Ulaanbaatar
/MONTSAME/. Desertification is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity
in the 21st century. Desertification is affecting all continents except Antarctica,
to a greater or lesser extent, and combating desertification is a global
priority. This was discussed at the 15th session of the Parties of the
Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification (UNCCD) which was held from May 9 to 20 in Abidjan, Côte
d’Ivoire.

COP15
brought together leaders from governments, the private sector, civil society, and other key stakeholders from 189 countries. Mongolian delegation led by Minister
of Environment and Tourism B.Bat-Erdene and Advisor to the President of
Mongolia on Green Development N.Batkhuu participated in the session where each participating
country presented its measures against desertification and shared their best
practices.


In
recent years, global warming has led to an increase in the number of droughts,
as well as the threat of desertification due to human activities. In addition,
global warming manifests itself in different ways depending on the region, zone, and location. In Mongolia, 76.9 percent of the country’s land area is affected
by desertification.


In
his remarks delivered during the Ministerial Roundtable meeting, Minister
B.Bat-Erdene said that Mongolia has lost about 50 percent of its permafrost
over the past 40 years. This shows the need to pay more attention to soil
management in reducing desertification and land degradation in the northern
region. He then emphasized that the ‘One Billion Tree’ national movement
initiated by the President of Mongolia will be a significant impetus to address
the issues such as land policy, use, sustainable economic development, and human
rights.



While
underscoring that the national movement will not only reduce desertification in
Mongolia but also have a positive impact on the environment in Northeast Asia,
Minister B.Bat-Erdene put forth a proposal to host COP17 in Mongolia.

He
also stressed that he believes that Mongolia’s efforts will contribute to the
sustainable green development of the world, as there are no borders in nature.

After
being discussed by more than 6,000 delegates from 189 countries, Mongolia’s
proposal to host COP17 was approved.