The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Fresher than ever.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 2,100 times in 2010. That’s about 5 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 8 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 15 posts. There were 15 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 22mb. That’s about a picture per month.

The busiest day of the year was February 8th with 85 views. The most popular post that day was Mongol Geo-Tools.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were facebook.com, spankapps.wordpress.com, cuso-vso.org, faragraphics.com, and vsocan.org.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for heather in mongolia, mongolia, heather fara, zud, and vso mongolia.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

Mongol Geo-Tools February 2010

My Work September 2009

Zud Reflections February 2010
3 comments

About Mongolia September 2009
2 comments

Departure day has arrived! October 2009
2 comments

When Mongolia was associated with the Soviet Union, they had large irrigated farms and produced enough vegetables for export.  When the Soviet Union dissolved, Mongolia’s agriculture market crashed and individual family herding practice (still seen as the easiest/safest route to self-sufficiency) became nearly the sole occupation.

I worked with herders who lived on lands that were once great farms. You can still see irrigation channels from satellite photos.  I was surprised when they asked me to teach them farming. Surely, people in the community must have once been farmers? It was bewildering. Research into the issue revealed that that the majority of international donor projects teach or fund farming and the requests for teaching are exponential.

My apartment had a large south-facing window, so I started a home vegetable garden with heirloom seeds carried from the USA. I sprouted seeds in egg containers, transferred them to plastic drink bottles, and finally into halved gallon jugs. The soil in Mongolia is exceedingly poor, but my work with the Mongolian Women Farmers Association meant that I had access to beautiful black organic compost that my plants loved.

From seed to sprouts in my apartment

When it came time to leave Mongolia, I began searching for a home for these plants and now my green babies are helping care for Mongolia’s babies. The Lotus Children’s Centre is a Buddhist residential and outreach service for abandoned children in Mongolia. The children at Lotus, eat nutritious meals heavy in vegetables. This year Lotus secured money to build greenhouses and teach the children gardening. My little garden of tomatoes, herbs, and flowers is now getting them started.

I just received a letter and this photo from Lotus. They report that my plants have been transplanted outside and are in the ground now.

What color will these become? Pink, purple, striped?

Everything is in fruit and flower now.  The tomatoes are cold weather heirloom varieties from the North America, so the kids are in for a colorful treat soon! If all goes well they can save seeds and continue these works for years to come.

All the concern that people would not come was silly. There were a hundred people who checked the website in the week before the conference and the bus was full for the star party. Tee shirts sold out before I could get one my size. The star party was wholly Mongolia in flare with traditional singers, traditional culture stories about the stars, karaoke, dancing, and a 3D movie – all in the middle of nowhere Mongolia

If you are interested in what was discussed, the agenda is posted on the website. The conference dealt heavily with climate change and urban development, issues central to Mongolia now. I will also post abstracts to the website by July 2010. Click to view slideshow.

After many long months where the temperature dropped down to -45C and the sky was black with pollution from burning tires and dirty coal, followed by a month of yellow dust storms that made smiling or opening eyes outside impossible, today is the first day that I have breathed clean air in 8 months.

I have been unable to stay inside. I walked the entire city breathing as deeply as physically possible. My nose and lungs are intoxicated by the smell of wet dirt. Overnight grass has sprung up in wet ditches and there is a damp quiet to the sound of traffic. I am skipping and jumping. Violins and cellos pluck new songs in my head.

This month I have been helping a local women farmers association, while I wait for comments on final reports on GIS maps and policy papers. This NGO teaches the poorest of the poor in Mongolia to farm so so they can afford to send children to school, feed their family, and supplement their income in general.

This month has been a truly happy one for another reason. I accomplished the impossible and my own personal challenge. I was able to teach a Mongolian farmer web design without the use of language. We were both left glowing in excitement. This glow has lasted for days. There are so many ways to communicate that are underappreciated and underutilized. This experience left me feeling that the unspoken ways of communicating are the key to effective teaching. It is these connections that capture the learner. I don’t really think it is the material. When these connections are strong they inspire creativity and the learning capacity that every teacher craves.

Below is the song that has been echoing in my head as I dance in the rain outside falling on the parched Mongolian steppe.

There has been winter weather and flu travel restrictions that lasted for months. I have seen what looks to me like a dichotomy of good and bad herders, as one herder will lose only a few animals and a neighbor will loose all of them.  The pastures when I arrived looked extremely degraded and I have sat on a national committee where this is the discussion. I have felt judged for working on a project installing more wells because most scientists feel that the pasture is 1/3 overstocked due to nil government regulatory controls. I have also learned that the mining is actually the driving economy, it is no longer agriculture and there is a lack of integration between the industries. Regions of the country now have multiple serious documented mercury pollution issues, and many more areas complain of the same.  Many herders practice this dirty mining to secure funds so their kids can afford school. The more environmental option sometimes doesn’t work either: this winter a herder in my project area decided to comb his goats early to collect enough funds for his child to continue schooling, and the cold killed all his goats a week later.

