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A fragmentation of the cultural landscapes in the arid lands of Mongolia has increased vulnerability and reduced adaptive capacities to climate variability of traditional pastoral systems that have evolved over thousands of years. This project’s purpose is to develop local adaptation strategies of the coupled human-environmental systems to climate change in the Mongolian Rangelands, as well as to synthesize these findings and apply them to similar ecological regions. This project builds on a previous climate change vulnerability project in which remote sensing data was collected, and an ecosystem modeling analysis and ground survey were conducted through the former Assessment of Impacts and Adaptation to Climate Change (AIACC) project. Further work will be use higher resolution remote sensing data, as well as social surveys with local populations in order to develop adaptation strategies to climate change in the most vulnerable zones. This will be conducted with the participation of scientists, herders and local land officers. A restoration of pastoral networks at multiple scales will serve as a safety mechanism against extreme events to reduce poverty and support sustainable development. The project will define the best land management practices on fragile rangeland and pastoral systems, restore cultural landscapes at multiple scales and find alternative options for pastoral communities to adapt to climate change.
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