January 4, State Emergency Commission 2016 EMERGENCY ASSESSMENT TEAM REPORT ON THE MISSION FOR EVALUATION OF THE WINTER CONDITIONS AND RISK ASSESSMENT Regarding the direction given by the Prime Minister of Mongolia, Emergency Assessment Teams to examine the winter conditions, conduct disaster risk assessments in 21 aimags and solve some urgent issues on the site, established under the Order of the Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia and Chairperson of the State Emergency Commission, had a mission from 16 December to 28 December 2015 in 21 aimags. The first team headed by Colonel M.Enkh-Amar, a Secretary of the State Emergency Commission, worked in Uvurkhangai, Bayakhongor, Gobi-Altai, Khovd, Bayan-Ulgii, Uvs, Zavkhan, Arkhangai, Khuvsgul, Bulgan, Orkhon, Selenge and Darkhan-Uul aimags. The second team headed by Colonel Ts.Ganzorig, a Deputy Chief of NEMA, worked in Khentii, Dornod, Sukhbaatar, Dornogobi, Umnugobi, Dundgobi, Gobisumber and Tuv aimags. In total, the both teams visited 91 soums of 21 aimags. The teams included the officials and experts from the line ministries and agencies such as State Emergency Commission, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ministry of Health and Sports, Ministry of Road and Transport, National Emergency Management Agency, General Police Department, Specialised Inspection Authotiry, Hydro-Meteorological and Environmental Research Centre, and Disaster Research Institute. During the mission, the meetings of the aimag emergency commissions were convened, the situation in the soums with deteriorating winter conditions was examined in the field, herding households were visited, assessment and conclusions were made on the operations of the local branches of the state reserves, thermotransmission lines, the preparedness of power stations and the outreach of herders on remote pasture lands by public and health services, examination of the work for clearing blocked roads and mountain passes was carried out, some issues were solved and necessary assignments and directions were given. The Emergency Commissions of aimags have implemented winter preparations in accordance to the Government Resolution #292 of 2015, made adjustments in their emergency preparedness plans, made lists of expectant mothers, children under 5, elderly people and persons with disabilties, transferred 1 January 4, State Emergency Commission 2016 soon-due pregnant women to the administrative centres and no maternal and infant mortality has been encountered. Although Bayankhongor, Bulgan, Zavhan, and Uvs aimags that had dry and drought conditions during the summer managed to reserve certain amount of hay and fodder, there is a need in additional hay and fodder supply due to excessive snowfall. The preconditions for the current hard winter situation were dry and drought situation during the summer leading to poor vegetation growth and low yield in hay-making, exceedance of carrying capacity of the pasture land, prolonged rain and snowfall in some aimags in October, snow melting and turning into ice due to recurrent warming after the onset of the winter, and frost on the soil and in the air for many days (-50C on the soil and -30/-35C in the air in Zavkhan aimag). The following issues are common in all aimags: - because of lack of vehicles for health, ambulance and emergency services in some soums, the emergency units, police, ambulance and meteorologists have often to borrow the vehicle of the governor’s office or use the private vehicles of their employees. Delivering ambulance services to the dwellers of some soums in the western aimags with mountainous landscape has become extremely difficult with lack of vehicles. - because of insufficient budget and finances in Zavkhan, Khovd and Khuvsgul aimags, there are out-standing debts between local agencies and gas stations. - because of shortage of cash in herders, there is a request to provide a nationwide policy facilitating sales of meat and livestock. (the meat price fell down to MNT2500 per kg for mutton and MNT1900 per kg for goat meat in Gobi-Altai and Zavkhan aimags). - There is a request to facilitate in the solution of the debt issues with “Azza” companies related with the road repairs. E.g., “Gobi-Altai Azza” Company still hasn’t received its road repairs fees of MNT 183,0 mln. Also there are outstanding debts amounting MNT114,0 mln to gas stations, social insurance and taxation. A request was given to the Ministry of Road and Transport to solve the financial issues, workers have not received their wages since November, thus it will be problematic to recruit working forces in case of deterioration of the conditions on the roads. In Bayan-Ulgii aimag, there are outstanding debts of MNT 80,0 mnl to “Zhol” LLC. Also it was appealed to the State Emergency