Project Update: February - March 2007

Herders family in the winter place.

During the reporting period WHA has undertaken the following activities in accordance with the schedule developed:

Project management issues: Made contracts with Land expert Nyam and assistant/finance manager Bolormaa. Initial meetings took place with some experts and authorities from Institute of Biology and Ministry of Nature and the Environment for further cooperation on implementation of the project and support. Available basic data and information collections are started on two soums of project site.

It has been undertaken the first planned field trip to the project site. During the field trip organized an introduction meeting with herders and local authorities.

The team visited herders’ families in their winter place or station (see picture) who are living in the planned community conservation area from both soums. More than 50 herders, local citizens and soums’ governor administration representatives have been met in different places during the first field trip.

The project objectives and importance introduced to the herders and local authorities. All of the local stakeholders supported the idea which were initiated by some herders of Buren soum and expressed their willingness to cooperate in the future.

Have been collected more detailed information on planned community conservation area from local stakeholders and visited several important Argali and other wildlife habitats. It could be visited more important places but the snow and off road is very hard and difficult in Mongolia particularly in winter and spring times.

Discussed and agreed to organize joint workshop on theme ”Project management, methodology, community managed area and stakeholders’ participation”.

The spring is most harsh and hard time for all of herders and they suggested to organize the workshop at the beginning of summer when finishing to rear young animals and getting warm.