Ulaanbaatar
National Forestry Forum taking place
Environment
Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ It was noted on November 9 at one of the thematic meetings of the National Forestry Forum that the annual average temperature in Mongolia has increased to 2.4 degrees Celsius and that there has been a 20 percent rise in winter precipitation and a 7 percent drop in summer precipitation.
Public and private partnerships, forestation and reforestation, desertification and land degradation, and the introduction of agroforestry are being discussed at the forum the Ministry of Environment and Tourism is organizing under the auspices of the President of Mongolia on November 8-15.
At the forum, researchers, private and public sector representatives, and specialists from 21 aimags are discussing how to successfully implement the ‘Billion Trees’ national campaign as well as research-based approaches to mitigate climate change and desertification.
The ‘Billion Trees’ campaign, which has been launched nationwide at the initiative of the President of Mongolia to fight desertification and land degradation in Mongolia, has moved to the center of attention of other countries as it has great significance not only nationally, but regionally and internationally.
The number of climate-related disasters has grown in the recent years. As of 2020, 76.9 percent (120.3 million hectares) of the total territory of Mongolia has been affected by desertification to a certain degree, of which 23 percent (around 30 million hectares) are affected by desertification at strong or very strong levels.
All stakeholders in the forestry sector including government organizations, associations, and non-governmental organizations will take part in the forum’s thematic meetings to successfully carry out the ‘Billion Trees’ campaign, launch nationwide action against desertification and land degradation, and coordinate cross sector efforts.
Minister of Environment and Tourism N.Urtnasan emphasized that the event aims at bringing legal reform to the forestry sector, ensuring sustainable forest management, having all stakeholders involved, finding solutions for better policy, and further implementing the decisions and recommendations made through discussions.
