A meeting and discussion to highlight the importance of forests, water, and rangelands will take place on the 27th of this month, in conjunction with the upcoming COP17—the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification Conference of the Parties, hosted by Mongolia, and in observance of the International Day of Forests.

According to the Forest Agency of Mongolia, the discussion aims to strengthen Mongolia’s participation in COP17 through improved cross-sector coordination and to increase the involvement of civil society organizations.

Representatives from the Office of the President of Mongolia, the Forest Agency, the Water Agency of Mongolia, the COP17 Secretariat, the Billions of Trees National Movement, and the National Green Lab met to discuss stakeholders, topics, the meeting agenda, and the significance of the event.

During the meeting, participants discussed the format and program of the event, as well as ways to increase stakeholder and civil society organization participation. They explored opportunities to strengthen cooperation in the forest, water, and rangeland sectors. An organizing working group was also established, and the parties agreed to cooperate in exchanging information and preparing for the event. Last year, the International Day of Forests was marked on March 21 under the theme “Forests and Food.”

According to the Professional Council on Forest Resources, forests cover 13.6 million hectares of Mongolia’s total territory of 156.4 million hectares, accounting for 8.71 percent. Previously, it was estimated that forests covered around 8–9 percent of the country’s territory, or approximately 14–15 million hectares.

Published Date:2026-03-10