Publication Name

33 / 96

33
8.1 NOMADIC HERDERS AND LAND
USE CHANGE
Nomadic Herders’ is a long-term initiative, led by GRID-
Arendal, which seeks to enhance biodiversity conserva-
tion and reduce land degradation in reindeer herding
areas of Mongolia and the Russian Far East. Since its be-
ginning in 2010, this community-focused project - which
forms part of the UNEP PoW56 - has laid a firm foundation
56. Sub-programme 1, Ecosystem-based Adaptation Output 1-6,
Project 1a-P3
for achieving positive environmental impact in the years
to come in some of the world’s most important biodiver-
sity hotspots, whilst at the same time improving people’s
livelihoods.
Over 2012 and 2013, the project has raised the capacity of
reindeer herders to engage in local decision-making and
co-management, heightened awareness within the Mon-
golian government of the value of engaging local com-
munities in protecting the environment, and promoted
cooperation internationally between environmental or-
ganizations and Indigenous people’s organizations - for
the benefit of both.
8 Polar and cryosphere
The Nomadic Herders team undertakes consultations in February 2013 with reindeer herding families in the West Taiga, northern Mongolia.
In April 2012, the Nomadic Herders was awarded a pro-
ject preparation grant (PPG) by the Global Environment
Facility (GEF) in order to develop a Full-Sized Project
(FSP) focusing on biodiversity conservation and reduc-
tion of land degradation in Mongolia and the Russian
Far East. GRID-Arendal and its partners subsequently
undertook an extensive series of consultations at all nec-
essary levels in Mongolia and the Russian Federation to
develop project activities. At the community level, the
team used the same participatory approaches employed
since the beginning of the project to ensure local par-
ticipation where reindeer herders are true collaborators
in project planning and implementation. As a beneficial
side effect the project has also built the capacity of the
local NGO, the Mongolian Taiga Nature Society, which
is now the designated national coordinator for the main
project phase.
Examples of the consultations within Mongolia over this
period include:
• Four representatives from the Dukha reindeer herd-
ing community and a biodiversity expert participated
in the project’s International Stakeholder Meeting in
St. Petersburg in November 2012;57
57.
stakeholder-workshop-sets-priorities-for-work-in-russia/