Adapting to change – co-management scenarios of local pastoralists and protected area management to maintain biological and cultural diversity in the Dzungarian Gobi in Mongolia
The population of Mongolia is mainly dependent on livestock production and healthy rangelands. This study combines interdisciplinary approaches of socio-economic and ecological fields. This research projects intends to understand pastoralist’s grazing strategies in relation to a co-management approach between the local pastoralists and the management of the Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area (SPA) in Mongolia and to develop user-friendly management strategies for sustainable herding practices.
Especially under the influence of climatic risk factors such as increased temperatures and changes in precipitation and higher probability of extreme weather events, as well as changes in land use allowances. The attitude of the local people towards co-management practices will be investigated, as well as the socio-economic aspect of the contribution of livestock grazing to the overall livelihood security of local pastoralists who have seasonal access to the Great Gobi B SPA and of a comparison group in the greater vicinity of the park. The involvement of local people in the management of national parks and protected areas through official contracts is still a rather seldom applied approach, but according to our opinion these approaches are the future.
Little is known about these “contractual parks”, especially in areas where resources are scarce and where the ecological system is highly climate-dependent. These management challenges combined with increased climatic risk factors require more in depth knowledge about the natural resource use by pastoralists, possible wildlife-livestock interactions and consequences of extreme weather events.