As far as my project goes, I understand now that the eroding grasslands are the result of an unstable market economy. Even this winter, when a large percentage of the animals died so there is little wool to be had, the factories are refusing to pay a fair price. They are attempting to wait out the herders to get the lowest price. It is a game of survival and no one is winning. The every-person-for-themselves plan is just not working here, and the environmental and economic repercussions are serious and escalating.

So, rather than purely focusing on creating project maps, I have been working on capacity building. This is more than conducting trainings. It is organizational development inclusive of management structure, relationships between organizations, and regulatory frameworks that enable organizations to work at their maximum capacity. I submitted a policy paper to the Government of Mongolia detailing a path for a national information system where I argue for system development with full participation of government, academic, and business sectors, so that future attempts at capacity building result in sustainable development systems. There is an over reliance on foreign donors and international NGOs in Mongolia to handle poverty, natural disaster, and market development. This reliance must be phased out.

Mongolia has not had a mass exodus of skilled workers evident in other developing countries; there are many highly skilled people still working in Mongolia, but they are working outside their profession because their skills are not valued. For instance, many government jobs are appointed and staffed based on family and friend relationships, rather than skills and abilities. I worked with government employees responsible for mapping that only had a week-long course from an international NGO, when there are many Mongolians with graduate degrees in mapping.

Outside of work hours, I have advised many graduate GIS students in Mongolia. They are working on very interesting projects focused on the extent of mining pollution, forage prediction, water use and policy, climate change indicators, and urban planning. Professors lament that their brightest students all end up working for mining companies because no other employer pays. The rest are working as secretaries and other administrative positions only using their word processing and number skills.

In response, I am planning a GIS conference on in hopes of sparking some of the missing connections between government, business, and academia. The committee is working to personally invite local leaders with no training in GIS, to educate them on the value of this science for economic growth and development solutions. I just built a conference website at www.geospatialmongolia.org and if you are just learning about this conference and you want to contribute a talk or poster—ignore the abstract dates and email the committee. We want you to be there!

I was just officially informed that all map information that I collect on wells is state secret and if I distribute it, I could go to prison for 2 years.  WHAT?!

There was a long list of stipulations read to me detailing no sharing of information on winter shelters, summer camps, streams, etc, etc, etc.  It became clear that the government understands that I work for them, not the NGO that pays the bills. Then I was asked to sign a legal document for access to data that I already had or to say that I was OK with the rules.  I am not sure what it said because the document was in Mongolian, and no official English translation was provided.

I decided not to sign.

Then I rushed home, deleted all data that the government gave me, pulled the environmental reports off the website (they had maps in them), and canceled all data technical working group meetings indefinitely. I am not interested in visiting the prison and not going to argue. I understand that most of the data I have is not Mongolian, but they did not make distinctions on where the data came from.

For the next four days, I searched for translations of the laws read to me. Most of the laws are outdated; they only refer to printed paper maps of specific scales, not digital data.  Worryingly, I read that prison sentences could be 3-8 years, not 2. The main law is not translated yet and the official list of all things considered state secret appears …secret.

So, I am using international donor money (tax money from citizens from wealthier Asian countries) for things that the general public is not freely informed about. This feels fundamentally wrong.  Honestly, there are many decisions being made on my project that could use more public scrutiny.

Strangely, I found myself smiling for the next few days. Why? I am truly proud to be an American (not the end reaction that I expected either).  I am proud because I come from a culture where government transparency is expected, not the opposite.

In the U.S., government transparency has made high-resolution geospatial data free over the internet, available for free download 24 hours a day worldwide. There is a national data standards committee (composed of government, business, and the general public), so data is constantly updated, expanded, and improved.

In Mongolia, when the government has data, it is held tight. You can request it, but requests are not answered for months or never answered. Knowledge is respected like an object, not a flow. Holding more knowledge is equivalent to holding more power.

If knowledge is respected as a flow, rather than an object, sharing becomes key to its power. In this way, when the sharing stops, the knowledge looses value because it is no longer evolving. This approach to information sharing has led to rapid technology development, better land use planning, and stronger business development. The constant flow of information keeps people and countries innovative and efficient. I think this understanding has kept the US innovative and on top of financial markets.

Clearly the data that I have is not secret. I can download most of it from the internet freely in Mongolia. But state policy has not evolved with the times; so, working in a government capacity is difficult here. Mongolia must review its policies on data sharing and reassess what it considers state secret and punishable by prison.

This week, the provincial governor told me that these projects repeatedly spend millions to train herders in alternative trades and fund many small and medium business enterprises surrounding small towns. He says that after a couple of years the herders always return to the countryside and these small businesses fail. This news hit me like a brick because, secretly, I felt that the most promising aspect of our project was alternative business development.