Commission to take into consideration the issue of establishing an operative team to keep mountain pass Zeegt open from November till April and to 2 January 4, State Emergency Commission 2016 communicate with the Ministry of Road and Transport. The road of this mountain pass was given into exploitation in April last year for international communications and it connects between town Ulgii and Tsagaannuur soum. - the administration of Gurbanbulag soum of Bayankhongor aimag demanded from herders of Zavkhan aimag migrating for remote pasture MNT800 per large animal and MNT80 per ovine/caprine as pasture fees, thus creating a difficult situation for the migrant herders. The local legal agencies were tasked to explore this incident and bring about a solution. - the cables connecting between the meteorological agencies and power hubs of Bayan-Ulgii, Gobi-Altai abd Zavkhan aimags have been worn out, there are difficulties in broadcasting weather forecasts because of missing repairs; the experts have no vehicles to control their territories of coverage and they also experience shortage of fuel. - the commanders and staff of the armed forces, border troops, emergency department and police in Bayan-Ulgii aimag experience difficult social conditions. The chiefs of the special agencies tasked to ensure national security are renting with their families apartments with monthly rent of MNT 250000 and this issue needs to be addressed. - the administration of Zavkhan aimag and the administration of Tudevtei soum have been repeatedly requesting to inlcude the storehouse and shed for storing hay and fodder currently used for aimag security reserves in the strictly confidential resolution of the Government for 2016-2020 as a state reserve. - It was found that one of the three positions of the staff at the soum veterinary and zootechnical units in some aimags such as Bulgan and Khuvsgul was removed under pretext of economies of budget. The governors of these aimags were warned not to repeat these mistakes in future. - delivery of health and welfare services to herders and inhabitants as well as the pasture conditions in the aimags with dzud and possible dzud situations are getting difficult as they are beginning experiencing shortage in hay and fodder. This is presenting a risk of further deterioration of the winter conditions and may lead to loss of livestock. Thickening and hardening of the snow cover in some aimags is causing wounds and inflammation in the snouts and hooves of ovine and caprine animals. The teams of the State Emergency Commission reminded to the aimag emergency commissions that the funds allocated by resolution #480 of 14 December 2015 of the Government of Mongolia should be spent for overcoming the winter/spring of 2015-2016. Also it was strictly instructed to distribute the free 3 January 4, State Emergency Commission 2016 hay and discount fodder provided by the State reserves under close monitoring in presence of the representatives of the aimag emergency authorities, police and specialised control authorities. An individual meeting was carried out with the governor of each aimag concerning the funds or reserves required for overcoming the winter/spring difficulties in the aimags with dzud and near-dzud conditions collecting their opinions. They were confident to fully overcome potential difficulties in case of timely solution of their problems and provision of the necessary funds/reserves. As a result of the field visits under Government Resolution #286, the assessment teams of the State Emergency Commission concluded that 50 soums of 16 aimags – Arkhangai, Bayankhongor, Bayan- Ulgii, Bulgan, Gobi-Altai, Dornod, Dornogobi, Dundgobi, Zavkhan, Umnugobi, Sukhbaatar, Selenge, Khovd, Khuvsgul, Khentii and Uvs – are in snowy dzud conditions and 120 soums of 20 aimags are in near-dzud conditions as for the 28th of December of 2015. If additional snow falls in Tuv aimag, 11 soums under near-dzud conditions are at risk to shift into dzud conditions. The winter conditions in Darkhan-Uul, Gobisumber, Uvurkhangai, and Orkhon aimags are reported to be normal. 4 January 4, State Emergency Commission 2016 Annex 1 Assessment of the winter conditions under Government Resolution #286 of 2015 (28th of December of 2015) # Aimags Soums with snowy dzud Soums with near-dzud conditions with snow Tariat Undur-Ulaan Chuluut 1 Arkhangai Khangai Tsahir 2 3 Ulaankhus Altantsugts Bugat Bulgan Bayan-Ulgii Dayan 2 Tsagaannuur Nogoonnuur Sagsai Tsengel 2 7 Bayanbulag Bayan-Ovoo Galuut Bayanlig Jargalant Buutsagaan 3 Bayankhongor Gurbanbulag Zag Ulziit Erdenetsogt 4 6 Bayan-Agt Gurbanbulag Mogod Teshig Saihan 4 Bulgan Selenge Rashaant Khangal 1 7 Biger Delger Tonhil 5 Gobi-Altai Tseel Khaliun Kkøhmorit Tsogt 5 January 4, State Emergency Commission 2016 Chindamani