MONGOLIA

Project title/name: Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Livelihood Options in the Grassland of Eastern Mongolia (Eastern Steppe Biodiversity Project)

Country: Mongolia

Project location within the country: Eastern Steppe - Dornod Aimag, Choibalsan and Ulaan Baatar

9,000,000 US$

Short project description: Development of a Model for Biodiversity Conservation in Mongolia's Eastern Steppe, including sustainable management of protected areas and incorporation of biodiversity into sustainable development of the region.

Description of the consulting services: The extensive grasslands of the Eastern Steppes of Mongolia are world-renowned for the herds of migratory gazelles, pristine wetlands with high density of nesting white-naped cranes. The project is in response to plans by GOM for extensive industrial and agricultural development in the Eastern Steppe. The three immediate objectives are a) to ensure that the management of 9 existing and 12 proposed protected areas is strengthened to ensure effective protection of critical biodiversity; b) to support biodiversity conservation and sustainable alternative livelihoods in the buffer zones of the PAs; and c) to incorporate and internalise components of biodiversity conservation into provincial and local development plans.

Donor: UNDP and GEF.

Department:
UNOPS, Division for Environment Programmes

Client: United Nations Office for Project Services

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Title of consulting services provided: Grassland Ecology, Rangeland Management and Biodiversity Conservation

Description of services provided: The Company assisted with implementation of the UNDP/GEF Project in four components: 1) establishing an effective inventory and monitoring programme for rangeland health over the Eastern Steppe; 2) establishing a sound research programme to determine carrying capacity and to assess the ecological effects of fire, grazing by wild and domestic livestock, and Brandt's voles; 3) establishing a pilot project in a selected sum (local administrative unit) to determine the current grazing regime, the health of the rangeland, and the livestock economy, and to initiate immediate actions in grazing planning and management; and 4) training project and counterpart staff in required rangeland stuff methods. A specialist from MGM spent 8 weeks in Mongolia travelling extensively in the eastern steppe, working with ESBP staff to demonstrate inventory and monitoring methods, to hold a management workshop at the sum level, and to organise a two-week training workshop in scientific methodology, field biology. data collection and analysis. The status of research in migration of Mongolian gazelle was assessed and a new research programme formulated.

Staff provided: Dr.M.G.Murray (Biodiversity and Protected Areas Specialist).

July 1999

November 1999

20,000 US$