Today, I am back in Ulaanbataar and feel the stress of the city. My lungs have felt inflamed most of winter due to the black coal burning all day. Cars and trucks honk incessantly and the breaking of large crippled buses outside are like nails running across on a chalkboard. Water and power is out in portions of the city on a daily basis, and today the power was out at my place. I understand why a herder would not want to stay long in the city.

I have lived in the wilderness. Its beauty is enchanting, an ocean of peace. While life is hard one season, long carefree days are always promised in the next.  Knowing how to live off the land is a skill that is respected by all, but appreciated most by those who have done it. Each time you make it through a year, you are a champion. Having experienced this visceral sense of living, I remain driven to conserve wild lands and subsistence living.

little herders

If you are a poor herder and you loose your animals to due to lack of sufficient grazing material or water, you understand that this is a fact of life. You tried your hardest and did your best.  You will attempt to raise more animals to secure your livelihood and prepare for life’s next trial.

Herders do have a practical understanding of ecological processes. They understand that their grasslands can only support a limited number of animals. They will tell you that the trees are vital for rivers because they hold water. They understand that mining depletes the water table and rivers. They know that their topsoil is blowing away to China, Korea, and other Asian lands. They will tell you that global climate change has magnified drought conditions.

Herders will come to the cities when they are bankrupt or the lure of money is high. Moving to a polluted city where you will have to toil long hours year round to obtain a small wage is not the preferred lifestyle, but they will all be in cities soon, if the pastureland continues to degrade.

Today, many animals are fed imported feed, kept alive at higher numbers than these dry lands naturally support. Water is being drained from the water table faster than it can be naturally recharged. Herders report that rivers and lakes are disappearing and government officials, international development agencies, and herders report that animal production is lower than it could be due to a lack of wells. I suspect that if herders do not increasingly contribute to Mongolia’s new market economy, they will loose their land rights and protections because large international mining contracts play in increasing role in government land use and policy decisions.

Still, I remain optimistic that long-term solutions can be found to keep Mongolians working the land with ample clean water and wilderness.  I suspect that wells will reduce the impact of livestock on riverbanks and perhaps herders from washing vehicles in them. I am collecting and publishing environmental data that can be used to help solve environmental questions now and in the future. A friend is working for the World Bank establishing wool grading laboratories, so herders can be paid more for improved quality, rather than quantity. Another friend is working with Mercy Corps to improve the tourism industry, so that you will see the wild Mongolia, its currently unquantified, globally rare wilderness riches.

Just before the big snow

I was asking about all the meat that is laying in the pasture. This sounds funny coming from a vegetarian, but I couldn’t help but think about all the meat out there in the snow. What is wrong with low fat meat at deep-freeze temperatures? Additionally, many animals were actually culled, so that stronger animals have more forge. I surveyed Mongolian friends a got a number of interesting responses:

1) We don’t eat “cold” meat. (cold means found dead)

2) It is superstition. Bad luck to eat an animal that died naturally.

3) Fat keeps you warm in winter and protects you. Skinny animals will not help you survive.

4) We use the skins, but not the meat, I do not know why.

It is not uncommon for Mongolia to loose 1 million livestock during zud, so I asked a few Mongolians about their level of concern. Most said it was not a serious at this point. They say that more animals die in the spring before grass returns. They noted that the government is accepting international relief, but not requesting it. But the best answer that I got is this one:

“The first to die are always the sheep and then the cows. They are stupid and only eat grass. The next to go are the goats, because they eat shrubs. Then the horses. They are smart and will dig holes in the ground to eat the roots. Last is the camel. They are the strongest for all the above reasons and they store their food on their backs. I don’t care when sheep are dying. It’s serious when many horses die.”

I loved this.

Due to the climate situation, the wintering situation in 198 soums (COUNTY OR SOUMS) of 19 aimags (COUNTY OR PROVINCE) are experiencing a difficult environment. As of today, a total of 1.7 million livestock has died of which 300,000 have died in the last month. Snow depth is as high as 35 cm in the steppe, lower sides of mountains are 50 cm and show signs of becoming icy. Due to dzud event, some herders have started migrating to nearby aimag territory. Herders are frightened to see dead animals every morning, and have thus started to kill the animals. The reason is to make cash out of it in order to buy discounted hay and fodder from state. The value of meat is lower in the market. According to the local emergency committee’s information a total of 322,000 head of livestock have died in the worst hit aimags. Air temperature is keeping constant at minus 40 C and shows no sign of going up within the next month. Below is a summary report of the current winter situation in the main aimags that have been hit by disaster.

