Thrilling initial expedition to Small Gobi in Mongolia

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia – In a remarkable adventure aiming at preserving the biodiversity and natural heritage of the Gobi Desert, an ambitious expedition has been conducted to explore its obvious and hidden treasures. The expedition, organized by a team of national and international scientists, and conservationists, is a significant first step towards the planned joined elaboration of a long-term conservation plan and the nomination as World Heritage site.

The mission has been starting with a kick-off Workshop in Ulaanbaatar, opened by the State Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism of Mongolia and the representatives of the German Agency of Environment and the German Agency of Nature Conservation. The kick-off has been followed immediately by a first stakeholder meeting involving most of the relevant conservation organisations and academia working on Gobi in Mongolia, in order to achieve a maximum of participation and knowledge gain.

Spanning a vast area of approximately 20.000 square kilometres, the Small Gobi Protected Areas are renowned for its unique ecosystem, breath-taking landscapes and natural heritage, encompassing sprawling deserts, towering dunes, dramatic rock formations, and chilling oases that are home to an incredible array of adapted plant and animal species.

The Small Gobi expedition is not merely a scientific endeavour; it is a collective effort towards securing the region's inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage list. Once the comprehensive research and documentation are complete, the data will be compiled by team of national and international experts, scientists and conservationists, into the nomination dossier, that will be then submitted to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for evaluation, by the Mongolian Ministry of Environment and Tourism.

The nomination process, though challenging, holds immense potential for the Gobi's global recognition and the subsequent commitment to its conservation and sustainable development.

In late summer a 2nd expedition to the Great Gobi in the South-western part of Mongolia is planned. An endeavour even more challenging than to the Small Gobi. The extent of Great Gobi Protected Areas is approximately 80.000 square kilometres, alone.

the project:
Succow Stiftung | Mongolia: Desert Landscapes of Southern Gobi (succow-stiftung.de)

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