The socio-economic consequences of the desertification processes in Mongolia

Abstract

The comparative assessment of the aimags population living standard and the country average level was carried out and some problem areas requiring closer examination were identified. We evaluated 12 indicators characterizing the development of the economic and social sphere of aimags, using the method of ranking calculated indices based on 2010 and 2018. The economy transition to a market entailed significant changes in the life of pastoralists. The desertification processes strongly influence the living standard of the herders whose level of prosperity is rather low compared to the country average level.

Policies and Regulations for Desertification Prevention and Control in Mongolia

“…Under the dual influence of climate change and human economic activities, Animal husbandry is Mongolia's leading industry. Due to the announcement in the early 1990s that "grasslands and pastures are owned by the whole people" and "national freedom" in choosing a place of residence, Mongolia's livestock population rapidly increased, ecological and environmental pressures increased, and owing to the impact of climate change, grassland vegetation has declined and desertification has developed rapidly [26]. Under the dual influence of climate change and human economic activities, Mongolia's fragile ecological environment has been greatly affected, and there is an obvious desertification problem marked by vegetation degradation.…”

“…Then, in 1992, the privatization of agriculture and animal husbandry was completed, with 90% of livestock and land privately owned. Mongolia has implemented a pastoral management model of "grass pastures are owned by the whole people" and "national freedom" in choosing a place of residence while livestock are privately owned, resulting in a contradiction between public ownership of grass pastures and private ownership of livestock [26]. Due to overgrazing, grassland resources and the ecological environment have been greatly damaged, leading to the tragedy of the commons and accelerating regional desertification [27].…”

Above‐ground biomass retrieval with multi‐source data: Prediction and applicability analysis in Eastern Mongolia

“…These include regulating global climate through significant organic carbon storage, sustaining biodiversity, and supporting livelihoods through agricultural and pastoral production (Bengtsson et al, 2019). However, the steppe is facing severe environmental pressure, climate change, and overexploitation of resources which contributes to the presumed grassland degradation and desertification, threatening the integrity of this vast ecosystem (Darbalaeva et al, 2020; Dashpurev et al, 2020). Unsustainable use of grassland resources has also forced local communities to change land use, preventing improvements in their living standards in pastoral areas in the long run (Khishigbayar et al, 2015; Reid et al, 2014).…”

“…integrity of this vast ecosystem (Darbalaeva et al, 2020;Dashpurev et al, 2020). Unsustainable use of grassland resources has also forced local communities to change land use, preventing improvements in their living standards in pastoral areas in the long run (Khishigbayar et al, 2015;Reid et al, 2014).…”

Monitoring land sensitivity to desertification using the ESAI approach and evaluation of the key indicators: A spatio‐temporal study in India

“…Desertification is commonly a slow‐paced and often unnoticed process that eventually poses a severe threat for the arid, semiarid, and sub‐humid regions across the world (Akbari, Jafari, Memarian, & Gholami, 2020; Wang, Pan, Wang, Shen, & Lu, 2013) with its' influence on the water availability (Emadodin, Reinsch, & Taube, 2019; Safriel, 2009) and hence, retarding land productivity which in due course, results in environmental as well as socio‐economic degradation (Darbalaeva, Mikheeva, & Zhamyanova, 2020; Safriel, 2009). Currently, desertification has been occurring all over the world affecting 110 countries with higher concentrations in mostly the developing countries in Africa, Asia, and South America (Hu, Han, & Zhang, 2020; Kannan, 2014).…”