(( About Us ))

Association for Integrated Rural Development (AIRD) was established in December 2000.

The main objectives of the Association are:

• To support the integrated development of the rural areas in Bulgaria;
• To promote activities in compliance with the requirements for environmental protection;
• To contribute to the harmonization of the national with the European legislation in the area of the integrated development of rural areas and the environmental protection.

AIRD activities and projects include

• In 2001 experts from the AIRD participated in the preparation of the analysis of the problems and the detailed design of Measure 1.3 "Development of the Environmentally Friendly Agricultural Practices and Activities" The sector analysis was prepared within the framework of a Phare Progmamme Project BG 9810.02 "Preparation of detailed measures of the NARDP under SAPARD Programme".
  
  
• In January 2002 AIRD was designated as the sub-contractor within the framework of a project of the Institute for European Ecological Policy (IEEP), UK, "Study of the Relationship between the Agriculture and the Environment in the Candidate Countries". Within 4 months a review was prepared concerning the existing data related to the agriculture and environment, an analysis was made of the major agri-environmental problems in Bulgaria.
  
  
• In May and June 2002 AIRD prepared a study on the best practice cases in the projects approved under SAPARD Programme. The study was carried out under a project of the Regional Ecological Centre for Central and Eastern Europe, identifying the national priorities related to the biodiversity preservation in the different national programming documents. Proposals on how to integrate the environmental objectives within the objectives for the rural development were made under the study.
  
  
• In 2002 AIRD worked as a partner (subcontractor) of the Agro- information and consultancy centre for the implementation of a project "Individual Facility for Humus-type mass for Organic Farming". The purpose of the project was 20 individual facilities to be constructed and mounted for collecting and utilization of wastes of plant and household origin for deriving biosubstance aimed at improving the soil fertility in the family farms in the village of Terziysko, Lovech District. AIRD organised also 2 workshops in the framework of the project, where the advantages of such facilities and the way to be used shall be explained. The Project was funded by REC via DANCEE.
  
  
• In 2003 AIRD provided the national expertise as GFA Terra Systems subcontractor for Bulgaria in the project Policies for the control of agricultural and non-point sources of polluting and Pilot projects on agricultural pollution control (part of the project of the UNDP - GEF Danube Regional Project). The main objective of the project was analyse the existing legislation and the existing data for the pollution with nitrates from fertilizers and plant protection materials in Danube river basin. Two pilot projects were also developed under the framework of the project.
  
  
• In 2004 AIRD was subcontracted by the WWF International Danube-Carpatian Programme for the analysis prepared for the European Conservation Farming Initiative (EFCI) project in Bulgaria. Main outcome of the project was the analysis made for technical and financial support needed for the conservation farming in Bulgaria and development of 6 pilot projects for the development of conservation farming.
  
  
• In the end of 2004 AIRD won a tender under PHARE BG 0202.01 programme - Clearing the path to the unemployment of youths of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy in Bulgaria. The project "Creation of job opportunities of unemployed youth by engaging them in renovation activities of an existing park and its adaptation as a open ceramic plastics gallery" is with a duration of 12 months and is under implementation at the moment. The overall objective of the project is to enable the long term unemployed youth up to the age of 29 to overcome the social isolation and to find their place on the labour market by participating in renovation activities of an existing park and adaptation of a part of the area of the park as an open ceramics plastics gallery. The specific objectives of the project are: to decrease the unemployment among the unemployed youth at age up to 29 by their direct integration on the labour market and offering suitable social conditions for overcoming their isolation, to renovate an existing park area in Troyan and to improve the infrastructure and life conditions and to create possibility to permanent exhibition of applied art works, to increase the capacity of the local entities, to develop efficient local partnership and cooperation for creation of a positive social capacity able to use successfully the EU funds by implementing different projects.