Mongolia Water Forum Uskhelts implemented this project from 2021 to 2024 in partnership with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and the Climate Change Research and Cooperation Centre in three provinces (Arkhangai, Bayankhongor, and Selenge).

Related reports and documents:

• 03 December 2024: How Climate Risk Assessments Drive Adaptation Strategies in Rural Mongolia (Strategies include enhancing water resource management, strengthening biodiversity conservation, and promoting sustainable ecotourism).  

• December 2023:  Environmental Safeguards Due Diligence Report, Mongolia: Improving Climate Change Adaptation Strategic Planning and Community Resilience in the Environment and Natural Resources Sector, Project Number: 55219-001. This report was prepared by the Government of Mongolia for the Asian Development Bank (ADB), based on the Technical Assistance report developed by the Mongolia Water Forum Uskhelts (TA Number: 6859-MON).    

• 26 March 2025, Video: Building Climate Resilience and Empowering Rural Communities in Mongolia. Mongolia’s rural communities, scattered across the vast steppes, rugged mountains, and harsh deserts, share a deep connection with their land. Their livelihoods, particularly pastoralism, depend on livestock health, water sources, and flourishing pastures. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has launched several initiatives to support these rural communities. Several small grants focus on: securing resilient water resources, safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystems, and enhancing the sustainability of tourism. 

• 05 November 2024, Photo Essay: Building Climate Resilience and Empowering Rural Communities in Mongolia (Монголын уур амьсгалын өөрчлөлтөд дасан зохицох чадварыг сайжруулж, орон нутгийн иргэдэд дэмжлэг үзүүлэх төсөл ),  (https://www.adb.org/news/photo-essays/building-climate-resilience-and-empowering-rural-communities-mongolia)

During 2015-2020, the Mongolia Water Forum Uskhelts jointly implemented the ADB-funded project (TA-8855)  “Mongolia Water Security Assessment” in cooperation with the FCG Anzdec LLC (New Zealand) under the overall supervision of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism of Mongolia (presently Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of Mongolia).

Given the rapidly changing growth dynamics and the pressing need to integrate sustainable development planning, the ADB and the Government of Mongolia agreed to conduct a Country Water Security Assessment (CWSA) for Mongolia. The ADB provided a Technical Assistant (TA) for the CWSA, which was used to improve policies and strategies in the water sector, particularly to improve national water security and deal with water scarcity. The Mongolia CWSA has also supported the preparation of a national water security management strategy and ensured that ADB’s strategy and programs respond to water security challenges in Mongolia and are consistent with Mongolia’s water policy directions.

The assessment aimed to adopt the five-dimension framework which is presented in the Asian Water Development Outlook (AWDO). The AWDO measures water security in five dimensions:

1. Household water security;

2. Economic water security;

3. Urban water security;

4. Environmental water security;

5. Resilience to water-related disasters.

This five-dimension framework provides a sound basis for developing regional member countries to conduct a country water security assessment.

Download the final report from the ADB website: https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/institutional-document/618776/mongolia-country-water-security-assessment_0.pdf 

Download related presentations (from consultation workshop on the results of the “Mongolia Water Security Assessment” Project (TA-8855), funded by ADB, 17 February 2017):

1. Key Results of Mongolia Water Security Assessment: [PDF, 1.3MB]

2. Governance: [PDF, 0.7GB]

3. Key Issues and Challenges: [PDF, 0.7GB]

4. Asia Water Development Outlook (AWDO) methodology, tailored for Mongolia: [PDF, 0.9GB]

5. Proposed Water Sector Investment Plan: [PDF, 1.4GB]

6. Participatory approaches used in the Water Security Assessment: [PDF, 0.6GB]

During Feb-Aug. 2019, we cooperated with Landell Mills Ltd from the United Kingdom for implementing an ADB-funded project on “TrTA 9607-MON: Vegetable Production and Irrigated Agriculture (51423-001)”, which provides technical support to the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry (MoFALI) of Mongolia for developing a new project for the ADB.

