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Mongolia

By Environmental Governance Programme (EGP)

Mining accounts for 23 percent of Mongolia's GDP. Coal and copper amount to approximately 70 percent of the country’s total export revenues (World Bank, 2019). In recent years, the mining industry has become one of the biggest contributors to Mongolia’s economic growth. With the rapid expansion of mining activities across the country, ensuring environmental governance and sustainable natural resource management in line with principles of human rights and the rule of law has become a critical priority for Mongolia.

EGP’s work in Mongolia is based on partnerships with national stakeholders. These efforts are synergized with ongoing policies and initiatives to strengthen environmental governance in the mining sector. The programme also focuses on improving stakeholders’ meaningful engagement and mutual responsibility through scaling up Participatory Environmental Monitoring (PEM) and responsible mining mechanisms.

Stories of Change

MONGOLIA: PROMOTING COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN MINING GOVERNANCE

Key Results

PEM committees in Mongolia’s Dornogobi and Tov Provinces have improved mechanisms to support access to environmental information and meaningful participation in decision-making, including indigenous peoples-led monitoring programmes.
Mongolia’s new PEM committee in Airag, Dornogobi Province has facilitated dialogue between local herders impacted by mining activities and mining companies. These stakeholders have agreed to rehabilitate all remaining pits around the Khongor Ovoo area, and to conduct a new EIA with the active participation of community members.
The EGP supported the development of a methodology for the rehabilitation of land damaged by mining, which is being implemented under the Government’s Rehabilitation 2024 campaign. The campaign aims to restore 8,000 hectares of land damaged by mining operations. In 2021, the EGP’s work included a pilot demonstration in the Tuul River protected zone and training for 50 local inspectors.
In 2021, six new Mongolia companies adopted the Responsible Mining Voluntary Code, which was developed in 2018 with the Mongolian National Mining Association (MNMA). Despite implementation delays due to COVID-19 restrictions, the MNMA managed to involve some of the largest mining companies in the country, such as Erdenet Mining and Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi.
50 officials from the National Human Rights Commission Secretariat and its local representatives in the country’s 21 provinces concluded the EGP-supported Training on Human Rights Impact Assessment. Moreover, 150 government officials and PEM initiatives across the country have completed EGP-supported training on rehabilitation of land damaged by mining, human rights-based policy and planning, and community-based environmental monitoring.

Progress and Achievements

Advancing PEM Approaches

Drawing on the successful launch of a pilot PEM committee in 2020, the approach was expanded to the districts of Airag, Dalanjargalan and Bayanjargalan of Dornogobi and Tov Provinces in 2021. The initiative is being implemented by the Steps Without Borders NGO, which supported the establishment of the new PEM committees in close partnership with local civil society stakeholders and communities, including through social media outreach, radio podcasts and video animations.
Local women were actively involved in setting up the new PEM committees in Airag and Bayanjargalan, which empowered them to participate in decision-making processes related to natural resource management in their villages. About 70 percent of the members of the PEM committees are women, including herders and state officials, and they have been actively participating in all PEM processes.

Other PEM-related activities include:

Preparation of a country-specific PEM guide, extracting lessons from pilot implementation in 2020–2021. The guide was published in Mongolian in 2021 and disseminated throughout the sector, including via mining associations and community-based environmental organizations. The guide was also translated into English to inspire other EGP programme countries and contribute to the upcoming PEM Global Guide.
A joint monitoring trip was conducted to PEM project sites in Dornogobi and Tov Provinces, bringing together representatives from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industry, the General Agency for Specialized Inspection, the National Human Rights Commission, the General Police Authority, and civil society organizations.
A national workshop on PEM was organized on 30 November 2021 to enable the PEM project teams to exchange their experiences, learn from each other and consult with the government and non-governmental counterparts on institutionalizing the PEM approach in mining governance.

Responsible Mining Guidelines

In 2021, the EGP supported the strengthening of Responsible Mining Guidelines, with the voluntary adhesion by six new mining companies, including Erdenet Mining and Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi, among the largest companies in Mongolia. Developed in 2018 with the Mongolian National Mining Association (MNMA), the guidelines serve as a self-assessment tool for companies, also presenting steps towards improved environmental and human rights protection in mining activities.
During its 2022 General Assembly, the MNMA seeks to amend existing guidelines by making them mandatory for their associated companies. Proposed actions include the establishment of a working group in charge of continuous development of the guidelines and a Board to assess compliance by companies.

Social Impact Assessment of Mining and Infrastructure Projects

By complementing the existing environmental impact assessment (EIA) system in Mongolia, the EGP supported the establishment of a working group (WG) to develop procedures for social impact assessments, with particular focus on mining and its infrastructure projects. Launched in August 2021, the WG is coordinated by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection.
The WG prepared draft regulations on social impact assessments for mining and infrastructure projects, which were submitted for approval by the Government upon discussion with the WG members. Once approved, the new regulations would represent a major step towards enforcing the environmental and human rights regulations in the extractive sector.

