{"id":27640,"date":"2026-02-27T12:14:55","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T11:14:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.niku.no\/?p=27640"},"modified":"2026-02-27T12:17:39","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T11:17:39","slug":"mongolian-herders-face-new-challenges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.niku.no\/en\/2026\/02\/mongolian-herders-face-new-challenges\/","title":{"rendered":"Mongolian Herders Face New Challenges \u2014 Cooperation Is Key to Overcoming Them\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n
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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\tModern Mongolian herders<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\tMost herders use motorbikes to herd their animals, although some still rely on horses. The whole family takes part, and different herding families often take turns watching over the livestock. Photo: Guro Lovise Hole Fisktj\u00f8nmo\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t

Mongolian Herders Face New Challenges \u2014 Cooperation Is Key to Overcoming Them\u00a0<\/h1>\r\n\t\t
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Complexity<\/a> —<\/span> Research<\/a><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t
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Mongolian herders work together in herding groups known as Khot ail, a form of cooperation that dates back to the 12th century. Today, this traditional system has gained renewed relevance as herders confront climate change and increasing urbanisation. <\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t

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Text by<\/p>\n\t\t\t\u2022<\/span>\n\t\t\t

Jorid Martinsen<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Published

\"The<\/a>
Versatile interviews<\/span>The findings are based on structured interviews that Fisktj\u00f8nmo conducted with Mongolian herders in the summers of 2024 and 2025. Photo: Randall Hyman<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
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As part of the research project Complexity<\/a><\/strong>, funded by the European union, a team from NIKU is studying forms of cooperation among pastoralists in regions around the world. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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A central question in the project is how large empires emerge from small herding groups \u2014 and to understand that researchers must first understand how these groups collaborate. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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This is what led Guro Lovise Hole Fisktj\u00f8nmo<\/a><\/strong> from NIKU to study the khot ail<\/em>, the traditional Mongolian herding groups. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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A High-Altitude Nation Shaped by Mobility<\/strong> <\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Mongolia is one of the world\u2019s most sparsely populated countries, with just 3.5 million inhabitants spread across vast areas. It borders Russia to the north and China to the south and southeast. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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In the summer of 2024, Fisktj\u00f8nmo conducted fieldwork in Bat-Ulzii in central Mongolia, and in the summer of 2025 she travelled to Tsagaannuur in the far north. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\"Bat-Ulzii<\/a>
Bat-Ulzii<\/span>Bat-Ulzii is located in the heart of Mongolia and is one of the two areas where Fisktj\u00f8nmo has carried out fieldwork. In the village at the end of the valley, where the herders have their summer pastures, there is a grocery shop, mobile coverage, a school, and a small emergency clinic. Increasing numbers of herders are moving closer to such villages, contributing to a growing concentration of herding households. Photo: Guro Lovise Hole Fisktj\u00f8nmo, NIKU<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
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\u201cAlthough the landscapes were similar in both locations \u2014 green river valleys and open plains \u2014 there were significant differences among the herders. In Tsagaannuur, herders were generally wealthier, lived more dispersed, and the wealth was more evenly distributed,\u201d she explains. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\"A<\/a>
Khot\u00a0ail<\/span>A Mongolian herding family usually has one or two\u00a0ger\u00a0(tents) that they live in and move between different seasonal pastures. Several herding families may belong to a\u00a0khot\u00a0ailand set up their\u00a0gers\u00a0close to one another.\u00a0Photo: Guro Lovise Hole Fisktj\u00f8nmo, NIKU<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
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Much of Mongolia lies at high altitude, with extensive plateaus and mountain ranges shaping the climate. Winters are long and dry, while summers are short and warm. In such conditions, pastoralism \u2014 moving livestock between seasonal pastures \u2014 is often the most viable way to raise animals. It is also a central part of Mongolian history and identity. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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A Herding Tradition That Has Endured for Centuries<\/strong> <\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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For centuries, nomadic households in Mongolia have formed flexible groups of two to ten families to share tasks such as herding, seasonal migrations, and childcare \u2014 the khot ail. This system resembles the siida structure in S\u00e1mi reindeer herding. With roots stretching back to the 1100s, it has survived wars and political upheavals. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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During the communist era, collectivisation caused the khot ail to disappear, but the system re-emerged when Mongolia transitioned to parliamentary democracy in 1990. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\"While<\/a>
