Dr. Sumjidmaa Sainnemekh GRÓ LRT alumna’s contribution to addressing overgrazing and rangeland degradation - a major environmental challenge in Mongolia
Dr. Sumjidmaa Sainnemekh, the first GRÓ LRT PhD scholarship recipient, graduated from the Agricultural University of Iceland in 2022 with a doctoral degree in Environmental Science.
Today she works as a rangeland management specialist at The Nature Conservancy in Mongolia where she can directly apply her wealth of knowledge to contribute to rangeland science and tackle overgrazing and rangeland degradation, which is a major environmental challenge in her home country Mongolia. The GRÓ centre asked Sumjidmaa to share information about her career and how her work is contributing to sustainable land management in Mongolia.
“Mongolia has among the world’s last intact grasslands, that represent about 2.5% of the world’s total grassland area. Mongolian rangelands support the traditional livelihoods of nomadic pastoralists and other sectors of society. As in other Central Asian countries, overgrazing and rangeland degradation have become primary environmental concerns in Mongolia in recent decades. To better understand how degradation occurs and how it can be managed, process-based degradation frameworks can provide a useful tool. Conceptual frameworks are a fundamental part of successful adaptive monitoring and long-term research programs worldwide,” says Sumjidmaa.
Research enabled assessment of rangeland health and planning of rangeland management
As a fellow of the GRÓ LRT Programme in 2014, Sumjidmaa’s study, “Testing the Ecological Site Concept in Mongolian Rangelands: Case Study in Undurshireet Soum Area”,
conducted under the Green Gold Animal Health Project, aimed to validate the Ecological Site concept and test a State and Transition Model for Stipa Krylovii dominated communities in the steppe zone of Mongolia. Based on these results and findings, Sumjidmaa updated and developed 22 state and transition models for Mongolian rangelands with her GGAHP colleagues. Using these models, researchers and herders can assess rangeland health and plan rangeland management. In 2015 and 2018, she participated and contributed to the National report on rangeland health of Mongolia that was the first nationwide assessment of rangeland status and report. As a PhD student, between 2019-2022, she studied patterns and drivers of rangeland degradation in Mongolia and published a review paper entitled ‘‘Rangeland degradation in Mongolia: A systematic review of the evidence,“ in the Journal of Arid Environments, an important contribution to Mongolian rangeland science.
The Green Gold Animal Health project, where Sumjidmaa was working at the time, has been a key partner of the GRÓ LRT program since 2008. Several colleagues from the project had participated in the program. Sumjidmaa says that hearing about their experiences inspired her to express her interest to attend the programme.
GRÓ LRT enhanced professional and personal development
“The GRÓ LRT Programme is valuable for young and early and mid-career scientists,offering insights into land restoration and sustainable land management practices from a country with a century-long history of successful land restoration. During the six-month training in 2014, I gained significant professional and personal development, enhancing my hard and soft skills, knowledge, and self-confidence,” says Sumjidmaa. As an example of this she mentions a training with Susan Muska, one of the lecturers in the programme, where the fellows watched a video of themselves making a presentation. „It was a fun and insightful experience. It was incredibly helpful for our future career development. I noticed several gestures I often use when speaking to an audience. Since that training, I have been working on improving my presentation skills and public speaking,“ says Sumjidmaa.
Sumjidmaa says that the experience of the 6-month GRÓ Land Restoration Training programme inspired her to pursue a career in rangeland science and management and consider further studies for a PhD. “In 2019, the GRÓ Land Restoration Training Programme awarded me a scholarship to pursue a PhD, making me the first PhD student of the GRÓ LRT programme. It was an honour and a significant responsibility. In 2022, I successfully defended my PhD degree, focusing on the patterns and drivers of rangeland degradation in Mongolia,” says Sumjidmaa. Her supervisors were Professor Isabel C. Barrio, Professor Ása L. Aradóttir, Dr. Brandon Bestelmeyer, and Dr. Bulgamaa Densambuu,”.
Played a crucial role in strengthening the nationwide rangeland monitoring system of Mongolia
Asked about how the training she received at GRÓ LRT has contributed to her personal career and the projects she has worked on in Mongolia Sumjidmaa explains that after completing the six-month training at the GRÓ-LRT programme in Iceland, she returned to Mongolia and resumed her work as a researcher and training officer with the Green Gold Animal Health (GGAHP) project of the Swiss Development Agency and Cooperation.
“During my tenure at GGAHP, I utilized the knowledge and skills acquired from the program in Iceland for rangeland health assessment, monitoring, and sustainable rangeland management studies. I then worked as a local consultant for the National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring under the GGAHPproject, where I played a crucial role in strengthening the nationwide rangeland monitoring system. My contributions included developing training materials, handouts, and methodologies for rangeland monitoring and assessment, which have been widely used by specialists and land managers. My notable publications and contributions include the “State and Transition Models for Mongolian Common Rangelands,” the “National Report on Rangeland Health of Mongolia,” and several manuals and guides on rangeland health assessment and monitoring.”
Fantastic opportunity to network with specialists facing land degradation challenges in other countries
Sumjidmaa says she has many vivid memories from her time in Iceland. “During the six-month training, we explored stunning landscapes, including waterfalls, volcanoes, glaciers, lagoons, and geothermal areas—many of which I saw for the first time in my life. Additionally, I met many wonderful people and friends who helped me and created lasting memories together in Iceland. I am still in touch with the other fellows from our diverse group of fourteen in 2014, which included two fellows from Mongolia. Since then, we have become friends and continue to work together in the field of sustainable rangeland management in Mongolia. It was a fantastic opportunity to learn about other cultures and network with specialists from different countries facing similar land degradation challenges. Additionally, the alumni network from Mongolia has grown to nearly 40 members since 2008, and we maintain strong connections, with some of us collaborating at the organizational level. Being a fellow and studying at the GRÓ LRT Training Programme is a fantastic opportunity to enhance your knowledge, skills, and network,” says Sumjidmaa.
Who is dr. Sumjidmaa Sainnemekh?
Sumjidmaa holds a doctoral degree in Environmental sciences from the Agricultural University of Iceland, where she focused on the patterns and drivers of rangeland degradation in Mongolia. She also earned her master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Ecology from the School of Biology and Biotechnology at the National University of Mongolia in Ecology and Conservation Biology. Sumjidmaa has participated in various international training programs and workshops, enhancing her expertise in pastoralism, rangeland monitoring, land restoration, and biodiversity. Sumjidmaa has been a pivotal member of the Green Gold Animal Health project and National Federation of Pasture User Groups NGO for the nine years, where she serves as a researcher, trainer and local consultant. Since 2024, Sumjidmaa is working as Rangeland management specialist at The Nature Conservancy in Mongolia. Sumjidmaa’s work is characterized by her commitment to sustainable rangeland management and her efforts to educate and train national specialists in the field. Her research and publications continue to provide a scientific basis for resilience-based rangeland management and contribute to the sustainable use of Mongolia’s rangelands.