MH0041
A dzud (a Mongolian term that describes ‘severe winter conditions’’, sometimes spelled zud) is a cold-season disaster in which anomalous climatic (i.e., heavy snow and severe cold) and/or land-surface (snow/ ice cover and lack of pasture) conditions lead to reduced accessibility and/or availability of forage/pastures, and ultimately to high livestock mortality during winter–spring. Severe dzuds (high mortality) result from a combination of growing-season drought and severe weather (Natsagdorj and Dulamsuren, 2001; Nandintsetseg et al., 2017, 2018a,b).