LocationsFor a Thriving Mongolia: The Fight Against Biodiversity Loss, Climate Change, and Desertification
October 20, 2024
As the world prepares for three landmark UN Conferences of the Parties (Tri-COP)—focused on tackling biodiversity loss, climate change, and desertification—the harsh realities of these interconnected crises are deeply felt by the people of Mongolia. These challenges do not just pose isolated threats; they are deeply intertwined, with wide-ranging consequences for the nation's economy, environment, and future development. Addressing them requires a holistic approach that recognizes their complexity and seeks integrated solutions.
Mongolia’s escalating environmental crises are neither distant nor abstract. For many, particularly herders, the pasturelands that once sustained their livestock are deteriorating under the combined pressures of desertification, overgrazing, and a rapidly warming climate. The signs are all around: dried-up riverbeds, shrinking pastures, and expanding desert sands. For communities dependent on the land, these changes represent a daily struggle that threatens not only their livelihoods but also their way of life.
As a trusted partner for nearly five decades, UNDP is working closely with the Government of Mongolia and international partners in developing integrated solutions that address these challenges as a whole, ensuring that Mongolia can thrive while building resilience to future crises.
With support from the Global Environment Facility, UNDP is safeguarding the musk deer through targeted conservation efforts.
Biodiversity Protection: Preserving Life in Fragile Ecosystems
Mongolia’s diverse ecosystems harbor unique flora and fauna, but factors such as agricultural expansion, mining, infrastructure development, and climate change are pushing its biodiversity to the brink. For rural communities, protecting biodiversity is not just about conserving wildlife—it’s about securing their own future.
With support from partners such as the European Union, the Government of Germany, and the Government of Canada, UNDP has been instrumental in increasing biodiversity financing through the implementation of the Natural Resource Use Fee Law, which channels revenues from natural resource use fees into environmental protection and rehabilitation. It was estimated that the successful enforcement and effective implementation of the law would generate an additional US$ 5-6 million per year for environmental protection annually. However, the project intervention has been leading to the exceed of the expectations; the projection for the environmental expenditure reached as high as US$ 22.4 million for the fiscal year of 2024.
Mongolia’s commitment to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework highlights its responsibility to safeguard its biodiversity. In line with this, UNDP, with support from the Global Environment Facility, is assisting in the development of the third National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, aimed at reversing biodiversity loss and addressing its underlying causes.
Furthermore, the musk deer, once on the verge of extinction in its natural habitat, is now roaming more freely in protected areas thanks to targeted conservation efforts. For local communities, the return of these animals symbolizes hope—that they too can thrive alongside a healthy, resilient environment.
“Wouldn’t it be better to take your children and show them the actual animal in the wilderness instead of having them read about this animal that once lived on Earth?” asks Galdanjamts, a local ranger who has spent years protecting the musk deer.
UNDP Resident Representative Matilda Dimovska echoes this sentiment: “Biodiversity is the thread that holds ecosystems together. When we lose species, we lose more than wildlife—we lose the foundation for life in countless communities. Our work in Mongolia is about promoting a way of living that is in harmony with the nature, ensuring that people and wildlife can thrive side by side."
During the last dzud, Mongolia lost over 13% of its entire livestock population.
Climate Change: Adapting and Building Resilience for the Future
Mongolia has experienced a 2.46°C increase in average temperatures over the past 80 years, making it one of the countries most affected by climate change. These rising temperatures have had severe effects on agriculture, especially animal husbandry, a key pillar of the economy. Climate change has exacerbated land degradation, water scarcity, and the frequency of harsh winters known as “dzud” that devastate livestock populations.
In response, UNDP, with support from the Green Climate Fund, the Government of Germany, and the European Union, is supporting Mongolia through a range of targeted adaptation and mitigation measures to build resilience and safeguard the livelihoods of herders, and urban and rural communities.
UNDP is assisting Mongolia in revising its Nationally Determined Contribution and developing a Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy. The strategy aims to transition Mongolia’s economy to a low-emission, climate-resilient development, aligning short-term climate actions with long-term sustainability goals.
One major initiative is the Climate Risk Index and Early Warning System, which provides advanced climate forecasts and impact-based data to optimize pasture management and ensure the timely deployment of supplementary feed programs. This system helps herders and local authorities make informed decisions during harsh weather conditions, mitigating the devastating effects of climate-related disasters like dzuds.
Impact-based forecasting has been another effective solution, shifting the focus from predicting "what the weather will be" to anticipating "what the weather will do." This proactive approach allows herders to minimize losses and protect their livestock, making it an instrumental tool in preparing for climate disasters.
Latest studies have shown that 77% of Mongolia’s land has been affected by desertification.
Desertification: Battling Land Degradation and Restoring Vital Resources
Desertification is a growing threat in Mongolia, with 77% of the country’s land classified as degraded due to overgrazing, climate change, and unsustainable pasture practices. The rapid expansion of barren land is placing immense pressure on herders and communities who rely on these ecosystems for their livelihoods. To combat desertification, UNDP, with support from the Global Environment Facility and Green Climate Fund, is promoting sustainable water management, reforestation, and pasture management practices.
Water scarcity is a major consequence of desertification. Restoring riparian forests and replanting trees along vulnerable water basins help to protect biodiversity, improve water quality, and increase groundwater resources. These reforestation efforts also stabilize river flows, ensuring a more consistent water supply during harsh seasons. Additionally, UNDP is providing support to protect natural springs, construct wells, and install small-scale water harvesting structures in rural provinces to ensure access to clean water for people and livestock.
Pasture restoration is also at the heart of UNDP’s efforts to support Mongolia in combating desertification. Over 3,220 hectares of degraded land are being restored through pasture rotation systems and the establishment of hay and fodder reserves. These practices allow vegetation to regenerate, improving the overall health of the land and supporting sustainable livestock production.
As these integrated efforts unfold, the positive impact on local communities is becoming clear. Herder families, who once struggled with dwindling resources, are now seeing improved water availability, healthier pastures, and a more sustainable future for their livestock.
Mongolian countryside.
Interconnected Solutions for an Interconnected Crisis
As global leaders prepare for COP16 for Biodiversity, COP29 for Climate Change, and COP16 for Desertification, Mongolia’s story is a powerful reminder that these crises are deeply interconnected. Healthy ecosystems are vital for climate resilience, and sustainable land use is essential for protecting biodiversity. As UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed, “we are in a climate meltdown… No country is spared. But the poorest and most vulnerable are hardest hit.”
These challenges may affect us all and the impact is felt most acutely in Mongolia, but communities are already taking action to safeguard their future.
Mongolia’s herders and rural communities may be on the frontlines of the environmental crisis, but they are also at the forefront of change. For centuries, Mongolian nomads have lived in harmony with nature, embodying sustainable practices that not only preserved their environment but also offer valuable insights and solutions that could be adapted globally in the fight against climate change and environmental degradation. This could offer a vision of what a sustainable and resilient future could look like—not just for Mongolia, but for the entire planet.
In this spirit, Mongolia’s message to the world is clear: Now is the time to act to address these interlinked and interconnected challenges —together, we can build a future where both people and nature thrive. This is a future worth fighting for.
Related
content
content
