Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, April 10, 2024 – Under the auspices of the project “Strengthening Institutional and Technical Capacity to Support NDC Implementation and Mainstreaming Climate Change into Subnational Development Planning in Mongolia,” funded by the GCF Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme, the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is extending technical assistance to government offices across 21 provinces. The objective is to aid in the development of comprehensive action plans for climate change mitigation and adaptation by enhancing their provincial capacity. This initiative is being undertaken in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) and the Climate Change Research and Cooperation Centre (CCRCC).
Mongolia’s unique geography poses significant climate change risks, underscoring the urgency of addressing climate action. With risks of desertification, water scarcity, and extreme weather, the country faces severe impacts, as seen in a 2.36°C temperature rise and 7% precipitation decrease over 80 years. Climate-related disasters have doubled since 1960, affecting the economy, livelihoods, and cultural heritage. Additionally, a recent Knowledge-Attitude-Practice (KAP) survey by Mongolia’s MET and GGGI, conducted as part of the GCF Readiness Support Program in Mongolia, showed that 85.7% of respondents believe that country needs to take urgent climate action.
In response to these pressing imperatives, the regional capacity building training has commenced in the Khangai region, covering three provinces. A two-day training was designed for participants to understand climate change and national policies, and craft provincial climate change action plans. The curriculum, developed with CCRCC, included activities such as GHG baseline studies, climate risk assessments, participatory action research, and prioritization of key climate change issues and corresponding actions.
Mr. Munkhbat, a Senior Officer at the MET, underscored the importance of enhancing the capabilities of local government entities in formulating long-term climate change plans at the provincial level. This, he emphasized, would make a significant contribution to achieving the implementation of the 5-year Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) by 2025, and to subsequently updating the NDC for the following five years.
“Provincial and local government staff are on the frontlines of delivering essential services to communities. Supporting them to better understand the causes of climate change and how it affects people in their provinces is a critical first step in working together to combat climate change.,” Ms. Peterson added, reflecting on the transformative impact of such capacity-building initiatives.
Mrs. Enkhsaikhan.D, the Disaster Management and Monitoring Officer from Bayankhongor province, emphasized, “We’ve acquired invaluable knowledge and skills in integrating climate change concerns into provincial planning to enhance preparedness and mitigate climate-related events. These skills are imperative in light of the rising frequency of natural disasters.”
GGGI aims to conclude the training series by May 2024, involving 250+ local government staff and offers guidelines for establishing effective institutional frameworks to facilitate climate change planning and implementation at the provincial level. After the training, a minimum of 12 provinces are expected to submit climate change plans for approval by the Province Citizen’s Representative Khural.
Photo Credit: © GGGI. Mrs. Enkhsaikhan D., Disaster Management and Monitoring Officer from Bayankhongor province, participating in regional capacity-building training in the Khangai region.
About the Ministry of Environment and Tourism
The Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) of Mongolia is the focal point institution with the goals of promoting green and sustainable development through the enhancement of ecosystem capacity, ensuring ecological balance, sustainable use and rehabilitation of natural resources, to ensure the human rights to live in a healthy and safe environment by fostering the cooperation and efforts of stakeholders including business entities and government organizations.
Local GGGI communications contact
Bayarmaa Enkhbayar, Program Senior Associate
+976 99009224
(GGGI Seoul HQ)
Mona Laczo, Communication & Knowledge Sharing Unit Head
+82 10 9530 0358