Dzud impact on herder households in Mongolia
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Dzud is a severe winter phenomenon unique to Mongolia, marked by extreme cold, deep snow, ice cover, and limited grazing, which often causes mass livestock deaths and devastates herding communities. The winter of 2023/24 was one of the harshest on record, with heavy snowfalls beginning in November and covering most of the country by February. Temperatures dropped to minus 30 degrees Celsius or lower, and Mongolia experienced the heaviest snowfall in nearly five decades. As a result, 9.12 million animals died, representing almost 13 percent of the national herd. Losses were most severe in Sukhbaatar, Khentii, and Arkhangai provinces, where some households lost nearly all of their livestock.The Government of Mongolia responded rapidly by releasing emergency fodder stocks, activating disaster preparedness systems, and coordinating with partners to deliver fodder subsidies, road clearance, and humanitarian assistance. In March 2024, the United Nations launched a joint dzud response plan to support the most vulnerable 77,000 herder households. The Food and Agriculture Organization contributed through rapid cash assistance, livestock vaccination, and resilience assessments.A nationwide survey of herder households in 2024 showed significant declines in livestock holdings, resilience, and income compared to 2021, with resilience scores dropping from 67.9 to 48.1 points. Economic damages from the dzud were estimated at over 820 million United States dollars, equivalent to 2.17 percent of gross domestic product, with profound impacts on rural poverty and livelihoods. The crisis highlighted the urgent need for stronger resilience, risk reduction, and climate adaptation measures in Mongolia’s livestock sector.