It rains less and less, rivers are drying out, and in the last few years harsh winters followed by long periods of drought have been recorded. The phenomenon of deserti cation due to temperature increase has remarkably intensi ed the progressive expansion of the Gobi desert. Most herds, which are the only asset of the nomadic population, cannot be fed due to the lack of grasslands, and this has already caused the death of thousands of livestock. Without animals, Mongolian are not able to eat, get dressed, warm up, build or move. Those who lost their cattle did not only lose their livelihood, but also the possibility of survival of the family itself. Thousands of Mongolian shepherds are therefore forced to move to the capital city of Ulan-Bator. The suburbs have become a tent area of impoverished people seeing from deserts and steppes, camped in precarious sanitary conditions, without access to safe drinking water or sanitation facilities.
The reportage “Artisanal gold mining” is part of a wider project called “Child survival in a changing climate” by Luca Catalano Gonzaga. This project, is carried out by Witness Image and financially supported by Nando and Elsa Peretti Foundation.
