UNCCD

Improved pasture co-management [Mongolia]

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Reporting Entity: Mongolia

Clarify if the technology described in the template, or a part of it, is covered by property rights: Yes

Comments: The copyright is protected by Mongolia Copyright Law. The holder of the right is Mongolian Herders' Association.

Completeness: 74%

General Information

General Information

Title of best practice:

Improved pasture co-management

Country:

Mongolia

Reporting Entity:

Mongolia

Property Rights

Clarify if the technology described in the template, or a part of it, is covered by property rights:

Yes

Please provide relevant information on the holder of the rights:

The copyright is protected by Mongolia Copyright Law. The holder of the right is Mongolian Herders' Association.

Specifications

Section 1. Context of the best practice: frame conditions (natural and human environment)

Short description of the best practice

The best practice was introduced by the project Sustainable Grassland Management project. The project has 4 immediate objectives to reach the desired achievements and outputs in managing the grasslands sustainable:
1. To strengthen existing customary forms of co-operation among herders within and between local communities of land users.
2. To facilitate the articulation of the new herder communities to other communities and to wider governance structures, mainly the Bagh and the soum.
3. To build the capacity of herder community associations to negotiate with third party providers for inputs and services.
4. To strengthen the ability of central government to create and manage an appropriate legal and economic environment for sustainable herder and grassland development.
The expected outcomes were identified as follows:
1. Herders apply tested models of cooperative resource management specifically developed for their ecological zone, based on customary forms of cooperation.
2. The rights of herders and their investments in improving resources are secured through formalized grazing rights.
3. Herder community associations have the capacity to identify economic opportunities for the members and to negotiate service contract with outside providers
4. Local best practices are disseminated on a significant scale through herder-to-herder and community to-community learning and emulation
5. Effective co-management leading to better land use planning and coordination achieved through co-management structures involving Baghh and Soum governments and herders
6. Improved capacity of central decision-making bodies (MoFA, MNE and Parliament Standing Committees) to commission, carry out and use policy research to draft new policies and legislation in the livestock and grassland management sector.|

Location

In 12 Soums of Selenge, Bayankhongor and Ovorkhangai aimags(provinces of Mongolia).|

Brief description of the natural environment within the specified location.

Soil in Mongolia has been divided into the following:
1. Black soil is found in Khangai, Khentii, Khovsgol provinces, Mongol Altai and Ih Hyangan Mountain
ranges, and the in the Orhon, Selenge, Onon and Ulz river valleys which are in the forest steppe region.
2. Brown soil is in the forest steppe and steppe region 1,000-1,200 meters above sea level. The content of
humus is 35% in dark brown, 23% brown, 1.62% in light brown soil.|
The topography of Mongolia consists mainly of a plateau with the elevation ranging from 914 and 1524 m
(about 3000 and 5000 ft) broken by mountain ranges in the north and west. The Altai Mountains in the
southwest rise to heights above 4267 m (14,000 ft). The Gobi covers a wide arid tract in the central and
southeastern areas. The most important rivers are the Selenge Mörön and its tributary, the Orhon Gol, in
the north. Large lakes include the Har Us, Hyargas, Uvs, and Hövsgöl.|
These 3 provinces represent the major ecological zones of Mongolia as steppe, forest steppe, desert
steppe and high mountains. The Climate refers to the climate zones of steppe, forest steppe, desert steppe
and high mountains.|

Prevailing socio-economic conditions of those living in the location and/or nearby

Livestock breeding and crop production
The minimum income per person in these 3 aimags is around $200-250/month.
Mongolian Land Law adopted in 2002 and Constitution (1992) recognizes the state ownership of pastures, forests, and subsoil and water resources, thus making private ownership of these resources impossible.The Law on Land provides rights for ownership, possession, use and limited use. Possession rights may be held
by citizens, economic entities and organizations for up to 60 years, with the right to extension for additional periods of 40 years.|

On the basis of which criteria and/or indicator(s) (not related to The Strategy) the proposed practice and corresponding technology has been considered as 'best'?

The most influencing factor for the desertification in Mongolia is the harmful use of pasture. The improvement of the pasture land management plays very significant role for combating desertification. The long-term goal of the project is to increase the welfare of herding families through the sustainable management of Mongolian grasslands.
So based on this the practice was considered as "best".

