- 45% of the country is desert
- 90% of the total territory belongs to arid and semi-arid zones prone to desertification
- 65 % is classified as high risk areas for desertification

There are different statistics about degradation of pastureland and desertification. However, because of the lack of a standard methodology it is difficult to compare the data over a certain time. But the measurments show an alarming increase of desertification since the transition of the country to market economy.

Desertification is defined as "land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas, resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activity." (definition by United Nations' Convention to Combat Desertification, UNCCD)

In Mongolia the ecosystems are specially fragile because of its relatively high altitude and continental climate. Under these conditions the ongoing climate change, which is characterised by global warming and more extreme weather conditions, is expected to have specially strong impacts increasing the vulnerability to desertification.

Natural factors are:
- geographical location and altitude
- increasing temperature
- uneven distribution of precipitation
- melting of permafrost layers
- drought and "dzud"

However, experts think that the ongoing process of desertification in Mongolia has less to do with natural factors and climate change but more with human activities, such as overgrazing of pastureland, inappropriate management of agriculture land and water resources, destruction of forests and bushes etc. In other words, the existing natural resources are sarcificed for the immediate need to sustain the livelihood of the growing population. 

Human factors are:
- pastureland overgrazing
- inefficient use of water resources
- abandoned crop land without vegetation cover
- overexploitation of forests and shrubs
- mining
- unregulated driving and "wild' roads