Analysis of Effects of Education on Pastoral Disaster Avoidance Behaviors in Mongolia—Case Study of a Dzud in 2010, Dundgobi Pref., Mongolia—

Abstract

In Mongolia, dzuds have adverse effects on mobile pastoralism, which is a key industry. Previous studies have shown that otors, grazing trips that separate livestock from commonly used rangelands, mitigate the decline in livestock numbers caused by dzuds. Also, it has become clear that households that undertake otors have a large number of livestock. Although urban areas may have an impact on otors, empirical research was not enough. The survey were conducted on 148 herding households living near the largest city, Mandalgobi, in Dundgobi Pref. In summer–autumn of 2009, households with children attending school in Mandalgobi did not go on otors across prefectural boundaries. It is thought that they stayed around Mandalgobi due to changes in the children’s eating preferences and the parents wanting a more favorable education environment. In winter–spring of 2009–2010, households with a shortage of labor and nomadic experience did not go on long-distance otors. The shortage of labor made it difficult to move, and the shortage of nomadic experience made it difficult to make adjustments to rent winter shelter for the livestock. In the future, there will be a need for adjusting the educational environment to preferences, and supplementing the adjustments of herders.