Ulan Bator, Dec 13
Overnight temperatures dropped to a bone-chilling minus 42 degrees Celsius in Otgon soum, an administrative subdivision of Zavkhan province in western Mongolia, from Thursday to Friday, according to the country's weather monitoring agency.
This marks the coldest temperature recorded in Mongolia so far this winter, the National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring announced in a statement on Friday. The agency has forecasted that most parts of Mongolia will experience colder-than-average temperatures throughout the winter, Xinhua news agency reported. Mongolia is known for its harsh winters, heavily influenced by the Siberian high-pressure system.
Last winter, nearly all 21 provinces of the country endured extreme wintry conditions, known locally as "dzud," accompanied by record snowfall, the largest since 1975. Around 90 percent of the country's territory was covered in snow up to 100 centimeters thick, leading to the death of approximately 8 million livestock. "Dzud" is a Mongolian term describing a severe winter during which large numbers of livestock perish due to frozen or snow-covered grazing lands.
Last week, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added Mongolia's Mongol nomad migration and its associated practices to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. According to a statement from the country's Ministry of Culture, Sports, Tourism and Youth, UNESCO's decision was made during the 19th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, taking place in Asuncion, the capital city of Paraguay, from Dec. 2 to 7.
Mongolian nomadic culture is rooted in the interdependence between pastures, livestock, and herders, with herder families moving between pastures to give the earth time to rejuvenate, as noted by UNESCO. The migration process is steeped in tradition. The head of the household determines the date for relocation, and the entire family contributes to the preparations, which include cleaning the area and readying the animals, said UNESCO.
A unique aspect of this cultural heritage is the role of the wife, who dresses in her finest attire and leads the migration as a gesture of gratitude and respect for Mother Nature, according to UNESCO.