Desertification is defined as “land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities” by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)^*. Arid regions, which are susceptible to the impact of desertification, account for approximately 41% of the earth's surface, and are home to over 2 billion people, of which at least 90% reside in developing countries. Desertification is also a cause of instable food supplies, water shortages, and poverty.

The Ministry of the Environment, as efforts related to combating desertification, is implementing an empowerment project for nomads in Mongolia for combating desertification caused by climate change and a project to transfer technology for combating desertification using traditional knowledge and indigenous technology in Africa.

^*Official Name: United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa