Coping with Climate Extremes in Mongolian Pastoral Communities

Pastoralism is an integral part of the economic production and cultural heritage of Mongolia, with over 30% of the workforce active in agricultural activities (PAGE, 2014). As in other pastoral systems, their livestock herding practices both depend on and maintain the ecosystems’ ability to provide critical services, such as forage production, soil integrity, water quality and availability, and biodiversity. As such, these systems are sensitive to changes in the climate, such as droughts and extreme winter conditions, or dzuds, which reduce water and forage resources and affect the delivery of other key ecosystem services. Household decisions and actions are dependent on the state of ecosystem services, such as forage and water availability and livestock condition, while also being shaped by market conditions and local rules that govern access to resources. These social-ecological systems are therefore embedded in a broader political and economic context that includes linkages to traditional knowledge systems, government policies, international markets and external assistance from multiple foreign donors. Given the importance of pastoralism to Mongolia’s heritage and land stewardship, seeking ways to enhance these systems as part of the country’s efforts to define sustainable development pathways is critical to the success of these policies and implementation strategies. Semi-arid social-ecological systems have a complex relationship between their ecosystem services and climate dynamics. This relationship is determined by seasonal availability of water and forage resources, seasonal forage demands of the livestock (eg dietary needs of cattle, horses, sheep, goats, yaks and camels) and market trends associated with the commodity prices of meat and other products...