This study reports on in-depth casestudies of dzud (extreme cold weather during winter,subsequent to a very dry summer) impacts and responses.Focus groups, key informant interviews, a household survey,and photovoice, were used to document individual andcommunity experiences with dzud, and identify the factorsthat make some households and communities more vulnerable,and some less vulnerable, to the impacts of dzud, and thestrategies that were most effective in responding to dzud.It was found that dzud is a complex, social-ecologicalphenomenon, and vulnerability to dzud is a function ofinteracting physical, biological, socio-economic, andinstitutional factors.Vulnerability is affected by bothlocal and cross-scale factors.Actions that are adaptiveand reduce vulnerability for one group at one spatial ortemporal scale, may be mal-adaptive and increasevulnerability for another group, or at a different scale.Communities that are well prepared for dzud at the householdlevel may suffer disproportionate losses if exposure isincreased by in-migrating livestock from other areas. Thelessons of dzud for actors at all levels of socialorganization, point to the need for increased responsibilityand leadership by individual actors, be they households,herder groups, or local governments, as well as the criticalimportance to all actors (including donor and aidorganizations) of reaching out, communicating andcooperating with others within and across sectors and scales.
PDF
download
878987797
028-85220240
