Climate Compatible Development in Mongolia: analysis of vulnerability and adaptation response to global changes
Dennis Ojima
Chuluun Togtohyn
Kathy Galvin
Our Common Future
Under Climate Change
Paris, France
09 July 2015
SPONSORS:
CDKN, Mongolian Ministry of
Environment and Green Development,
Colorado State University, National
University of Mongolia
• Response Strategies are LOCAL
• Impacts of climate change are emerging across the Mongolian Plateau
• Dealing with multiple stresses (climate change, water, market volatility, and land use change)
• Nature of impact/risks variable in scope, scale and timing (multi-scaled/sectoral impacts)
• Need to manage for change
Rationale for Developing Regional Approaches for Vulnerability Assessments and
Response to Climate Change
Project Activities • Assess Climate impacts and consequences
related to decision making process
• Characterize and evaluate levels of vulnerability of social-ecological systems,
• Characterize and assess adaptive capacity assets
• Identify set of desirable outcomes
• Determine the level of resilience and adaptation of the social-ecological system
Herder Demographics
Over the last decade, the total number of herders decreased by about one fourth in our study area. However, young herders fraction decreased almost by one third, indicating that herders are not only decreasing in numbers, but also aging due to increased migration of young herders.
Coping Strategies Water Resources Pasture Resources
Differential strategies in the desert systems, especially regarding water. Other strategies discussed included cloud seeding, stop mining, fencing, pasture reserves.
• Drought management or taking measures during drought is right decision for prevention and coping with zud.
• Restoration of traditional pastoral land use patterns (cultural landscapes);
• Cooperation among the herders and other stakeholders • Improve education level of herders, including traditional
knowledge; • Re-introduce grazing fees and higher grazing fee for
goats • Livestock composition better suited to ecological zones; • Develop livestock raw materials processing industry; • Zoning of agriculture development:
LOCAL STRATEGIES
Government Responses • Improve herders’ education & leadership • Support young herders • Adopt legal acts on pastoral movement coordination at river
basin level across boundaries. • Develop green cluster to add value to livestock raw
materials. • Conserve and strengthen adaptive traditional knowledge
with of suitable technologies and management knowledge. • Develop community-based natural resource management
policy and legal responsibility • Enhance information and communication tools and
dissemination methods • Promote cooperation of stakeholders at all level.
SUMMARY • Dryland systems are sensitive to climate
and land use trends
• Socio-Economic changes are strongly affecting land productivity in the region
• Sustainability and recovery of ecosystems of the region depends on improved management institutions, environmental monitoring and forecasting technologies, and enhanced information exchange