Historically, the Great Gobi Strictly Protected Area, located in the Gobi-Altai province, was designated as a national protected area in 1976.

The Gobi ecosystem here is home to an extraordinarily rare diversity of flora and fauna, recognized worldwide. Notably, in 1997, the Great Gobi Strictly Protected Area was listed in UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme, preserving a desert ecosystem with minimal human impact. It is the habitat for rare animals found only in Mongolia, and some even globally scarce species such as the Gobi bear, wild Bactrian camels, Mongolian wild ass, Przewalski's horse, black-tailed gazelle, argali, and ibex.

As a result of the protection efforts, the Gobi bear population has risen to around 50, and there are now over 600 wild Bactrian camels. There are 37 species of animals here in critical need of conservation, including argali, ibex, manul, and snow leopards. These species are exceptionally sensitive to disturbances: for example, wild Bactrian camels will detect sound from 10-20 kilometers away and can run continuously for 60-70 kilometers to escape, joining other camel herds along the way. The Gobi bear is also highly cautious and avoids humans and other animals. Thus, opening a port in this area would disrupt the habitats and migration routes of these sensitive species, experts warn.

The Naransevstein Port was initially opened in the Great Gobi Strictly Protected Area in 1992 but was soon closed due to its negative impacts. The opening drove endangered animals away, degrading their habitats, and illegal activities along the border surged. Yet now...

“THE NARANSEVSTEIN PORT WILL BE REVIVED”

The government’s 2024-2028 action plan includes a provision to reopen Naransevstein Port.

On August 12, 2024, the government submitted its 2024-2028 program to parliament was approved specifies plans to "Revive and reopen Naransevstein Port."

Experts’ Concerns: In 2008, the "Comprehensive Development Policy of Gobi-Altai Province" proposed exploiting the Taliin Meltes gold deposit with estimated reserves of 200-300 tons as a means to accelerate regional development. While past governments, including those of S. Bayar, N. Altankhuyag, and Ch. Saikhanbileg, tried to include this deposit in economic plans to address national economic difficulties, they met strong opposition. In 2009, environmental advocates and local residents resisted a joint government decision under S. Bayar to remove Khatansuudal (a copper and iron deposit) and Taliin Meltes (a gold deposit) from special protection.

The copper and iron deposit, Khatan Suudal and gold deposit Taliin Meltes are located in Great Gobi Strictly Protected Area

The copper and iron deposit, Khatan Suudal and gold deposit Taliin Meltes are located in Great Gobi Strictly Protected Area

Mongolia currently has 13 border ports spanning 4,709 kilometers, including two in Gobi-Altai: the Burgastai and Shiveekhuren ports. The renewed focus on Naransevstein port, located in a protected area with vulnerable wildlife, raises questions.

Environmental organizations and experts argue that it is impossible to build a road through the protected area to open this port. Burgastai Port connects with Altai City through Bugat, Tugrug, and Sharga soums, providing a more direct route to the Chinese border and further to Europe. The insistence on building a road through a delicate ecosystem at Naransuvstain suggests a potential interest in extracting the area’s mineral resources.

The route to Altai City via Burgastai or Shiveekhuren ports is much shorter than via Naransevstein. Advocates of Naransevstein argue it is the only border crossing directly connecting to Gansu Province in China, central China, rather than Xinjiang (Burgastai Port) or Inner Mongolia (Shiveekhuren Port).

Furthermore, former Gobi-Altai governor and parliament member O. Amgalanbaatar states that they plan to build a road corridor to protect wildlife migration. However, experts contend that this corridor would instead restrict the animals’ migration and compress their habitats.

The phrase “reviving and reopening Naransevstein Port” poses a serious risk to the Great Gobi Strictly Protected Area and its endangered species.

Reopening the port would contravene the following laws:

Mongolian Constitution:

Article 1.2: “…Democracy, justice, freedom, equality, national unity, and respect for the law shall form the basis of state activity…”

Article 10.2: “…Mongolia shall fulfill its obligations under international treaties…”

Article 70.1: “…Laws, decrees, decisions of state bodies, and activities of citizens must comply with the Constitution…”

International Conventions:

Convention on Biological Diversity, Article 8(d): “…Promote the protection of ecosystems, natural habitats, and the maintenance of viable populations of species in natural surroundings…”

At the invitation of Minister of Culture, Sports, Tourism, and Youth of Mongolia Nomin Chinbat, Joan Laporta, President of FC Barcelona, arrived in Mongolia on November 12, 2024. FC Barcelona, a renowned professional football club based in Barcelona, Spain, holds a 124-year history, 27 La Liga titles, five Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League trophies, and five Super Cup titles.

