This research explores the way people's use of Gobi desert for livestock production interacts with the potential for coexistence with top predators. Alongside economic and ecological implications this study looks at broader ecosystem services including cultural and spiritual dimensions of the interplay between people and predators. The high altitude rangelands of Mongolia's southern Gobi desert hold a critically important population of snow leopard. The area is inhabited by rapidly changing communities, adapting from mobile pastoralism to sedentary life, and harbouring a range of attitudes to the environment. The research includes assessment of a local long term community conservation income generating scheme, reducing local economic vulnerability by diversifying away from livestock while simultaneously raising environmental awareness. The research evaluates the extent to which local development priorities and pro-conservation behaviour are promoted, exploring ways to adapt and improve conservation strategies.
The timeline involves an initial training period in London, a total of 18 months field work (12 months+6 months Mongolian (Chahar) hard language training; including separately funded pilot visit); followed by a further 12 months analysis and writing up. The schedule runs (1) Oct 2010-Apr 2011 Training: social methods at UCL, GIS course, ecological methods at IoZ, and basic Mongolian language learning at SOAS; (2) May 2011-Oct 2011 Pilot Study, finalise study sites, test methodologies, refine research questions, collect baseline data concurrently with 6 months in-country Chahar language training; (3) Nov 2011-Jan 2012 in UK: analysis of baseline data, modifications upgrade MPhil to PhD. (4) Feb 2012-Jan 2013 main field work and data collection period (5) Feb 2013-Mar 2014 Analysis and Write-up.
This proposal addresses the intersection of three main LWEC themes with respect to Southern Mongolia's Gobi Desert: (1) it will help manage ecosystems for human well being and protect the natural environment as the environment changes. It aims to assess the links and feedbacks between the natural environment, ecosystem services and human well-being; and how decision-making and local and national planning can take account of these links and feedbacks to help in the development of new social, environmental and economic opportunities. (2) At the same time, this proposal will promote human well-being, and alleviate poverty by developing sustainable ecosystem management approaches with implications for safe and secure food production(3), this proposal aims to help people from different cultural and social backgrounds respond to a changing environment by developing understanding of how, on the basis of our various cultural backgrounds and belief systems, we live with our environment at present, how this is likely to alter as the environment changes, and how we might use this knowledge to develop thriving, cohesive and informed communities
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