Mongolian herders enlist new tech against harsher, drier climate
An app is helping nomads track their livestock with a solar-charging GPS device attached to one animal per group as well as navigate extreme weather.
CHOYR, MONGOLIA – Mongolian herder Ganchimeg faced a desperate situation when her sheep wandered near a salt lake this summer, driven by hunger. With her traditional ger in the vast Gobi Desert, Ganchimeg expressed panic, fearing her flock would be destroyed if they drank the brackish water. However, thanks to the Hunu app, her husband intercepted the sheep in time, preventing a catastrophe.
This app, developed by 26-year-old Bilgudei Gankhulug, helps herders navigate the impacts of climate change and desertification. Bilgudei was inspired to create the app after witnessing the devastating effects of a 2024 dzud, where over 8 million livestock died due to extreme cold. The app uses GPS trackers, solar charging, and AI-powered weather updates to help herders make crucial decisions on where to move next.
Mongolia, with over 80% of its territory as rangelands, is particularly vulnerable to climate change and desertification, threatening the livelihoods of its nomadic population. Despite global agreements on financing for land restoration, there remain concerns about a massive funding shortfall. Bilgudei hopes to expand the Hunu app to Central Asian countries and has met with pastoralists from various regions at the COP17 conference.
However, skepticism remains among herders like Bolormaa Erdenee, who questions whether the true voice of nomadic herders reaches decision-makers.
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
