The Coping with Desertification Project in collaboration with Desertification Study Centre (DSC) of the Institute of Geo-Ecology and facilitation from the Centre for Development and Environment in Switzerland held a training workshop on introducing WOCAT methodology and its mapping tool, which is used to evaluate land degradation.

First, let's have an overall understanding about WOCAT and its activities in Mongolia.

WOCAT is a tool for documenting and evaluating soil and water conservation activities. WOCAT focuses on making better use of scarce resources with the aim of promoting sustainable land management. Each type of documented experience derived directly from the field increases the knowledge base with actual rather than theoretical experience. This valuable knowledge needs to be safeguarded for the future to promote better decision-making.

One of WOCAT tools for documenting soil and water conservation measures is mapping. It is a tool to evaluate what type of land degradation is actually happening where and why and what is done about it in terms of sustainable land management.

WOCAT in Mongolia

CODEP mandated Desertification Study Centre of Geo-Ecology Institute to document and share technologies and approaches relevant to coping with desertification in Mongolia. The WOCAT concept and methodology is well accepted by DSC, and seen as important tool that could be applied in Mongolia for compiling existing technologies and shared through worldwide database, which WOCAT maintains. Staffs of DSC are well trained of WOCAT tools and a focal point of WOCAT has been appointed by the Institute.

WOCAT basic questionnaires on Technology and Approach were translated into Mongolian language and successfully compiled a total of 19 technologies for grazing land experiences, agronomic, structural and management type including technologies which were applied by UNDP Sustainable Grassland Management Project, are documented together with experts.

Now, coming back to the training workshop. Participants were representatives from CODEP partner organizations, scientific institutions, universities and institutes, international projects and programmes. During the morning session International consultants, specialized in WOCAT, shared their valuable knowledge in soil and water management and staff from DSC introduced their activities in terms of collecting documenting and compiling into database existing and traditional soil and water conservation technologies and approaches using WOCAT methodology. These data as well as gained knowledge and experiences will be crucial for proper decision-making at field level and policy discussion process at national level.

The afternoon session was dedicated to the development of land degradation and conservation mapping and the attendants were introduced with different types of land use systems and necessary set of data that should be collected for database and further used for drawing out mapping of land degradation. Participants ensured their obtained knowledge and information by working in groups and exercising documentation of one land system.
National Agency for Land Affairs, Geodesy and Cartography is working on the mapping of integrated land management in Mongolia. By today 6 aimags are covered. DSC will make a mapping of land degradation starting from these 6 aimags and based on already collected and compiled data. DSC will work out a work plan, which will be implemented starting from 2010.