Publication: Lessons from the Dzud: Adaptation and Resilience in Mongolian Pastoral Social-Ecological Systems
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2012-06
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2017-05-30
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Dzud is the Mongolian term for a winter weather disaster in which deep snow, severe cold, or other conditions render forage unavailable or inaccessible and lead to high livestock mortality. Dzud is a regular occurrence in Mongolia, and plays an important role in regulating livestock populations. However, dzud, especially when combined with other environmental or socio-economic stresses and changes, can have a significant impact on household well-being as well as local and national economies. This study aims to fill this gap in knowledge by conducting in-depth case studies of four communities responses to the 2009-2010 dzud to document both household-and community-level impacts and responses. The case studies use a mixed-methods approach employing qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis techniques including interviews, focus groups, household questionnaires, photovoice and document review, and were carried out in two soums (districts) located in the forest-steppe zone of Arkhangai Aimag (province), Ikhtamir and Undur Ulaan, and two soums in the Gobi desert-steppe zone of Bayankhongor Aimag, Jinst and Bayantsagaan. The specific objectives of this study are to assess herder household and community vulnerability, adaptive capacity, and medium-term recovery and resilience from the dzud of 2010.
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“Fernandez-Gimenez, Maria E.; Batjav, Batbuyan; Baival, Batkhishig. 2012. Lessons from the Dzud: Adaptation and Resilience in Mongolian Pastoral Social-Ecological Systems. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/26783 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
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Livestock in particular has seen rapid and largely unsustainable rates of growth in terms of numbers of animals and herders, and in so doing has become acutely vulnerable to the severe winter weather events known as dzuds. Periodic droughts and other production risks have also affected the country’s much smaller crop agriculture, much of which is geared for the production of feeds. And price volatility poses serious systemic risks which affect large proportions of the rural population. This study was undertaken to assess the systemic risks facing Mongolian agriculture and to identify gaps in current risk management practices within the sector.Publication Mongolia : Livestock Sector Study(Washington, DC, 2009-09-15)The purpose of this synthesis report is to try and draw together recent work on the sector to understand in greater detail what is driving the sector, and how these drivers and trends may play out in the future and what options are available in response. 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