Name and Address:
Gankhuyag Nyam-Ochir
River castle 407, Building B, 8th khoroo, Sukhbaatar district, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Phone and E-mail:
Phone: +976-99060647, +976-98113747
E-mail: gankhuyag.nyam@gmail.com
inpo@greenmongolia.mn
https://greenmongolia.mn/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577799265855
Brief background Information of Nominee including age, education and employment/profession associated etc.:
Age: 50+ years old
- Livestock management specialist
- Environmental protection – ecological science
- Business administration – account
Proposed position:
- Take responsibility for the implementation of the LoA;
- Provide administrative guideline to contracted specialists and soum coordinators;
- Provide project activities being conducted in accordance with the LoA with the Client with legal and economic guidelines (contracts and agreements concluded at all levels: MNFPUG with specialists and coordinators, coordinators with herders, and business plan, economic indicators of pasture management planning);
- Provide legal guidelines for the implementation and activities of pasture management plan and exercise performance monitoring;
- Provide professional guidelines for the activities being implemented under the pasture management component of the project.
Skills:
- Over 10 years worked in soums and aimag administration as member of soum Khural, soum governor, land officer and state nature and environment inspector, and mainly engaged in developing programs, projects, plans and mid-term strategies and enhanced legal advices and evaluation of economic efficiency;
- During the employment in the ALAGAC, the Government implementation agency, participated in developing manual of current year soum land management plan and associated rules and regulations. Was involved in the elaboration of a guideline for assessment of conditions of pastureland using photo-monitoring as based on the findings and results of a 4-year survey;
- Apart continued working at SDC Green Gold project since 2007 to date for the strengthening of herder collective organizations, associations and cooperatives, I have been leading in the provision of methodological guidelines to currently-operating 1500 groups, 200 NGOs and 90 cooperatives;
- The 75 cooperatives, the members of the Mongolian National Federation of Pasture User Groups (MNFPUG) generate annual sales of approximately 13 billion MNT. Between 2017 and 2024, a total of 17,507 participants (in cumulative count) received training in raw material cooperative development, and specific training programs were conducted on yak down combing and quality sorting in 38 soums of 17 provinces and on camel wool combing in 14 soums in 7 provinces, reaching over 4,600 herders. As part of this initiative, herders were provided with equipment and infrastructure including yak combing enclosures in 10 soums, camel wool combing chutes in another 10 soums, 1,700 special collection sacks, 7,650 combs, and 27 sheep shearing machines.
- Since 2015, I have been working as the MNFPUG executive director. Thanks to the close attention to the establishment of rural herder organizations, introduction of best technologies and improvement of legal environment, the Federation has been progressing being recognized as the national umbrella institution.
Challenges & Problems faced in Rangeland and Pastoralism in your area/region:
Mongolia is home to one of the world’s largest remaining nomadic pastoral systems. However, in recent years, both rangeland ecosystems and pastoral livelihoods have been facing a range of growing challenges.
- First, the impacts of climate change have intensified, resulting in more frequent droughts, dzud (severe winter disasters), desertification, and water scarcity. These changes have reduced rangeland productivity, threatened biodiversity, and increased the vulnerability of pastoral livelihoods.
- Second, overgrazing and rangeland degradation have become serious concerns across many regions of the country. While livestock numbers have increased significantly, inadequate grazing management and weak regulation of pasture use have contributed to declining rangeland conditions, soil erosion, and loss of vegetation cover.
- Third, the traditional nomadic pastoral system is undergoing significant changes. Seasonal mobility has decreased in many areas, herders’ movement patterns have become more restricted, and traditional grazing management practices have weakened. These trends negatively affect the sustainable use and recovery of rangelands.
- Fourth, there is a continuing need to strengthen community-based rangeland management and collective action among herders. Although Pasture User Groups and herder associations have been established in many soums, sustainable legal, institutional, and financial support mechanisms for these organizations remain insufficient.
