Специалисты разработали руководство по мониторингу и оценке состояния пастбищ

Specialists have developed a guide on monitoring and assessing the condition of pastures

The guide is the result of joint efforts by pasture specialists from both governmental and non-governmental organizations, aimed at developing a methodology for monitoring and evaluating pastures.

Over a year ago, the Department of Pastures and Livestock Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Kyrgyz Republic (DPPLBR KR) initiated the provision of unified rules for managing and monitoring the condition of resources to all participants in the pasture process. The governmental body received support from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, while organizational and technical assistance was provided by the SAMR Alatoo Foundation.

To develop a unified methodology, an interdepartmental working group (IWG) was formed, consisting of representatives from DPPLBR KR, the SAMR Alatoo Foundation, the Forestry Service of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Scientific Research Institute of Livestock and Pastures (SRI LP KR), the State Project Institute for Land Management ("Kyrgyzgiprozem"), ARIS, and the Central Asian Institute for Land Management (CAILM).

During the work process, IWG members studied existing mechanisms for monitoring and assessing the condition of pastures and decided to base their approach on the transect method, adapted by the SAMR Alatoo Foundation.

Through discussion, an integrated approach emerged, which the authors, IWG members, characterized in the guide as a "simple method, requiring some measurements and calculations, and allowing to determine the percentage of pasture coverage by vegetation." They also recommended other methods for tracking and evaluating changes in vegetation cover, calculating pasture productivity, feed volumes, etc. Indicators for collecting, analyzing, and comparing these data are described. The information obtained must be documented in an "assessment sheet of pasture condition," included in the guide as an appendix, to facilitate record-keeping directly in the pasture. The authors do not exclude that, in practice, resource users may use several approaches for a more accurate and detailed result.

The content of the guide is presented sequentially, starting with an explanation of the purpose and objectives of monitoring and evaluating pastures, followed by the presentation of the plan and methods of their implementation, as well as the step-by-step process of monitoring and filling out the assessment sheet. Photographs and images complement the visual perception of information, and the language, devoid of specific terms, facilitates understanding.

The guide is intended for a wide range of resource users, including representatives of local self-government bodies, members of zhaiyt committees, farmers, and shepherds. Distribution of the guide is planned at various events involving local communities. The electronic version is available on the SAMR Alatoo Foundation's website in Russian and Kyrgyz languages under the "Publications" section.