On April 9, the Second Steering Committee Meeting of the Managing Peatlands in Mongolia and Enhancing the Resilience of Pastoral Ecosystems and Livelihoods of Nomadic Herders project was held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.
The project “Managing Peatlands in Mongolia and Enhancing the Resilience of Pastoral Ecosystems and Livelihoods of Nomadic Herders” is being co-executed by the Climate Change Research and Cooperation Centre (CCRCC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of Mongolia, and co-executed by the International Centre for Reindeer Husbandry (ICR), with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) serving as the GEF Implementing Agency.
The project aims to enhance the ecosystem services of peatlands, particularly through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from degraded peatlands while strengthening the resilience of pastoral ecosystems and the livelihoods of nomadic and indigenous herders.
The objective of the Project Steering Committee meeting was to present the project implementation results and to review and approve the 2026 Annual Work Plan, Budget, and Procurement Plan.
The project Component 3 team was presented by Marina Tonkopeeva (ICR), Anders Oskal (ICR, WRH), Binderiya Dondov (ICR), Khongorzul Mungunshagai (Dukha reindeer husbandry representative), and Svetlana Avelova (ICR).
Opening remarks were given by Mr. Sh. Batbayar, State Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MECC), Mr. Ersin Esen, Coordinator a.i., Global Environment Facility Coordination Office, UNEP/GEF, and Mr. Anders Oskal, Executive Director, International Centre for Reindeer Husbandry (ICR).
The meeting was moderated by Mr. Bat-Ulzii Batchuluun, Director of the Department of Policy and Planning, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MECC).
Ms. U. Davaasuren, Head of the Project, Program and Cooperation Division of the CCRCC, presented the project implementation results of Component 1 and Component 2. Ms. Marina Tonkopeeva, Project Coordinator, ICR, presented the project implementation results of Component 3.
There were also presentations by Ms. P. Bunchinjav on Peatland conservation management: Introduction to basic legal research, and Mr. G. Burenbaatar on Consultancy work carried out by the Botanical Garden in 2025 within the framework of the project.
Mr. Ersin Esen provided comments on the presentations, offered additional recommendations, and expressed appreciation to all participants for the meeting. It was agreed that the meeting сontinuation will proceed online.
