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Desertification Threatens Mongolia's Pastures
A survey shows that Mongolia's pasture lands, especially those in the central regions of the country, are under serious threat of desertification due to overgrazing, Mongolia This Week reported on Tuesday.
According to the survey conducted by the Mongolian Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the average number of livestock per 100 hectare of grazing land has reached 56 from 43 in 1990. The increasing migration of herder families' to regions closer to urban areas, where they sustain their lifestyle based on animal husbandry, also accelerated the degradation of pastures.
The results show that Mongolia's livestock grew by one third during the period of 1993 and 1997 to reach nearly 33.5 million heads. However, the continuing snow disasters in the past two years resulted in a drop in the number of livestock in Mongolia, which fell by 10 percent to 30.2 million at the end of 2000.
Around 50 percent of the Mongolian population reportedly depends on income generated by animal husbandry, a sector claiming 30 percent in the nation's GDP, or 90 percent in national agricultural production.
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