LIFE ON THE STEPPE

As I look at the vast expanse of the Mongolian steppe, I am overwhelmed by a feeling of freedom. This exciting feeling in front of these boundless space helps me to understand why some Mongolians shepherds are still strongly attached to their ancestral nomadic way of life.

In this way of life, the nomads depend entirely on their animals and are strongly attached to them, despite the harshness and the difficulties.

Unfortunately, this dependency makes them vulnerable. Following a series of very harsh winters, the nomads have lost more than two thirds of their herds. Unable to survive, they are compelled to leave these vast expanses to go and pitch their yurts on the polluted suburbs of the capital city where they hope to earn money quickly in order to buy cattle and go back to their pastoral life.

But for these deracinated men, this is often a difficult and disappointing. They have lost the fundamentals of their way of life perfect harmony with nature and may not be able to return to it. What does the future hold for the nomadic people ?

Arkhangai, Mongolia - 2011