Qinghai Lake Area Sustainable Livestock Development Project
Location: Gonghe County of Administrative Region of Qinghai Lake watershed, Qinghai
Province.
No. of Recipients households: 190
No. of animals given: 190 Cattle
No. of pass-on families: 180
Qinghai Lake is the largest inland saltwater lake in China with an abundant supply of fish, which in turn attracts flocks of birds. Qinghai Lake is key to ensuring the ecosystem security on Northeast of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Part of the lake watershed can be used for grazing. Due to the environmental degeneration that is occurring, the water level of Qinghai Lake has been steadily dropping for years. Consequently, the nomadic and farming communities around Qinghai Lake watershed are suffering from pasture degeneration & desertification, shrinking wetlands, and the drying up of fishery resources.
Within Gonghe County, 56 out of 93 villages are defined as being in poverty, of which 19 are defined as being in absolute poverty. The annual net income per capita is less than USD150 in those communities. Some families do not own even one animal. Some families keep low productivity yaks and indigenous sheep to make a living. The unbalanced herd structure is the main reason for low productivity and overgrazing. Most communities keep a relative big amount of animals without livestock performance improvement.
Through this project, Heifer provides assistance to each of 190 families to purchase fine quality dzo or cattle. Heifer works with local government on animal management, disease control, artificial pasture building and management, and an environmental protection awareness education. The project also provides solar cookers to each recipient to reduce manure consumption, to improve soil fertility and kitchen hygiene.
