Safeguarding Important Areas of Natural Habitat in Mongolia alongside Economic Development

• Main Author: BirdLife Asia
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2009
• Subjects: AGRICULTURAL LAND; AGRICULTURE; AIR POLLUTION; ANIMAL; ANIMAL PRODUCTS; ARID ENVIRONMENTS; ARTISANAL MINING; BASIN; BIODIVERSITY; BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION; BIODIVERSITY IMPORTANCE; BIODIVERSITY VALUE; BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY; BIOLOGY; BIOSPHERE; BIOSPHERE RESERVE; BIOSPHERE RESERVES; BIRD; BIRD AREA; BIRD AREAS; BIRD CONSERVATION; BIRDS; BOREAL FOREST; BOREAL FORESTS; BREEDING; BUFFER ZONES; CAMP LOCATIONS; CLASSIFICATION; COAL; COAL MINING; COAST; COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS; CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK; CONSERVANCY; CONSERVATION; CONSERVATION AREA; CONSERVATION CENTER; CONSERVATION CONCERN; CONSERVATION OF NATURE; CONSERVATION SCIENCE; CONSERVING BIODIVERSITY; CONSTRUCTION; CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS; CORE AREA; CORE AREAS; CORRIDORS; CRANE; CRANE SPECIES; CRITICAL NATURAL HABITAT; CRITICAL NATURAL HABITATS; CULTURAL RESOURCES; DATA DEFICIENT SPECIES; DATA SETS; DATA SOURCES; DEER; DRAINAGE; ECOLOGICAL CHANGES; ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS; ECOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS; ECOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE; ECOLOGY; ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT; ECONOMIC GROWTH; ECONOMIC VALUES; ECOSYSTEM; ECOSYSTEM GOODS; ECOSYSTEMS; ELEVATIONS; EMISSIONS; ENDANGERED SPECIES; ENDEMIC BIRD AREA; ENDEMISM; ENVIRONMENTAL; ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES; ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE; ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION; ENVIRONMENTAL RISK; EROSION; EXPOSURE; EXTINCTION; EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES; FAUNA; FIELD WORK; FISH; FLORA; FOOD SOURCE; FOREST HABITATS; FORESTRY; FORESTS; FRAGMENTATION; FRESHWATER; FRESHWATER FISH; GENETIC; GENETIC VARIATION; GIS; GLOBALLY IMPORTANT BIODIVERSITY; GLOBALLY IMPORTANT POPULATIONS; GLOBALLY IMPORTANT SITES; GOLD MINING; GRASSLAND; GRASSLAND STEPPE; GRASSLANDS; HABITAT CONSERVATION; HABITAT DEGRADATION; HABITAT LOSS; HABITAT REMAINS; HABITAT REQUIREMENTS; HUMAN DISTURBANCE; HUMAN FOOTPRINT; HUMAN POPULATION; HUMAN USE; HUNTING; IMPOUNDMENT; INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT; ISSUES; LAKE; LAKES; LAND DEGRADATION; LAND MANAGEMENT; LANDSCAPE; LANDSCAPES; LIVESTOCK; LIVESTOCK NUMBERS; LOCAL COMMUNITIES; LOGGING; MARINE FISHERIES; METALS; MIGRATORY SPECIES; MINERAL DEPOSITS; MINERAL EXPLORATION; MINES; MINING AREA; MINING LICENCES; MINING OPERATIONS; MITIGATION; MOUNDS; MOUNTAINS; NATIONAL PARK; NATIONAL PARKS; NATIONAL SCALE; NATURAL CONDITIONS; NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS; NATURAL FEATURES; NATURAL HABITAT; NATURAL HABITATS; NATURAL RESOURCE; NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; NATURAL RESOURCES; NATURAL SITES; NATURAL WEALTH; NATURAL WORLD HERITAGE SITE; NATURE CONSERVATION; NATURE RESERVE; NATURE RESERVES; NEGATIVE IMPACTS; NESTING; NOMADIC HERDERS; OVERGRAZING; PASTURES; PETROLEUM; POLLINATION; PRESERVATION; PROTECTED AREAS; PUBLIC PARTICIPATION; RANGES; RECLAMATION; RED LIST; RENEWABLE RESOURCES; RESOURCE USE; RESTORATION; RIVER; RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT; ROAD DEVELOPMENT; ROADS; SACRED GROVES; SAFETY NET; SEABIRD; SEABIRD SPECIES; SEABIRDS; SNAILS; SPECIES RICHNESS; STEPPE HABITATS; STREAMS; SURFACE WATER; SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT; SUSTAINABLE USE; SUSTAINABLE USE OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY; TAIGA; TAXONOMIC GROUPS; THREATENED SPECIES; THREATENED WILDLIFE; THRESHOLDS; TOUR OPERATORS; TOURISM; TOURISM DEVELOPMENT; VEGETATION; WATER BIRDS; WATER POLLUTION; WATERFOWL; WATERFOWL HABITAT; WEALTH; WET GRASSLANDS; WETLAND; WETLAND VEGETATION; WETLANDS; WILDLIFE; WILDLIFE CONSERVATION; WILDLIFE POPULATIONS; WILDLIFE SERVICE; WILDLIFE SPECIES; WILDLIFE TRADE; ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY; Pacific; taiga
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10986/28253; http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/393891468062335148/Safeguarding-important-areas-of-natural-habitat-in-Mongolia-alongside-economic-development

As market reforms to the Mongolian economy continue and the country enjoys rapid economic growth, the environment has entered a period of unprecedented pressure. Mining, infrastructure development and tourism development, in particular, are undergoing rapid expansion, and all pose risks to Mongolia's globally important biodiversity. In order to strengthen its safeguard review process in Mongolia, specifically implementation of its operational policy on natural habitats, the World Bank contracted Birdlife Asia to identify important areas of natural habitat in the country, and assess the extent to which these areas overlap with development plans. Birdlife Asia undertook this study in close collaboration with the Wildlife Science and Conservation Center (WSCC) of Mongolia. The study looked at the extent of overlap between sites of conservation importance on the one hand, and mining licenses, major infrastructure plans, and tourist camp locations on the other. It determined the scale of overlap at the national level, provided a strategic overview of potential impacts, and identified particular sites where there is cause for concern. Recommendations were made for how environmental issues arising might be addressed, including examples of guidance and best practice from outside of Mongolia.