Local communities in Gobi-Altai province have the Spring Days on May 22 according to the Gobi-Altai aimag (provincial) Governor’s Order. In this regard, WWF Mongolia together with local stakeholders including representatives of local government institutions successfully celebrated the Spring Day. During the event, they protected headwaters of 17 natural springs in territories of eight soums (sub-provinces) of Khovd and Gobi-Altai aimags. They also repaired minor breaks in the fences around headwaters of natural springs built in previous years.

Protection of natural spring headwaters is one of the priority considerations in the environmental conservation perspective. In this line, WWF-Mongolia, in collaboration with its local partners, initiates and undertakes numerous conservation activities. As of May 2023, WWF-Mongolia has contributed to protection of headwaters of 51 natural springs within distribution ranges of the globally endangered Mongolian saiga and snow leopard. Protected and healthy natural spring headwaters contributes to increased water discharges and runs-off and nourishes the environment increased water supplies for wild and domestic animals in the areas. The initiative to protect headwaters of natural springs is being actively supported and participated by Gobi-Altai aimag (provincial) government and local communities. The provincial government has already had the guidelines, standard designs, and instructions for protection of headwaters of natural springs in the semi dessert ecosystem and certificates and monitoring logbooks of protected natural spring headwaters in the province. The local initiative to standardize natural spring headwaters protection has become one of the recent successful major conservation efforts in the region. The protected natural spring headwaters are responsible by the local herder households seasonally residing nearby under a tripartite agreement: herders, eco-clubs and soum (sub-province) and local governments and communities in the province have had the Spring Day. Besides of these progresses, local communities have had a mindset to repair or fix parts of the fences used their household repair tools such as pliers or pincers and protection mesh.
Local communities in Gobi-Altai province have the Spring Days on May 22 according to the Gobi-Altai aimag (provincial) Governor’s Order. In this regard, WWF Mongolia together with local stakeholders including representatives of local government institutions successfully celebrated the Spring Day. During the event, they protected headwaters of 17 natural springs in territories of eight soums (sub-provinces) of Khovd and Gobi-Altai aimags. They also repaired minor breaks in the fences around headwaters of natural springs built in previous years.
One of new approaches applied for this year’s event was cost sharing: WWF-Mongolia and local governments covered the costs of materials for fencing and the costs of material transportation, daily wages, and fence building on sites, respectively, to encourage local participation and ownership of the event. In previous practices, WWF-Mongolia supported onsite efforts with its funding. Over 500 local people including more than 300 school children participated in this year’s event. Eco-club members-school children have been active in protection of natural spring headwaters (e.g. to do monitoring within natural spring sites, etc.) since the start of the initiative. Some of the eco-club members had interviews on natural spring protection and its values and presented what they had done earlier to the local press people who were present onsite to cover the “Natural Spring Day”. The journalists were active to publicize the event released 11 newspaper articles and news and four short advertisements for broadcasting through mass media means.
Local eco-club members-school children sent an invitation to the Minister of Environment and Tourism. The Ministry shared the invitation on its website for the public supported the event. Although the Minister promised to see in person the undertakings done under the event in the nearest future. On the event day, some young local people started tree planting to have a tree grove for Saiga. The locals built and maintained around natural spring headwaters in accordance with the standard designs and guidelines the local provincial government approved. These local efforts made have been a part of this yearly event’s successes.

Protection of natural spring headwaters is one of the priority considerations in the environmental conservation perspective.

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Minister of Environment and Tourism supports “Spring Day”