Education, Empowerment, and Preparedness: Mongolia’s Action Plan Against Winter Dzud
The Mongolian National Commission for UNESCO, with the support of UNESCO and in collaboration with the Sustainable Development Journalists Club, held an information session titled “Ready for Winter and Spring? – Educate, Empower, Ensure: Understanding and Preventing Dzud Disaster.” This meeting aimed to bolster preparations for the harsh winter season and emphasized the critical role of awareness.
Key Speakers and Highlights:
Professor Shahbaz Khan, Director of the UNESCO East Asia Regional Office, opened the session with a video message, urging the importance of accurate information and preparedness. He highlighted the role of journalists and policymakers in raising awareness about safeguarding education during extreme winters.
Brigadier-General B. Uuganbayar, Deputy Director of Mongolia's National Emergency Management Agency, discussed “Lessons Learned and Winter Preparations.” He detailed the agency’s proactive steps, including clearing 138,000 kilometers of roads to ensure access to essential services. He emphasized learning from past dzud disasters, citing massive livestock losses between 1999 and 2002, which deeply impacted herding communities.
Mr. Shahidul Islam, Associate Project Officer of UNESCO East Asia, reiterated UNESCO’s commitment to education continuity during natural disasters. He recommended creating Mongolian-language emergency education guidelines, training counselors, and empowering teachers. In collaboration with UNICEF, educational resources have been distributed to 26,000 children affected by drought to support continued learning at home.
The Mongolian National Institute of Education Research (MNIER) presented findings on dzud's impact on education, noting challenges like decreased student attendance, heating issues in schools, and limited water access.
Mr. G. Naranchuluun, Head of Animal Husbandry Policy at the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Light Industry, spoke about dzud’s role in urban migration, revealing that 728,000 people have moved to Ulaanbaatar in the past 30 years, with many families relocating due to livestock loss.
The National Agency of Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring forecasts a colder-than-average winter, with natural disasters expected to increase by 2050, underscoring the need for comprehensive winter readiness.
Through this gathering, Mongolia’s leaders emphasized coordinated efforts to protect lives, maintain educational access, and minimize economic impacts as severe winters become more frequent.