Ulaanbaatar
Permafrost Areas in Mongolia Halved
Environment
Ulaanbaatar, January 16, 2026 /MONTSAME/. Mongolia is one of the five countries with the largest permafrost coverage in the world, the Khuvsgul Lake Aegean River Basin Administration has reported.
Studies conducted in the 1970s found that permafrost covered 60 percent of Mongolia’s territory, but this figure has now fallen to 29 percent, decreasing by half. Permafrost is common in the mountainous regions of Khangai, Khuvsgul, Altai, and Khentii, as well as in major intermountain basins and valleys.
Permafrost is a layer of soil and rock that remains below 0°C for two or more consecutive years and contains moisture and ice underground. It is an important component of ecosystems, creating favorable conditions for the formation of groundwater and surface water sources and for biodiversity. In addition to balancing heat and moisture regimes in ecosystems, it serves as a natural “refrigerator” that preserves ancient animals and plants, archaeological finds, and burial sites. It also plays a key role in water resources and the formation of river and stream sources, as most rivers and streams in Mongolia originate in permafrost areas.
Therefore, it is important not to degrade the natural factors that protect permafrost forests, vegetation cover, moss, and stable moisture conditions, and to use pastures sustainably.
Permafrost is distributed in 48 countries worldwide.
