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A zud, dzud ( mn, зуд) of dzhut, zhut, djut, jut ( kz, жұт, ky, жут, russian: джут) is a disaster in steppe, semi-desert and desert regions in
Mongolia
Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...
and
Central Asia
Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...
in which large numbers of livestock die, primarily due to
starvation
Starvation is a severe deficiency in caloric energy intake, below the level needed to maintain an organism's life. It is the most extreme form of malnutrition. In humans, prolonged starvation can cause permanent organ damage and eventually, dea ...
being unable to graze due to particular severe climatic conditions. Various kinds of zud are recognized, depending on the particular type of climatic conditions. In winter it may be caused by an impenetrable ice crust, in summer it may happen due to drought.
One-third of Mongolia's population depends entirely on
pastoral farming
Pastoral farming (also known in some regions as ranching, livestock farming or grazing) is aimed at producing livestock, rather than growing crops. Examples include dairy farming, raising beef cattle, and raising sheep for wool. In contrast, ar ...
for its livelihood, and harsh zuds can cause economic crises and
food security
Food security speaks to the availability of food in a country (or geography) and the ability of individuals within that country (geography) to access, afford, and source adequate foodstuffs. According to the United Nations' Committee on World F ...
issues in the country.
[Mongolia: Harsh Winter Wiping Out Livestock, Stoking Economic Crisis for Nomads](_blank)
''Eurasianet'', 1 April 2016[The slow and deadly dzud in Mongolia]
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Zud (djut) is a severe periodical disaster in all countries of Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan. The literal translation of the Kazakh word 'жұт' is "devourer".
[Светлана КОВАЛЬСКАЯ]
"Джут в казахской степи"
January 22, 2018
Description
In Mongolia, the following types of zud are recognized:
* ''tsagaan'' (white) zud results from high snowfall that prevents livestock from reaching the grass.
It is a frequent and serious disaster that has caused a great number of deaths.
* ''khar'' (black) zud results from a lack of snowfall in grazing areas, leading to both livestock and humans lacking water. This type of zud does not occur every year, nor does it affect large areas. It mostly happens in the
Gobi Desert
The Gobi Desert (Chinese: 戈壁 (沙漠), Mongolian: Говь (ᠭᠣᠪᠢ)) () is a large desert or brushland region in East Asia, and is the sixth largest desert in the world.
Geography
The Gobi measures from southwest to northeast an ...
region.
* ''tumur'' (iron) zud results from a short wintertime warming, followed by a return to sub-freezing temperatures. The snow melts and then freezes again, producing an impenetrable ice-cover that prevents livestock from grazing.
* ''huiten'' (cold) zud occurs when the temperature drops to very low levels for several days. The cold temperature and the strong winds prevent livestock from grazing; the animals have to use most of their energy to keep warm.
* ''havsarsin'' (combined) zud is a combination of at least two of the above types of zud.
In Kazakhstan there is a proverb "Djut has seven relatives" (жұт жеты агайынды). When interpreted, seven severe natural conditions are mentioned (not always the same), e.g., summer drought, grass drying out, early winter, deep snow, winter rains, ice crust, blizzard.
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Man-made factors
Human factors worsen the situation caused by the harsh winters. Under the communist regime
A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state that is administered and governed by a communist party guided by Marxism–Leninism. Marxism–Leninism was the state ideology of the Soviet Union, the Cominte ...
, the state regulated the size of the herds to prevent overgrazing
Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, game reserves, or nature res ...
. The 1990s saw a deregulation of Mongolia's economy and a simultaneous growth in worldwide demand for cashmere wool
Cashmere wool, usually simply known as cashmere, is a fiber obtained from cashmere goats, pashmina goats, and some other breeds of goat. It has been used to make yarn, textiles and clothing for hundreds of years. Cashmere is closely associate ...
, which is made from goat hair. As a result, the number of goat
The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...
s in Mongolia has increased significantly. Unlike sheep
Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated s ...
, goats tend to damage the grass by nibbling at its roots; their sharp hooves
The hoof (plural: hooves) is the tip of a toe of an ungulate mammal, which is covered and strengthened with a thick and horny keratin covering. Artiodactyls are even-toed ungulates, species whose feet have an even number of digits, yet the rumi ...
also damage the upper layer of the pasture, which is subsequently swept away by the wind. This leads to desertification
Desertification is a type of land degradation in drylands in which biological productivity is lost due to natural processes or induced by human activities whereby fertile areas become increasingly arid. It is the spread of arid areas caused by ...
.
