BAYANMUNKH : A government official stated on Monday that over two million livestock had perished in Mongolia as a result of the severe cold and snowfall the nation has experienced this winter.
From December to March, when temperatures can drop as low as – 50 degrees Celsius (minus 58 degrees Fahrenheit) in some places, the landlocked nation is no stranger to harsh weather.
However, according to a new assessment from the UN, this winter has been more harsh than usual, with much heavier snowfall and lower than usual temperatures.
2.1 million animals had perished as of Monday due to malnourishment and weariness, according to Gantulga Batsaikhan of the nation’s agriculture ministry. According to government figures, Mongolia had 64.7 million of these animals at the end of 2023, including sheep, goats, horses, and cows.
The severe weather, referred to as “dzud,” usually causes a large number of cattle mortality. The frequency as well as intensity of dzuds are growing because to climate change, according to the UN.
In the last ten years, Mongolia has had six dzuds, with the most recent one occurring in the winter of 2022–2023, during which 4.4 million head of cattle perished. A summer drought that prohibited animals from accumulating enough fatty stores to withstand the hard winter has made this year’s dzud worse.
Herder Byambaa stated, “The winter began with heavy snow, but unexpectedly air temperatures increased, and the ice melted.” “Then the temperature dropped once more, turning the snow that had been melting into ice.”
