Partners join forces to kick-off peatland restoration in Mongolia
In a significant stride towards environmental restoration, the Wildlife Science and Conservation Center of Mongolia (WSCC) hosted a kick-off meeting in May for a collaborative five-year project aimed at restoring Mongolia’s degraded peatlands. The meeting brought together experts from Wetlands International, the project’s donor Greenchoice, and scientific advisors from Care for Ecosystems and Face the Future.
Peatlands in Mongolia have suffered extensive degradation due to overgrazing, land-use changes, and excessive groundwater use, triggering environmental issues such as permafrost thawing (and heightened carbon emissions), increased frequency of droughts and floods, and biodiversity loss.
This project will restore approximately 25,000 hectares of peatland across four critical sites by introducing climate-smart herder and agriculture practices like sustainable water management techniques, fencing and enhancing herd management efficiency, and the creation and promotion of winter fodder.
Throughout the week-long kick-off event, participating organizations engaged in comprehensive project planning and governance discussions. Visits to various ministries were conducted to align the project with national priorities, while technical workshops focused on outlining the best practices for project execution based on highest international standards. Participants also conducted field visits to sites that ranged from moderately degraded to heavily degraded peatlands. These assessments are crucial for tailoring restoration approaches. Workshops with affected communities were also held to address the ecological, sociological, and economic challenges and potential solutions.
The outcome of this project is expected to not only restore the peatlands but also deliver lessons learned to scale up and bring significant carbon and socio-economic benefits. Moreover, it aims to embed peatland restoration into Mongolia’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), enhancing the country’s profile in the global climate change agenda and position Mongolia as a leader in peatland restoration and climate action.
