 On Tuesday, The Nature Conservancy
announced a new conservation initiative to protect Mongolia’s grasslands
on the Eastern Steppe. The Conservancy will offer both conservation
and scientific expertise to assist the government of Mongolia balance
conservation and economic needs, according to the organization.
“This program will help Mongolia
to set a new standard for sustainable development,” said Stephanie
Meeks, acting president and CEO of The Nature Conservancy. “This unique
effort will encompass policy initiatives with on-the-ground conservation
techniques to protect more than 69 million acres of grasslands in Eastern
Mongolia.”
Grasslands are among the most
threatened habitat types on Earth—50 percent of these landscapes have
been lost to agriculture use, urbanization and fire suppression. Around
the world, grasslands have supported human life for countless generations.
Mongolia contains the largest
unconverted temperate grasslands remaining in the world. Visitors may
come across steppe eagles, cranes, wolves and Mongolian gazelles. The
Mongolian gazelle, a nomadic species that follows no fixed migratory
route, needs an extremely large landscape to survive – but the once
isolated, unpopulated Eastern Steppe in Mongolia is facing unprecedented
development pressures as the country seeks to expand its economy and
connect to East Asian markets.
 According to Mongolian President
Nambaryn Enkhbayar, conservation is an essential part of the government’s
agenda, but the challenge is to reconcile economic needs with the protection
of the country’s unique natural treasures. Working with the government
of Mongolia and many diverse partners, the Conservancy’s new conservation
initiative will work to address these issues by incorporating conservation
of vast areas of grasslands with sustainable development and policy
initiatives.
“The Mongolia program’s
pragmatic approach to conservation will directly benefit the people
of Mongolia,” added Meeks. “By integrating herder traditions and
livelihoods with water conservation, sustainable economic and infrastructure
development, and biodiversity conservation, this program can play an
active role in the long-term health of the people and species that live
within the Eastern Steppe.”
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