Survival is hard in the Mongolian Little Gobi desert where thousands of nomadic herders live hand to mouth in the barren landscape, alongside many endangered species such as the Houbara Bustard, black vulture, the Argali wild sheep, ibex and snow leopard.
Until the collapse of socialism in 1990, all Mongolians were employed by the state; now people rely heavily on natural resources, utterly dependent on the environment and their livestock of goats and camels for all their basic needs. But despite the hardships, herders are determined to continue their unique way of life. In 1992, the Mongolian government announced plans to place 30% of its territory – an area one and a half times the size of France – under formal protection. It’s an ambitious project but the lack of central resources means it simply cannot succeed without the support and help of local people.
Jargal Jamsranjav, whose grandparents were herders themselves, is training herders scientific research skills so they can help monitor wildlife populations themselves. It’s the first time in Mongolia that local people have been trained as ecologists.
Jargal was 27 at the time of winning The Whitley Award for International Nature Conservation given in 2004. Since then she has spent her time helping people introduce important conservation measures, for example, how to avoid over-grazing, conserve water and manage waste more effectively.
The project centres around the village of Nomgom, a focal point for some 600 nomadic families. She said: ‘People here want to improve their lives but they don’t know how. At the moment, the only cash they have is in Spring when they can sell wool and cashmere. We will be helping them augment their incomes by making souvenirs such as felt embroidery, improved dairy production and so on.
‘Most of these people have never seen a mobile phone, never seen a computer. Nomgom is their only link to the developed world – providing school, hospital, post office and – for a few hours a day – electricity. In other parts of Mongolia, which have been hit by very bad winters and drought, people have had to move to the city to survive. But the people here don’t want to do that.’
Unlike many environmentalists, for whom the hardest battle is convincing local people of the importance of conservation, Jargal is lucky in that the Mongolian herders are keen to get involved. She said: ‘These people interact with nature every day. They live on the land and know how important their environment is. They may be isolated, but Mongolians also like to feel they are part of a bigger picture. They like knowing they have an important role to play and are proud of their involvement.’
PROJECT UPDATE
Since winning her Whitley Award in 2004, Jargal has successfully established seven community groups, each consisting of 8 to 15 Mongolian families, through which she is developing action plans for the conservation and management of the Little Gobi Desert. With these groups, Jargal has organised regular experience sharing meetings to discuss recycling, pasture, and wildlife management, as well as other important issues such as law enforcement, eco-tourism, water resource protection, and fuel efficiency.
All of these issues relate directly to the way in which the local communities interact with and utilise the land, and their active discussion for the benefit of improved nature conservation marks a change from the protected areas management approach utilised elsewhere in Mongolia. By discussing environmental issues directly with the people, Jargal is gaining a deeper understanding of the needs of the communities living in the Little Gobi Desert, and how closely these relate to sound environmental practice. As a result, working with the local communities, Jargal has helped to coordinate indigenous tree planting, the implementation of waste management, fencing of vulnerable wild plant bushes to protect them from grazing by domestic animals, and the training of local people in wildlife monitoring so they can assess their impact on the environment around them on which they depend.
Jargal’s work on the ground with the eco-herders, and efforts to raise awareness of the need to protect the Little Gobi Desert, has helped raise capacity amongst local people, and is beginning to make a difference. She has also helped to produce an flora and fauna identification manual for use in the protected areas, which is helping local people to develop a more scientific understanding of their wilderness home.
In 2005, Jargal was awarded Continuation Funding from WFN to allow her to continue her innovative conservation work with the communities of the Mongolian Steppe.
2021 continuation funding
Nature-Based Solution: £70,000 over two years
Community-Led Climate Change Mitigation in Mongolia’s Eastern Khangai Mountains
In Mongolia, the eastern Khangai mountain slopes host cool, coniferous Taiga and sub-taiga forests home to species such as musk deer, red deer, moose and wolf as well as globally endangered birds including the swan goose and Saker falcon. Indeed, over a third of the country’s birds are found here, as well as nomadic communities reliant on intact ecosystems and the resources they provide. While half of the forest is protected by the Orkhon Valley National Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – the remaining 50% is in urgent need of conservation.
Threats to the forest range from illegal logging to fires and outbreaks of pests, as well as unsustainable livestock grazing that suppresses natural regeneration. Jargal Jamsranjav will develop a sustainable management plan including pest warning systems, fire prevention and forest restoration, for approval by government and implementation by 40 community conservation groups. As the first person to apply the concept of community-based wildlife monitoring in Mongolia, Jargal is well placed to lead these efforts. She will also establish a model agroforestry enterprise to improve livelihoods that don’t degrade nature. Through local conservation action Jargal is ensuring this landscape can keep serving people and planet, sequestering 2.6 million tonnes of CO2 per year.
2024 CONTINUATION FUNDING
Sustainable forests of Mongolia’s Khanghai mountains: growing long-term solutions and financial sustainability
Mongolia
£50,000 over 2 years
Nestled in the Eastern Khangai mountain range, a vital forest landscape in Mongolia’s Orkhon Valley National Park is a treasure trove of biodiversity, sequestering vast carbon stores within its dense boreal forests, peatlands, and permafrost soils. This region is home to rare and endangered species like the musk deer, Swan goose, and Saker falcon, and supports a significant portion of Mongolia’s wildlife diversity. Yet, the forest ecosystem, a crucial carbon sink, is under increasing pressure from illegal logging, fires, insect outbreaks, and overgrazing.
Jargal Jamsranjav and her team at the Initiative for Conservation and Sustainable Development have already achieved significant impact in protecting this natural heritage by fostering a cooperative conservation approach, working closely with Forest Community Groups (FCGs) within and around Orkhon Valley National Park who implement a community-driven Forest Management Plan to reduce illegal logging, forest fires and pest outbreaks.
This new phase of funding will enable Jargal and her team to deepen their work in the Khangai mountains, enhancing both ecological and socio-economic resilience across a wider landscape. By expanding forest restoration and agroforestry initiatives, the project aims to protect 125,278 hectares of boreal forest – which stores an estimated 33 million tons of carbon dioxide per year – while agroforestry enterprises will create sustainable livelihoods and combat land degradation, allowing local communities, especially women and girls, to benefit from new income streams.
A core objective of the project is establishing a sustainable financing mechanism to support community-driven conservation efforts well into the future. By implementing financial solutions for at least 10 FCGs and developing a “Bankable Nature Solution” project, Jargal aims to secure ongoing funding that will sustain the conservation gains beyond the project’s lifecycle.
In addition to its ecological importance, the Orkhon Valley holds deep cultural significance as a World Heritage Site. By empowering local communities to take stewardship of this landscape, Jargal and her team’s work fosters a deep-rooted, sustainable approach to conservation that respects traditional knowledge while addressing modern environmental challenges.