Ulaanbaatar
Today- The international Day of Forests
Society
Ulaanbaatar, March 21, 2023 /MONTSAME/. Today, March 21s, is the International Day of Forests
and Mongolia is celebrating this day under the theme of “Healthy Forest for
Healthy People”.
The United
Nations General Assembly proclaimed March 21st the International Day of Forests
in 2012 to protect forest reserves and maintain ecological balance. Since 2015,
our country has been paying attention to raising awareness of the importance of
all types of forests and promoting them to people.
In order to
reduce desertification and climate change, every year, the second Saturdays of
May and October are celebrated as national tree planting days in Mongolia.
President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh has launched the “One Billion
Trees” national campaign, as a part of Mongolia’s commitment to the United
Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Under this national campaign, people and
enterprises are encouraged to plant 130 million trees annually and Mongolia is
aiming to achieve this target by 2030.
Mongolia has
about 18.5 million ha of forest land, which is home to different types of
animals and a source of livelihood for nomads, occupying about 10% of the
country’s total land area.
The forests are mainly located in the north-central part of Mongolia, forming a transition zone between the Great Siberian Taiga and the central Asian steppe desert. Due to the geographic location and extreme weather, Mongolian forests are deemed fragile ecosystems. In this regard, they are endangered by fire, pests, droughts, and other threats. According to the study, 1.1 billion trees are at risk of being destroyed by insects and pests in Mongolia.
