As part of the 17th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), we interviewed E.Battulga, Director of the National Agency Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring (NAMEM), who played a key role in organising meetings and discussions and providing parties with the latest research and data on the environment and climate.

Could you tell us about the key topics discussed, issues raised, major decisions and outcomes of COP17? The agency has played a particularly important role in the conference.

First of all, I would like to extend my greetings to the readers. For this session of the Conference of the Parties, NAMEM took the lead in preparing the Atlas of Desertification in Mongolia and the country’s national report on desertification. We presented the findings of these studies to a Cabinet meeting before the international conference began.

We also revised and prepared all presentations, information materials and scientific data planned for the conference’s main programme based on the findings of these studies. This was one of the agency’s primary responsibilities and contributions to COP17. Within our areas of responsibility, we participated in several plenary and sectoral sessions, while also organising a number of side events.

First and foremost, we provided the public with reliable, science-based information on the services delivered by the national meteorological organisation, as well as the current situation regarding desertification, drought, sand and dust storms. This information was presented through both the scientific and the main exhibition halls.

At the discussion level, we focused our work on three major areas in cooperation with international partner organisations, donors, researchers and scientists. The first was a new initiative aimed at reducing the risks posed by sand and dust storms in the region. Mongolia is one of the major source countries of sand and dust storms affecting Northeast Asia. In this regard, the Government of Mongolia put forward an initiative and agreed to work with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat. A number of scientific conferences, working-group meetings and public discussions were organised around this initiative during COP17.

The second major topic was climate change, digital monitoring and modern environmental observation technologies. Addressing environmental challenges such as desertification and drought in a meaningful way requires reliable scientific research and evidence-based reports. Producing such information, in turn, depends on the country’s meteorological observation network.

Our observation network covers 318 soums and settlements across Mongolia, while our hydrological monitoring network collects data from 150 locations, and agricultural meteorological monitoring is conducted at 1,550 sites. These networks provide detailed information on desertification, drought, precipitation and agricultural weather conditions, among other indicators.

During COP17, we discussed how this extensive monitoring system could be integrated with artificial intelligence, machine learning, satellite technology and supercomputing to improve data processing, modelling and analysis. The discussions brought together perspectives from various stakeholders on how modern technologies can strengthen environmental monitoring and climate-related assessments.

The third issue we highlighted was weather modification. Given the current challenges posed by drought and desertification, countries are using a wide range of tools to adapt to and cope with changing conditions. One such approach involves the use of technological advances to deliberately influence clouds in order to enhance precipitation.

In cooperation with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and Thailand’s Department of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation, we organised a side event to provide the public with information about this field.

There are many misconceptions and inaccurate claims among the public regarding cloud seeding and efforts to induce rainfall. Therefore, our objective was to provide science-based information grounded in research, calculations and evidence, as well as lessons and best practices from both developed and developing countries.

Our discussions at COP17 therefore focused not only on the challenges posed by desertification and drought, but also on how stronger scientific research, modern monitoring technologies and international cooperation can contribute to more effective responses.

It is important to scientifically measure and accurately assess the impacts of environmental and climate change, as well as the frequency and risks of disasters and hazardous weather events. Only with reliable data can more effective policies and response measures be developed. However, there are significant challenges in monitoring and measuring these factors, ranging from technological capabilities and human resources to institutional capacity. What is the current capacity and level of resources of Mongolia’s meteorological sector?

The foundation of Mongolia’s meteorological sector is considered to have been laid in 1924, meaning the country’s meteorological service has more than a century of experience.

One of the greatest strengths of our organisation is that we have centrally preserved meteorological observation data on Mongolia’s weather and climate conditions dating back to 1936. Archival records and historical datasets are invaluable in the meteorological field and cannot be replaced by anything else.

As climate change increases the frequency of extreme weather events and makes them more difficult to predict, the United Nations has recently placed considerable emphasis on ensuring that early warnings reach every individual. It has established specific targets and initiatives in this area.

For example, the goal is to ensure that by 2027, people around the world, particularly those in small island developing states and other developing countries, have timely access to disaster information and that early warnings reach 100 percent of the population. Organisations such as the Green Climate Fund and other financing mechanisms are supporting this effort. For Mongolia’s meteorological service, 2025 and 2026 have brought significant advances in technology and technical capacity.

Last year, we introduced supercomputers into operational use, creating better conditions for more accurate calculations, modelling and research. We also established a network of systems to monitor water levels, river discharge and flood risks on major rivers across Mongolia.

