Livestock in Mongolia

The UN says that the extreme winter weather that killed more than one million livestock in Mongolia is likely to harm the country's food supply and worsen poverty. World Bank Programs now underway in the country are helping those who will be most affected.



The majority of rural Mongolians make their living by herding horses, camels, goats, cattle and sheep for milk, cashmere, meat and other livestock products.

Its a risky business in a country with a fragile environment where severe and freezing winters are the norm, which in some years can be extremely harsh.

SOUNDBITE (Mongolian) Batbayar, herder:
In 2002, there was a terrible dzud, and because of this many herders including me we have lost livestock, and it hit hardest the herders in our area, I have lost 30 percent of my livestock, but some lost even more.

Under a government partnership with with local insurance companies, Batbayar and more than 4 thousand other herder families have bought insurance which protects against losses to livestock under an innovative pilot project:

SOUNDBITE (Mongolia) Batbayar, Herder:
Of course this is very important because the livestock is insured from natural disaster so even though we have harsh winters, I am insured and that is important!

The Index-based Livestock Insurance Project is one of several supported by the World Bank that Mongolia has undertaken to help herders and their families, which make up the single largest group among the countrys poor.

Another is the Sustainable Livelihoods Program which is helping herder families throughout the country to improve pastoral management skills.

SOUNDBITE (Mongolia) Bayanmunkh, heder
Pastoral management has helped us overcome the crisis, for example, because of the fencing we can keep the livestock close to us.

Additional government projects with the Bank support aim at improving herder access to energy sources, by connecting their homes to town grids or , in the most isolated areas, by providing the herders solar panels and small wind turbine systems as sources of renewable energy.

Herder families say the new amenities, including recently acquired cell phone service supported by the Bank ICT project jointly with local private service provider companies- have improved their livelihoods and their lives:

SOUNDBITE (Mongolia) Batbayar, Herder:
I can get connected everywhere and speak to my relatives and to people while staying right at home!