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The groundbreaking ceremony of the Dayandeerkhi monastery construction was held on 11 June, 2005. His majesty, the vice khamba lama of Buddhist central monastery of Mongolia, Amgalan and his students has conducted the ceremony. The Governor of Khuvsgul province as well as administrative representatives of adjacent areas had participated in the ceremony. During the trip the vice Khamba lama had meetings with local community to deliver a Buddhist messages on environment and conservation. The construction of the monastery started in September, 2005. There is a small contribution in generating the alternative income for the local community, as the policy is to hire as many as possible locals in the construction work. The construction work is funded by The Tributary Fund, TCF’s sister organization. See more pictures...
- Within the project implemented by TCF in EUWA the training “ Development of rangers’ skills” was held for inspectors and rangers of nine soums. The training conducted by specialists from the State Specialized Supervision Agency and the Society of National park of Mongolia involved Governor’s offices of each soum. It is hoped that this traning will enhance the collaboration between conservation activity and state institutions.
The billboards citing the environmental laws and regulations were installed in the major strategic cross sections throughout EUWA. The strategic cross sections were identified by consulting the local community, and the WMC District Councils.
TCF’s sister organization TTF is funding 5 local children study in the main national Buddhist monastery-Gandantegchinlin who are interested to be a lama at newly opened Dayan Deerkhi monastery.
- Based on the TCF’s recommendations coming on results of previous-multi-field studies, Watershed Management Committee was formally established in both provinces (Bulgan and Hosvgol) of the EUWA, as well as District Councils in each of the nine soums. Watershed Management Committee is envisioned as the organization that will express a joint interest of all administrative units in EUWA management. Each province in turn has also formally organized the Watershed Management Committees in their respective administrative zones.
Ecoclubs are established in soum secondary schools. The clubs will provide support to students interested in environmental issues, in acquiring ecological education and in cooperation with them; information will be disseminated to general public. As an extracurricular activity, children will use biology classrooms during non-class hours to learn more about plants, animals, the environment in general, peculiarities of their area, have discussions on the role of the club members in increasing the knowledge of all students on environmental issues, add to their knowledge through consulting with the teachers, conducting research and organizing various contests and competitions.
- The large scale consultations on the EUWA Natural Resource Management Plan and the first Regional Watershed Management Committee, where over 60 people representing all WMC branches of Bulgan and Hosvgol provinces were held in September in Moron, Hovsgol province. That provided a needed organizational structure for addressing regional and cumulative impacts.
- A large scale workshop on mining was organized for the 40 EUWA representatives (each aimag and soum has sent a ranger, a community activist, and WMC District member). The first part of the programme included a study-tour to Zaamar (a mining devastated community near Ulaanbaatar). The second part did included a two-day workshop at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food with the broad spectrum of presenters, representing the main stakeholders:
- national policy makers and implementers (High-rank decision makers from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, developing national policy on mining activities, Ministry of Environment (developing national policy on environment), the Department of Mineral Resources and Petroleum (a government policy implementing agency),
- the mining operators (Ivanhoe Mines as the biggest international investor in Mining), exploration license holders in EUWA
- the anti-mining grass roots movements (Ongin River, Tsenher river movements)
- With a view to enhance effective implementation of enforcement regulations and to decline illegal hunting in EUWA TCF anti-poaching brigade together with the State environmental inspectors of soums made a joint patrolling through out EUWA in November and December, 2005. The team revealed offences from logging and hunting with expired licenses, inadequate clean-up of logging area as well as hunting and logging without license. As a result, there were imposed fine of 530.800₮ and reparation of 2537.800₮.
- In accordance with the agreement between TCF and the Agricultural Authority of Irkutsk and Buryad Autonomous Usti-Ordin region, Russian Federation, the study tour for 15 representatives of EUWA including rangers, state environmental inspectors and the District council members to Irkutsk and Buryad Autonomous Usti-Ordin region was held from 25th of February to 3rd of March. The study tour aimed to acknowledge the wild animal counting procedure, the methods of biotechnology, and law enforcement mechanism in the region. The experts of the Ministry of Environment and Nature, State Professional Inspection Agency as well as specialists of National parks of Khuvsgul, Xovd and Bayan-Ulgii provinces had participated the tour upon collaboration of TCF and Altai Soyon project.