınması
üçün Siyəzəndəki marketlər, habelə Beşbarmaqda olan dükanlar da istifadə
olunmuşdur.
Loqistika:
Gələn ziyarətçilərin Bakıdan Zarata gətirilməsinə və aparılmasına kömək
ütmək üçün 5 ədəd yerli sürücü işə cəlb olunmuşdur. Lahiyə ərzində onlar
ortalama 150 saatlıq məsafə qət edərək əlavə gəlir əldə etmişlərdir. Həmçinin,
ərazidə küləyə qarşı qorunmaq üçün tikilmiş kiçik qorucağın hazırlanmasında
yerli ustalar cəlb olunmuş və 1600 AZN pul xərclənmişdir.
Lahiyə çərçivəsində yerli tərəfdaş kimi çıxış edən Təbiət Dostları (NFA)
təşkilatından olan könüllülər lahiyənin təşkilində, idarə olunmasında, yerli
iştirakçıların seçilməsində və digər məsələlərdə əvəzsiz köməklik göstərmişdir.
(translation by Zülfü Ferecli, Azerbaijani ornithologist and project
participant)
 |
| Bird migration counts going on. The sacred rock of Besh Barmag in the background. Photo Michael Heiss |
Job creation
The
socio-economical situation and opportunities for making a living in rural
Azerbaijan are severly limited and strained. The old agro-economy of the past
is not in balance with present time challenges and demands and at the same time
the fertile ground needed for new ideas and entrepreneurship is often lacking.
Remnants from the Soviet era (1923 – 1991) are scattered across the landscape
with crumbling industrial complexes, where thousands of people used to work,
and the oil boom has largely failed to infuse money and raise living standards
in rural Azerbaijan.
In
this context, even a limited operation like the present project can provide
both jobs, income and a sense of attention and international interest. Each
visiting foreigner, each meal and each local transport is an income and the
project management has tried persistently to keep the income opportunities for
the local inhabitants.
The
job opportunities being created can be summed up;
Accommodation
The
project hired the entire complex called ”Zarathustra Istirahat Ailevi” in the
village of Zarat, some 7km south of the observation area at Besh Barmag. The
premises consists of five simple two-storey holiday units each with 3 beds plus
one additional, bathroom and small kitchen. It also has a garden and a small
separate kitchen and dining room with seating for about 30 persons. Our project
cook used this kitchen and dining room to provide full board for all
participants and paying visitors.
The
hotel management obviously was delighted to make such good business on a ”low
season” since the place is mainly used for holidaying families from Baku during
the summer months.
Local
women villagers were employed as staff for cleaning and laundry during this
period. Two individuals were involved and were paid by the hotel management a
part time salary for the hours per day they worked.
Cook
For
the entire three-month project period the hotel had hired a cook from Baku. His
income is estimated to an above-average Azerbaijani monthly salary. His duties
apart from preparing three meals per day to the participants present (3-18
persons) was also some general coordination and linking up with the hotel
management, cleaning staff and caretaker.
Groceries
The
project cooking organisation spent a total of 4.900$ in the local grocery
stores where 2-3 people worked. This is a very small village store so this
period of heightened sales is estimated to have increased the turnover by 30%
during those three months. Another 500$ were spent in grocery stores in
Siyazan, a town 15km north of Zarat.
The
visitors also bought an estimated 100+ meals from the local kebab stalls at the
rest houses at Besh Barmag as well as their own supplies from the supermarkets.
A volunteer
coordinator was provided from Nature Friends Azerbaijan (NFA). Among his duties
were to meet and arrange for the visitors, link up with local authorities and
support with technical issues. He was also instrumental in organising and
building a wind shelter. The project also extends its great appreciation to NFA
for their crucial backoffice work and general support.
Taxi
drivers and minibus drivers were employed on a regular basis to take
participants from Baku Airport to Zarat and back. The project had arranged a
minivan for the main daily transportation purposes.
An
estimated total of 150 hours of driving/work for five different drivers
constitutes an important part of their income.
A
local craftsman was charged to build a wind shelter (see photo above) for the
observation spot. The construction work was done within a few days and costed a
total of 1600AZN.
Local produce
enjoyed daily during the project. Photo Michael Heiss
Aside
from the jobs created and the individual income for families in the area, other
financial gains for the local economy can be noted. Visiting international
groups not part of the project operation stopped by for meals, snacks, bathroom
visits and shopping. The extensive promotion of Besh Barmag as an international
birdwatching destination, including thousands of followers on social media and
a news program by BBC Azerbaijan, has resulted in a rise of visitors and it is
likely to continue to grow.
