Community based conservation and management development in Ugii Lake ecosystem (MON/03/02)

Project Details & Results

Community based natural resources management is something new in Mongolia since the recent start of shifting the country from communism to a market economy. Currently rural communities are mostly poor people. According to official statistics, the poverty rate is around 36 % over the last ten year. Although there were some programmes implemented or being implemented on poverty, it does not go down. Although livestock were privatized for free, many communities have already lost them due to natural disasters like dzud and still remain poor. As they are poor, many of them destroy nature, being involved in illegal logging, poaching etc.

The project is trying to introduce a community based conservation and management practice to Ugii lake ecosystem where thousands of migrotary birds habitat over warm seasons with an intention of community based bird watching eco-tourism development in the near future.

7 local citizens guided by Ramsar Centre of Mongolia have been strugling to succeed in protecting the lake and establish a community camp there. Ifr they succeed, the lake attracting many tourists and tour companies will be better managed and protected. They will enjoy new additional income from tourism. A ger camp has been established and some protective measures are being taken with regard to lake ecosystem and to thousands of birds. The lake is now a Ramsar site and a locally protected area.

Ugii lake is about 20 km away to north-west from Ugii nuur sum centre. Soon local people wil be benefiting from eco-tourism activities at the lake.

Notable Community Participation
Incorporating with local community participation, the area of Ugii lake will be community protected and managed for the further plan of initiating community based eco-tourism.

Capacity - Building Component
Supporting its community action on nature conservation for the further plan of the community based eco-tourism is to ensure promoting and building community capacity development.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods
By providing financial support to this activity is a comprehensive contribution for improving the standard of living of Ugii lake households and herders.

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples
A particular participation of Ugii lake people are involved under this project.

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment
Increasing public awareness of country and global environment issue of water protection is applied in its activity.

Project Results
The project has greatly contributed and assisted the local authority to declare the lake as a locally protected area. Some negative activities like collection of bird eggs by local people themselves, disturbance of birds by poachers have now stopped. Illegal fishing is now under community control. The lake is no longer clean from wastes and dead animal skeletons and remainings. The lake is likely to become one of the tourist attactive places in the very near future. However, there is a seroius problem due to climate change effects that the level of water is slowly downing.