Attachments
Executive Summary
This country book focusing on Mongolia is intended to be a reference for individuals deploying to conduct disaster preparedness engagements or disaster response operations in Mongolia, but it is not meant to be a checklist or manual for all disas- ter response operations. The research team con- ducted extensive research and analysis on existing Mongolian plans, policies, and capabilities related to disaster management and risk reduction. The team also reached out to United States Government (USG) stakeholders and open source research to compile this book.
Mongolia is exposed to a range of intersecting and complementary natural disasters that have dramatic impacts on the nomadic lifestyle and livelihoods of a large segment of the population. Mongolia’s disaster hazards are forcing changes on people who have relied on traditional forms of animal husbandry for food, income, and stability. As these changes exert influence on more of the population and cause people to move from rural areas to urban and peri-urban locations in search of work and support, Mongolia will see second- ary effects from population migrations, economic hardship, sanitation and hygiene problems, and infrastructure demands.
Mongolia has well-established assessments and plans to identify disaster hazards and to organize responses to disasters. However, resource constraints continue to be a problem in implementing disaster risk reduction programs in support of those plans and mechanisms. As a result, Mongolia remains largely dependent on external assistance for funding to promote advances in disaster risk reduction and response capabilities. Additionally, the complex nature of the natural hazards in Mongolia creates challenges in identifying which risk factor or hazard to address first. Mongolia faces development challenges as the population and economy struggle to adapt from traditional nomadic culture for food and livelihoods.
The quality and availability of infrastructure, utilities, and services drop off outside of urban areas. As herders contend with slowly but persistently shrinking grazing areas, more prevalent drought conditions, and growing deserts, the urbanization trend of recent years will continue and possibly grow, meaning that Mongolia will have to integrate a large population of nomads into urban environments. The conditions of population migrations, cultural shifts, and economic growth will pose challenges that make development gains vulnerable to disaster and humanitarian hazards.