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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Publication Understanding Resilience in Mongolian Pastoral Social-ecological Systems : Adapting to Disaster Before, During and After 2010 Dzud--Year 1 Report(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2011-05-31)This study reports on in-depth case studies of dzud (extreme cold weather during winter, subsequent to a very dry summer) impacts and responses. Focus groups, key informant interviews, a household survey, and photovoice, were used to document individual and community experiences with dzud, and identify the factors that make some households and communities more vulnerable, and some less vulnerable, to the impacts of dzud, and the strategies that were most effective in responding to dzud. It was found that dzud is a complex, social-ecological phenomenon, and vulnerability to dzud is a function of interacting physical, biological, socio-economic, and institutional factors. Vulnerability is affected by both local and cross-scale factors. Actions that are adaptive and reduce vulnerability for one group at one spatial or temporal scale, may be mal-adaptive and increase vulnerability for another group, or at a different scale. Communities that are well prepared for dzud at the household level may suffer disproportionate losses if exposure is increased by in-migrating livestock from other areas. The lessons of dzud for actors at all levels of social organization, point to the need for increased responsibility and leadership by individual actors, be they households, herder groups, or local governments, as well as the critical importance to all actors (including donor and aid organizations) of reaching out, communicating and cooperating with others within and across sectors and scales.Publication Exploring Options to Institutionalize the Dzud Disaster Response Product in Mongolia(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2011-04)This study aims to provide the guiding principles to the government of Mongolia (GOM) towards creating comprehensive ex-ante risk management strategy based on the assessment of the pros and cons of historical approach of livestock risk management as well as best practices around the world. For instance, it proposes an option for the National Disaster Indemnification Program (NDIP) that acts as a state insurance enterprise and provides social insurance protection to herders against extreme dzud disaster events. The report concludes that by introducing NDIP, the GOM would have an opportunity to introduce the social safety net product, publicly provided and financed, to respond quickly to herders most affected by extremely high levels of livestock losses following major dzud event.The NDIP would assist the Government of Mongolia and international donors to structure and distribute dzud related disaster financing in a systematic, timely and transparent manner, while keeping high covariate risks manageable.Publication Mongolia Agricultural Sector Risk Assessment(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2015-03)The magnitude of risks facing Mongolian agriculture has made the sector’s development extraordinarily volatile over the last 25 years as it underwent decollectivization. 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. This is not a strategy for the sector, but rather an attempt to provide some clarity to the development of the sector as a basis for stimulating discussion to inform strategy and specifically, to inform government policy and expenditure in the sector. The report draws upon five working papers (WPs) that were commissioned by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture in 2006 and 2007 . These papers tried to fill gaps in current knowledge of drivers in the sector rather than provide a comprehensive study of the sector, and their findings have been supplemented by other work in the sector.Publication Mongolia : Improving Feed and Fodder Supply for Dzud Management(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2011-06)The paper reports on improving feed and fodder supply for the dzud management in Mongolia study, and aims to identify policy options that could improve the effectiveness and efficiency of dzud emergency management and response. It includes an assessment of the appropriate roles for the private and public sectors, identification of issues, and capacity building requirements. The study will support a policy dialogue and could provide the foundation for a longer-term pilot project in feed and fodder production, storage, and distribution, as part a coherent and effective emergency strategy.
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