Ulaanbaatar
Protection Works Started at Lake Ugii
Society
Ulaanbaatar, June 4, 2024 /MONTSAME/. Following the directives of President of Mongolia Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, a joint working group comprising officials from the Office of the President, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism of Mongolia, the National Emergency Management Agency, the Water Agency of Mongolia, the Governor of Arkhanagai aimag worked at Lake Ugii.
The working group decided some measures should be taken to protect the Lake including pulling out the large number of fishnets that were left on the bottom of Lake Ugii; improving the inward water flow of Orkhon River into Lake Ugii; fencing marshy areas of Orkhon River and Khooloi River that inward to Lake Ugii and protecting them; and replanning Lake Ugii shore areas to prevent from pollution by humans. Thus, optimal practices following at Lake Ganga, and Lake Khuvsgul will be implemented at the Ugii Lake.
Beautiful Lake Ugii located in the northeast of Ugiinuur soum, Arkhangai aimag is a freshwater lake crucial in the central region of Mongolia. The Lake’s shore length is 24.7 kilometers, the maximum depth is 15.3 meters, while almost half the lake is less than 3 meters (10 ft) deep and the water volume is 171 million cubic meters.
The lake, designated as a Ramsar Site of International Importance, is known for its fish and birdlife. It is a stopover point for migrating waterbirds of the family Anatidae. Lake Ugii is also included in the Northeast Asian Network to Protect Ducks, an international cooperation program to protect the habitats of the species of geese and ducks, which fly through the Asia Pacific region. According to the studies conducted from 2005 to 2006, a total of 266 species of plants, 20 species of mammals, 15 species of fish, and 89 species of water insects were identified and registered in and around Lake Ugii. The area has been under special local protection since 2006.
However, since 2014 due to various factors, Lake Ugii has been polluted and its ecosystem began to be vividly degraded. Especially, fish hunting is a pressing issue at the lake. While the lake had an abundant resource of fish a few years ago now it has dramatically reduced. Therefore, local citizens proposed to take urgent measures such as defining the fish resource in the lake, prohibiting livestock entrance and boats in the lake, and establishing protection fences.
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