Ulaanbaatar, October 2, 2025 /MONTSAME/. The project “Ensuring Mongolia’s Ecosystem Resilience and Stability,” a seven-year initiative funded by the Global Environment Facility and jointly implemented by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Light Industry, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) from 2019 to 2025, has been concluded.

The project focused on reducing forest degradation, conserving biodiversity, and promoting sustainable livelihoods across some of Mongolia’s most ecologically significant and climate-vulnerable areas. These included the Sayan-Khangai Mountain Range covering the Tarvagatai and Bukhmurun Mountains and the Southern Gobi region, spanning the Ulaan Shalyn Valley and Zakhui-Zarmanguin Gobi.

At the closing workshop, held on September 29 in Ulaanbaatar, more than 100 participants, including government officials, local authorities, scientists, civil society organizations, private sector representatives, and the project beneficiaries, reviewed the project’s outcomes, shared lessons from the field, and discussed ways to sustain its achievements through strengthened collaboration and partnerships.

The project significantly expanded Mongolia’s network of protected areas, bringing 1.2 million hectares across 20 sites under state protection, moving the country closer to its goal of safeguarding 30 to 35 percent of its territory by 2030–2050. It restored habitats for rare and endangered species, including the Siberian ibex, red deer, Mongolian marmot, and red squirrel. At the same time, the project introduced innovative pasture management practices that reduced livestock numbers in project areas by 30 percent without harming herders’ incomes.

Furthermore, the project strengthened the legal and institutional framework for environmental conservation and enhanced the capacity of local authorities and communities to manage natural resources sustainably.

At the event, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Batbaatar Bat highlighted the project’s role in advancing Mongolia’s green development agenda, stating, “By expanding protected areas, restoring rare species, and introducing innovative pasture management practices, we are laying the foundation for a greener, more resilient Mongolia that benefits both people and nature.”

Governors from Zavkhan, Gobi-Altai, Arkhangai, and Bayankhongor aimags, where the project was implemented, underscored the importance of continuing community-led conservation efforts, noting that they have strengthened both environmental protection and local resilience.

UNDP Resident Representative Matilda Dimovska noted, “The success of this project shows what is possible when governments, communities, and development partners work hand in hand. Protecting ecosystems while improving livelihoods is not only achievable but essential for building a sustainable future for Mongolia.”