Map of Mongolia

General Information

Mongolia's rich natural and special biological diversity area wild treasure. Largely  unknown to the rest of the world until recent years, Mongolia's unique combination of diverse landscapes, unspoiled habitat, and rare wild plant and animal species has become the subject of growing international attention and conservation efforts. Covering 1.564 million square kilometers, Mongolia encompasses an area larger than Britain, France, Germany, and Italy combined. It is the seventh largest country in Asia and one of  the largest land-locked countries in the world. With 2.3 million inhabitants, its population density, 1.5 persons per square kilometer, is the lowest in Asia.
Ecologically, Mongolia occupies a critical transition zone in Central Asia: here the great Siberian taiga forest, the central Asian steppe, the high Altai mountains and the Gobi desert converge. Spared the harmful impacts of the unsustainable development that took place in many parts of the globe during the last 100 years, today many of these areas provide habitat for representative, and often rare, examples of the wild plants and animals of central and northern Asia.Wildlife species that have largely disappeared from the rest of the continent remain here, sometimes in relative abundance. Environment and Biodiversity play a critical  role in the nation's economic well-being and traditions. Herders rely directly on healthy grasslands, clean water, and other natural resources for their livelihoods. Numerous plant and animal species provide important sources for food, tradition medicine, and materials. The pressures to unsustainable exploit Mongolia's natural resources are increasing, fueled by the difficult economic transformation and growing natural resource consumption. The dangers include poaching and international trade in endangered species resources, degradation and  desertification of pasture lands, and greater urban pollution. From the Gobi to the central Asian steppe to the coniferous forests of Siberia's taiga , Mongolia contains a great array of natural zones and associated flora and fauna. In the space of only a few hundred kilometers from north to south, the landscape changes from the forested mountains of the Lake Hovsgol region to the barren super-arid reaches of the Great Gobi desert. From west to east, the landscape changes from mountainous terrain to vast plains.
Mongolia is divided into six basic natural zones, differing in climate,  landscape, soil, flora and fauna. In many parts of Mongolia, several natural zones occur within a small area. The threats to Mongolia's biological diversity are real, but so too is the government' commitment to safeguarding that Biodiversity. The Mongolian Great Khural (Parliament) has passed a number of environmental laws that relate to Biodiversity, including a general environmental law and laws on special protected areas, wildlife, land, forests, plants,tourism, hunting water, toxic substances, and air pollution. Scientists estimate that it will be necessary to protect 30% of Mongolia's territory under conservation designations in order to adequately maintain present Biodiversity. Already, the government has established a protected area system that covers 8% of Mongolia's territory.
With the goal of protecting Biodiversity the Ministry for Nature and the Environment has been working in cooperation with WorldWide Fund for Nature (WWF) to research and assess potential additions to the protected area system and to foster sustainable development around existing protected areas. A number of Mongolian organizations undertake numerous Biodiversity conservation efforts.

Protected area system

Beginning in 1778 with one of the world 's oldest nature preserves (Bogdkhan Mountain), Mongolia's protected area system has expanded to include twenty-six areas that preserve important examples of the nation's rich ecological and cultural heritage. From small reserves surrounding monastery ruins and sacred mountains to the massive Great Gobi strictly Protected Area, the fourth largest biosphere reserve in the world, the protected areas are as varied as Mongolia's landscapes. Together, the protected areas encompass approximately 12.3 million hectares, roughly 8% of Mongolia's territory. Today, under the direction of the National Service for Protected areas and ecotourism, the park system is still evolving. Although many ecologically significant areas were protected in the past few years, many more important natural areas have not yet been included in the system.

Mongolia has four categories of land protection, listed below from most to least restriction on human use.

       1.Strictly Protected Areas
Applied to ecologically important, pristine wilderness areas with "particular importance for science and human civilization", these areas include:

• pristine zones-research only;
• protected zones-research and conservation measures;
• limited use zones-tourism, traditional religious activities, and some plant gathering permitted. Hunting, logging, construction prohibited.
  
  2.National Parks
  Applied to wilderness areas with historical, cultural, or environmental education value, parks also have three zones:

• core areas-research and conservation activities ;
• ecotourism zone- tourism, fishing, and activities listed above are allowed;

limited use zone-above activities, plus grazing, construction allowed with park permission.

          3.Natural Reserves

• There are four types of natural reserves.
• ecosystem-protecting natural areas
• Biological-conserving rare species
• paleontological-conserving fossil areas

Geological-geological importance
Some economic activities allowed if do not harm values for which reserve was established

         4.Natural and Historical Monuments
Applied to protect unique landscapes, historical and cultural sites for research, sight-seeing, historical and cultural purposes. Many uses allowed if do not adversely affect monument.

Society Information

Society for National Parks of Mongolia is a non-government organization founded by the initiative and desire of individuals and located in Ulaanbaatar city. The Society activities shall comply with the provision of the Constitution of Mongolia the law on non-governmental organizations and other legislation of Mongolia.
Society may have its authorized representatives in regions and abroad.
Purposes and Activities support undertaking the new area on state and local level protection, assist governmental organizations in their activities on management improvement of the Protected areas (PA)to support an scientific investigations aimed for development of Protected area and their adjoining territories support a scientific cooperation's of a domestic and foreign researchers in the Protected area promote coordinating the management of Protected area with development of regions assist in defending the population's interest, inhabiting in Protected area support environmental propaganda and training among community collect information on a areas to be taken under the protection undertake a measure for preparing the recommendations and arguments which should be presented to highest instance for the new Protected area establishment elaborate a management plan of Protected area and support its implementation support the production activity and ecotourism in Protected area and their neighboring areas

Administrative Structure

a.Organizational and controlling structures
The supreme body of the Society is the all members meeting. This meeting must be held once per 5 years. There shall be discussed:
Report of the activities carried out by the Society during the 5 year period and financial revision report

Election of the Society Board

b.Working group
The Society Board can appoint a working group, consisting of the specialists from different field. A group will designate its leader. Working group will dissolved with finishing its duties.

c.Society Board
The Society Board shall have obligations to provide the guidance for the society operations, monitor the implementation of its decisions, except all members meeting period. The board consists from Head, his deputies and three other members. Two board members have to represent the society. The board shall be elected from the all members meeting for 5 years period.

d.The Executive Director
The executive Directors shall manage daily activity of Society according to approved by Board plan together with executive workers. The executive Director has following rights and duties:
implement the annual finance budget of the Society employ and dismiss staff