FAO-China Technical Cooperation Project-TCP
TCP/CPR/2902 (A)

Strengthening Capability of Risk Management of the Animal Husbandry Sector and Promoting Sustainable Development in the Grazing Area of Qinghai Province

Pastoral Risk Management in Qinghai Province
A Final Report

Consolidated by
Jeremy Swift, Stephan Baas and Yongong Liu

Food and Agricultural Organization-FAO
Rural Institutions and Participation Service


Ministry of Agriculture-MOA
Department of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry-DAAH, Qinghai
December 2005
 

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION:
THE PROJECT, PILOT AREAS AND THE CONCEPT AND STATUS OF PASTORAL RISK MANAGEMENT IN QINGHAI PROVINCE

Chapter 1 - INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

1.1 Introduction
1.2 The TCP Project

(1) The project objective
(2) Project outputs

1.3 The Project Pilot Areas
1.4 Grazing resource management

(1) Grazing systems
(2) Grassland management and its problems in Pilot Villages
(3) Grassland monitoring

1.5 Pastoral Risk and Approaches to Pastoral Risk Management (PRM)

(1) Pastoral risk
(2) The Government disaster prevention programme in Qinghai
(3) Integrating PRM and the existing government programme for disaster prevention: Elements for an enhanced PRM agenda in Qinghai

SECTION 2
PROJECT FINDINGS AND TECHNICAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SELECTED PRM STRATEGY ELEMENTS

Chapter 2 - MONITORING AND ASSESSING GRASSLANDS

2.1 Grassland monitoring
2.2 Pastoral resource assessment

(1) RAPS-Resource Assessment for Pastoral System
(2) Training on RAPS
(3) RAPS benchmark databases
(4) RAPS and risk assessment
(5) Main conclusions on pastoral resource assessment

Chapter 3 - MANAGING GRASSLANDS

3.1 Present grazing management system: winter and summer pasture
3.2 Pastoral Land Tenure and Grazing Management

(1) Reserved grassland
(2) Reducing and redirecting grazing pressure

3.3 Rehabilitation of degraded grasslands
3.4 Control of rodent damage

Chapter 4 - FEED AND FODDER

4.1 Fodder production

(1) Oats growing by herders
(2) The Establishment of household based fodder production
(3) Seed supply
(4) Constraints to the expansion of oat growing
(5) Haymaking

4.2 Fodder Conservation

(1) Household storage of hay and concentrates and fodder banks
(2) Emergency fodder funds
(3) Marketed fodder and hay

Chapter 5 ANIMAL BREEDING AND HEALTH

5.1 Assessment of current animal productivity
5.2 Improving livestock resilience to risk
5.3 Veterinary measures for improving the animal health conditions

Chapter 6 MANAGING SEVERE RISK

6.1 Introduction
6.2 Winter preparation
6.3 Forecasting
6.4 Winter preparedness and early warning report
6.4 Early warning stages
6.5 Reacting to the forecast
6.6 Winter preparedness exercise

SECTION 3
KEY POLICIES AND STRATEGIES TO STRENGTHEN DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT AND REDUCE HERDER VULNERABILITY

Chapter 7 STRATEGIES TO MANAGE PASTORAL RISK AND REDUCE VULNERABILITY

I. PRM AGENDA COMPONENT: GRAZING AND PASTURE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Strategy 1: Measuring and monitoring grazing resources
Strategy 2: Managing grasslands

II. PRM AGENDA COMPONENT: WINTER FEED

Strategy 3: Household based feed and fodder production
Strategy 4: Fodder markets, fodder banks and emergency fodder funds

III. PRM AGENDA COMPONENT: LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION, BREEDING AND HEALTH

Strategy 5: Animal production and breeding
Strategy 6: Improvement of animal health

IV. PRM AGENDA COMPONENT: ENCOURAGING HERDER RESILIENCE TO PASTORAL RISK

Strategy 7: Early warning and rapid reaction system for PRM
Strategy 8: Improved housing and pastoral infrastructures
Strategy 9: Promoting herder cooperation

V. PRM AGENDA COMPONENT: POLICY AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORKS FOR PASTORAL RISK MANAGEMENT

Strategy 10: Mainstreaming pastoral risk management within a reshaped pastoral economy
Strategy 11: Financing pastoral risk management
Strategy 12: Improving governance for pastoral risk management

Appendix