PUGASMAOS

Proper Utilisation of Grasslands in Azerbaijan's Steppe and Mountains - An Ecological and Socio-Ecomonic Assessment to Avoid Overgrazing and to Ensure Sustainable Rural Development

Research areas
Our investigations are conducted in three preselected regions; two winter pasture regions in the steppe of Gobustan and Cheiranchöl and one summer pasture region in the Greater Caucasus at the Shahdaq/ Babadaq. In the project part of socio-economy a fourth region - summer pastures in the Lesser Caucasus around Gedebey - has been selected.

Project objectives
Balancing economic and ecological demands is the main aim of our entire project.With this our project emphasises the point of view that prevention in many cases is the better – if not he only way – to tackle future problems in our environment.

Working groups
The central problem to be tackled is: „How can ecological problems be prevented without cut backs of income for the pastoralists‘ families?” To answer this question two workgroups in Landscape Ecology and in Socio-Economy bring together their data and results. They are supported by a workgroup for GIS and remote Sensing. A main outcome will be a catalog of measures for the wise use of grasslands in Azerbaijan.