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We are WWF. The World Wide Fund for Nature.
WWF-Mongolia was established in 1992 by the invitation of the Government of Mongolia and later officially registered as branch of WWF International.
WWF-Mongolia, one of the most experienced conservation organizations in Mongolia, focuses its efforts on critical conservation issues in two of the world’s outstanding places for biodiversity conservation, the Altai-Sayan Ecoregion in Western Mongolia and Amur-Heilong Ecoregion Complex in Eastern Mongolia.
Over the past 30 years, the organization has grown substantially both in terms of size and conservation achievements: from a modest two person office into the largest conservation organization staffed with over 30 highly experienced staff members located in head office in Ulaanbaatar and two branch offices; one in the city of Khovd province and a second one in Dadal Soum of Khentii province.
Within the reporting period, our colleagues in close cooperation with the Government of Mongolia and like-minded partner organizations and individuals have successfully undertaken major activities. WWF’s main approach of working is human centered environmental conservation or building a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.
WWF-Mongolia’s Conservation Programme for FY26-30 will be comprised of three WWF priority places, namely the Altai-Sayan Montane Forests (ASER) and the Amur-Heilong Ecoregional Complex (AHEC) and the Gobi Desert of Central Asia. ASER (106.5 million hectares) and AHEC Ecoregions (221 million hectares) have been identified by the Global Programme Framework (GPF) as one of the 35 priority places where WWF network will join its forces to ensuring that “biodiversity is protected and well managed in the world’s most outstanding natural places”. 29 percent (31.3 million hectare) of ASER and 8.2 percent (18.1 million hectare) of AHEC ecoregion are located within Mongolia and considered as a headwater area of three of the ten largest river in the world: Amur-Heilong that drain Pacific Ocean and Ob’ and Yenisey that drain to Arctic Ocean.
The Central Asian Gobi Desert, covering 50.6 million hectares, is the oldest desert in the Palearctic. Once a subtropical semidesert, it transformed into the coldest, most continental, and arid desert in the world. Its flora and fauna combine Pliocene relicts with present-day species, resulting in unique but relatively low endemism compared to the neighboring Turanian deserts.
CONSERVATION FOCUS
WWF-Mongolia’s conservation focus for 2030 includes three priority ecosystems and two species groups:
1. Forests – boreal, riparian, climate-vulnerable patch forests
2. Freshwater – rivers, lakes, flyways, salmonids, sturgeon, peatlands
3. Grassland steppe – Mongolian gazelle, Argali, great bustard
4. Wild cats – snow leopard, Eurasian lynx, Pallas’s cat
5. Gobi’s migratory species – “Gobi’s Great Six”: wild camel, Gobi bear, Takhi horse, Khulan, Mongolian saiga, Goitered gazelle
During our presence in Mongolia for last 29 years, WWF-Mongolia has built a unique history of innovation, proud excellence, teamwork and genuine commitment to the conservation of biodiversity in Mongolia. As a part of WWF Network, WWF-Mongolia embraces the concept of being international and at the same time national. Because this country has a lot to offer for conservation and by doing conservation in this country the World can gain much more. Mongolia supports high diversity of life for a temperate zone and retains a substantial amount of its original biodiversity. Two of the WWF’s most important ecoregions worldwide, the Amur-Heilong Ecoregion and the Altai-Sayan Mountains, stretch into Mongolia.
WWF-Mongolia is proud to be one of the initiators of “Standard of Railroads and Roads on Passage for Migratory Ungulates” that enables famous migration still alive. Tens of thousands of Goitered gazelle inhabiting the desert steppes, and thousands of Asian of Wildlife. It is also home to the second largest population of mysterious and elusive Snow leopard and endemic to Mongolian Saiga population. Although heavily persecuted, populations of wolves persist across much of Mongolian territory. Mongolia supports headwater areas of such mighty rivers like Amur in the east and Yenisei in Altai Sayan ecoregion, and we at WWF-Mongolia are full of pride for our continuous involvement in conservation of these famous rivers with our initiative of Mongolia’s wetlands support globally significant populations of waterfowls, including threatened or endangered species such as Swan geese, Relict gulls, White-naped cranes, Siberian cranes and vulnerable Hooded cranes. Globally endangered Saker falcon still persist in good numbers across much of Mongolia’s territory. Rivers of northern Mongolia supports largest fresh water fish – Taimen, nicknamed as the river wolf, target species for WWF-Mongolia.
Another approach we pursue in our working is to be the best innovators and have a leadership role in conservation efforts. Under these approaches we have successfully initiated and carried out advocacy on a number of accomplishments such as having protection zones of water heads and sources designated and approved by local self-governing bodies; a public event “Great Gobi-6“ that brings all the stakeholders including governmental and non-governmental organizations, private entities, and individuals, who are willing to deal with environmental and wildlife conservation under an umbrella; and having Sub-Council for Prevention and Protection from Environmental Crimes established and put in operation by an Order of Minister of Justice and Internal Affairs in Mongolia to reduce and eliminate illegal wildlife hunting and trade. Despite many significant challenges to protecting biodiversity, such as overgrazing, fragmentation of wildlife habitats, poaching, mining, and inadequate management, training and resources, several factors imply well for biodiversity conservation in Mongolia.
The World’s first protected area as such was established in 1778 in Mongolia is the Bogdkhan Mountain Strictly Protected Area. In 1992, Mongolia pledged a goal of protecting 30 percent of the nation’s area. WWF-Mongolia is very proud that over 30 percent of the country’s PAs’ territory is under special protection status due to the initiative and direct involvement of WWF-Mongolia. For the years to come, WWF-Mongolia will continue to work towards conservation of biodiversity of Mongolia for the benefit of not only Mongolia but also for the Earth.
Thank you.