ULAN BATOR: The 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will take place in Mongolia in 2026, the country217;s Ministry of Environment and Tourism said Monday.
Desertification is one of the most pressing issues in Mongolia. Forest only covers 7.9 percent of the country217;s 1,564,116 square km of land currently. Around 77 percent of the country217;s total territory has been affected by desertification and land degradation, according to the ministry. Therefore, Mongolia has been intensifying its counter-desertification efforts by implementing a national tree-planting campaign called “Billion Trees.”
The nationwide campaign to plant at least 1 billion trees by 2030 was officially launched last year as Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh told the United Nations General Assembly that the country aims to combat climate change and desertification.
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