Traditional livelihoods and mining in Mongolia’s changing climate: Exploring the potential of cross-sectoral partnerships in achieving sustainability

This paper is based on APN-funded capacity building workshops that focused on understanding a) how climatic changes impact herding and mining in Mongolia and b) how each sector may leverage its resources to devise action, strategies and tools that may help build capacities and boost resilience towards changing climatic conditions and natural hazards.

The publication presents policy recommendations for five key areas (p. 4):

1. The significance of green development at the local level is fundamental to guide changes in behaviour across Mongolia with regard to climate change, disaster management and resilience building.
2. Central government needs to build a better knowledge base on what forms a disaster, and disaster management and prevention plans, both for pre- and post-disasters.
3. The sector is willing to embrace action to address climatic perturbations as there is an acceptance of a strong business case for the mining industry to take note of changing environmental conditions across Mongolia.
4. Mongolia should further invest in studies that reaffirm the importance of herder movement, and its role in disaster management and maintaining pasture quality.
5. An established avenue for stakeholder groups to come together, discuss common concerns, debate options and identify pathways forward is vital to Mongolia’s future sustainability.

Issue 6, April 2016.