The Government of Mongolia has adopted the National Action Plan for Combating Desertification (NAP CD) of Mongolia that was updated through methodological and financial support by the Coping with Desertification Project of SDC.

With the approved NAP CD Mongolia will be given a prospect to align combating desertification activities with UNCCD 10-years strategy, National Development Strategy based on Mongolia MDGs and other development programmes and projects.

Another substantial result of the Programme is comprehensible roles and responsibilities of concerned government institutions at all levels and improved correlation between them. Updated NAP CD makes the status of National Committee for Combating Desertification (NCCD) more clear to ensure synergy combating desertification activities by different institutions and empowers it to supervise the implementation of NAP CD and to reflect in the budget and plan of related organizations activities that are planned within the scope of objectives in the Programme. NCCD will become the leading competency centre on desertification in Mongolia to report to the Government of Mongolia, UNCCD and other international organizations.

The principle of new NAP CD is that it recognizes the eminent role the local population and entities has to play in reversing the detrimental trend of land degradation and desertification and that it centralizes government activities to support local initiatives.

At the Government discussion the Prime Minister emphasized to make coordination of relevant ministries with local government more efficient, endorse plantation of economically profitable plants as sea-buckthorn, berries and fruits, ensure market chain for locally produced natural products, set up the tradition among school-leavers, graduating students and newly-married couples to plant trees.  

The Programme will be publically introduced once it is formally signed by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Nature, Environment and Tourism in the nearest future.