- Fifth, the value chain and market access for livestock products remain limited, restricting opportunities to improve herders’ incomes. There is a growing need to promote sustainable production systems, traceability mechanisms, and certification standards that can add value to livestock products and improve market competitiveness.
Addressing these challenges requires stronger support for community-based rangeland governance, seasonal mobility and traditional pastoral practices, the adoption of responsible nomadic herding standards, enhanced capacity of herder organizations, and the development of market-based incentives that reward sustainable rangeland management and pastoral production systems.
Describe Role and Achievements in Rangeland management/ restoration:
This achievement was made possible through the collective efforts of our team, to which I contributed significantly by providing leadership, strategic direction, and coordination.
Based on the results of our long-term field experience and practical interventions, we have found that in many cases degraded rangelands retain a strong natural capacity for recovery if grazing pressure is reduced and livestock numbers are aligned with the carrying capacity of the land. Across more than one hundred soums where we operate, herders have come to clearly understand this principle and have increasingly taken initiatives to use and protect their rangelands in a sustainable manner.
By decrees of provincial and soum governors, Rangeland Management Working Groups (RMWGs) have been established in all 21 provinces and 182 soums with the objective of promoting sustainable rangeland management, improving animal health, enhancing the quality of livestock products, and increasing herder household incomes. Approximately 1,600 people are involved in these working groups, including representatives from agriculture, environmental protection, land management, water and meteorological agencies, soum and bagh administrations, provincial and soum pasture user associations, pasture user groups, and herder representatives. Between 2017 and 2024, a total of 82,700 people participated in online and in-person training programs on rangeland management.
Currently, 1,262 Pasture User Groups (PUGs) in 184 soums across 18 provinces have signed agreements with soum governors to manage and use 51.2 million hectares of rangeland under specified terms and conditions. Of these agreements, 984 (78%) have been officially registered in the national land cadastre information system maintained by the General Authority for Land Administration and Management. These agreements not only require herders to align livestock numbers with the carrying capacity of the rangeland and to use, protect, and restore pastures sustainably over the long term, but also provide a degree of formal recognition of the customary grazing rights that herders have exercised collectively over generations.
Responding to requests from herders, several provinces—including Bayankhongor, Arkhangai, Zavkhan, and Dornod—have developed and approved local regulations on Responsible Rangeland Use through their Citizens’ Representative Khurals. These regulations are aimed at reducing excessive grazing pressure and mitigating rangeland degradation. To date, six provinces and ninety-five soums have approved such regulations, while three provinces and ninety-five soums have successfully registered them with the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs as administrative normative acts.
To implement rangeland management plans developed by Pasture User Groups, investments totaling MNT 7.1 billion have been mobilized, contributing to the protection of approximately 5 million hectares of rangeland from degradation.
To strengthen the operations, self-reliance, and cooperation of Pasture User Groups and to improve herders’ livelihoods, revolving community savings funds have been established through the initiative of group members and project support. Across 118 soums in 18 provinces, 868 Pasture User Groups operate 220 community savings funds, which collectively hold savings of MNT 3.7 billion from 24,429 herder households. Since 2017, these funds have provided loans totaling MNT 8.4 billion to 6,441 herders.
To strengthen cooperatives, support women herders, and ensure implementation of Pasture User Group agreements, a total of 361 small-scale projects have been financed with MNT 895 million. These projects focus on rangeland protection and restoration, water development, livestock health improvement, genetic improvement, hay production, and fodder cultivation.
We played a leading role in the development of several key legal and policy frameworks, including the Laws on Animal Health, Animal Genetic Resources, Herders, and the Legal Status of Herder Household Associations, as well as the national standard MNS 6891:2020 – Requirements for Implementing Responsible Nomadic Practices. We also conducted research and provided technical support for the establishment of livestock breeding and extension service units at the soum level under the Animal Genetic Resources Law. These efforts have improved livestock quality and genetic resources through scientifically based breeding programs and contributed to the production of environmentally sustainable livestock products that meet market demand.