Moving between seasonal pastures<\/span>While the\u00a0geris transported using a small lorry, the animals must be herded from the spring to the summer pastures. This can be a long journey lasting several days, and declining pasture quality makes the animals more vulnerable during the move. Photo: Guro Lovise Hole Fisktj\u00f8nmo, NIKU<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
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\u201cWe know little about how important khot ail is today. But after living with and speaking to Mongolian pastoralists, we see that the system is still very much alive,\u201d says Fisktj\u00f8nmo. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Shared Labour at the Heart of Herding Life<\/strong> <\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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The greatest advantage of khot ail is the ability to share labour-intensive tasks that are too demanding for a single family to manage alone \u2014 such as herding, slaughtering, shearing wool, or moving animals between pastures. Unlike S\u00e1mi reindeer herders in Norway, Mongolian herders keep mixed herds of up to five species. Cooperation allows them to divide the animals by species or age when needed. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u201cThe practical aspects of herding are where cooperation is most visible,\u201d Fisktj\u00f8nmo explains. \u201cAnd what we\u2019ve seen is that most herders belong to a khot ail.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/a>
Working together during shearing<\/span>Shearing\u00a0sheep is a\u00a0timeconsuming\u00a0task, and several herding families within a\u00a0khot\u00a0ai\u00a0often join forces and shear each flock in turn.\u00a0Photo: Guro Lovise Hole Fisktj\u00f8nmo, NIKU<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
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Within some families the cooperation also extends to childcare, milking, and processing animal products. The system is flexible and informal, adapting to needs and circumstances. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Fisktj\u00f8nmo\u2019s research shows that there is no single model for how a khot ail functions \u2014 the extent of cooperation, the tasks involved, and the number of families vary widely across regions and seasons. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u201cWe see that cooperation is important for herders, but it remains uncertain how essential the khot ail itself is for enabling that cooperation.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Climate Pressures and Social Change Threaten Pastoralism<\/strong> <\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Pastoralist livelihoods are under pressure from several directions. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u201cClimate change is causing drier pastures, winter storms, and longer springs \u2014 all of which negatively affect livestock survival.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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As grazing conditions deteriorate, many herders move closer to towns in search of better pastures. This leads to overgrazing and reduces opportunities for seasonal movement, which has long been crucial for ensuring enough fodder throughout the year. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/a>
Young herder<\/span>During the school year, children live closer to the school, but in the summer holidays they stay with their families and play an important role in getting all the daily tasks done \u2014 such as bringing the cows in from pasture for milking, as shown here. Photo: Guro Lovise Hole Fisktj\u00f8nmo, NIKU<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n
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Education has also become more important, often splitting families as children live in town with their mother or relatives during the school year. As a result, they participate less in daily herding activities. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u201cClimate change, urbanisation, and competition with agriculture and mining create major challenges for Mongolian herders \u2014 just as pastoralists worldwide are experiencing. Understanding how they cooperate is vital for safeguarding this way of life.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t

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Projects funded under Horizon Europe:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Council Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n

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Can Collaboration Secure the Future?<\/strong> <\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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In the face of climate change, overgrazing, and social transformation, cooperation appears to be the key. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u201cCollaboration between herding families seems essential, but the future depends on how herders adapt to new social and climatic conditions,\u201d says Fisktj\u00f8nmo.\u2019\u2019 <\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As part of the research project Complexity, funded by the European union, a team from NIKU is studying forms of cooperation among pastoralists in regions around the world.  A central question in the project is how large empires emerge from small herding groups \u2014 and to understand that researchers must first understand how these groups collaborate.  This is what led Guro Lovise… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"page-extended.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1891,189],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27640","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-complexity-high-north","category-research"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMongolian Herders Face New Challenges \u2014 Cooperation Is Key to Overcoming Them\u00a0 — Norsk institutt for kulturminneforskning<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" 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