FINAL REPORT

of the SLA is the examination of the external vulnerability context (including shocks, trends
and seasonality), as well as the institutional and structural environment. This is comprised by
macro- and microeconomic settings, power relations, formal and informal institutions, laws,
policies, historical and cultural processes and the ecology.
In regard to the study at hand, the SLA is applied as framework to analyze the livelihood
strategies of crop farming households in the Buyant River delta and as guideline to identify
feasible aims, contents and priorities for implementing an SDC project to support irrigation
agriculture and the sustainable use of land and water.
4. Research Methodology (J. Janzen)
4.1 Logistics
The research project was prepared during several meetings in the CDR-office in Ulaanbaatar
and a short reconnaissance trip of the research sub-group leaders to the study area in Khovd
aimag in May 2006. For the field work phase in June and July 2006 an apartment was rented
in Khovd khot, where the whole team was accommodated during most of the research period.
So it was possible to exchange observations, views, and ideas in the evenings after field work.
The Physical Geography-Sub-Group had its base camp in Buyant sum center for most of the
time. The colleagues from Khovd Ikh Surguuli operated from their homes.
In order to save time most of the travelling from Ulaanbaatar to Khovd and back was done by
aero plane. Only for the main field phase at the end of June / beginning of July 2006 a
microbus was used to transport team members and equipment from Ulaanbaatar to Khovd and
back. For the field trips from Khovd khot to the investigated Sums local transport was hired.
In October 2006 a final field trip was carried out by the team leader and his assistant in order
to carry out mapping in the study area based on recently available satellite images as well as
to hold final discussions with the main stakeholders about future development of irrigation
agriculture in the Buyant delta area.
4.2 Evaluation of Literature, Reports, Statistics, and other Sources of Information
Before and during the survey relevant literature, reports, topographic and thematic maps,
statistics and other documents on cultivation agriculture which were available in the
administration offices at Aimag and Sum level (especially in the statistical, land,
environmental, economic, and social office), in the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA)
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