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1. Project Summary and Relationship to China's Agenda 21

This project aims at the sustainable use of the Xilingole grassland in Inner Mongolia through implementing effective protection and management measures. The project will establish two demonstration areas for sustainable use of the grassland. The demonstration areas will become mutton, beef and milk processing and production bases which are highly productive and create little pollution. In addition, the demonstration grassland can also be transformed as a eco-tourist attraction with local characteristics.

This project is based on programme areas 11H of China Agenda 21, and is related to programme areas 16B, 15A, 11A, 11C, 11E, 11F and 18D.

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2. Background

China has about 4 million km2 of grassland, which account for 40% of the total area. It is an important renewable resource which play an important role in developing livestock, increasing food supply and sustaining environmental quality. However, Chinese traditional grazing system is a self-supporting and extractive economy, i.e., the ranchers seldom invest in infrastructure, while earn their living by consuming enormous of natural resources. Rapid growth of population and over-grazing has led to a severe degradation of grassland. The area of degenerated grassland has reached 86 million hectares, accounting for 1/3 of the usable grassland. Moreover, this heavy-consumption practice is still continuing and has seriously threatened the economic and social development of pastoral area.

Xilingole grassland in Inner Mongolia has an area of 0.18 million km2, which covers most of the Inner Mongolia grassland. It is representative of temperate grassland, which consist of alternating meadow grassland with desert grassland, sand grassland and other types of grassland. At present, 30% of natural grassland of the region is degenerated seriously. Desertification has eliminated 11% of total grassland. The degradation has caused low and unstable livestock productivity. Moreover, the discrepancy between carrying capacity of grassland and stocking rate has been increasing sharply. The situation will become irreversible if the grassland continues to degrade. As the natural defence against sand storm in northern China, Xilingole grassland play a critical role in maintaining ecological balance for Beijing, northern China and north-eastern of China. Through the improvement of the grassland and livestock varieties, and transformation of management strategy, the output of animal production per unit area will increase and the degraded grassland can be restored. This is one of the important solutions to increase the food supply for China.

Since 1970s, the Chinese government has launched a series of research programmes such as fixed site research for grassland improvement and its optimum utilisation, which provide an experience and technical foundation for the implementation of the project. In 1985, Chinas first grassland natural reserve was set up in this region, which is a MAB biosphere reserve of UNESCO. As the socialist market economy emerges, herdsmen have gradually become aware of the importance of commercial production. As a result, they need to transform the conventional production pattern to the market-oriented one. Encouraged by the local government, many herdsmen have taken measures to improve grassland and livestock breeding. The implementing agencies of this project have a good reputation in the relevant areas.

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3. Objectives

3.1 Long-term Objective

Building up a sustainable grassland use system for northern temperate grassland, which can enhance the environmental quality and increase the livestock output and herdsmen's incomes.

3.2 Immediate Objectives

• To formulate a sustainable development strategy and develop the corresponding technology system for pasture-based livestock production in Xilingole grassland.
• To formulate strategy for environmental conservation and sustainable use of grassland. In addition, the project aims to develop a corresponding monitoring system. As a result, the demonstration region could become a monitoring base for environment quality of north China's grassland.
• To establish two demonstration regions for sustainable development of modern livestock production considering the various characteristics of ecology and economy. The demonstration regions could be built into producing and processing bases for mutton, beef and milk that are highly productive and produce little pollution. The demonstration regions will be transformed into eco-tourism region as well.

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4. Outputs and Activities

4.1 Formulation of technical strategies in improving grassland, livestock species and management.

• Research on techniques of grassland improvement, including: the restoration techniques for degraded grassland; biological restoration of decertified grassland and the corresponding theory of stabilising artificial vegetation; selection and introduction of suitable forage species; techniques for constructing grazing and hay-cutting grassland and the optimal utilisation.
• Techniques for livestock improvement and optimised management, include: introduction of techniques for improving cattle and sheep breeds, hybrid use technique, formation of nutrient balance scenarios for various livestock and optimise management to increase individual productivity.

Monitoring Indicators: working out 8-10 systematic techniques for grassland and livestock improvement, increase in grassland productivity by 1-3 times and animal production value by more than 1 times.

Implementing Agencies: Government of Xilingole League, the Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS), the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences(CAAS), Inner Mongolia University.

Time Schedule: February 1997 - December 2000.

4.2 Research on a sustainable development model that integrates livestock production, processing and market.

• Research on the optimal input/output scenario per unit land area and input/output optimal scenario per individual livestock under various production systems.
• Research on the integration of grazing, flatting, processing and market system in the demonstration area.
• Based on the above researches, to propose the optimal land use ratio of different sectors and a sustainable development planning strategy for the whole area.

Monitoring Indicators: a whole set of planning for the unification of production, processing and marketing; increasing the regional economic benefit by 20%.

Implementing Agencies: Government of Xilingole League, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Inner Mongolia University.

Time Schedule: February 1997 - December 2000.

4.3 Establishment of two demonstration regions for ecological restoration and sustainable use of grassland, which help the herdsmen in the region to eradicate poverty.

• Establishing a demonstration region in north-central part of Xilingole grassland. The project should expand improved grassland by 3.5 million hectares, increase grazing of 16 million heads of sheep, and improve meat productivity by 100 thousands tons.
• Establish a demonstration region in sand-grassland in southern Xilingole. The project will add 0.4 million hectares of artificial grazing field, develop 17,000 cattle-breeding households, and 5000 sheep-breeding families. Furthermore, it will increase income of the herdsmen and the productivity of grassland and livestock.

Monitoring Indicators: Cultivated forage species to comprise greater than 90% of vegetation in artificial grasslands; the grass productivity maintained at a higher level for 3-5 years; animal products increased by 10% annually.

Implementing Agencies: the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural sciences, Inner Mongolia University.

Time Schedule: February 1997 - December 2000.

4.4 Establishment of suitable management and information system.

• To develop a management model for improving ranching and grassland and plan to establish a monitoring and information system for grassland condition.

Monitoring Indicators: 2 information systems and 1 computer-based management model, grassland productivity increased by 10%.

Implementing agencies: Government of Xilingole League, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Inner Mongolia University.

Time Schedule: February 1997 - December 2000.

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5. Inputs

5.1 Chinese Inputs

Chinese input will be used for project management, transportation costs for Chinese researchers, developing systematic technique, selecting and introducing new forage varieties or species, employing technologies for improving beef cattle and mutton sheep, personnel training, construction and planning of experimental base, and collection of references, data and information.

5.2 International Inputs

International input will be used for technical assistance, technical consulting services, the construction of experiment sites and demonstration regions, and personnel training, capacity building such as controlling the degradation of grassland and improving livestock, developing relevant software for the grassland management system, and purchasing apparatus.

5.3 Budget

The total capital needed for this project is US$ 22 million. The Chinese participants will raise US$ 12.3 million from domestic source, while foreign aid and investment will cover the other US$ 9.7 million.

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Table 1. Budget by Item (in million US dollars)

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Table 2. Budget by Output (in million US dollars)

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6. Benefits

Upon completion of this project, animal husbandry in the experimental regions will be transformed from self-supporting to commercial. The yield of animal products per unit grazing field area will be increased by 150% and the average family income will be increased by 200%. The degenerated grassland will be under control and environment will be improved. Through promoting the experience and research achievement of this project, the Xilingole region will be guided towards sustainable development.

7. Risks

At present, the constraints to sustainable use of grassland include: poor management of grassland use; lack of effective policies and regulations; and the poor education of herdsmen. All of these can be overcome through formulating effective grassland laws and regulations, and enhancing herdsmenís' education level.

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