Environmental research

In recent years, because of 39% decline in cropping capacity of the cotton plant, which constituted the sustenance basis of Zhangeldy Village local community (LC), the village residents started to be engaged in cattle breeding and maintain natural economy. As the South-Kazakhstan Oblast, wherein the Project Site (PS) is located, is the most thickly populated region in Kazakhstan, there arises a problem with shortage of grazed lands. The cattle is grazed around the village, which has resulted in strong degradation of pastures within a radius of 1-3 km around the village. The residents grow mainly cotton on their irrigated arable land plots and have a small number of great cattle and small cattle (2-5 cows; 20-50 sheep and goats). As a rule the cattle is non-pedigree and low-productive. To earn income the village residents increase the numbers of head that results in even higher degradation and aridization of pastures. Under conditions of stronger aridization of climate on the PS, leading to precipitation reduction and decline of surface water level and productivity of pastures, both the arable farming and cattle breeding becomes unprofitable. Environmental, social and economic risks increase considerably. The situation has been caused when it is critical to search for and implement new methods of the countryside sustainable development. The existing method of use of the pasture resources under conditions of increasing climate aridization may not produce positive results. Moreover, it will aggravate further the negative impacts of the climate change, especially on sandy grounds, which are apt to degradation more that other zonal and intrazonal soils. Radically new approach to the pasture resources use is required, which is able to preserve the productive longevity of the pastures and increase productivity thereof. The climate change will inevitably bring about the pasture deterioration processes. The plant associations will be modified where the more draught-resistant species will replace the less resistant ones. The foliage cover rate will also change to increase the share of bare land without vegetation cover etc. All said factors will result in decrease of nutritive value of forage and thus in the reduction of live weight of the non-pedigree cattle maintained by the local community of Zhangeldy Village. The climate change will induce the welfare decline of cattle owners. Project aim: To master the new grazing technology resistant to climatic changes - a model grazing farm reducing the pasture degradation risks induced by the climate change Project tasks: - To manage pastures in a sustainable form with due account of the climate change risks - The vulnerability of LC members to the risks of climate change has been reduced by replacing the low-productivity cattle by the area-specific high-productivity breeds - The local community ability to take into consideration the climatic risks when managing the pasture resources - Forming of reserve stocks of forage for the winter and prevernal period Project results: - Pastures have been enclosed to introduce pasture rotation - 4500 ha - The enclosed pasture infrastructure is restored: watering wells, electricity supply, and housing facility for shepherds - The environmentally permissible loads have been determined for the enclosed pasture of the project site in line with the climate change projections - A new pasture strategy has been implemented in cooperation with the LC members - Young breeder cattle, Kazakh White-Head Breed, has been purchased - The new adaptation cattle management method has been implemented - Cattle productivity has been raised under the climate change conditions - The rural inhabitants of the project site have been aware of the increasing risks associated with the long-term climate changes. - LC members have been trained in the alternative adaptive efficient grazing technology - A booklet based on the project results has been published - The project experience has been disseminated in the region and can be replicated in other local communities - Sowing of Lucerne and haymaking over the area of 10 ha done for locals purposes

Kazakhstan