The average annual temperature of Mongolia has increased by 2.46 degrees in the last 80 years, and Mongolia has become one of the countries most affected by climate change, according to UN agencies. This year zud has reached a critical level, more than 90 percent of the entire area is in a difficult situation, and the peak period of zud is expected to last until April, the researchers say.

In January, the conditions of zud were relatively high compared to the same period of last year. For example, in January 2023, 17 percent of the entire area had zud, but now it is 70 percent. This year, 10.3 million livestock died, which is 25 percent of the total livestock in Mongolia, and 769,000 people were affected, which is 28 percent of the total population. According to the Mongolian Red Cross Society, 220,000 herders experienced zud, 44,000 households lost their entire herds, and 164,000 households lost more than half of their livestock. In the last 10 years, there have been six zuds, which have caused severe damage to the lives of herders, and the increase in the price of fodder due to insufficient fodder source has further increased the vulnerability.

Moreover, the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific reported that “Since 2015, the impact of climate change has worsened and the frequency of zud is increasing due to poor environmental governance” which shows us the urgent need for humanitarian aid and related sustainable solutions.

The funds needed to overcome the severe winter were estimated at 21.3 billion MNT and so far 5.8 billion MNT have been collected. Measures are being implemented based on the criteria of vulnerability, such as providing support, distributing food, medicine, and fuel. The Government of Mongolia has reduced the number of livestock from 87.1 million to 64.6 million in 2023. In order to reduce the number of livestock, 80.4 thousand tons of meat and meat products were exported to the foreign market, which is a five-fold increase from the previous year. Balancing livestock numbers with grazing capacity still remains a challenge. The way to reduce the damage of zud that may occur in the coming years, is to eliminate the imbalance of grazing capacity and the number of livestock, to create the ability of herders to overcome the damage that may occur in the future, and to ensure sustainable agricultural activities.