On October 15, 2011, Norbu delivered a workshop to 20 project participants of Daqu Village focusing on environmental conservation, introduction of QNNP and on-going projects of The Pendeba Society. The event also marked the successful completion of the Society’s Daqu Farmland and Wetland Protection Project funded by Vale Award.
The project, by setting enclosures around the village’s farmland, aims to protect over 70 hectares’ farmland from being trodden by wandering animals like cattle, houses and sheep and reduce collateral agricultural lost. The protected farmland will ensure increased agricultural productivity and safeguard food security for low income villagers in the community. Additionally, as a main feed for livestock, the leftover of harvested Tibetan barley will also increase, which reduces traditional dependence on natural grassland and stimulates the sustainable development for animal husbandry in the region. In the meantime, it also changes the way how villagers build their farmland fences to be more environmentally friendly. Conventional farmland fences are made of wetland earth masses digging from neighboring wetland, which has imposed very destructive impacts on wetland ecosystems as well as grass production for livestock. The project provides benefits to over 500 villagers and more than 8000 livestock in Daqu Village.
This project echoes with our another project in Tingri’s Enba Village, which also aims to change the conventional sheep corrals that are made of wetland earth masses from neighboring wetlands along Pengqu River – QNNP’s largest river. And this project will be launched soon and is expected to complete by the end of the month.
Mr. Nanchu Ouzhu, Daqu Village Chief on behalf of the village expressed gratitude to The Pendeba Society for the project and hopes that more projects of such will be carried out in his village in the near future. The Pendeba Society is also appreciative of Daqu community for their active participation and contribution to this project, without which it cannot be a success. After the workshop, a project assessment was also conducted where we gathered valuable information about the community’s attitudes toward our project and their need, which will be of great help to planning our future projects for the community.