As part of the 17th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP17), the National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring (NAMEM) organized an intersectoral dialogue on “Climate Change and Digital Monitoring” at the Mongolia Pavilion in the Blue Zone on 18 August 2026.

At a time when 81.9 percent of Mongolia’s total territory is affected by desertification and land degradation to varying degrees, and the frequency of natural hazards has tripled over the past decade, the dialogue emphasized the urgent need to modernize meteorological and agricultural monitoring systems based on science, innovation, and advanced technologies.

The dialogue brought together representatives from the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Asian Development Bank (ADB), research institutions, and the private sector. Participants exchanged views on smart agriculture, sand and dust storm early warning systems, and digital monitoring.

Participants emphasized the need to move beyond simply providing weather information and to develop impact-based products and services that identify in advance the potential impacts and risks to livestock, crop production, and communities. In this context, the discussion concluded that establishing policy objectives that recognize the importance and value of high-quality data and information is essential for developing diversified financing mechanisms based on natural capital and nature-based solutions.

During the event, international organizations also presented specific investment and project proposals.

In particular, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced its intention to implement a USD 1.9 million project to strengthen agrometeorological capacity in the areas of greenhouse gas markets and climate change adaptation.

The National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring (NAMEM), World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) are preparing a USD 5 million project proposal to strengthen agrometeorological capacity for submission to the Adaptation Fund.

Representatives of the private sector highlighted the potential to verify carbon sequestration in rangelands and link it to carbon markets, emphasizing that high-quality, long-term datasets and information will be increasingly important in the future.

The dialogue concluded with a shared understanding that, in addition to collecting new data to reduce the risks associated with climate change and desertification, it is essential to enhance the quality and usability of existing datasets by integrating them with artificial intelligence and remote sensing technologies and apply the resulting information to decision-making.

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