Analog Forestry as a Solution to Desertification in Mongolia
by PUREVDASH DUDLII
Mongolia’s unique geography — high elevation, continental climate, and isolation from oceans — makes regions like Khuvsgul Province particularly vulnerable to arid conditions and desertification.
The Khuvsgul province is renowned for its majestic snow-capped mountains, vast forests, pristine rivers, and Lake Khuvsgul — the world’s second-largest and deepest freshwater lake in Central Asia. Khuvsgul’s forests represent nearly one-third of Mongolia’s total forest cover, making them a vital ecological zone.
Current Threats and Challenges
However, this landscape faces mounting threats from both natural factors and unsustainable human activities:
- Forest fires and biodiversity loss are increasing.
- Unsustainable logging, overextraction of natural resources, and excessive use of forest for fuel are degrading ecosystems.
- Pasture overuse and overgrazing contribute significantly to land degradation and desertification.
- In the Darkhad Valley, more than 20 lakes have dried up in recent years, disrupting the region’s ecological balance.
- Improper land use, cutting riparian forests, and reduced river flows further accelerate desertification.
Driving Forces of Desertification
Desertification in Khuvsgul is driven by multiple factors, including an increase in livestock numbers and grazing pressure, expanding tourism activities, as well as climate change impacts such as stronger winds and more frequent droughts. Without sustainable intervention, the region risks soil degradation, loss of water resources, rural poverty, and eventual ecosystem collapse.
Past efforts to tackle with desertification showed mixed success:
- In Rinchinlhumbe soum of Khuvsgul Province, over 1,000 poplar and willow branches were planted but failed because the speed and extent of sand movement had not been properly assessed. As a result, the branches were planted too close to the active sand area, and the shifting sand buried them before they could grow into strong, mature trees.
- In Ikh-Uul soum of Khuvsgul Province, school children established dense multi-row shelterbelts, which successfully blocked sand movement — demonstrating that dense, layered planting is critical.
- In Govisumber Province, enclosing the sand area with fencing also successfully halted sand movement. Therefore, fencing can be considered one of the effective methods for controlling sand migration.
Desertified area in Renchinlhumbe soum, Khuvsgul Province.
Desertified area in Govisumber Province. The area was protected by fencing, and there is a clear difference between the two sides of the fence.
Analog Forestry as a solution
Good practices currently implemented in Mongolia have achieved positive results in halting or redirecting sand movement. However, they have not yet fully addressed broader issues of ecological balance and long-term sustainable livelihoods for local communities. So, applying Analog Forestry in the desertified areas of Mongolia is both timely and highly relevant. AF offers a nature-based solution that restores ecosystem functions while supporting local livelihoods. Implementing AF would help stabilize shifting sands, improve soil quality, and restore degraded ecosystems. In addition, it would provide alternative income sources through sustainable use of non-timber forest products, helping local herders and communities reduce dependence on livestock and mitigate land degradation caused by overgrazing. Integrating AF with community-driven actions offers a powerful opportunity to strengthen both environmental and social resilience in Khuvsgul and across other vulnerable landscapes in Mongolia.
Written by: Purevdash Dudlii, Head of Association of Forestry User Groups of Khuvsgul Province, Mongolia
Purevdash is an Analog Forestry promoter and trainer, and is leading a project funded by the IAFN Restore Fund in the tundras of Tarialan soum. This work is meant to enhance environmental education, raise awareness, and capacity-building among local communities and students. The AF project aims at planting native tree species, specifically Siberian Larch and Populus laurifolia, to support ecological restoration and climate resilience. Additionally, a goal is to expand outreach by cooperating with the Forestry Users Group (FUG) and aim to restore additional forest areas affected by wildfires and illegal cutting.