Better Grasslands Management in Mongolia Benefits People and Nature
In June and July 2010, a team of 35 national and international experts conducted a field study to measure
the impacts on people and nature from the GTZ Gobi project in and around Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National
Park. The GTZ Gobi project was part of the larger GTZ “Conservation and Sustainable Management of
Natural Resources” program and ran from 1998 to 2006. About 5,000 people participated in the Gobi
project which focused on community grasslands management and developing new income-generating
activities for local people.
The Gobi study site was chosen after a worldwide review of all known grassland projects. This project was
believed by experts to have demonstrated how a conservation initiative can benefit people and nature.
The study aim was to identify the project’s success factors that can be replicated in other grassland sites.
About the Project
The Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park, also known as the “Three Beauties of the Gobi”, is Mongolia’s
largest national park. It was established in 1993 to protect endangered wildlife, endemic flora and
significant paleontological sites.
Recognizing the need for good
pasture management, the GTZ
project was established to
improve pasture conditions and
mitigate desertification. In order
to achieve these goals, a comanagement
approach
was
introduced focusing on improving
cooperation and management of
pastures with the local people,
the park administration, and the
local government. Another key
element of the project was the
formation
of
community
organizations consisting of local
herders
and
rural
center
inhabitants.
Project activities included training to develop the management, financial and participatory planning
capacity of stakeholders and practical skills to add value to livestock products and diversify livelihood
strategies away from animal husbandry. As a result, new livelihood activities, such as dairy, meat
processing and tourism, have flourished in the area.
Methodology
The team used quantitative and qualitative tools to measure the socioeconomic and ecological benefits.
For the socioeconomic assessment, household surveys in 6 administrative districts spread across 2.3
million hectares generated the numbers. Focus group discussions and key informant interviews provided
the stories behind the numbers. Matched control sites were chosen to provide the without-project
baseline. This helped the team identify and exclude local changes that would have happened even without
the project. A World Bank multi-dimensional definition of poverty that measured 10 indicators was used.
The study team completed 280 household surveys, 8 focus group discussions, and 31 key informant
interviews during 45 days of fieldwork.
For the ecological assessment, changes were measured using satellite imagery supplemented by groundtruthing to compare project grazing areas with ecologically similar grazing areas that were not part of the
project. Data from 76 sites (see map) for 10 years (2000 to 2009) were compiled and assessed for
“Normalized Differential Vegetation Index” (NDVI). This is a proven way to measure photosynthetic
activity of plants and obtain the density of aboveground biomass such as grass. The average seasonal NDVI
characteristics and the summed growth season NDVI of the project and non-project pastures were also
analyzed and compared.
The field study methodology was one of the most rigorous ever undertaken to measure the impacts from
an international development project on local people and nature.
Results
The pasture management improvements brought about positive ecological changes in project pastures
compared to ecologically similar non-project pastures. Based on the NDVI observations, the average
growing season of project pastures were longer than non-project pastures (~18 weeks vs. ~12 weeks),
with earlier and faster greening up in spring. This allows a longer grazing season and quicker recovery of
livestock from winter. Pasture lands of organized communities had on average 15% more grass biomass
than pastures of non-organized herder households. Similar result was also obtained from a comparison of
the project and non-project pastures before and after the project. Pasture grass growth in project areas
was slightly worse than the non-project pastures before the project and an average of 14% better after the
project. This indicated that more biomass for livestock is available now than before allowing them to
survive drought in better condition than non-project sites.
The project also provided important socioeconomic benefits for households that participated. The
quantitative analysis shows that the median income among members of community organizations was
12% higher than non-members (US$ 2,498 vs. 2,222) because of the project. Income increased due to
improved processing of animal products and the development of new income sources, such as vegetable
growing.
The co-management approach that was introduced by the project was also instrumental in strengthening
the role of communities in decision-making processes particularly in pasture management plans and even
social events. More of the community members’ children were also able to attend the university
compared to non-members. In addition, improved access to credit has enabled community members to
purchase hay and fodder that sustains their livestock during winter.
150
Aboveground biomass
140
130
120
110
100
90
80
70
60
Members
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
50
2000
Despite the significant improvements in both ecological
and socioeconomic condition of communities, the impact
of climate change that was a standout finding. Even with
healthier livestock, new income sources, better pastures,
more winter hay and fodder, and a community microcredit fund, the project communities still suffered
devastating losses during the 2009-2010 dzud. Their
current resources are not enough to cope with the
increasingly severe summer droughts and harsh winters.
Better winter shelters for livestock, continued
improvements in the quality, and reductions in the
quantity of livestock are the keys to making the Gobi
pastoralists more resilient to climate change.
Sum NDVI (Growth Season)
Perhaps no group benefited more from the project than local women members. The project provided
training to improve their skills and start new income generating activities, but more importantly, the
project helped them have a greater voice which strengthened the social fabric of the community.
Non-members
Conclusions
This study shows empirically that the GTZ Gobi project has achieved significant ecological and socioeconomic improvements that directly benefitted a bit more than 5,000 people. The majority of the
benefits came from communities organizing themselves for better grasslands management, having a paid
community liaison worker resident in each administrative district, and developing new income sources
through greater value added and diversification.
Four years after the project has ended, roughly half of the community liaison people continue to work
even without pay from the project. This is one indicator of the high degree of local ownership of the
project activities. Another is the large number of stakeholders who were involved in the project. This also
underlines the significance of having a project with a process orientation rather than a product orientation
and of allowing sufficient time for the project to achieve sustainable results.
Creating local ownership, involving all stakeholders, and having a strong presence on the ground, are
some of the successful factors identified by the study that can be replicated in other grassland sites or in
community-based resource management project.
The study also showed the importance of sharing a common goal and building trust among members in
order to implement activities successfully and hold community members together. The presence of highly
motivated and skilled community leaders was pivotal for ensuring and protecting the interests of all
community members.
This case study successfully demonstrated how co-management between herder community
organizations, local government, and a national park can promote the health of grasslands, benefiting
people and maintaining the world’s largest grassland ecosystem in the face of climate change.
For the full study, click here (http://conserveonline.org/library/mongolia-gobi-grasslands-projectecological-and/@@view.html).