Section 2. Problems addressed (direct and indirect causes) and objectives of the best practice

Main problems addressed by the best practice

The understanding of herders about the positive results of the pasture land management. It takes long time to convince the herders that they believe or see the good results.

Outline specific land degradation problems addressed by the best practice

Without understanding about the importance of introducing or using the pasture land management by the herders or herders' groups will be very difficult. So preparatory activities have to done longer time. Some kind of financial assistance was important tool to convince the herders. Specially for the starting period it is important.

Specify the objectives of the best practice

The immediate objectives of the best practice:
1. To strengthen existing customary forms of co-operation among herders within and between local communities
2. To facilitate the articulation of new herder communities to other communities and to wider governance structures
3. To build the capacity of herder community associations to negotiate with third party providers for inputs and services
4.To strengthen the ability of central government to create and manage an appropriate environment

Section 3. Activities

Brief description of main activities, by objective

Capacity building and strengthening of communities was done through awareness raising, information sharing, demonstrations, herder-to-herder training, and conducting on-site training on improving pasture and water management, and developing herder’s technical and business skills|
One of the goals of the practice is to link herding communities to soum and bagh government through establishing co-management structures over the management of grassland resources. With the support of the project, co-management committees were created in 12 soums of target aimags|
There are 72 herder communities formed a group on their own initiative in target 12 soums of three target aimags exercising full decision making and full responsibility for the actions which will lead to their increased strength and empowerment
In order to improve co-management of pasture utilization there were established Co-management Committees at soum level and ensured sustainable operation of pasture improvement funds, and organized regular meetings and conferences “Pasture management and community participation".|

Short description and technical specifications of the technology

Establishment of new herder groups and provide trainings for them. This project relied on national institutions to conduct research activities, studies, and trainings
whenever the expertise existed “in-house”, instead on relying systematically on external specialists.|

Section 4. Institutions/actors involved (collaboration, participation, role of stakeholders)

Name and address of the institution developing the technology

The "Sustainable pastureland management" project supported by the Government of Netherlands and UNDP.|Orient Plaza
G. Chagdarjav Street 9
1st khoroo, Sukhbaatar District
Ulaanbaatar-14210
Mongolia
Telephone: +976 11 327585
Fax: +976 11 326221
E-mail: registry.mn@undp.org
webpage: www.undp.mn

Was the technology developed in partnership?

Yes

List the partners:

The "Sustainable pastureland management" project together with the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry|

Specify the framework within which the technology was promoted

  • National initiative – non-government-led

Was the participation of local stakeholders, including CSOs, fostered in the development of the technology?

Yes

List local stakeholders involved:

The herders' group
The water users' group

For the stakeholders listed above, specify their role in the design, introduction, use and maintenance of the technology, if any.

Herders' groups and water user groups are the main users of the approaches. They are responsible for the maintenance of the technology.

Was the population living in the location and/or nearby involved in the development of the technology?

Yes

By means of what?
  • Participatory approaches

Analysis

Section 5. Contribution to impact

Describe on-site impacts (the major two impacts by category)

Herders' income generation had increased
Number of herder groups were established and certain results are achieved.
Herders' cultural behavior had changed and they started to express about their readiness to cooperate
Herders' groups understand the importance of collective actions to solve the problems.

Describe the major two off-site (i.e. not occurring in the location but in the surrounding areas) impacts

Neighboring aimags and soums started to study the collective actions.
Local Governments of neighboring aimags and soums were interested to study the approaches.

Has a cost-benefit analysis been carried out?

Has a cost-benefit analysis been carried out?

No

Section 6. Adoption and replicability

Was the technology disseminated/introduced to other locations?

Was the technology disseminated/introduced to other locations?

Yes

Where?

The approach was placed on the web site of MONCAT and open for public

Can you identify the three main conditions that led to the success of the presented best practice/technology?

The herders' well being dependent on their sustainable use of pasture land.
The climate change effect influence negatively for the herders' living conditions. The local Governments
and herders are seeking the way to minimize the influence.
Herders started to understand the collective action's advantage.

Replicability

In your opinion, the best practice/technology you have proposed can be replicated, although with some level of adaptation, elsewhere?

Yes

At which level?
  • Local

Section 7. Lessons learned

Related to human resources

In order to introduce the best practice to other local areas the specialists must be trained in advance.

Related to technical aspects

The awareness arising activities are very important for the start in other local areas.

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