Khomiin Tal Nature Reserve, located in Durvuljin soum of Zavkhan province, has been officially added to UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves. The decision was confirmed at the 37th session of the International Co-ordinating Council of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme in Hangzhou, China.
At this meeting, 25 new sites from 20 countries, including Albania, Angola, Iceland, Tajikistan, and Ethiopia, were added to the Global Network of Biosphere Reserves, among them Khomiin Tal. With this inclusion, Mongolia now has 12 biosphere reserves recognized by UNESCO.
The Khomiin Tal region was granted state special protection in 2020, covering 411,403 hectares. Its landscapes include arid steppe, desert steppe with sparse vegetation, reed beds along the shores of Khar Lake and Durgun Lake, and fertile meadows in the Zavkhan River valley.
Becoming part of the UNESCO network is expected to raise the site’s international profile, enhance conservation efforts, and support environmental sustainability. The designation should also aid in improving livelihoods for local communities, and foster cooperation through regional and subregional networks, strengthening local capacities.
Research by the French TAKH Association, the WWF-Mongolia Program, and the Institute of General and Experimental Biology of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences identified Khomiin Tal as the third reintroduction site for Przewalski’s horse (Takhi) in Mongolia.
Khomiin Tal Nature Reserve, located in Durvuljin soum of Zavkhan province, has been officially added to UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves. The decision was confirmed at the 37th session of the International Co-ordinating Council of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme in Hangzhou, China.
At this meeting, 25 new sites from 20 countries, including Albania, Angola, Iceland, Tajikistan, and Ethiopia, were added to the Global Network of Biosphere Reserves, among them Khomiin Tal. With this inclusion, Mongolia now has 12 biosphere reserves recognized by UNESCO.
The Khomiin Tal region was granted state special protection in 2020, covering 411,403 hectares. Its landscapes include arid steppe, desert steppe with sparse vegetation, reed beds along the shores of Khar Lake and Durgun Lake, and fertile meadows in the Zavkhan River valley.
Becoming part of the UNESCO network is expected to raise the site’s international profile, enhance conservation efforts, and support environmental sustainability. The designation should also aid in improving livelihoods for local communities, and foster cooperation through regional and subregional networks, strengthening local capacities.
Research by the French TAKH Association, the WWF-Mongolia Program, and the Institute of General and Experimental Biology of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences identified Khomiin Tal as the third reintroduction site for Przewalski’s horse (Takhi) in Mongolia.