Herders of drought-hit Mongolia prepare for tough winter

Thousands of Mongolian herders face disastrous livestock losses as the country experiences its hottest summer in fifty years.

More than a million nomadic herders of Mongolia face the threat of drought.
AFP/Archive

More than a million nomadic herders of Mongolia face the threat of drought.

Temperatures in Mongolia have risen by 2 degrees Celsius in the last 70 years, three times faster than the global average, the United Nations Environment Programme says.

With 75 percent of the country facing drought, it has been hit particularly hard by changing weather patterns.

Mongolia’s herders, who account for nearly a third of the population, have been the worst affected, with rising desertification, melting glaciers and drying rivers and lakes threatening their livelihoods.

Temperatures in Mongolia reached their highest level in 56 years in June, according to weather reports, threatening crop production.

As the world prepares to observe the International Day for Preservation of the Ozone Layer - also affected by the climate change - Mongolia’s nomadic herders are preparing themselves for even tougher times ahead.

TRT World’s Grace Brown reports.

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