Building on the organizational structures of Pasture User Groups and herder cooperatives, we are developing the “Responsible Nomads” Digital Traceability System for livestock-derived raw materials and products. This system enables full traceability of products from the pasture to the processing plant, tracking all stages and movements along the supply chain. Expanding this system nationwide and strengthening implementation capacity at herder, bagh, and soum levels remains an important priority for increasing herder incomes and market access.
As pilot sites for the implementation of the “Responsible Nomads” Standard, 34 soums in 18 provinces have been selected. In collaboration with local governments, agricultural and veterinary services, land officers, pasture user associations, primary cooperatives, and national processing companies, these pilot initiatives are improving the competitiveness of yak fiber, camel wool, cashmere, meat, and dairy products while testing traceability systems for product origin and quality assurance.
Through the “Responsible Nomads” traceability system, 29 cooperatives in 12 provinces have procured 11 types of raw materials from 3,366 herder households belonging to 210 Pasture User Groups in 52 soums. A total of 10,193 procurement transactions have been completed, generating sales worth approximately MNT 7 billion. These cooperatives have partnered with 17 national processing companies.
Seventy-five cooperatives affiliated with the Mongolian National Federation of Pasture User Groups generate approximately MNT 13 billion in annual sales. Between 2017 and 2024, a total of 17,507 participants received training related to raw material cooperatives. Training on yak fiber combing and quality grading was provided in 38 soums across 17 provinces, while camel wool harvesting training was conducted in 14 soums across 7 provinces, reaching more than 4,600 herders. As part of this initiative, herders were supplied with yak-combing facilities in 10 soums, camel-combing equipment in 10 soums, 1,700 specialized collection bags, 7,650 combs, and 27 sheep-shearing machines.
The 101 Savings and Credit Cooperatives operating in rural areas collectively hold assets of MNT 42.7 billion, representing 15.3% of the national market. Their loan portfolio totals MNT 32.9 billion (17.1% of the market), while deposits amount to MNT 28.8 billion (14.3% of the market). Of these cooperatives, 44 were established with our direct support. Compared to the previous year, total revenues increased by 25.8% (MNT 602.1 million), total expenditures increased by 30.7% (MNT 560.9 million), and net income increased by 8.1% (MNT 41.2 million), reaching MNT 548.8 million.
This work demonstrates how community-based rangeland governance, herder organizations, cooperative development, policy reform, and market innovations can contribute simultaneously to rangeland restoration, sustainable pastoral livelihoods, biodiversity conservation, and resilient rural economies in Mongolia.
Feedback from community members/public:
The initiatives led by the Mongolian National Federation of Pasture User Groups (MNFPUG) to promote community-based rangeland management, strengthen Pasture User Groups (PUGs), Pasture User Associations, and herder cooperatives have received strong recognition and positive feedback from local communities, government institutions, and development partners.
Herders widely acknowledge that collective organization has enabled more effective and coordinated management of rangelands. Through participation in Pasture User Groups, they have been able to revive traditional seasonal grazing practices, improve pasture rotation, align livestock numbers with the carrying capacity of rangelands, and reduce conflicts over pasture use. Many herders have also emphasized that these organizations have helped secure and strengthen their customary rights to use and manage shared grazing lands while providing a platform for collective decision-making and local problem-solving.
Provincial and soum governments, Citizens’ Representative Khurals, land administration agencies, and agricultural institutions have recognized the Rangeland Management Working Groups and community-based management approach as an effective mechanism for strengthening cooperation between government and local communities. They have noted that these initiatives have increased herder participation in decision-making processes and contributed to efforts aimed at reducing rangeland degradation and improving sustainable resource management.
Representatives of herder cooperatives and processing companies have highlighted that collaboration through PUGs and cooperatives has improved the supply of high-quality, traceable livestock products. They have also emphasized that stronger partnerships between herders and processors have created new market opportunities and increased trust throughout the value chain. The introduction of the “Responsible Nomads” Standard and the digital traceability system has been particularly appreciated as an innovative approach to ensuring product quality, transparency, and market competitiveness.
