The situation for Mr Buyanbat in Zuunbayan-Ulaan soum in Uvurkhangai aimag mirrors that of many herders throughout the country. Mr Buyanbat moved his livestock from Uyanga soum in search of better pasture. He lives with his pregnant wife, and his four children attend school in the aimag centre. At the end of 2009 he had about 1000 sheep and goats and 300 cattle and horses. However, the dzud decimated his herd, and he has been left with just 100 sheep and goats. From September, he struggled to endure seven months of extreme cold. "The temperature was an unprecedented low this year," he said. "We lost everything that I worked for in 15 years of herding." However, he is determined to overcome the loss. "I am still young and I will work again to build up my herd."
The dzud has hit Mongolian herders hard. More than 8.5 million head of livestock, or almost 20 percent of the nation's livestock, perished, making this dzud the worst since 1987. For herders like Mr Buyanbat, the resulting problems are twofold. Firstly, the dzud has cost them their main source of income and their primary source of food. Secondly, they are now at risk of disease from the animal carcasses that have been left to rot in the open, particularly those close to settlements and water sources. With the onset of spring, the snow has begun to melt and decomposition now threatens to pollute water and soil. Herders have an enormous task ahead of them in disposing of the millions of bodies scattered throughout the countryside.
In response to the crisis, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has launched a programme to remove the animal carcasses. UNDP is contributing to this initiative with a Cash-for-Work Programme in which herders receive financial remuneration for carcass removal. This provides herders with much-needed short-term income and reduces the attendant health and environmental risks.
