Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, September 4, 2024 – the Global Support Programme on Scaling up Climate Ambition on Land Use and Agriculture (SCALA), funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) through its International Climate Initiative (IKI) organized a two-day training workshop on the topic “Assessing Livestock GHG Emissions in Mongolia with Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model (GLEAM)”.

Background and Objectives

SCALA’s country project aims to translate Mongolia’s NDC and NAP into actionable and transformative climate actions in land-use and agriculture with multi-stakeholder engagement.

Agriculture sector is a main emission source in Mongolia including livestock methane emissions according to latest National Inventory Report (NIR).  So, Mongolia’s interest in estimating and tracking livestock GHG emissions associated with different herd management scenarios is high specially among state and national research institutions. To strengthen evidence base for implementation of transformative climate action in Agriculture sector, the GLEAM Model is adapted to extensive livestock production system characteristics and seasonality in cooperation with FAO’s Livestock Innovation, Climate and Post-harvesting Solutions branch and the Research Institute Animal Husbandry (RIAH), supported by SCALA programme.

The purpose of the two- days workshop and training was to present and discuss GHG mitigation strategies and results of adapted GLEAM model for improving MRV system in monitoring and reporting with regard to mitigation and/or adaptation in land-use and agriculture sector.

Workshop Highlights

The workshop attendees composed of researchers and officials from the President’s office, Climate Change Research and Cooperation Centre of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Information and Research Institute of Meteorology, Research Institute of Animal Husbandry, National Universities, FAO’s Regional Office Asia and the Pacific, climate related NGOs and Projects from UNDP, FAO, TNC, WB participated actively and contributed to a dynamic and constructive exchange with their professional insights and experiences.  

Dr. Dominik from FAO’s Livestock Innovation, Climate, and Post-harvesting Solutions branch, introduced the critical need for tailored mitigation strategies, emphasizing the importance of using Tier 2 methodologies that effectively support the evaluation of these context-specific options, such as FAO’s GLEAM tool that was adjusted for Mongolia. Key topics included:

• Importance of Tier 2 methodology approach to estimate GHG emissions from the livestock sector - for providing more accurate and context-specific estimates of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to the simplified Tier 1 approach. By incorporating detailed parameters for the estimates, it offers a more tailored approach that is critical for identifying effective mitigation strategies. Challenges in data provision and quality for monitoring the impact of mitigation efforts - A major challenge in conducting detailed assessments is the lack of sufficient, high-quality data. This gap hinders the ability to effectively monitor the outcomes of mitigation interventions.
• Importance of Context-Specific Mitigation Actions - Mitigation actions must be tailored to consider also the specific challenges of land management, degradation, and the pronounced seasonality of livestock systems. Key area of interventions identified to reduce emissions while improving productivity include herd size and structure optimization, feed and grazing management, improvements in animal health and manure management.
• Integration of Local Traditional Knowledge with Innovative Solutions - Combining local traditional knowledge with modern, innovative solutions is essential to improving the uptake of mitigation actions and to address the local challenges. This integrated approach not only enhances productivity and system resilience but also helps reduce emissions by creating more sustainable, locally relevant strategies that are easier for communities to adopt.
• Importance of Stakeholder Collaboration: collaboration among stakeholders (e.g., international organizations, government agencies, research institutions, private sector...) is essential to overcome barriers to implement and monitor effective mitigation strategies. Coordinated efforts will enhance the sector's ability to reduce emissions and transition to more sustainable practices.
• Key Role of Legal Frameworks, Access to Finance, and Public Awareness: the transition to more sustainable practices in the livestock sector is slowed by several factors, including limited public awareness, inconsistencies in legal frameworks, and insufficient financial support. Addressing these challenges is crucial to fostering greater uptake of mitigation practices and ensuring long-term sustainability in the sector.

Outcome and Next Steps

The workshop concluded with a discussion on the potential for scaling up efforts through collaboration among key stakeholders in the sector.

Ms. Lydia Lanzoni, Livestock and climate change specialist, a key facilitator from FAO HQ, expressed her satisfaction with the workshop's outcomes, stating, "The workshop has been an invaluable opportunity for meaningful exchange with local experts. It has laid the foundation for deeper collaboration in identifying context-specific mitigation solutions for the Mongolian livestock sector”

As result of the international cooperation, the adapted GLEAM tool was made available in a format that can be accessed by Mongolian stakeholders via Google Sheets (available here). Furthermore all attendees were invited to first global virtual GLEAM Webinar on September 26^th, 2024, a unique opportunity to share experiences and engage with the global community of GLEAM users.

https://agriculture.vic.gov.au

For further inquiries:

Bilguun Ganbold | Project Specialist | FAO in Mongolia |   [email protected]    

Sergelen Munkhuu | Project Focal Point | FAO in Mongolia |  [email protected]