Mongolia in Perspective

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Chapter 1: Assessment

1. A zud is a natural disaster that occurs during some severe Mongolian winters
   when heavy snowfall or ice limits the amount of grazing land.

TRUE

In zud winters, heavy snow or frozen films of ice following premature thaws can lead
to a lack of grazing land, causing catastrophic livestock losses.

2. Ulaanbaatar often suffers from severe air pollution during the summer.

FALSE

A variety of sources produce dangerous amounts of air pollution in Ulaanbaatar
during the winter months. These include the black fumes from coal-burning stoves
used to heat gers (felt-lined tents used as traditional Mongolian housing).

3. All of Mongolia’s rivers eventually drain into the Pacific Ocean.

FALSE

Mongolia’s rivers flow in three different directions: northward to rivers draining into
the Arctic Ocean, eastward to rivers that flow into the Pacific Ocean, and southward
into desert basins with no outlets to the sea.

4. The major cause of Mongolia’s desertification is the clear cutting of forests.

FALSE

Overgrazing by a rapidly growing livestock population has caused roughly 70% of
Mongolia’s pastures to be degraded. In marginal pasturelands in arid and semi-arid
regions, overgrazing is the most critical human-induced factor in the increasing
amount of land lost to desertification.

5. Mongolia’s average elevation is one of the highest among the nations of the
   world.

TRUE

With an average altitude of 1,580 m (5,180 ft), Mongolia is one of the world’s highest
countries.