Mongolia: Country Features, the Main Causes of Desertification and Remediation Efforts - Combating Desertification in Asia, Africa and the Middle East - page 212

Fig. 11.6 Over grazing is serious and often exceeds 150 % of the assessed carrying capacity

Typically, the causes of land and pasture degradation are various. The Agency of
Land Affairs, Geodesy and Cartography carried out a study on the state and quality
of pasturelands in Mongolia and found that more than half of the pasture area was
degraded to some extent. There are different reasons for the degradation but the
main factor causing pasture degradation is overgrazing (Fig. 11.6 ).
Disturbance from mining, uncontrolled vehicular access to the rangelands,
damage from rodents, sand movement, and water erosion are also significant
contributors to land degradation. In the next 40-50 years, many soums (sub-
provinces) in the territory of the Bayan-Ulgii and Khovd provinces (in the western
region of Mongolia) will increasingly be affected by desertification, because the
amount of precipitation will decrease and average temperature will increase.
Herders are living under direct risk of weather and climate. Local officials and
97.6 % of the herders consider climate change and environmental change a reality
in their area. When asked which aspects of their environment and climate had
changed most significantly they named various elements including heavy snowfall,
reduction of drinking water, frequent drought and dzud events, drying up of rivers
and springs, reduction in hay making yield, reduction of feeding value of pasture
land, sand movement and intensification of desertification. The herders also noted
a decrease in the number of forage plant species, animal fatness and bodyweight,
and consequently a reduction in the production of meat and milk as well as wool,
cashmere and molt hair.
Also, because of decreased permafrost, perpetual snows, glaciers, lakes, streams
and rivers that have their origin in the Khangai Mountain range, will lose their
headwater and will eventually dry up completely. They will only have seasonal
and temporary flow dependent on precipitation levels. Furthermore, the decrease
in permafrost in combination with changing rainfall patterns, will very likely result
in an increase in the number of forest fires. Taken together, most of the studies