Pasture and Livestock Management Plan (Таджикистан)

"Pasture and Livestock Management Plan" is a participatory approach which is guiding pasture users, members of Pasture User Unions and Pasture User Groups to develop their action plan on pasture and livestock management. The approach brings together stakeholders, who are involved at any stage in pasture management or can contribute to or impede the implementation of the pasture livestock management plan.

Pasture and Livestock Management Plan (PLMP) Approach is a participatory approach towards the development of a pasture plan with communities to ensure a sustainable use of pasture resources. It was especially designed for the needs of the Pasture User Union, a new structure allowed to establish at community level to implement better management of their pasture resources. Though a step-by-step analysis of the current situation a community will come up with detailed action plan for the following three years. The PLMP involves, but is not limited to, the establishment of a committee involved in preparation of the PLMP, as well as a stakeholder analysis and the determination of the carrying capacity of pasture resources by comparing the existing fodder resources and requirements for the fodder. Based on that analysis, an action plan will be developed with involvement of all stakeholders to reach an agreement on approaches and technologies to implement the interventions. The PLMP will lead to the development of the Action Plan based on the discussion between different stakeholders. In the process of the plan development with consideration of an expert a clear roles and responsibilities of all involved actors/stakeholder in a defined timeframe will be identified.
The main objectives is to support land users with development of actions, which contribute to the sustainable development of pasture resource and livestock development. The central focus is given to balance the need of the livestock owners to improve livestock productivity with compromising the environmental conditions for the next generations and ecosystem services. The planning process should contribute to better management of pasture lands, rehabilitation of degraded pastures, resolving any existing conflict over pasture use, awareness raising on the role of pasture land for ecosystem services and overall trends in development with regards to use and management of pasture resources.

The process is based on participatory methods with involvement of different stakeholders capturing main principles for land use planning. The process includes pasture users/livestock owners who are involved in day to day management of pasture lands, local government with related department to pasture use, land owners, different departments of local government such as forestry, land use committee, environmental protection etc.
The approach is conducted in three main stages: In the firs stage consultation with pasture users will be held to identify the need for development of a pasture plan. Then an inventory of all land resources, including pasture land and livestock numbers will be conducted. In the third stage a workshop will be conducted with involvement of all stakeholders, where the pasture plan will be developed. In the final stage of the pasture plan development an action plan with defined clear activities in a given frame and assigned responsible persons will be developed.
Land users, who also own livestock appreciate their involvement in the pasture development planning. They also like when their voice is taken into consideration in making any decision with regards to the pasture use.