Minister Nomin Chinbat and President of FC Barcelona Joan Laporta held an official meeting to discuss joint efforts between FC Barcelona’s experts and the Mongolian Football Federation to foster the activities of the “Official FC Barcelona Soccer Academy of Mongolia,” refine the skills of young football players, and introduce training methods in Mongolia.

Moreover, in order to advance future cooperation, the two sides discussed the possibility of promoting Mongolia globally by collaborating with FC Barcelona under the National Brand “Go Mongolia.”

World Leaders Climate Action Summit commenced in Baku, the Republic of Azerbaijan on November 12, 2024.

Upon his arrival at the Baku Stadium, President of Mongolia Khurelsukh Ukhnaa was greeted by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

World Leaders Climate Action Summit, which is taking place during the UN Climate Change Conference COP29, aims to accelerate the progress of the fight against climate change, strengthen the unity of the parties, and expedite the actions for the commitments to achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The Summit also seeks to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, support activities for combating and adapting to climate change, raise funds, and particularly define a new joint financing goal to meet the growing needs of developing countries.

Azerbaijan, the chair of COP29, called on developed countries to make notable progress in doubling financing for climate change adaptation by 2025, prioritizing the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, adaptation to climate change, mitigating and building resilience, promoting sustainable practices, and implementing policies and initiatives to transition to a low-carbon economy.

President of Mongolia Khurelsukh will address the Summit on November 12, 2024, to express Mongolia's position on climate change, combating desertification, and mitigating global warming, and present the policies and actions implemented at the national level.

Last week, a meeting was held for organizations collaborating on the EU-funded “Project on Strengthening the Capacity of Bio-Leather and Bio-Leather Product Production Cluster of Plant Tanned Yak Skin and Leather Products in Mongolia”. This initiative, funded through the SWITCH-Asia grant program, aims to enhance Mongolia’s bio-leather sector by developing sustainable and eco-friendly tanning processes for yak leather, ultimately boosting the industry’s global competitiveness.

At the meeting, attendees discussed progress, shared insights on ongoing activities, and outlined future actions for the project, which is set to continue until 2025. The project’s goals include introducing new bio-tanned yak leather products to the market, improving production and finishing processes, and enhancing the technical skills of tannery personnel. With these advancements, Mongolia’s leather industry is positioned to expand its sustainable practices and market presence.

The meeting was attended by key figures including Senior Project Manager Alexia Zaglara and Project Manager Ian Leach.

An essential component of the project involved a five-day training session on the International Leather Working Group Standard and Value in the Supply Chain of Vegetable Tanned Yak Leather Products, led by Spanish expert Borja Mateu. This training emphasized best practices for sustainability and quality in leather production, concluding with the presentation of certificates to participants, marking their successful completion of the program.

By fostering collaboration and enhancing expertise in bio-leather production, this project aims to elevate Mongolia’s leather industry to meet international standards, enabling sustainable growth and access to new markets.

Mongolia's foreign trade turnover reached 22.7 billion U.S. dollars in the first 10 months of 2024, reflecting a robust increase of 13.75 percent compared to the same period in 2023, according to data released by the Mongolian Customs General Administration on Monday.

The landlocked Asian nation reported a significant surplus in its foreign trade balance, with exports exceeding imports by over 3.6 billion dollars. This surplus was largely driven by a sharp rise in the export of mining products, a cornerstone of the country's economy, the administration noted.

Mining products accounted for approximately 90 percent of Mongolia's total exports during the 10-month period, underscoring the critical role of the mining sector in the nation's trade.

China continued to be Mongolia's largest trading partner, serving as both the top export destination and the primary source of imports. In the first 10 months of 2024, China accounted for 90.9 percent of Mongolia's exports and 39.9 percent of its imports, maintaining its dominant position in bilateral trade.

Mongolia exported a total of 65.9 million tons of coal in the first 10 months of 2024, according to official data released by the Mongolian Customs General Administration on Monday.