International development organizations, including United Nations Development Programme, Food and Agriculture Organization, International Land Coalition, and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, have recognized Mongolia’s community-based rangeland management model as a good practice for sustainable rangeland governance. These organizations have supported the dissemination and scaling-up of this approach at both national and international levels.
During community consultations, training events, and evaluation meetings, herders have frequently expressed that collective action has enabled them to better protect their rangelands, improve their livelihoods, strengthen local cooperation, and create better opportunities for future generations. Many have stated that the initiatives have enhanced their sense of ownership and responsibility toward natural resource management.
Overall, the positive feedback and continued support from local communities, government institutions, cooperatives, private sector partners, and international organizations demonstrate the effectiveness and long-term impact of our efforts to promote sustainable rangeland management, strengthen pastoral livelihoods, and conserve Mongolia’s unique nomadic pastoral heritage.
What are the future plans or opportunities for strengthening your work on rangeland restoration and pastoralism:
Building on more than 20 years of experience in sustainable rangeland management, pastoral development, strengthening herder organizations, our nationwide network, extensive databases, and international partnerships, we have significant opportunities to expand our work in the following areas:
Strengthening Community-Based Rangeland Management Nationwide
We will continue to strengthen community-based rangeland management through our network of Pasture User Groups (PUGs), Soum Associations, and Aimag Associations operating across 18 aimags and 169 soums. Our focus will be on scaling up successful practices, improving the implementation of pasture use agreements and management plans, and aligning our activities with recently adopted legislation, including the Law on Herders, the Law on the Legal Status of Herder Household Associations, and amendments to the Land Law.
Expanding Rangeland Restoration Models
We aim to further develop and scale up proven rangeland restoration approaches, including perennial seed production, restoration demonstration sites, and innovative techniques for rehabilitating degraded rangelands in collaboration with herder organizations. We will also intensify efforts to identify priority restoration areas using rangeland health assessments and state-and-transition models.
Leveraging Carbon Markets and Green Finance Opportunities
New opportunities are emerging to increase soil carbon sequestration through rangeland restoration and sustainable grazing management. We will work to develop carbon projects, establish benefit-sharing mechanisms for herders, and expand partnerships with international organizations, investors, and climate finance institutions to access green financing opportunities.
Developing Herder Cooperatives and Market Systems
We will support the improvement of governance and management capacities of herder cooperatives, strengthen sustainable and traceable supply chains, and enhance market competitiveness. Special attention will be given to improving product quality assurance, traceability, and certification systems for livestock-derived products.
Enhancing Knowledge and Information Access for Herders
We will expand digital information services, advisory support, and training systems aimed at improving herders’ knowledge and skills. This includes the development of herder databases, digital platforms, traceability systems, and certification mechanisms that support sustainable livestock production and market access.
Increasing the Participation of Youth and Women
We will implement targeted programs to preserve and transfer traditional pastoral knowledge, support young herders, and strengthen the economic participation of women in pastoral communities. These initiatives are essential for sustaining rural livelihoods and ensuring the next generation of pastoral leaders.
Influencing National and International Policy Processes
We will continue to actively advocate for rangeland and pastoralism issues within national development policies and international forums, ensuring that herders’ voices are heard in decision-making processes. In particular, we will utilize global platforms such as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP 2026) and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification COP17 to promote Mongolia’s successful experiences and good practices in sustainable pastoralism.
Future Opportunities
With our extensive nationwide network, long-term monitoring database, strong organizational structure, and broad national and international partnerships, we are well positioned to become a leading organization in Mongolia in the fields of rangeland restoration, carbon finance, sustainable livestock value chains, digital pastoral services, and capacity development for herder organizations.
Furthermore, by facilitating collaboration among government institutions, the private sector, civil society organizations, and international partners, we can make a substantial contribution to advancing sustainable rangeland management and the long-term development of Mongolia’s nomadic pastoral livestock sector.