ADB Grant Boosts Climate Adaptation for Mongolian Herders

Mongolia is facing serious consequences from climate change, which poses a significant threat to its distinctive ecosystems and nomadic lifestyles.

The nation’s temperatures are increasing at a rate twice that of the global average, resulting in altered precipitation patterns and a rise in extreme weather events, including droughts and severe winters known as “dzud.”

Recently, this phenomenon has impacted 90% of the country and has devastating effects on Mongolia’s high-elevation pastures, which are crucial for livestock herding. Livestock is an integral aspect of Mongolia’s cultural identity and economy, with their numbers exceeding the human population by a ratio of 20 to 1.

Climate change amplifies the dzud’s impact by increasing drought events, which are often linked to warm summers, water scarcity, and desertification. Major dzuds typically occur every ten years, but due to climate change, their frequency has increased, resulting in a decline in pastureland.

Less grass and forage mean that livestock will not be able to accumulate enough fat to endure the harsh winter season. Dzuds present a twin catastrophe for Mongolia, first affecting their livestock by depriving them of food, and also disrupting the country’s crucial supply chains for its essential products, including cashmere and other agricultural exports.

The Gobi is the largest desert in Asia and the fifth-largest in the world, rich in minerals and home to ruined temples and once-vital Silk Road routes. Its name is derived from the Mongolian word ‘gobi’, meaning ‘waterless place’, and it certainly lives up to its name. Some areas in the desert have not received any notable rainfall for many years.

Bogd soum Governor Ganaa Lhagvaa notes that in recent years, the Gobi has been experiencing desertification, droughts, and sand migration due to climate change. Sandstorm events are increasing, while its lakes and rivers are drying out, creating challenging living conditions for both people and animals.  

Mongolia’s efforts are intensely focused on addressing its water problems, which affect its camels, horses, and cattle, as well as wild animals like gazelles, which are essential to the country’s livelihoods.

They have various initiatives aimed at protecting the desert’s biodiversity, and measures to mitigate desertification and the impacts of climate change.

Mongolia’s government One Billion Trees Initiative focuses on implementing reforestation by rural communities and herders. These projects are made possible through a grant from the Asian Development Bank.

ADB’s video below illustrates how a small grant from the ADB has supported a rural water supply pilot project in Jaran Bogd soum, aiming to address significant water scarcity in high-elevation pastures. A reservoir was built to store water from a perennial mountain spring, protecting and stabilising the water intake.

A pipe from the reservoir supplies water to the pasturelands below. Water flowing from the pipe can provide water for livestock, as well as for fodder, vegetables, and other plants. An elevated tank is also installed to store water, reducing the time herders previously spent fetching it.

According to ADB, “This system not only improves water access but also reduces livestock pressure on sensitive spring areas, encourages sustainable pasture rotation, and supports the recovery of degraded vegetation.”

Adding that herders have reported decreased labour burdens and improved water availability thanks to the project.