Historically, rangeland monitoring has failed to take the holistic approach that these complex landscapes require. This includes acknowledging the millennia of interactions between people and their livestock across rangelands, which has resulted in complex socio-ecological systems.
Recognising this, SFA's project will explore the role that Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) held by Mongolian pastoralists can play in contributing rangeland monitoring data to sustainability systems. This approach will empower Mongolian pastoralists to contribute to landscape monitoring, as well as improving the quality of monitoring data.
The project will include a desk-based study of research on TEK and stakeholder engagement with local pastoralists, local government officials and community representatives in Mongolia. Analysis of TEK data will feed into collaborative and cost-effective methods that sustainability systems can use to monitor rangelands and support the transfer of TEK across generations.