Omnogobi aimag : Situation is out of control

All territory of the aimag is completely snow covered and at disaster situation. Snow cover depth is 15-30 cm in flat areas and 40-50 cm in ditches and trenches. This situation closed pasture land and pushed herders to keep livestock in winter fences and there are increases in numbers of dead animal. Aimag has 1.7 million head of livestock and as of today lost 40,000 livestock. Local emergency unit staff donated one-day salary to herders experiencing difficult situation. Aimag bought 200 tonnes of hay from state reserve, but this is simply not enough.

Bayanhongor aimag: Herders started to migrate to other aimag territory

Herders started migrating to other aimags territories. A total of 1500 herder families already moved to other aimag’s winter reserve areas. Snow depth is 18-20 cm in flat areas, 20-35 cm is ditches and temperatures are reaching minus 40-50 degree at night times. A total of 23,000 head of livestock died and herders have started to kill their animals. At present a total of 500 tonnes of meat is prepared. But there are no buyers, thus they sell meat much lower than market price. Herders kill their animals in order to buy fodder and hay for their remaining animals.

Bayan-Olgii: Herders don’t know what they should do

No fodder and hay has arrived to this aimag. Even when it arrives, there is no money for herders. They used available fodder and hay during these times. Territory of aimag is fully covered with snow and ice and all livestock is kept in fences. Herders are shocked to see piles of dead animals in their fences and psychologically depressed to see these. Total 120,000 livestock died. Herders have lost hope on how to overcome this winter and don’t know what they should do.

Dundgobi aimag: Supply of hay and fodder from state is not-enough.

Winter situation in aimag is very difficult. Snow depth reached 50 cm and becoming icy. All day and night with snow storm and both herders and livestock in difficult situation. Aimag bought 200 tonnes hay and 400 tonnes of fodder from state reserve but this is not enough. Herders are trying to kill livestock and buy hay for the remaining animals. Aimag has 2.1 million livestock and currently 20,000 livestock have died. Another burden facing local administration is to finding lost transportation/vehicle (roads were covered snow) as roads of other aimags were passing through Dundgobi. Need to take measures to reduce numbers of outside travellers during an emergency situation. Many herders have migrated to other aimags and the aimag administration has established a team who will visit their herders living across aimag borders.

Gobi-Altai aimag.: Number of lost animal is 92 thousand and more increase, maybe

Continuous snow storm in last five days. All livestock is kept in fences till now as pasture is covered with snow. Situation is worsening in Jargalant, Haliun and Taishar soums. Aimag administration team was sent to assess situation in these soums. Current calculation, total 92,000 livestock died and expecting increase. Snow depth is up to 30 cm and temperature always at – 40 degree.

Zavhan aimag: Temperature always at – 46 degree

Most of aimag territory is covered with hard snow cover with depth of 50-80 cm. Soil temperature reaching – 30 to 46 degree. Locally prepared 9.4 thousand tonnes of hay and 500 tonnes of fodder is already consumed. Organizing to sell reserved hay and fodder with given prices to herders. Total 36.0 thousand livestock died. Temperature in Zavhan aimag always at – 46 degrees.

State response: A total of 5,000 tonnes of hay and 4,000 tonnes of fodder were released from state emergency reserves and sold with a 50% discount to herders.

It took nearly a year to gather the team of national and international experts. Actually, we still lack experts on local community building and rural market diversification (contact me, if you are an expert who could volunteer ASAP). Yes, if professionals were paid, this could have sped things up, but gaining the funding needed for the project itself is hard enough. Nationals began searching for donor funding more than 3 years ago and the pasture has become much further degraded in this time.

Here is the real issue:

Early announcement of international funding also put a start date in the heads of locals. Then a year rolls by…contracts between donors, government, and the developing team result in paperwork, personnel, and equipment lags. Contact with rural herders is limited. Now locals suspect that the project or government is eating the money, because they see little happening on the ground.

Our mission is to engage in sustainable development of water and social/agricultural extension services. Just dropping wells and buildings on the landscape is not a sustainable approach to rural development. Some feel that numbers of wells and buildings constructed is key to truly delivering services to the locals. Waiting a year for water or community services means more herders will go bankrupt and will be forced to abandon their practices. Others feel that the environmental planning and community development must be done first and raw numbers should no be the end goal. Spending thousands of dollars to drill wells without environmental data may mean that new wells run dry in few years. I expect this experience is shared by most relief agencies. I suspect the money is always coming much later then needed.

Time keeps pushing on in spite of it all.

Much has changed since the original grant was written. Both herder groups and the pasture have changed. Our whole team (those based in the capital and the countryside) has scheduled a large-scale workshop and feedback session with herders December 21-24th (Mongolians don’t celebrate Christmas on the 25th). The goal is to spark local community involvement and reassess our priorities.

**Again, if you are an expert in rural income diversification or rural community building, please contact me about volunteering short or long term.