76 / 86
herd management, as individual herders cannot properly manage these herding systems
without the involvement of community management and cooperation and with both local
and central government support.
Co-management of pasture is needed
as pasture is used as common resource and
although private ownership of livestock is allowing herders for business orientation, it
could not be inline with the capacity of pasture and the interest of neighboring herders.
State ownership of grasslands needs government regulation of its use and lack of capacity
of herders and local government for sustainable management of pasture resources requires
participation of other stakeholders at sectors and national levels. Several national policies
and laws impact CBNRM and co-management of grassland resources. The new Land Law
(2002) introduces long-term pasture use contracts for herder groups and communities, with
local governments, if they have jointly defined roles and responsibilities to ensure sound
use, restoration and protection of these already degraded grasslands. In The Land Law and
in other legal documents local governors are responsible and given rights to solve herders’
movements between neighboring
sums (districts) and
aimags (province).
The “Sustainable Management of Common Natural Resources in Mongolia” (
SUM
CNR)
project, which is supported by IDRC (International Development Research Center),
Canada, and being implemented by Ministry of Nature and Environment in collaboration
with other Ministries and agencies and NGO’s, aims to improve the management herd and
grasslands and natural resource by implementing co-management approaches in selected
study sites. The project is addressing this challenge through a combination of participatory
and action-oriented field research in three of Mongolia’s major ecosystems, representing
varying degrees of population pressure and market access. Currently, more than 10
community or herder groups exist in the project area, with from about 13 to 32 herding
families in each group. Each group is considered a relatively homogeneous economic or
social unit in terms of family, language, historical, ecosystem and other type of
characteristics. In the selected study sites, all stakeholders in pasture and NRM (National
Resource Center) are broadly participating in the co-management activities. Co-
management agreements between the community and its members, community and local
governors have documented. Roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders are agreed upon
during the formal and informal meetings and discussions. PRA meetings at the start
allowed individuals and others to understand one another better.
Co-management teams:
Sum
(district) Level Co-Management Teams (SLCMT) are
established in the each study site consisting of representatives of herders, communities,
local governors, NGO’s, school and other local organizations, as well as researchers from
the project team.
Co-management contracts:
In the each community Co-management (CM) contracts
(agreements) are created between the herders and Community; and Community and
Bag
(sub-district) and
Sum
(district) Governors.
Herders are more likely to cooperate in pastureland management when they also have an
interest in working together on other activities that have a more immediate bearing on their
livelihoods. Support facilitated by the project through: training activities (Pasture
management, NRM, vegetation growing, raw material processing, handicraft making,
sewing, reforestation, seeding of hay lands, PM&E), networking and experience sharing
between groups (participation of herders to the inter-site meetings and visits, farmer to
farmer visits), and institutional support (small credit scheme, community funds, community
74