Pastoralism and Rangeland Management on the Tibetan Plateau in ...

The NTNC-ACAP with the collaborations of UNEP, GEF <strong>and</strong>
ICIMOD, has undertaken several trainings, such as how to apply the
participatory rural appraisal (PRA) methodology <strong>and</strong> on Appreciative
Participatory Planning <strong>and</strong> Action (APPA). Additionally, it has
conducted a needs assessment of pasturel<strong>and</strong> management, conducted
several planning workshops, implemented gender <strong>and</strong> advocacy training
for female herders <strong>and</strong> conducted some income generation trainings,
such as a pashmina extraction training. It has also supported exposure
visits, herder exchange visits, etc. in order to enhance herders’ capacities.
(iii) Livestock product sales
As the area of Upper Mustang is among the popular trekking destinations
for international visitors, there is a great potentiality for sales of
livestock products to tourists <strong>and</strong> their supporting staff. There is still
a great dem<strong>and</strong> for meat, such as yak, goat <strong>and</strong> sheep, from outsiders
including tourists; hence NTNC-ACAP encourages the incorporation
of local meat items into the local menus of hotels. Additionally,
milk can be sold directly to the hotel <strong>and</strong> restaurant owners. The
NTNC-ACAP is promoting local food items through intensive training
for the herders <strong>and</strong> local enterprises involved in the hotel business.
Apart from this, the project has organized some training sessions for the
production of local h<strong>and</strong>icrafts such as carpets <strong>and</strong> other woollen items,
which can generate good incomes for the local herders.
(iv) Vegetable <strong>and</strong> kitchen garden promotion
In the last few years, the project has also focused on local vegetable
farming for herders, <strong>and</strong> has supported this with the distribution of
vegetable seeds <strong>and</strong> the provision of technical knowledge regarding
vegetable <strong>and</strong> fruit farming wherever feasible. Recently, the project
supported the construction of green houses in order to raise vegetable
seedlings efficiently <strong>and</strong> more effectively so that the key farmers can
distribute the vegetable seedlings to the local herders <strong>and</strong> other farmers.
(v) Side trips around the high pastures
Most visitors have a keen interest to visit the pastures as a side trip while
they make a longer trip around Upper Mustang. Some of the pastures,
such as Panga at Lomanthang <strong>and</strong> part of the Choser <strong>and</strong> Chhonup, are
really impressive for viewing the l<strong>and</strong>scape <strong>and</strong> watching the wildlife.
The project is still focusing on the promotion of some active pastures
as popular tourist destinations through slide shows at the information
centre. The trend for tourists to take side trips around the pastures is
increasing as the road network is extended around the villages of Upper
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