Methodology for Land Rehabilitation

In 2021, the EGP supported the implementation of the Mongolian Government’s Rehabilitation 2024 campaign by developing methodological guidelines on rehabilitation of land damaged by mining of common minerals and through pilot demonstration in the Tuul River protected zone. The EGP has also supported training on land rehabilitation for around 50 environmental inspectors and mining companies. The new guidelines, developed with the Green Crown environmental management firm, have been submitted for approval by the Government following a series of dialogues with various stakeholders.

Degraded land in Mongolia

The latest inventory by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism identified 34,900 hectares of damaged land throughout the country, with mining activities being responsible for over 70 percent of this degradation. The Rehabilitation 2024 campaign seeks to rehabilitate 8,000 hectares of land damaged by mining operations in the coming years through collaborative action by all relevant agencies nationwide (Environmental Information Center, Ministry of Environment and Tourism). As part of the EGP’s support, a pilot demonstration of mining site rehabilitation was conducted in the Tuul River protected zone, including training on land rehabilitation, to 50 inspectors and mining company representatives.

Improving capacities in mining governance

The EGP Mongolia team organized several training activities to strengthen the capacity and knowledge of the national stakeholders on environmental governance and human rights protection in the mining sector, including:

Training on Human Rights Impact Assessment for 50 officials from the National Human Rights Commission, including local inspectors and NGOs from 21 provinces.
Training and field demonstration on rehabilitation of land damaged by mining of common minerals for 50 state inspectors and public and private sector stakeholders.
PEM National Workshop, attended by 60 representatives from the PEM committees of Bayanjargalan district of Tov Province, and Airag and Dalanjargalan districts of Dornogobi Province.
Interactive training on human rights-based policy and planning for 40 staff from the Office of the President of Mongolia.

Training on environmental impact assessment and estimation of environmental damages, organized by UNDP Mongolia and the EGP. Photo by UNDP Mongolia/Barkhas Losolsuren.

Stories of Change

MONGOLIA: PROMOTING COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN MINING GOVERNANCE

Testimonials

"As for our ministry, I think the EGP had a direct impact on developing an Environmental Management Plan.1 Our ministry has participated in capacity- building about environmental policymaking, which also involved staff members from provinces and local governments."

Technician from the Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industry.

"My observation is that not only the mining company but also the other parties understood that many conflicts arise from the different perceptions of the situation. It was difficult for the parties to accept the facts provided by the other party, when the trust level between them was very low. Thus, parties wanted to see a real picture of the situation explored and described by jointly trusted experts."

Nandinchimeg Batsaikhan, Mongolia-based facilitator and conflict mediator, during the webinar on Using Social and Environmental Safeguards and Grievance Mechanisms.

"How can Mongolia use its natural wealth to expand its economy while also growing healthy communities? One answer is through a multi-stakeholder process involving government, private companies, local citizens and non-governmental organizations to promote responsible mining".

Bolormaa Purevjav, Chair, Stakeholder’s Engagement for Sustainable Development (SESD) in Mongolia, during the webinar on Participatory Environmental Monitoring Committees.

Aerial photo of houses in Erdenet, Mongolia. Photo credits: iStock.com/DieterMeyrl

Aerial view of Ulaanbaatar downtown at sunset seen from Zaisan Hill. Photo credits: iStock.com/tanukiphoto

EGP Partners

The EGP is implemented by UNDP Mongolia in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism; the Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industry; the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection; the General Agency for Specialized Inspection; the General Police Authority; and the National Human Rights Commission.

In 2021, the programme enhanced collaboration with both the private sector and civil society actors such as the Mongolian National Mining Association (MNMA), Steps Without Borders NGO and the Green Crown environmental monitoring company.

The EGP Focal Point in UNDP Mongolia is Ariunbileg Radnaa (ariunbileg.radnaa@undp.org).

Further results

UNDP Mongolia’s EGP Website

EGP 2020 Annual Report

EGP Phase One (2014-19) Final Report

EGP 2019 Annual Report

EGP 2018 Annual Report

Footnotes

Cover picture: Traditional Mongolian yurts in Badain Jaran desert. Photo credits: iStock.com/gionnixxx

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FootNotes

Cover picture: Traditional Mongolian yurts in Badain Jaran desert. Photo credits: iStock.com/gionnixxx

EGP Newsletter

Mongolia

FootNotes

A newsletter about responsible mining from the Environmental Governance Programme (EGP)

February 11^th, 2026

February 10^th, 2026

A newsletter about responsible mining from the Environmental Governance Programme (EGP)

October 27^th, 2025

Learn about all countries that have been a part of EGP

FootNotes

A newsletter about responsible mining from the Environmental Governance Programme (EGP)

February 11th, 2026

February 10th, 2026

A newsletter about responsible mining from the Environmental Governance Programme (EGP)

October 27th, 2025

Learn about all countries that have been a part of EGP

February 11^th, 2026

February 10^th, 2026

October 27^th, 2025