Green thoughts from Mongolia on World Environment Day

Alarming environmental changes and disasters, unprecedented and unheard of before, occur at a greater rate. Climate change with ensuing water shortage, desertification, soil and vegetation degradation lead not only to depletion of natural resources, but also threaten the social and economic development of the entire world.

These are the words of Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, President of Mongolia as his country hosts the 2013 World Environment Day.

“Our blue planet is only one for all of us. Yet, our home Earth is visibly losing its vitality and pristineness due to the reckless policies and ruinous acts of its children, the human beings. Its resources are being exhausted and the safe livelihood of the humankind is gravely endangered”, said the President.

Mongolia is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and aiming for a transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient economy and a green civilization.

Since millennia ago, Mongolians have lived in a genuine harmony with nature, just like a mother and child, especially their culture of treating water, the source of life on earth, is truly unique.

“The simplest but a very telling example is that the herders never use the same ladle for water and milk” said the President.

But like many low-income countries, climate change has led to drying up of many rivers and lakes in Mongolia, thus necessitating the country to draw concerted attention on water resources.

As one of the most-threatened by climate change countries, Mongolia has already suspended new mining concessions pending environmental safeguards and is working with partners in the UN and beyond to bring Green Development across the economy.

The country has also established Natural Resources National Parks to curb desertification.

“Our national parks and specially protected areas can be the backbone of ecotourism that would generate conservation income and green jobs”, said President Elbegdori. “Our vision includes targets for the uptake of solar and wind power that can fuel our economic growth, while exporting surpluses via an Asian super-grid”.

President Elbegdori, who was honored with the 2012 Champion of the Earth Award by the United Nations, has observed that environmental protection is not a single-day campaign but a life-long cause of day-to-day efforts of every citizen of the world.

He has proposed the establishment of a special UN body on Water, an initiative he believes will be supported by the global community.

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