Karatau foothills have rich flora and fauna diversity. Due to increasing of livestock items and nonsystematic grazing, foothills land and pastures are under big pressure and degrading. Without urgent actions on land use rationalization there is a high possibility of water erosion and loss of soil productivity. Scientific monitoring showed that these natural complexes can be restored in 2 years in condition of grazing absence.

Project aim:
Creation of the sowing mowing grounds and demonstration of advantages of forage reserve increase for decrease of pressure on the pastures around the settlement and at the foothills.

Project tasks:
1) Creations of demonstration sowing sites to increase forage reserve for the livestock production of the Local community members;
2) Reduction of pressure on the pastures round the settlement and at the foothill (buffer zone of the Karatau Natural Reserve) through development rational pastures use scheme and introduction of technology of the cattle stall maintenance in winter and early-spring period;
3) Awareness raising and project experience sharing among local community members of neighboring settlements.

Project results:
Within the bounds of the project one of the main results is successfully realized demonstration of sowing sites creation advantages for forage reserve increasing with decreasing of pressure on pastures by passing from pasturing to cattle confinement same time.

Furthermore, the pastures conservation scheme adoption and pastures in buffer zone of the Karatau Natural Reserve restoration were finished as well as improved pasture management system. Local community got understanding of important relations between pastures state and conditions, forage quantity and quality and their final income.

As for concrete data ? due to increasing of high energy lucerne hay in cattle?s diet, live weight of livestock increased (up to 100 kg/item of cattle and up to 20 kg/item of small cattle).

By application of suggested by project technologies, local community gets 450 tons of lucerne green matter - or 220 tons of dry hay. In 2010 the cost of manufactured product was about 20 000 US dollars, which is good income for local population and good base for further sustainable development.