Project Overview: In order to help Mongolia reap the full benefits of the vegetable sub-sector the proposed Project (Mongolia Irrigated Agriculture and Vegetable Project) will help increase the production and marketing of vegetable products (tentative Project outcome), which will result in an increase in income and employment opportunities for rural households (tentative Project impact). This will be achieved through value chain interventions supported by the Project which will help overcome a number of constraints. While the selection and design of such interventions will be decided during the assignment, we envisage that these could be concentrated under two Project outputs: (i) vegetable production improved and (ii) vegetable value chain infrastructure improved.

The Project has an estimated cost of $42.4 million, including an ADB loan of $40 million, a $2 million grant, and $0.4 million government contribution. The MOFALI will be the Executing Agency (EA). The Project will follow the project modality, rather than the sector modality. i.e., the Project will support specific identified investments rather than be based on considerations relating to the sector as a whole with investment in a large number of unidentified sub-projects.

During 2017-2019, we conducted a new research study on “Monetary and Non-monetary Benefits for Genetic Resource Utilization statuses in Mongolia, which was funded by UNDP Mongolia in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment (MoET) and Tourism of Mongolia. The final study report has been developed and submitted to the MoET.

Equitable sharing of benefits from the utilization of biological and genetic resources is one of the requirements for all countries ratified by the Convention on Biological Biodiversity. The Convention on Biological Diversity was opened for signature on 5 June 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the Rio “Earth Summit”) and entered into force on 29 December 1993. It’s three objectives are the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources. To further advance the implementation of the third objective, the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, September 2002) called for the negotiation of an international regime, within the framework of the Convention, to promote and safeguard the fair and equitable sharing of benefit ts arising from the utilization of genetic resources.

By the convention, the full rights for utilization of genetic resources within the given country belong only to their government. Thus, the Convention is the only international instrument comprehensively addressing biological diversity and utilization of genetic resources through the country’s legal frameworks. After several years of negotiation, the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefit ts Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity was adopted at the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties on 29 October 2010, in Nagoya, Japan. Mongolia ratified the Nagoya Protocol in 2013 and, in October 2014, became an official member.

The Protocol significantly advances the Convention’s third objective by providing a strong basis for greater legal certainty and transparency for both providers and users of genetic resources. Specific obligations to support compliance with domestic legislation or regulatory requirements of the Party providing genetic resources and contractual obligations reflected in mutually agreed terms are a significant innovation of the Protocol. These compliance provisions, as well as provisions establishing more predictable conditions for access to genetic resources, will contribute to ensuring the sharing of benefits when genetic resources leave a Party providing genetic resources.

The study was carried out by Mongolia Water Forum Uskhelts with the support of the UNDP project on “Ecosystem-based Adaptation Approach to Maintaining Water Security in Critical Water Catchments in Mongolia”, implemented by the Ministry of Environment and Green Development (MoEGD, former name). The final report was published. 

Thematic maps are available at our FACEBOOK page (https://www.facebook.com/MongoliaWaterForum/)

During 2012-2014, the Mongolia Water Forum Uskhelts led the process of developing IWRM Plans for the Khuvsgul Lake and Eg River basin with support of the UNDP/GEF-funded project on Integrated Natural Resource Management in the Baikal Basin Transboundary Ecosystem Building (http://baikal.iwlearn.org/en). The baseline study and IWRM plans were completed in January 2014. The IWRM Plans were endorsed on 12 June 2014 by the Environment and Green Development Minister’s order No A-228. See some thematic maps on our Facebook page.

Water Quality of the Kharaa River Basin, Mongolia: Assessment of pollution threats and hotspots

Final report [Download link, PDF]

Editor: Sarantuyaa Zandaryaa, UNESCO

Prepared by:

• Batimaa Punsalmaa, Mongolia Water Forum – Uskhelts

• Erdenbayar Yadamsuren, Central Laboratory for Environment and Meteorology

• Tumurstooj Dashdorj, Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment

• Oyuntugs Tserendendev, National Water Committee of Mongolia

• Davaadalai Batnasan, Mongolia Water Forum – Uskhelts

• Sarantuyaa Zandaryaa, UNESCO (Paris, France)

This report presents results of water quality assessment of the Selenge River Basin (Mongolia),
with specific emphasis on assessment of pollution threats and pollution hotspots in the Kharaa River Basin.

