“Daashka and his brother tear across the Mongolian steppe on a motorbike in a desperate search for somewhere to graze their herds. Pastureland is dwindling rapidly as the country is beset by a cycle of drought and harsh winter that is killing off livestock in droves.”
This was the introduction to a very disturbing story I read today from IRIN, a blog which describes itself as “the inside story on emergencies”. According to the story, Mongolia is experiencing a natural disaster called a dzud. The phenomenon, unique to the country, usually occurs after a summer drought is followed by heavy winter snowfall that makes already scarce pastures inaccessible to livestock.
In the past it occurred about once a decade, but now it is occurring with increasing frequency. This change is attributed in part to changes in climate and in part to overgrazing and the associated land cover changes. Since about half of Mongolia’s population depends on livestock production, this is a huge issue for the people there.
