Environmental research

Kargaly Village is located in a transition zone between the dry and the moderately dry steppes. The main economic activity is livestock rearing. To a great extent, horse production is used for milk and meat. The project area s climate is extremely continental and dry, with cold winters and short summers. Winter snowfall is the most important precipitation in the region, as melt-water provides the moisture required for rangeland fodder production. Declining precipitation and increasing ratio of rainfall to snowfall threaten to reduce the sustainable stocking capacity of the pasture ecosystem, to increase the predominance of inedible xerophytes plants in place of edible grass species, and to heighten erosion around water-points. Further rising temperatures and decreasing precipitation will lower the availability of water in the soil, and will reduce the resilience of pasturelands to dust storms and wind erosion. As dust storms and dry winds become more frequent, the aridity and the soil erosion will increase, stressing the natural ecosystem, and reducing the productivity of pasturelands. These climate change risks will trigger a cycle of poverty and food insecurity in the region. Project aim: The project aims at development and introduction of the adaptive land use practices in drove breeding of horses that includes sound spatial planning and efficient pasture management based on maintenance and rehabilitation of the natural landscapes and ecosystems, and use of both summer and winter precipitations to decrease vulnerability of the land use to climate change impacts. Project tasks: - Rehabilitation of the traditional use of faraway pastures located 15-20 km from the village, including winter grazing - Elaboration of the cooperation methods for community use of watering grounds and pastures to prevent the conflicts - Improvement of the community climate change adaptation capacity - Use of the alternative water sources apart from the surface sources (rivers, streams, ponds) that are used now and that will be facing shortage of water due to climate aridization - Distribution of new strategy on land management at the local level Project results: - Rehabilitation of existing pasturelands and reconstruction of existing water places using traditional Kazakh collective work method called ASAR - Improved management of local resources, including popularization of sustainable pasture management at the community level - Development of local plans and signed agreements between community members about the use of lands (pastures) and water (wells) resources, as well as cooperative access to forage and water resources at remote pastures - Integration of climactic and ecological change to livestock production and management practices - Improved pasture management planning and livestock breeding strategies through the determination of optimal load for pasturelands under current and likely future climate change conditions - Construction of new watering points to spread stock loads more evenly around decreasingly resilient pastures; - Dissemination of information about new pasture management strategies among livestock producers in Northern Kazakhstan, including government and community stakeholders

Kazakhstan