The study was conducted in the framework of UNESCO-executed activities under the UNDP-GEF Project on “Integrated Natural Resources Management in the Baikal Basin Transboundary Ecosystem” (Mongolia and Russia). The project objective is to spearhead integrated natural resources management of Lake Baikal Basin, ensuring ecosystem resilience and reduced water quality threats in the context of sustainable economic development.

The project is executed by UNOPS. UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme (IHP) is an international executing partner for the project.

This study was carried out by UNESCO, in collaboration with the National Water Committee of Mongolia, Mongolia Water Forum –‘Uskhelts’ and a national team of experts. The study and report preparation was coordinated by Sarantuyaa Zandaryaa, Division of Water Sciences, UNESCO. The national team of experts was coordinated by Tsend Badrakh, National Water Committee of Mongolia, and comprised the following experts: Batimaa Punsalmaa, Mongolia Water Forum Uskhelts; Erdenbayar Yadamsuren, Central Laboratory for Environment and Meteorology; Tumurstooj Dashdorj, Institute of Meteorology,
Hydrology and Environment; Oyuntugs Tserendendev, National Water Committee of Mongolia; and Davaadalai Batnasan, Mongolia Water Forum Uskhelts. Tserendolgor Munkhtsetseg, Mongolia Water Forum Uskhelts, assisted in the preparation of the report for publishing.

Findings and recommendations of the study were discussed with relevant stakeholders at the National Workshop “Selenge – A River without Borders”, organized by UNESCO in collaboration with the National Water Committee and Ministry of Environment and Green Development of Mongolia, which took place in the State Palace in Ulaanbaatar on 04 June 2013. The workshop participants included representatives of the Ministry of Environment and Green Development, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Industry and Agriculture, River Basin Authorities, research institutions, universities, NGOs and the private sector.

The key outcomes of the workshop discussions were incorporated in this final report. The report also benefited from discussions at the scoping meetings and workshops, organized by UNESCO in the framework of this study.

See some thematic maps on our FACEBOOK page.

"Water resources, ecological and socio-economic baseline study of the Eree-Khuder-Minj River Basin" was completed in 2013 by Mongolia Water Forum Uskhelts. Based on this study, an Integrated River Basin Management Plan was developed in coordination with the Ministry of Environment and Green Development (MoEGD), Mongolia.

The study objective is to spearhead integrated water resources management of the river basin, ensuring ecosystem resilience and reduced water quality threats in the context of sustainable economic development.

See some thematic maps from our FACEBOOK page

During 2012-2013, the Mongolia Water Forum Uskhelts developed the IWRM Plan for the Ider River Basin with support from a UNDP/GEF-funded project on Integrated Natural Resource Management in the “Baikal Basin Transboundary Ecosystem Building. (http://baikal.iwlearn.org/en).

The baseline study and IWRM plan were completed in January 2014 and submitted to the Government of Mongolia. See some selected thematic maps from our Facebook page.

During 2012- 2013, Mongolia Water Forum Uskhelts completed the national-level assessment of the progress of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on Water Supply and Sanitation coverage in Mongolia at the request of the Ministry of Construction and Urban Development (MoCUD) with support from the UN Joint Programme on Water and Sanitation in Mongolia, using 2010 National Population and Housing Census data. Under this activity developed “Mapping of Improved Water Supply and Sanitation Coverage in Mongolia, as of 2010″ and  “Progresses of MDG on Water Supply and Sanitation Coverage in Mongolia, as of 2010″.

The study results show that at the national level, 78.4% of the population of Mongolia has improved water supply, and 37,3% have improved sanitation facilities (2010 National Population and Housing Census data). The national target for 2015 was set that 60% of the population of Mongolia will have an improved water supply, and 37,3% will have improved sanitation facilities.

In this study, the Definition of improved and unimproved water supply sources and sanitation facilities was used, which was approved by the National Statistical Office of Mongolia in Jan.2013. The publication of this report was financially supported by the UNDP Project on Water and Sanitation supported by the UNDP Project on Water and Sanitation, in 2013.