Mongolia: drought alternating with a very harsh winter have put a strain on the survival of pastures, the main source of income

ROME – First a very hot summer without rain and then a very harsh winter: the shepherds in Mongolia are facing the consequences of climatic changes between shortages of food supplies and lack of income. In these conditions, it becomes difficult for many families to buy even basic necessities such as school supplies for their children or personal hygiene items, writes Save the Children.

Extreme weather events. Currently thirteen of the twenty-one provinces of Mongolia are experiencing a so-called dzud. It is a unique natural phenomenon in Mongolia: heavy snowfall and extreme cold take over from the summer drought. The succession of climatic changes involves the destruction of pastures and the death of livestock and puts the economy of many families in crisis, who derive their income from the breeding of goats, sheep, cattle, horses and camels. Between 1940 and 2015, Mongolia recorded so-called dzuds a couple of times every ten years. From 2015 onwards, the phenomenon has been occurring at least once a year.

The humanitarian crisis. Today there are around 213,000 people in the country, including 80,000 children, who need aid such as food, access to health facilities and hygiene items. Many children under five are at high risk of malnutrition, respiratory disease and personal injury, as their parents struggle to afford medical care and assistance.

Rising temperatures. Temperatures in Mongolia are growing twice as fast as the global average: in recent years they have warmed by more than 2°C while rainfall has decreased compared to the period between 1940 and 2015. The reduction in annual rainfall has led to an increase of the frequency of the dzuds.

Stories to tell. Delgerbat, 39, lives with his wife and three children in a village in the province of Zavkhan, in western Mongolia. She recently had to pick up one of her sons from school because he needs help with animal care. About 40 percent of Mongols rely on livestock for a living. A dzud has a psychological impact on children, because they see their parents in distress and understand that they have to help them. Myagmarsuren, 9, lives in a village on the border between Mongolia and Russia. She told Save the Children that many of her family’s animals died or became ill this year due to the snow.

The lack of possibilities. Shepherds’ children often live away from home in school dormitories, but are financially dependent on their families for everything they need: from personal hygiene items such as toothpaste or soap to menstrual health items. Many families struggle to afford these goods during a dzud. Myagmarsuren’s mother, Tuya, 46, said it was difficult to make a living raising livestock when the climate was so hostile. During a dzud, Mongolian shepherds devote all their attention and resources to the animals. The children in the dormitory need many things, but their parents are not always able to buy them.

Inflation. At the dzud this year has also added to the inflation caused by the war in Ukraine. Altantsetseg, a single mother of six, lives in a village in Zavkhan province in western Mongolia. The family receives support from Save the Children. She said that this year’s price hike is destroying shepherds. The cost of fuel, oil and other raw materials has risen unsustainably. Without the help of the NGO, thanks to which she was able to buy fodder for the animals, her family would not have made it this year.

The voice of Save the Children. Bayan-Altai Luvsandorj, Country Manager and Mongolia program representative of Save the Children, explained that the shepherds’ families urgently need support in order to be able to purchase basic necessities such as food and medicines and fodder for animals. The dzud are becoming more frequent and more serious due to climate change and the international community needs to provide aid to support the families of shepherds and teach them to adapt to climate change, to prevent future humanitarian disasters.