Mongolia is leading global efforts in rangeland management, as it hosts a consultative meeting on October 23, 2025, under the framework of UN Week. The event highlighted challenges, opportunities, and solutions for sustainable pastoralism and livestock production.
The “Pastoralism and Mongolia” meeting focused on strengthening partnerships, while also promoting integrated land management and boosting livestock exports. Officials emphasized that sustainable rangeland management is essential to ecological balance and economic growth.
Ts. Munkhnasan, head of the Livestock and Genetic Resources Policy Coordination Department, noted that the United Nations declared 2026 the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. He said Mongolia proposed the initiative and therefore now leads its implementation. He warned that rangeland degradation is accelerating globally, especially in drylands, which cover about 54 percent of the world’s land.
Munkhnasan highlighted Mongolia’s overcapacity problem, with the current livestock population reaching 130 million, far above the sustainable carrying capacity of 85 million sheep. Consequently, this imbalance is a primary driver of rangeland degradation and ecological disruption.
B. Dul, head of the Department of Land Management, explained that the General Authority for Land Administration, Geodesy, and Cartography (GALAGC) manages national rangeland planning and monitoring. The authority tracks ecological conditions by using a decade-long rangeland photo monitoring system. Assessments of biomass, vegetation cover, and ecosystem regeneration are conducted every August, taking into account both human and natural factors.
GALAGC collaborates with the Food and Agriculture Organization on two major projects: Promoting Dryland Sustainable Landscapes and Biodiversity Conservation in the Eastern Steppe, as well as the Sustainable Resilient Ecosystem and Agriculture Management (STREAM) project. These initiatives aim to enhance research efficiency and accessibility.
A mobile application developed under these projects allows herders, policymakers, and citizens to access real-time data. According to recent findings, heavily degraded and severely degraded rangelands now cover over 20 percent of Mongolia’s territory.
Officials stressed that sustainable rangeland management is not only a national priority but also a global concern. The initiatives will guide policy, support herders, and contribute to regional ecological stability.
Looking forward, Mongolia plans to expand digital monitoring, further strengthen international cooperation, and implement sustainable livestock practices nationwide.
