Ulaanbaatar
Chairman of State Great Khural Visits Aimags with High Risk of Zud
Society
Ulaanbaatar, January 2, 2024 /MONTSAME/. Mongolia is experiencing an extremely harsh winter this year and 40 soums in 11 aimags and remote districts of the capital city are suffering from white zud. Over 81 percent of the country's territory is covered with snow and approximately 70 percent of the total territory is at high risk of zud. Chairman of the Great Khural of Mongolia Zandanshatar Gombojav visited aimags and soums to oversee winter conditions and the measures being taken.
A total of 69.1 million head of livestock is estimated to overwinter in 190.1 thousand herder households. In preparation for winter, 7.8 million livestock of 18.8 thousand herder households have been assessed to winter in migration seeking for good pastures, however, due to heavy snowfalls, the migration is increasing.
According to
the zud risk mapping, over 95 percent of the total territory of Bayankhongor
aimag is at high risk of zud – 8.4 percent at very high risk, 42.9 percent at
high risk, 43.8 percent at moderate risk and 4.5 percent at low risk. The herders stated that the entire territory
of Bayankhongor aimag is covered with snow and 30 cm of snow fell on the
northern plains. Thus, about 7.6 thousand head of livestock of 16 households
are forced to overwinter in neighbouring Uvurkhangai aimag's territory.
Due to the
worsening winter conditions, the State Emergency Commission is organizing and
distributing 4,015 tons of bran and 1,274 tons of fodder at a 50 percent
discount from state reserves to the herders and households with livestock in 21
aimags and remote districts of the capital.
Herders of
Bayankhongor aimag stated many problems as a consequence of excessive livestock
and overgrazing. In this regard, they stated about urgency of detailed regulation
for herders’ cooperatives to work together in fodder preparation and increase yields
from livestock.
Chairman Zandanshatar stated that at his initiative Association of Herder Households aimed at solving the problems faced by nomadic herders was established in Khentii and Bayankhongor aimags. Further, he noted that such an Association is to be established in 21 aimags and relevant draft law is being developed. The Chairman highlighted that the vision of the Associations of Herder Households is to make herder households producers - distributors - creators of value-added - self-profiting households.