Mitigation
Some traditional methods to protect the livestock from such inclement weather conditions include drying and storing cut grass during the summer months, and collecting sheep and goat dung to build dried flammable blocks called ''kizyak'' in Central Asia and аргал (аргал түлш) in Mongolia. Dried grass can be fed to animals to prevent death from starvation when zud occurs. The kizyak, or blocks of sheep and goat dung, are stacked to make a wall that protects the animals from the wind chills, and keep them warm enough to withstand the harsh conditions. These blocks can also be burnt as fuel during the winter. These methods are still practiced today in the westernmost parts of Mongolia
Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...
, and areas formerly part of the Zuun Gar nation.
Because of the semi-permanent structure of the winter shelter for their livestock and the cold, mostif not allnomads engage in transhumance
Transhumance is a type of pastoralism or nomadism, a seasonal movement of livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures. In montane regions (''vertical transhumance''), it implies movement between higher pastures in summer and lower vall ...
(seasonal migration). They have winter locations to spend the winter, which are in a valley protected by mountains on most sides from the wind, while in the summer they move to more open space.
Extent and history
It is not uncommon for zuds to kill over one million head of livestock in a given winter. The 1944 record of almost seven million head of livestock lost was surpassed in the 21st century.
The arctic oscillation
The Arctic oscillation (AO) or Northern Annular Mode/Northern Hemisphere Annular Mode (NAM) is a weather phenomenon at the Arctic pole north of 20 degrees latitude. It is an important mode of climate variability for the Northern Hemisphere. The s ...
in both 1944–45 and in 2010 was pushed much deeper into Central Asia, bringing prolonged extreme cold weather. In 1999–2000, 2000–2001, and 2001–2002, Mongolia was hit by three ''zuds'' in a row, in which a combined number of 11 million animals were lost.[ADB Approves $2 Million for Herders Hit By Mongolian Climate Disaster](_blank)
''Asian Development Bank'', 11 April 2016
During the winter of 2009–2010, 80% of the country's territory was covered with a snow blanket of 200–600mm (7-24 inches). In the Uvs aimag
An aimag (, ; xal, әәмг, ), originally a Mongolian word meaning 'tribe', is an administrative subdivision in Mongolia, Russia, and in the Inner Mongolia region of China.
Mongolia
In Mongolia, an aimag is the first-level administrative ...
, extreme cold (night temperature of −48 °C / −54 °F) remained for almost 50 days. 9,000 families lost their entire herds while a further 33,000 suffered 50% loss. The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry reported 2,127,393 head of livestock were lost as of 9 February 2010 (188,270 horse, cattle, camel and 1,939,123 goat and sheep). The agriculture ministry predicted that livestock losses might reach four million before the end of winter; however, by May 2010, the United Nations reported that eight million, or about 17% of the country's entire livestock, had died.
In the winter of 2015–2016, extreme temperatures were again recorded and the previous summer's drought led to insufficient hay fodder reserves for many herders, which caused another ongoing loss of livestock.
Social consequences
Some herders who lose all of their animals to ''zud'' have to seek a new life in the cities. Mongolia's capital, Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar (; mn, Улаанбаатар, , "Red Hero"), previously anglicized as Ulan Bator, is the capital and most populous city of Mongolia. It is the coldest capital city in the world, on average. The municipality is located in north ce ...
, is surrounded by clusters of wooden houses without roads, water or sewage systems. Lacking in education and skills to survive in an urban environment, many displaced herders cannot find work and become extremely poor, may become addicted to alcohol, and may commit crime
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definit ...
. Others risk their lives in dangerous illegal mining
Illegal mining is mining activity that is undertaken without state permission, in particular in absence of land rights, mining licenses, and exploration or mineral transportation permits.
Illegal mining can be a subsistence activity, as is the cas ...
jobs.[Mongolia’s dzud disaster]
''The New Internationalist'', May 10, 2016
Notes
References
* {{cite web , url=http://www.mercycorps.org/articles/mongolia/mongolian-zud%E2%80%94-witness-winters-wrath , title=In the Mongolian Zud—A Witness to Winter's Wrath , publisher=Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is a global non-governmental, humanitarian aid organization operating in transitional contexts that have undergone, or have been undergoing, various forms of economic, environmental, social and political instabilities. The organizatio ...
Zud Natural Disaster, Prevention and Recovery
by Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj
Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj (, ''Cahiagín Elbegdorj'' ; also referred to as Mongolyin Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj and Tsakhia Elbegdorj; born 30 March 1963) is a Mongolian politician who served as President of Mongolia from 2009 to 2017. He previously ser ...
, President of Mongolia
Environment of Mongolia
Weather hazards
Environment of Kazakhstan
Environment of Kyrgyzstan
Natural disasters in Asia