Climate change endangers Mongolian herder's livelihoods

Zandan Lkhamsuren drives his remaining goats into the stable before sunset. The shepherd lives in Kharkhorin in the central Mongolian province of Ovorkhangai. A little over a year ago, a devastating winter almost destroyed his entire flock. He is still reeling from the damage caused by Mongolia's increasingly unpredictable weather.

Mongolia is feeling the effects of climate change particularly keenly. Here, temperatures are rising three times faster than the global average. The link between global warming and extreme weather events, ranging from droughts and floods to heat waves and sudden cold snaps, is well-documented.

Zandan Lkhamsuren uses curtains to help shield his animals from the cold. "Last year's winter was the hardest I've ever known," the 48-year-old told AFP. The daytime temperatures of minus 32 degrees Celsius (-26 degrees Fahrenheit) dropped a further 10 degrees overnight. More than 7 million animals froze to death across Mongolia — about a 10th of the country's entire livestock population.

A dzud, a weather disaster that occurs in the steppes of Mongolia and central Asia, is characterized by droughts, followed by a severe snowy winter. This leaves livestock unable to graze on the frozen, snow-covered pastures. Many starve to death before the grass regrows in the spring.

The extreme weather phenomenon known as dzud is occurring more and more frequently. What used to arise once a decade has now struck six times in the past 10 years, according to the United Nations. This is a huge problem for agricultural workers, who make up a third of Mongolia's population. "Now, my strategy is to focus on what I have left," said Zandan Lkhamsuren, who hopes to rebuild his herd.

Enebold Davaa, a 36-year-old shepherd in the province of Ovorkhangai, drives his herd across a flat plain. Last winter, his family lost more than 100 goats, 40 sheep and three cows. "It's our main source of income, so we felt very heavy, it was very hard for us," he said. Thanks to this year's milder winter, the family was able to recoup some of their losses.

About one in four Mongolians still live as nomads, many using traditional Mongolian tents known as gers. But hundreds of thousands have already moved to the cities, especially to the capital, Ulaanbaatar. Enebold Davaa and his family are also thinking about moving. But he would much rather keep his traditional lifestyle as a shepherd.