Locations
Mongolian Herders Are Reinventing Their Future in a Changing Climate
In a world where climate change is accelerating faster than many communities can adapt, the remote highlands of Mongolia offer an unlikely—but powerful—lesson in resilience. Here, one of the world’s last nomadic cultures is not only fighting to survive, but to transform tradition into a force for sustainable change.
Among them are Naranbaatar and Baasanjargal, a seasoned herder couple who have spent nearly three decades navigating the unforgiving winters of Mongolia’s mountainous steppes.
Naranbaatar and Baasanjargal outside their home.
“We can no longer depend on the pasture alone to ensure the survival of our livestock,” Naranbaatar says quietly, a look of deep concern crossing his face. “The pasture is rapidly deteriorating.”
Mongolia is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change. Rising temperatures, extreme weather, and degraded pastures are threatening one of the world’s last nomadic cultures. But the story unfolding in these mountains offers a powerful message of hope: that resilience lies not in resisting change, but in responding to it with courage, cooperation, and creativity.
While many herders have stopped making the long winter journey, this couple continues to use a traditional wooden chariot pulled by cattle—a disappearing practice that allows them to reach high-altitude areas with better vegetation, inaccessible by modern vehicles, and to stay close to their animals. That closeness, combined with their hard work and dedication, helped them endure the recent dzud—Mongolia’s increasingly severe winter disasters—with minimal livestock losses, even as others faced devastating outcomes.
Still, tradition alone is no longer enough. The couple is now part of a growing movement of herders reinventing their future in the face of climate change.
With support from UNDP’s ENSURE project, funded by the Global Environment Facility and implemented with the Government of Mongolia, they joined a five-member herder group focused on building collective resilience. Today, they are part of a growing network of 225 herder groups—spanning four provinces of the project and reaching more than 1,300 households. With small grants, training, and technical support, these groups are demonstrating that low-cost, locally led solutions can deliver real, measurable results—one that can inspire similar shifts in other climate-vulnerable regions around the world.
Together, they pool resources, use their pastures sustainably, and grow their own hay and fodder—often a major expense when purchased externally. A small grant from the project helped them purchase essential feed and supplies. But instead of using it once, they are planning to use it as a revolving fund—reinvesting profits from cashmere and meat sales to sustain and grow their efforts. Their next goal: install an irrigation system in their fenced pastureland.
But it is not just the structures or the shared resources that have made the biggest impact—it is the knowledge. At a training organized by the ENSURE project two years ago, Naranbaatar learned how to prepare nutrient-rich animal feed that has since transformed the quality of his livestock.
“I brought back a nearly dying calf from death’s grasp by using the special feed we prepared,” he says with a proud smile. “Now, I even take the feed with me when I go on otor – long journey to relocate to a better pasture. It makes a difference, especially when the animals are weak.”
This special feed is an innovative method of mixing plants and grasses that are typically considered low-quality or waste. Combined with salt and whey milk, the mixture is stored in dug-out pits, which preserve the freshness and enhance the nutritional value of the feed—making it a highly effective and essential source of nourishment for animal survival.
This winter, for the second year in a row, he significantly increased the production of the feed. His neighbors noticed the change in his livestock and have asked them to teach them the technique. Always willing to share, the couple also became unexpected teachers in the mountains.
"What we are seeing through the ENSURE project intervention is a powerful reminder that real, lasting change starts at the community level. We are inspired by the herders’ leadership and deeply encouraged by their strong commitment to shaping solutions together. Their buy-in is not only driving results—it’s showing the world how locally led action can build resilience in the face of climate change" says Matilda Dimovska, UNDP Resident Representative in Mongolia.
Perhaps the most transformative shift, however, came through a difficult but deliberate decision: reducing his livestock by nearly 60 percent—not due to loss, but by choice. “Climate change has forced us to think differently,” he says. “The land cannot support the same numbers anymore.”
Naranbaatar and Baasanjargal reduced their livestock by nearly 60 percent by choice.
In fact, under the ENSURE project, more than 1,300 herder households signed Pasture User Agreements with local authorities, committing to reduce their livestock numbers each year. On average, they reported annual reductions of over 10 percent across the board—significantly easing the pressure on already degraded pastures.
Globally, the climate crisis is forcing rural communities to rethink how they live, grow food, and earn a living. For Mongolian herders, resilience is not just about surviving the next dzud. It is about building smarter systems, sharing knowledge, and protecting a centuries-old way of life by preparing it for tomorrow.
Naranbaatar and Baasanjargal are already planning ahead—expanding their fenced pasture, improving feed quality, and intensifying cattle breeding for both dairy and meat. And though their four daughters are still in school, they quietly hope one of them will carry forward this evolving tradition.
For many Mongolian herders, this is more than a livelihood—it is a legacy worth preserving.
"The resilience of our herder communities in the face of climate change is rooted in their deep connection to the land. But for these efforts to grow and endure, sustained international support remains essential. Together—with our communities and global partners like UNDP—we can scale these solutions and build a more secure, climate-resilient future for Mongolia" says Uranchimeg Tserendorj, Director General of Natural Resources Policy and Coordination Department with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.
As climate impacts deepen, Mongolia’s herders are not waiting—they are leading. With continued international support, their example can help guide climate adaptation far beyond their mountain steppes, showing the world what resilience truly looks like on the ground.
