Mongolian Nomads and Climate Change – A Herder’s View

Abstract

Mongolia is one of the few countries that practices nomadic livestock breeding on a large scale. Climate change has a strong impact on Mongolian envi- ronmental conditions and does affect nomadic livelihoods considerably, often cata- strophically. Political changes also brought strong changes to nomadic livelihoods. The herders near Hustai National Park are organized in herder groups to better conserve their environment, graze sustainably, generate alternative means of income, and improve their economical situation. The author heads such a group. The author reviews the changes affecting their livelihoods, and tells about the measures they take and alternatives they develop to cope with the changes and develop the eco- nomic basis of their semi-nomadic way of life. 21.1