Deputy Minister Munkhtamir Batbayar is participating in the Regional Ecological Summit 2026 in Kazakhstan. The summit runs from April 22 to 24 in Astana. President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa attended the opening ceremony and delivered remarks. Specifically, the summit aims to develop a joint climate policy framework for Central Asian countries. It will also identify practical financing and technological solutions for the region. Therefore, launching cooperative initiatives on water, desertification, and air pollution remains a priority.
Deputy Minister Munkhtamir spoke at a panel on food security and resilience capacity. He said 2026 is a particularly significant year for Mongolia. Moreover, the country will host the first of this year’s three Rio Convention COPs. Mongolia views this hosting as a major responsibility and strategic opportunity. Consequently, the country aims to promote more integrated and coordinated action under all three conventions.
This Steppe Agenda initiative will serve as a platform for practical implementation. Mongolia wants to move from targets to concrete action as COP17 host. The agenda turns international commitments into tangible results on the ground. Additionally, it also strengthens synergies among the Rio Conventions simultaneously. The COP17 slogan is Restoring Nature, Restoring Hope. Land restoration plays a key role in food security and local resilience. Thus, sustainable socio economic development depends heavily on healthy land.
The Steppe Agenda initiative includes three key proposals from Mongolia. The Pasture Flagship Initiative restores and sustainably uses pastureland. It also improves soil health and ecosystem productivity significantly. Furthermore, the Integrated Water and Land Management Initiative supports coordinated arid region management. It strengthens resilience to drought and water scarcity across Central Asia. Likewise, a third initiative will scale up nature based solutions throughout the region.
Deputy Minister Munkhtamir said these are not separate projects. Instead, they form an integrated platform ready to attract investment. The platform will implement Rio Convention goals in a coordinated manner. The Steppe Agenda initiative thus represents Mongolia’s major contribution to regional cooperation. Land lies at the intersection of climate change and biodiversity. Food systems also connect directly to land health and management. Therefore, integrated action should base itself on land and healthy soils.
Deputy Minister Munkhtamir is also attending several high level meetings. For instance, these include environmental partnership talks between SCO and UNEP. Mountain regions and climate change feature on the agenda as well. Additionally, consultations on establishing an international water organization continue. Sustainable financing for Central Asia’s water sector requires attention. Implementation of nature based solutions in Central Asia remains a focus. Finally, grant opportunities to improve infrastructure resilience will also receive discussion. The Steppe Agenda initiative will likely attract international partners after this summit. As a result, future cooperation will expand Mongolia’s role in regional environmental governance.
