Desertification is one of the most pressing environmental issues in Mongolia. Desertification is being intensified over most of Mongolia by many factors like sand shifts, negative effects of climate change and pastureland degradation.
This grant supports a herder community initiative in combating desertification by fixing sand shifts in a sandy area in Burd sum of Uvurhangai province.
A pastureland affected by intensive sand shifts has temporarily been taken out of use by fencing in order to let it naturally rehabilitate itself. To fix sand shift in the area being rehabilitated, 200 sea buckthorn seedlings were planted. The survival rate was not so good, not reaching 50 %. However, more intensive measures will be taken by the community in the coming year to increase the survival rate by planting more willow and aspen seedlings which grow relatively fast.