On August 28, 2012, staff of the Pendeba Society went on a survey to Zhaguo Town of Tingri County to identify project site where conventional sheep corrals will be transformed. After consulting with local township officials, not only had we received support from local government, we also got to know the villages that have large areas of conventional sheep corrals needed to be transformed. We surveyed some of the villages including Zhaguo, Jialong, Meimu, and Chaga Villages, and identified two project sites, namely Meimu and Chaga, where there are urgent needs to transform their conventional sheep corrals.
In the morning, accompanied by village chiefs of Meimu, we went to the riverside to examine the sheep corrals, during which we introduced our project and the importance of wetlands, we also got to know there are 18 sheep corrals in the village that require transformation. Though some of the corrals have been transformed into ones half-stone and half-earth brick, they still need reinforcement. Nonetheless, many sheep corrals are still constructed conventionally by digging out wetland earth blocks, and they are collapsing due to poor maintenance. After consulting with village chiefs and listening to their needs, we have designed a project plan that owners of the corrals provide labor for corral transformation while the Pendeba Society provides materials such as winter fabric covering the corrals so that they can provide better protection for livestock to get through cold winter. In the meantime, we also came out with an incentive plan that those who do a good job in the project will be rewarded after the final evaluation. This will also motivate villagers, and help achieve the results in a successful manner. The project will transform 18 sheep corrals, from which over 400 villagers and 4600 livestock will benefit.
In the afternoon, we went on to the other village, Chaga. In the course of talking with village chiefs, we also introduced our visit and project, and consulted about the village’s needs. The chiefs were all in favor of our projects, and stated their needs, i.e., building a watercourse that feeds water into hillside farmlands behind the village for irrigation during spring sowing season. Due to unfavorable climate and geological conditions, this area faces floods during the raining season, while the sandy soil cannot hold water from wellspring in mountains. Together with lacking of irrigation infrastructures, they impose negative impacts on the village’s agricultural production. During the spring sowing season in particular, there is less rain and the sandy soil will have absorbed the water from wellspring before it reaches the farmland, causing water shortage for irrigation.
Though there are irrigation infrastructures and a large reservoir under construction near the village, it still needs more funds for the village to build a watercourse that can feeds water into small reservoirs near the hillside farmlands. Also, summer floods can be better controlled and channeled off to the large reservoir for storage, providing water for the farmlands downstream. And the staff of the Pendeba Society did a survey to the hillside farmlands, and together with the village chiefs carefully planed the project. Finally, we agreed to transform 10 conventional sheep corrals while building a irrigation watercourse for the village’s hillside farmlands. This project will ensure irrigation water for around 100 mu (around 6.7 ha) farmlands to safeguard agricultural production, and transform conventional sheep corrals to protect wetlands, from which over 260 villagers and 3000 livestock will benefit.
We truly appreciate the generous support from LAO NIU Foundation, while in the meantime, we also thank Zhaguo Government and concerned communities for their continued support and cooperation on these projects.