Zhanartu (Rehabilitation of biodiversity of tamarisk-wormwood-saltwort ecosystem on degraded overflow lands around “Zhangeldy” aul by reduction of pasture over-usage and creation of places of artificial fodder crops production on irrigated lands belonging to the local community) (KAZ/98/10)

Project Details & Results

Desertification keeps aggressing villages and auls. As it was indicated in the Strategic Environmental Program of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the main reasons are not only draughty climatic conditions but also antropogenic factors. These factors affected negatively Aral region, not only the territory close to the sea, but also Sur-Daria river banks, particularly ecosystems of overflow lands inhibited by the main part of population in Kzyl-Orda and north-west South Kasahkstan oblasts. In recent years, the excessive use of overflow lands ecosystems is also caused by transition period crisis. The main part of local population is unable either to move its thin cattle to distant pastures or to produce fodder in place of residence. In other words, absence of fodder leads to overgrazing, the latter leads to beating pastures down and to degradation of lands around places of residence. At present such negative facts are characteristic for all arid lands in Kasazkhstan.

It is supposed to proceed the implementation of the second stage of the project with the same participation: NGO Foundation “Farmer of Kazakhstan”, local community of aul “Zhangeldy”, and farm “Zhuldyz”. NGO is responsible for technical assistance, monitoring and assessment of works by stages, for preparation and conduct of seminars. The local community(cattle owner) undertakes to reduce overgrazing on the ecosystem through rational use of entire aul pasture lands and creation of irrigated forage plantations for each local community member. The farm undertakes to produce lucerne seeds and to provide the local community members with seeds, to repair the main irrigation channel, and to train people to cultivate lucerne and other fodder crops for forage.

Such innovation relationships will create substantive preconditions to: terminate the degradation of lands and rehabilitate biodiversity of the ecosystem in a particular Aral site; and procure stable life-support for members of Zhangely local community.

Capacity - Building Component
The local community will be trained in effective technologies for parture management, and in the methods of lucerne cultivation, such as «Basics of the ground processing», «Regulation of lucerne planting and harvest gathering», and «Sewage-farm, harvest-gathering rules».
Seminars on land degradation and the conservation of pasture biodiversity will be held.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods
The local community is provided with livelihood alternatives, such as a lucerne industry that can provide the local community with hay for cattle in the winter period.

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples
The local community will participate in the establishment of lucerne seed sites, in defining three cattle grazing pasture belts; in inspecting the pastures around the village, and in haresting gathering lucerne.

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment
Video-films will be produced and shown on local TV channels, and arcticles will be placed in newspapers.

Project Results
The local community members have started establishing alfalfa plots to provide the cattle with winter fodder not to grazing the cattle close to the village. Besides, the local community memebers have been trained in effective technologies for parture management, and in the methods of lucerne cultivation, such through a series of seminars and trainings.

Infrastructure at the remote pastures have been rehabilitated (water wells have been reconstructed, etc.) and this promoted that some local community representatives have began grazing their livestock in distant pastures where the fodder crops were more abundant which both contributed to reduction the impact in the pasture areas near the village and increase the quality of meat and milk production.

Project participation of organizations with different organizational-legal forms and ownership types allowed forming affective coalition of partners striving for achieving good results. Project participation of organizations oriented at support and development of agriculture: “Farmer of Kazakhstan” NGO and “KazAgro” National Farmers Federation of Kazakhstan has ensured a unique institutional image of the project focused around transition from extensive to intensive model of stockbreeding. Project participation of Zhuldyz farm as a principal executor allowed forming conditions for mutually beneficial cooperation of private and public interests.

Orientation on traditional methods (nomadic stockbreeding) taking into account cultural peculiarities of the settlement and local set of knowledge, ensured quite high degree of local population’s involvement. Project goals coincided with interests and vital needs of the community, members of which (employed and partially employed people) took active part in project implementation. This facilitated conducting information campaign and education activities among local population. Quite often members of neighboring communities participated in classes. This activity resulted in the increase of local dwellers’ ecological awareness as well as readiness to participate in project activities.