Unit 1.4: Participatory Pasture Conservation

Unit 1.4: Participatory Pasture Conservation

Instructor: Dr. Muhammad Khurshid

Field Practitioners: Ms. Elvira Maratova

This unit introduces the concept of participatory conservation, where local communities are actively involved in the conservation and sustainable management of pastures. Students will explore various participatory approaches and tools used to engage communities in decision-making processes, land-use planning, and monitoring of pasture health. The unit will emphasize the benefits of involving local stakeholders in conservation efforts, leading to more effective and sustainable outcomes.

1.4.1. Understanding Participatory Process 

In context of natural resources management, a participatory process is an integrated approach to decision-making and problem-solving that actively involves the stakeholders or communities affected by the decisions in every stage of the process. It emphasizes inclusivity, collaboration, and the sharing of knowledge, ensuring that the views, concerns, and inputs of all relevant actors including local communities are considered (IUCN, 2022).

• Participatory pasture resource conservation and management, aiming to achieve more socioeconomically viable and ecological sustainable outcomes. Participatory approaches for pasture conservation emphasize the active involvement of local communities, pastoralists, and other stakeholders in the management, planning, and sustainable use of rangeland and pasture ecosystems. These approaches are significantly promoting sustainable land use, ensuring the preservation of ecological balance, and enhancing pastoral livelihoods that depend on vast pasture resources. 
• Participatory rangeland management (PRM) is a community-led process for improving the management and governance of rangelands, supported by facilitators and technical advisors.

Watch a film

For understanding, please see this animated film which describes the process, and in particular the use of the 'four legs' goat, to understand the four main pillars of participatory rangeland management.

Source: International Livestock Research Institute

1.4.2. Participatory Pastures Management and Conservation 

Please note the following key principles that need to be considered for effective pasture resource conservation and management. 

1. Multi-stakeholders engagement that recognizes contested claims and aspirations for a given pasture landscape and ensures different socio-economic, ethnic and other groups are engaged in relevant dialogue.
2. Continuous dialogue in which stakeholders express their needs, wants, and interests and reach a consensus on future pasture use and management that respects the values of all users. 
3. Inclusivity in which all stakeholders are represented and engaged in the relevant dialogue, planning and implementation.
4. Mobilizing local knowledge and integrating or reconciling local knowledge with scientific knowledge to influence planning. 
5. Visioning that builds on the current state of pasture resource to provide a foundation for managing in future. 
6. Action orientation with a focus on developing action plans that shape how agreed strategic interventions will be implemented. 
7. Learning, using participatory tools to monitor and evaluate actions and to adapt management according to emerging lessons.

Participatory Approaches for Pastures Conservation

The following table shows key approaches need to be used for pasture conservations

1.4.3. Pasture Management Plan

Participatory pastures management is a series of sequential steps in which the elements are put in place to produce a Participatory Pasture management Plan. The objective is to have integrated pasture management plan that is endorsed by all relevant stakeholders, which is legally binding and can be effectively monitored.

Why we need Pasture Management Plan?

Integrated pasture management plan is essential for improving pasture health and productivity. Weeds, brush and trees are detrimental to healthy and productive pastures.

Effective implementation of integrated pasture management plan helps:

1. Increase grass production on the same acres.
2. Improve the health of livestock herds 
3. Boost socioeconomic and ecological benefits 
4. Enhance socio-ecological sustainability and pastures conservation 

Integrated pasture management includes: 

1. Grazing rotations.
2. Herbicide applications.
3. Fertility use.
4. Mechanical brush management.
5. Regular pasture health assessments.
   Integrating a pasture management program that includes herbicides will help you to control the weeds, brush and trees that compete with valuable grass in pastures 

Herbicides as part of an integrated pasture management plan help:

1. Reduce undesirable or invasive weeds, brush and tree encroachment.
2. Preserve native grass species.
3. Make a positive impact on the environment.

To achieve optimal forage production a year-round plan should be followed that includes the following activities:

1. Soil testing for pH and nutrient management
2. Proper pasture seed variety selection
3. Over seeding existing pastures
4. Mowing, clipping and dragging
5. Weed control
6. Rotational grazing

Watch Case Study Video: Documentary by United Nation University on “Pastures for the Future in Kyrgyzstan”

Source: United Nations University

1.4.4. Case Study: Community based Pasture Management in Kyrgyzstan: Success and lesson learned

Introduction

Kyrgyzstan, a predominantly mountainous country in Central Asia, relies heavily on livestock and agriculture for livelihoods, especially in rural areas. Pastures cover more than 9 million hectares, constituting a critical resource for the country's economy and the well-being of its rural population. Historically, these pastures have been managed collectively, but with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, pasture management systems collapsed, leading to degradation, overgrazing, and reduced productivity. In response, Kyrgyzstan embarked on community-based pasture management reforms aimed at decentralizing governance and ensuring sustainable use of pasturelands.