A
seminar was given in Baku on 3 December and attended by a number of people,
including a tour operator, state tv AzTV as well as the head of the Swedish
embassy.
Capacity building
To
plan, fund, organise and execute such a complex project in a challening context
like rural Azerbaijan is a process of learning, experiencing and strengthening
on both institutional and individual levels.
Institutional level
Nature Friends Azerbaijan has been the main partner in
Azerbaijan for this project. NFA is the Azerbaijani branch of International
Young Nature Friends (IYNF), an international youth organization with more than
120.000 young members across Europe.
NFA
have been involved in the creation and development of this wider initiative
since 2015. Its leadership have been closely involved in planning the field
work, recruit young local participants, communicate in Azeri on web pages and
leaflets, organise the logistics and support with administrative work.
An
international bird conservation project with this number of participants has
not been done in Azerbaijan before and to be involved in that has been useful.
Saida Valadzada, volunteer coordinator with NFA:
Saida Valadzada, volunteer coordinator with NFA:
”Throughout the birding events for the past years
Nature Friends have placed open calls in social media for involvement of new
enthusiasts, students of relevant disciplines in bird-watching camps and
monitoring. This attracted both ecologists and ornithologists as well as the
young people who were interested in birdwatching but were never engaged, in
fact. Some of those enthusiasts participated in each event held at least once a
year and more than that, they became active NFA members who were involved in
decision making process.”
Individual level
One
of the most tangible outcomes of the project has been the personal learning and
training of young Azerbaijani naturalists. From basic visitors in nature to
skilled field assistants, and some cases also co-leaders with foreign
birdwatching tour groups. About ten Azerbaijani nationals, aged 17 to 30, have
been involved in both this project as well as the running up Bird Camps done in
2016 and 2017. Four of them are now OSME members. Their own journeys from
beginners to skilled birdwatchers are well reflected in three guest blogs at www.osme.org by Zülfü Ferecli, Gunay
Behramzade and Leyla Muslim, see links below.
Part of the team during a sunny November
day. Zülfü Ferecli, second from left, and Leyla Muslim, fourth from left.
One of the Azerbaijani participants, Leyla
Muslim, describes her feelings in a guest blog at the OSME web:
”Everything was different and new for me.
I was really impressed. That passion and enthusiasm of birders motivated me so
much. I have learned many bird names, which was new for me. I wanted those two
weeks never to end. So, I was looking forward to the next project.”
Another
participant, Zülfü Ferecli, has joined this and previous activities at Besh
Barmag as well as being a co-leader on birdwatching tours in Azerbaijan. He is
running a popular YouTube channel on birds in Azerbaijan and currently starting
up his own birding guide business.
In conclusion, the Besh Barmag Bird
Migration Count is not only an internationally widely recognised bird
conservation project, it is also develops to a matter of national prestige
providing income to the local communities. Building on the recent achievements
a further development with local support can make the Besh Barmag Bird
Migration Count to a flagship project in the Caucasus and along the Caspian.
This project has strengthened the
local capacity and helped foster the Azerbaijani nature conservationists and
youth leaders of tomorrow.
Find the full report as pdf file here: http://www.tomasharaldsson.se/?page_id=251
News program by BBC Azerbaijan (English and
Azerbaijani, from autumn 2018)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53id2G1nvFI#action=share
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53id2G1nvFI#action=share
Article by Baku Magazine (English, from spring 2017)
https://baku-magazine.com/conservation/wings-across-caspian/
https://baku-magazine.com/conservation/wings-across-caspian/
Article by 1News (Russian, from autumn 2018)
http://www.1news.az/news/sezonnoy-migracii-millionov-ptic-cherez-beshbarmag-mozhet-ugrozhat-novaya-strategicheskaya-trassa-foto-video
Bird Camp Besh Barmag documentary (English, from spring 2017)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZf6-mPuXDs&t=18s
Guest blogs at the OSME web (English and English/Azerbaijani, from 2017-2018):
Gunay Behramzade https://osme.org/content/azerbaijan-and-besh-barmag-project
Zülfü Ferecli https://osme.org/content/i-love-nature-2
Leyla Muslim https://osme.org/content/i-love-nature-6
