National parks and biodiversity
There are four different types of protected areas in Mongolia, with different levels of protection: strictly protected areas, national parks, nature reserves and natural monuments.
Mongolia thus combines strictly protected areas, where ecosystems are particularly fragile, with national parks, which have a more educational and, in some cases, recreational dimension, offering a wide range of activities (hiking, climbing, etc.). These include
Gurvan Saikhan National Park. Located in the south of the country, it protects the Gurvan Saikhan mountains in the Gobi-Altai range. The park is renowned for its picturesque "singing sands" (Khongoryn Els dunes). It is home to a remarkable diversity of flora and fauna, including the emblematic snow leopard, and almost two-thirds of its plants are endemic.
Gorkhi-Terelj National Park. Situated close to the capital, this park offers a number of outdoor activities and is home to a wide variety of natural environments: steppes, forests, rivers and singularly shaped rocks. The Gunj temple, built in the 18th century, lends the park a historic dimension.
Khomyn Tal National Park: created in 2020, this park is home to Przewalski's horses, an endangered species that has been reintroduced and is being scientifically monitored by France and Mongolia.
Protected areas have undergone significant development since the opening up of the market economy, although it should be noted that since the 13th century there have been sacred areas where certain human activities were prohibited (hunting and logging). In the 18th century, the world's "first official declaration" of a protected area was made, namely the sacred Bogd Khan mountain. Since 1996, the Bogd Khan Uul Biosphere Reserve (classified by UNESCO) has been one of the country's strictly protected areas.
Threats to biodiversity include the over-exploitation of certain resources, including medicinal plants. The fall of the USSR led to a return to ancestral medicines, which, with the advent of the market economy, led to excessive harvesting of medicinal plants, some of which are now under threat. Tourism can also contribute to the decline in biodiversity. Visitors should be encouraged to comply with environmental regulations, to refrain from harvesting plants and, more generally, to use resources (such as water and energy) wisely. A "zero waste" approach can also be adopted to avoid contributing to environmental pollution, as well as a low-carbon approach(agirpourlatransition.ademe.fr/).
Pastoralism in crisis and rural exodus
Livestock farming, the ancestral way of life of nomadic populations, is experiencing a number of difficulties. These difficulties are due to a combination of factors. The transition to a market economy, following the collapse of the USSR, has changed farming practices. Herds grew in size, putting pressure on the natural environment. This overgrazing has been compounded by the introduction of cashmere goats on farms. Goats threaten grazing areas by pulling up plant roots. Another factor is climate change, which is reflected in the greater frequency and intensity of extreme events, such as dzud (or züd), which designates particularly cold winters preceded by very hot summers, resulting in grass that is inaccessible to livestock, buried under a thick layer of snow, a phenomenon that causes significant livestock mortality. One million head of cattle were lost in 2018, and more than 4 million in the winter of 2023-2024. Faced with this situation, herders are leaving the steppe and their way of life, in search of better opportunities in the capital. Climate change is also very noticeable in the north of the country, inhabited by Tsaatan reindeer herders. Global warming is disrupting tundra ecosystems, a source of food for the reindeer. The Tsaatan are also forced to move, in search of snow-covered areas in summer that provide livable conditions for the reindeer, but the snow is melting, threatening the reindeer and the survival of the populations.
Desertification and deforestation
As mentioned above, desertification is partly the result of livestock farming practices. Ancestral pastoralism, respectful of the environment and wide open spaces, has been replaced by the introduction of larger herds, which have exerted pressure on the steppe. To this overgrazing has been added the introduction of cashmere goats, for an international market, including in Europe, which has been particularly buoyant in recent years. The goats, whose herd ratio has increased from one goat for every three sheep to one goat for every sheep, contribute to the degradation of the environment by uprooting plants. Climate change is also exacerbating the desertification of the region, leading to a reduction in water reserves as a result of lower rainfall. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), almost 70% of grazing land is affected by these problems. In response to this situation, "sustainable cashmere chains" are emerging, which include ecological restoration of the environment, reduction of herd size and water consumption, and assistance to herders to maintain their incomes. Organizations such as the UNDP are also involved in sustainable livestock farming projects. In particular, the UNDP has developed a platform for exchanges between the various players in the cashmere industry: http://sustainablecashmereplatform.com. As consumers, we can also take action at our own level, by making enlightened purchasing decisions, in particular by choosing suppliers with environmental and social traceability.
Deforestation is also a major ecological issue in Mongolia, linked to human practices (logging without "sustainable" management, which also leads to erosion), forest fires and climate change. In 2000, Mongolia was 7% forested (notably in the northern taiga, with larch and pine forests). Between 2000 and 2012, the country lost 4,676 km2 of forest (net deforestation rate).
Ulaanbaatar facing air pollution
The capital is now home to half the population. Many nomads swell the shantytowns on the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar, where they set up their yurts. Conditions are precarious, with no water supply. Heating is a particularly sensitive issue. The inhabitants, living in poorly insulated yurts, are forced to use large quantities of coal for heating. The resulting pollution levels far exceed the threshold values recommended by the World Health Organization. The result is respiratory illnesses, particularly affecting children. Some schools are forced to close, sometimes for more than a month. Other parents are forced to send their children, sometimes over a thousand kilometers away, to escape this noxious air. Faced with this situation, NGOs and institutions such as Unicef are carrying out projects to combat air pollution. For example, they are helping to improve the insulation of yurts. For its part, the government has introduced regulations concerning emitting industries (including thermal power plants and mines), and announced resources for alternative energies. It also banned the use of coal for heating in 2018, to no avail, as well as the settlement of new residents in the capital in 2018 and 2020. The latter measure, however, is unlikely to be renewed. In fact, two international studies have highlighted the fact that this ban in no way solved the issue of the exodus to the capital, contributing on the contrary to making it more difficult for new arrivals to integrate, and showing on the other hand that settling in the city offered them more opportunities.
Impacts of the extractive industry
The country's subsoil is particularly rich in minerals, including coal, gold and copper. The country has one of the world's largest known reserves of high-quality coal, mined in the Talvan Tolgo mine, as well as gold and copper, in the newly-mined Oyu Tolgoi mine. However, the mining processes involved have significant environmental and health impacts. Highly water-hungry, mining is responsible for diverting watercourses, drying out certain areas and increasing the difficulties faced by livestock farmers. The use of heavy metals (cyanide, mercury) contaminates the environment, threatening the entire food chain. Given that the jewelry industry is the world's largest consumer of gold, this can make us reflect on our consumption choices and alternative solutions, such as recycling materials. Faced with this situation, local populations are getting organized. The "River Movements" organization, which brings together cattle breeders, has succeeded in having mining permits suspended thanks to its activism.