This figure represents a significant year-on-year increase of 26.6 percent compared to the same period in 2023, the administration reported.

Coal remains a key export commodity for Mongolia, a resource-rich country with abundant mineral reserves. During the January-October period, coal accounted for 55.3 percent of the country's total exports, highlighting its crucial role in Mongolia's economy.

Initially, Mongolia set an export target of at least 60 million tons of coal for 2024, but this goal has since been revised upwards to 75 million tons in light of strong performance.

In 2023, Mongolia achieved a record coal export volume of 66.7 million tons, setting a new benchmark for the country's coal trade.

The drought and dzud (periodic natural disasters) risk index for 2030-2050 will be calculated for each of the 330 soums in Mongolia by determining the climate change impact through the drought index. The impact of climate change on the livestock sector and the water resources used for farming and agriculture will be defined by the risk map of the drought.

The Ministry of Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Mongolia, the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry, and the UNDP are jointly implementing the “Improving Adaptive Capacity and Risk Management of Rural Communities in Mongolia” (ADAPT) project. A Meeting on Planning and Funding Strategy Based on Climate Change Risk was held under the ADAPT project, where methods and results of this strategy, and actions to be taken were discussed.

State Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Chair of ADAPT project Management Committee Battulga Erkhembayar emphasized that using the climate change risk index at every decision-making level regarding development and economic planning would contribute to overcoming climate change and climate adaptation.

A study shows that dzud risk will be increased in Mongolia, specifically areas with high risk up by 10 percent and areas with extremely high risk up by 17 percent, while the aridification process will be observed across the country by 2050, with the expansion of dry and extremely dry areas by 10 percent. Therefore, the drought and dzud risk index is critically needed for developing a midterm development plan of aimags and soums, land management plan, and disaster risk plan, and prioritizing actions for climate change adaptation.

The participants of the Meeting on Planning and Funding Strategy Based on Climate Change Risk concluded that proper measures should be taken in line with the Law on Mitigating the Negative Effects of Climate Change on Traditional Livestock Husbandry and the proposals made during the meeting.

Governor of the Capital City of Mongolia and Mayor of Ulaanbaatar City Nyambaatar Khishgee and Governor of Chingeltei district Manduul Nyamandeleg received UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Mongolia Lin Cao and other delegates.

At the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on collaboratively implementing a project on reducing air pollution through renewable energy.

Governor of the Capital City and Mayor of Ulaanbaatar Nyambaatar Khishgee expressed his focus on alleviating traffic congestion, housing the ger districts, and reducing air pollution using renewable energy. Furthermore, Mr. Nyambaatar noted the potential for future collaboration with the UNDP, studying experiences from the UN agency in this regard.

UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Mongolia Lin Cao expressed her pleasure in cooperating in reducing traffic congestion, energy shortages, and air pollution in particular. Deputy Resident Representative Lin Cao further expressed the UNDP’s commitment to providing all-round support in strengthening bilateral collaboration and studying opportunities for cooperation in sustainable green city initiatives.

Last year, the Governor’s Office of the Capital City, the Asia Foundation, “URECA” LLC and “Ger Urgoo” NGO jointly implemented a pilot project to reduce the number of chimneys in the ger districts of Ulaanbaatar by transitioning households to renewable energy sources. The project aimed not only to address heating and electricity needs through renewable energy but also to eliminate household stove and fuel use, thereby decreasing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. At the end of the meeting, the two sides expressed their readiness to scale the project from 5 households last year to 100 households this year, reported the Media and Public Relations Department of the Governor’s Office of the Capital City.

As of the end of September 2024, savings in Tugrug, the National Currency of Mongolia, reached MNT 20.6 trillion, an increase of MNT 415.7 billion (2.1 percent) compared to the same period in 2023. The total amount of Tugrug savings increased by MNT 5.7 trillion (38.6 percent.)

Of the total amount of Tugrug savings, MNT 17.6 trillion (85.3 percent) was made by individuals, whereas MNT 3 trillion, or 14.7 percent, by enterprises.

Savings in foreign currency amounted to MNT 4.4 trillion, a decrease of MNT 53.8 billion (1.2 percent) compared to the previous month, and MNT 621.7 billion (12.3 percent) compared to the same period of 2023, reported the National Statistics Office of Mongolia.