New automatic weather and air-quality monitoring stations were installed in all provincial centres. This year, with funding from the state budget, we deployed advanced Doppler weather radars in the western and Khangai regions.

In addition, two aerological centres for studying the upper layers of the atmosphere have been commissioned. Through regional cooperation, we also received an artificial intelligence-based server from WMO to support early warning systems for multiple disaster risks in urban and populated areas.

Taken together, these developments have significantly strengthened our capacity to process weather data, observations and information. At present, we receive data daily from eight satellites, which support remote sensing and environmental monitoring.

However, our biggest weakness remains the outdated equipment used at the grassroots level, particularly at meteorological observation posts. Around 65 percent of our observation posts still rely on mechanical, manually operated instruments for weather observations and monitoring. This is a major shortcoming.

Mongolia is a country that has committed to phasing out mercury use under the Minamata Convention on Mercury. Yet mercury-based instruments are still being used at some grassroots meteorological stations. This needs to be addressed immediately.

Mongolia has also doubled the number of stations transmitting meteorological data internationally this year, hasn’t it?

This is indeed one of the major achievements of this year. Until recently, Mongolia transmitted data internationally from 63 meteorological stations. In other words, weather data from only 63 locations across the country’s more than 1.5 million-square-kilometre territory were being shared internationally. International research institutions and forecasting centres use these observations to produce weather forecasts and climate information.

In 2026, we increased the number of stations transmitting data internationally to 138. As a result, Mongolia is now able to share more detailed and accurate weather observations with the international community in an open and timely manner. This has also strengthened our ability to provide the public with reliable weather information.

For example, previously, we generally provided morning and evening weather reports for cities and populated areas. Now, by taking advantage of new technologies, we can provide 10-day forecasts at three-hour intervals. This represents a major improvement in the accessibility and quality of weather information.

NAMEM, together with research institutions such as the Institute of Geography and Geoecology of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, has completed Mongolia’s sixth assessment of desertification and land degradation. The assessment found that 81.9 percent of the country’s total territory has experienced some degree of desertification or land degradation. Based on these findings, what measures are you planning to take going forward?

The latest assessment appears to show that the area affected by desertification has increased by five percentage points since 2021. However, when we look at the different levels of desertification, the area classified as being severely or extremely severely affected has actually decreased by 16.2 percent.

Our main task going forward is to develop sector-specific policy recommendations based on the research findings. These recommendations will cover areas including agriculture, livestock, infrastructure, disaster management and emergency response. As an immediate priority, we are working on developing a National Drought Management Plan, with a particular focus on how to combat drought and slow the progression of desertification.

The increase in the overall area identified as being affected by desertification may, to some extent, also be linked to improvements in our monitoring capacity. It is possible that conditions we were previously unable to identify have now been detected with greater precision.

In previous assessments, we relied primarily on data from MODIS satellites. This time, we also incorporated data from the Sentinel satellite programme. Therefore, improvements in technological capabilities and access to higher-resolution data may have influenced the results of our assessment.

It is quite possible that the findings of the next five-year assessment will be even more precise than those we have today. Technology is advancing at an extraordinary pace. Our priority is to make sure that we do not fall behind.

You have experience working at the policy- and decision-making level in the environmental sector, including positions in ministries and government agencies. From your perspective, what do you see as the key significance and potential impact of this session of the conference?

As the host country and organiser of the conference, Mongolia has enjoyed significant advantages in both the blue and green zones of the COP17 venue. Over the course of the conference, we have been able to organise virtually all of the events we proposed and wanted to hold.

For instance, NAMEM initiated and organised more than 20 events, inviting both domestic and international guests, listening to their perspectives and bringing Mongolia’s pressing environmental issues to the attention of the international community.

This is one of the greatest advantages Mongolia has gained from hosting the conference. At the same time, taking a leading role and contributing to global collective efforts in the environmental sector is particularly important for climate diplomacy. Regardless of whether a country is large or small, what matters is how it addresses global challenges and how actively it participates in international efforts to tackle them.

This, in turn, can bring Mongolia both direct and indirect benefits, including opportunities to attract climate finance and secure international support for new programmes and initiatives. Hosting an event of this scale can also provide a major boost to the development of a range of related sectors. Business tourism and the meetings industry are distinct sectors in their own right.

Mongolia has never before hosted such a large number of international visitors at a single event. Therefore, COP17 has provided a significant challenge, test and learning experience for sectors such as hospitality, food services and aviation.

Now that we have demonstrated that Mongolia is capable of successfully hosting a COP, I believe this will strengthen our confidence and capacity to successfully organise other major and important international events in the future.