Unlocking Mongolia’s Untapped Forest Potentials

Human intervention in Mongolia often carries a stigma of tampering with nature, yet in the past Mongolians actively maintained forest health by removing dead trees. That practice has gradually faded, and the lack of proper forest maintenance has allowed deadwood to accumulate, contributing to growing problems in forest ecosystems.

Narantsetseg S. is head of the “Sumber Ekh Nutag” a Forest User Group in the Mongolia region of Tuv Aimag: “Climate change and irresponsible human activity have led to extensive accumulation of deadwood and dense undergrowth in Mongolia’s forests.” As she noted, “When forests become overmature and overloaded with deadwood, they create favorable conditions for pest infestation and increase the risk of wildfires. Therefore, the most important measure for preserving and sustaining forests is thinning and cleaning. In other words, reforestation without first maintaining and cleaning the forest is ineffective.”

Her remarks are strongly supported by national data showing that 76 percent of Mongolia’s forests are now mature or overmature.

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Under Mongolia’s current Forest Law, the stated objective is to regulate the protection, restoration, cultivation, possession, and use of forests, as well as the prevention of forest and steppe fires. Yet the statistics mentioned above illustrate just how much effort is required for this objective to be meaningfully achieved. Who owns the Mongolia Forests? What is the role of the National Forestry Agency?

For an in-depth analysis of the structure and functioning of the Mongolian forestry system read the whole article by Bolortuya Chuluunbaatar Photo by Byamba-Ochir Byamba-Suren