Kyrgyzstan’s grasslands form one of the essential sources for securing the livelihood of individual households and the economically important animal husbandry of the country. In order to ensure their long-term preservation and to re-regulate access to, use of, and management approaches towards pasture resources, new regulations were formulated in the course of state independence, which led to ambivalent socioeconomic and ecological effects. Against the background of these results, the experiences and findings of political decision makers, international donor organizations, and changed global development paradigms, the pasture legislation underwent several changes. Since 2009, a user-based resource management approach has been applied.

This case study examines Kyrgyzstan's approach to community-based pasture management, its outcomes, challenges, and lessons learned.

Background 

• During the Soviet era, pasturelands in Kyrgyzstan were state-controlled, and the grazing system was centrally planned. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, pasture management became fragmented, and responsibility shifted to local governments without a clear regulatory framework or technical capacity. This led to overgrazing, underutilization of remote pastures, and conflicts over land use, as herders increasingly concentrated on easily accessible pastures near villages.
• In response to the growing degradation of pasturelands, the Kyrgyz government, with support from international donors, introduced reforms aimed at decentralizing pasture management. The Pasture Law of 2009 was a pivotal moment in these efforts, which established the foundation for community-based pasture management.
• The 2009 Pasture Law transferred the rights to use and manage pastures from local governments to newly established Pasture Users’ Unions (PUUs), granting them the authority to develop pasture use plans, allocate grazing rights, and collect user fees. This model sought to empower local communities to take responsibility for the sustainable management of their pasture resources.

Key Elements of the Reform

1. Pasture Users’ Unions (PUUs): Each PUU consists of local herders and community members who depend on pastures for their livelihoods. PUUs are responsible for pasture planning, determining grazing capacities, and enforcing rules on pasture use. They aim to distribute grazing pressure more evenly across different areas, preventing overgrazing.
2. Pasture Management Plans: PUUs are required to develop annual pasture management plans based on the carrying capacity of the land. This ensures that grazing is planned in a way that avoids overuse and promotes the regeneration of pastures.
3. Fee Collection and Resource Allocation: PUUs collect grazing fees from pasture users, which are reinvested into maintaining and improving pasture infrastructure, such as roads and water points, and in initiatives to restore degraded lands.
4. Role of Local Government: While PUUs have primary control over pasture management, local governments provide oversight and support in developing pasture plans and ensuring compliance with national policies.

Outcomes

The introduction of the community-based pasture management system has yielded several positive outcomes:

Lessons Learned

The Kyrgyz experience with community-based pasture management offers valuable insights for other countries seeking to balance local governance with sustainable resource management:

1. Transferring management rights to local communities can enhance the sense of responsibility and lead to more sustainable resource use. However, it must be accompanied by adequate capacity-building and financial support.
2. The success of PUUs depends on the meaningful participation of all community members, including marginalized groups. Efforts must be made to ensure that access to resources is equitable, and that decision-making processes are transparent and inclusive.
3. For decentralization to succeed, investments in infrastructure are essential. Improved roads, water points, and pasture monitoring systems are necessary to ensure that herders can access distant pastures and manage resources effectively.
4. Pasture management systems must be flexible enough to adapt to changing environmental conditions, particularly in the face of climate change. This includes the ability to adjust grazing plans in response to droughts or other extreme events.

References Cited:

Awgachew, S., Flintan, F.E. and Bekure, S., 2015. Participatory rangeland management 

planning and its implementation in Ethiopia. http://usaidlandtenure.net/sites/default/files/Participatory_Rangeland_Management_Planning_Ethiopia.pdf

Longland, A.C., 2013. Pastures and pasture management. Equine Applied and Clinical

Nutrition, Philadelphia, pp.332-350.

Marzban, S. and Valizadeh, N., 2020. Pasture development: Fundamentals and managerial 

perspectives. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69626-3_36-1

Roba, G. and David, J., 2018. Participatory Rangeland Management Planning: A Field

Guide. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office, Nairobi, Kenya. https://iucn.org/sites/default/files/2022-08/2018-prmp_methodology.pdf

Further Reading Material:

Flintan, F. E., & Cullis, A. (2010). Introductory guidelines to participatory rangeland 

management in pastoral areas. https://fsnnetwork.org/resource/introductory-guidelines-participatory-rangeland-management-pastoral-areas

Louhaichi, M., Davies, J., Gamoun, M., Hassan, S., Abu-Zanat, M., Neffati, M., ... & Sebri,

M. (2022). Sustainable rangeland management toolkit for resilient pastoral systems. https://iucn.org/sites/default/files/2023-06/2_compressed.pdf

Unlock the secrets of sustainable land management with our groundbreaking online course. The course is to support IYRP 2026.

Collaborating Organizations