Amid rapidly increasing desertification and the growing threat of the climate crisis, the Buddhist-majority nation of Mongolia has launched a national campaign to plant one billion trees by 2030, pledging to devote least 1% of its GDP each year to an overall national plan. program to combat climate change and deforestation.

The campaign is part of Mongolia’s efforts to reduce the impact of climate change globally and to strengthen the country’s contribution to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

“The nationwide campaign to plant a billion trees starts today,” Yangug Sodbaatar, the Mongolian president’s chief of staff, said Monday in Ulaanbaatar, while announcing President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh’s official order to launch the campaign. . “In this regard, President Khürelsükh issued a decree obliging the government to spend at least 1% of GDP annually on combating climate change and desertification or planting trees. (XinhuaNet)

With a total area of ​​1.6 million square kilometers, only 7.9% of Mongolia is covered in forest, while some 77% of the country is subject to desertification and land degradation, according to ministry data. Environment and Tourism. Since 2010, Mongolia has designated the second Saturday in May and October as national tree planting days.

“We have set up working groups to launch a national campaign to plant a billion trees and ensure its implementation for 10 years,” said Minister of Nature, Environment and Tourism N. Urtnasan. “To date, 76.9% of Mongolian territory is affected by desertification. It is estimated that if the campaign target is achieved, 120 million hectares of highly desertified land will be reduced by 4%, forest cover will increase by 9% and greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by 600,000 tons. . (AKIpress)

Urtnasan added that public-private partnerships would be formed to focus on reforestation, forest management and advance the tree planting agenda, noting that several large private companies had already pledged to plant between 20 and 120 million trees in 10 years.

According to Monday’s announcement, the Mongolian government has drawn up a three-stage plan for the campaign, with a preparatory phase from 2021-24, an intensification phase planned for 2024-26 and a sustained implementation phase to be carried out. in 2027-30.

Mongolia is a landlocked nation of just 3.3 million people, sandwiched between Russia to the north and the Chinese-administered Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to the south. According to 2020 Mongolian census data, 52% of the population identifies as Buddhist, with strong ties to the Gelug and Kagyu schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Forty percent of the population does not profess any religious affiliation, while Islam (3.2%), Mongolian shamanism (2.5%) and Christianity (1.3%) account for most of the rest. Buddhism was suppressed during the communist Mongolian People’s Republic (1924–1992), but the collapse of communism in the 1990s saw a resurgence in public benefit Buddhist practice.

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Mongolia will spend no less than one percent of its GDP to plant a billion trees (Montsame)
Mongolia will spend 1% of its GDP annually on tree planting (News.mn)
Mongolia will spend at least 1% of its GDP to plant a billion trees (AKIpress)
Mongolia will spend at least 1% of its GDP on tree planting every year (XinhuaNet)
Mongolia will spend 1% of its GDP annually on tree planting (Pakistani Observer)

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