Disasters in Mongolia

Mongolia's main disaster risks vary by landscape, season, population density and infrastructure. Drought and dzud are widespread hazards in pastoral areas. A dry summer can reduce pasture and fodder, followed by snow, ice and extreme cold that prevent livestock from reaching food. During the 2023–2024 dzud, forecasts estimated possible losses of 14.3–15.4 million livestock, or 22.1–23.8% of the national herd. Early preparation can roughly halve the potential damage. Flooding is seasonal and particularly affects river valleys, ger districts and urban settlements around Ulaanbaatar. In 2025, automatic water-level and flow-speed measurements operated at 17 locations. Forest and steppe fires threaten people, livestock, settlements and infrastructure during dry spring and summer periods. Strong wind, snow and dust storms, extreme cold and drought can interrupt roads, communications, farming, herding and supply chains. Earthquakes are less frequent but can severely affect buildings and critical infrastructure, especially in historically more exposed western and central-western regions. Secondary hazards include fires, landslides and soil liquefaction. Mining, industrial, chemical and other technical accidents are locally concentrated; NEMA's Mining Rescue Department handles relevant specialist response. The Mongolian Law on Disaster Protection requires risk assessment, disaster plans, risk reduction, readiness, training, information sharing and records. Governors, administrations, legal entities and disaster protection units prepare plans covering prevention, readiness, search and rescue, mitigation, immediate reconstruction and humanitarian assistance. General risk assessments are carried out by territorial bodies and administrations, while detailed assessments require a licensed legal entity and are paid for by the responsible organization. Local organizations, legal entities, volunteers and citizens receive training at least annually; senior national officials receive training at least every two years. NEMA conducts inspections and exercises, and Belen Bai and belenbai.mn support preparedness. I-DSIS provides spatial risk information. Earthquake readiness receives particular attention in Ulaanbaatar. NEMA coordinates professional prevention, warnings, rescue, mitigation, immediate reconstruction, reserves, humanitarian logistics and the disaster database. The State Emergency Commission coordinates across sectors, reviews damage and needs, and supports national assistance. Governors at aimag, soum, capital-city, district, bag and khoroo levels organize local planning, resources, warnings, aid and assessments. The Government sets national policy, disaster criteria and emergency levels and can allocate national resources. Local emergency departments, professional services, volunteers, the Mongolian Red Cross, utilities and other critical-infrastructure organizations contribute according to their roles. The National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring (NAMEM, Цаг уур, орчны шинжилгээний газар) and the Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment (IRIMHE) monitor weather, water, agriculture and environmental conditions and issue forecasts and hazard warnings. Official information may appear through weather.gov.mn, NAMEM and IRIMHE, television, radio, social media, E-Mongolia and NEMA. Communication networks and media must transmit official warnings promptly and without charge. Access still depends on the hazard, channel and locality. Warning dissemination is strongly hazard-based and reactive, while operational Common Alerting Protocol use, agency integration and multi-stage impact-based dzud warnings remain limited. For an emergency, the response sequence is communication and warning, assessment of the affected zone, search and rescue, mobilization or evacuation, and mitigation. Emergency numbers include 101 and 105; E-Mongolia also offers an Emergency SOS selection for these services. A task force led by an NEMA officer directs operations in the affected area. Volunteers and citizens should follow task-force instructions rather than enter dangerous areas independently. Medical institutions must provide prompt care regardless of ownership, while detailed medical questions belong to health services. Authorities may evacuate people, livestock, other animals, property and museum or cultural assets to safe areas. Soum or district Emergency Commission heads decide local evacuation; higher commissions decide for an aimag or several soums or districts; the Government decides for national, capital-city or multi-aimag emergencies on the State Emergency Commission's proposal. Administrative units arrange accommodation and resettlement areas, while organizations and legal entities arrange temporary gathering areas. Orders must have a legal basis, remain necessary and time-limited, and respect rights as far as the emergency allows. Residents should follow official signals, local instructions and designated gathering-point information. Self-organized evacuation without reliable situational information can create additional danger. Disaster victims can receive necessary assistance and support. Governors organize financial, material and psychological assistance through local damage and needs assessments. The law does not create a blanket automatic compensation payment for every loss. Domestic humanitarian assistance follows Government procedures. International assistance requires assessment by the State Emergency Commission and a Government decision; the Mongolian Red Cross can receive, register, store, transport and distribute Red Cross and Red Crescent assistance. During the 2023–2024 dzud, assistance included fodder and hay, clearing roads and mountain passes, state and military resources, humanitarian aid and carcass disposal. In 2024, rapid-response teams worked across 21 aimags and 330 soums. People have rights to accurate safety information, necessary assistance and compensation or support in specified cases such as death, disability or complete loss of work capacity during disaster activities. Mobilized employees retain their wages, while unemployed people may receive assignment expenses under a Governor's decision. Duties include following the law and official orders, completing training, observing everyday safety and warning procedures, reporting hazards accurately and promptly, and paying costs caused by rule violations or false emergency calls. State budgets fund NEMA and national measures; local budgets fund local measures. The Government Special Fund and disaster reserve cover unforeseen immediate measures or shortages in planned disaster-protection budgets. Recovery spending is covered nationally by the Government and locally by Governors. Recovery normally proceeds through damage and needs assessment, mitigation, aid, restoration of services and infrastructure repair. Large distances, winter isolation and failures in supply or communications make local recovery capacity especially significant.