SLM Integrated into Sustainable Regional development (Green Asia Network)
By Green Asia Network The basic prerequisite of the Sustainable Land Management(SLM) is that the locals care their own land. Land Management can achieve its sustainability when it integrates into the lives of the locals. Green Asia Network(GAN), NGO of South Korea, has planted trees for more than 10 years in Mongolia, where 90% of the whole land is in the process of desertification. In first several years, GAN only planted trees, which were almost dead. There was no person to take care of trees. Instead there were several nomads who turned out their goats and sheep to afforestation site to graze the sprouts of the planted seedlings. After having hard time, GAN changed its direction since 2007 – to plant not only trees but also people, in other words, to undertake the sustainable regional development. GAN, having the headquarters in South Korea, built its branch in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia in 2007. Besides that, GAN also started to dispatch the staffs to afforestation site. Currently there are 10 field staffs in 4 different afforestation sites of GAN, working with the locals, building the sustainable regional model with the locals.
One of the 4 afforestation sites, is placed in Bayannuur district, 96,000ha big, 190km west from Ulaanbaatar. ‘Bayan’ means ‘many’, and ‘nuur’ means ‘lake’ in Mongolian. Bayannuur once was known for fruit tree farming and hay cultivation using its abundant water resource. However due to the rapid desertification, now there are only 6 lakes remains out of previous 15 lakes, people left, and Bayannuur became known for its high unemployment rate. GAN started to work with the locals in Bayannuur since 2007. The Project Currently there are about 44 local staffs employed for afforestation work and guarding in Bayannuur, creating the monthly income for about 40 households out of 332 households(1,350 people) in Bayannuur. In the afforestation site, the locals planted fruit trees between the wind-break, harvested and shared the fruit last year for the first time. They have started to cultivate the vegetable as well besides trees from 2008, making their base for self sufficient for food. There is photovoltaic panel operated for the water pump electricity in the afforestation site, which was installed by volunteers of Korea University of Technology and Education, hopefully would be the base for self sufficient for energy. The local staffs are being organized. More than half of the staffs have worked with GAN for more than 3 years, understanding the significance of what they are doing and being skilled in work. There is montly meeting of local staffs to discuss the issues and suggestions about the work and the community such as issues about work plan, employment of new staffs, action for insincerity, and the community events, etc. At the regular meeting around early winter this year, the preparation issue of eco festival would be discussed. In 2008, a fair named ‘Environment is our future’ has been held in Bayannuur Soum in association with the office of Bayannuur district and Bayannuur School. Being transformed from existing regional festival, the fair consists of Environment Figure, writing exhibition, selling food made of locally cultivated, eco athletic meet, and bazaar, participated by residents in Bayannuur. Since 2008, there is eco-event held annually in Bayannnur.
All these efforts to foster sustainable regional development go along with SLM. About 10,8000 trees have been planted in Bayannuur so far. Hopefully the water resources and the grassland would be rehabilitated as the tree grows. From last year, there is a new afforestation site created in Bayannur, which is placed near one of 6 lakes in Bayannuur. The afforestation in this site is sponsored by Korean International Cooperation Agency. Korean civil alliance, ‘The Solidarity for Rehabilitation of a Lake in Bayannur District’ which was created in 2009, is also joining this effort. Most importantly, the environmental awareness has been developed among the locals through afforestation and environmental education, which would be the base for SLM.
GAN's activities are being inspired from the abundant database of GEF. GAN has researched and collected the information of SGP projects proceeded in Mongolia since 2003, to learn a lesson from the grass-root activities of other NGO/CBOs in the entire country and further, to cooperate with them. It is crucial for preparing the ground for building the network of agencies on SLM/SRD(Sustainable Regional Development) in Mongolia, which in the future GAN hope to build, as the platform for communication on SLM/SRD. The GEF-NGO Network which is the most active and strongest networks of the international convention, can be a model of that SLM/SRD network in Mongolia. In this article, there are just considerably good sides of GAN projects due to the amount issue. There are still many limitations and challenges in the process. The project has a long way to go to reach its final destination – The locals live by themselves, without GAN. However, we firmly believe that the local should be in the center of SLM of their land, therefore building the model of Sustainable Regional Model which integrates SLM is very important. We will do our utmost for this model to be built well, and would like to learn from other practices and share the opinions. You can find out more about GAN’s project on GAN’s site: http://greenasia.kr/eng/main.htm | ||||||||||||
