Data on pastoralism from pastoralists
Mongolian pastoralists gather to initiate community-driven data collection
Pastoralists constitute a third of Mongolia’s population, and their distinct way of life is considered an important national heritage. The “Pastoralist-Driven Data Management System” project, implemented by the Pastoralist Knowledge Hub, seeks to safeguard this livelihood and lifestyle in the face of increasing resource constraints and climate change. Indeed, the project works to enhance the capacity of local pastoralist associations to improve knowledge about pastoralism, thereby strengthening their voice and participation in decision-making processes.
Funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development, in Mongolia the project works with the National Federation of Pasture User Groups (NFPUG) to build the capacity of pastoralists to collect, analyze and share information on their production system and to influence pastoralist-friendly policies at the national and international level.
At a recent workshop held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from February 26-28, 18 representatives of the federation were trained in the new methodology, with the support of the Centre de Coopération Internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement. The data collection through the project will follow two surveys: a socio-economic survey of every pastoralist household in the country, followed by a more in depth questionnaire for a representative sample. The participants collectively discussed the surveys in order to suggest improvements and make them relevant to the local context. They also developed a strategy for the data collection process in the area they are in charge of.
Enkh-Amgalan from Greengold Mongolia, one of the main funders of the NFPUG, said that this project will give a very important tool for the Federation in order to better represent the herders’ needs and help them improve collective rangeland management, which is a huge challenge for Mongolian nomadic pastoralists.
Besides Mongolia, the project will also be implemented in Argentina and Chad. Read more about the workshop in Chad here.