ILC and Mongolia partner on pastoralist land data

December 23, 2025 Rome

The International Land Coalition (ILC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Mongolia – represented by the General Agency for Land Administration and Geodesy and Cartography (GALAGC) – and the National Land Coalition of Mongolia to develop and integrate pastoralist-specific indicators into land monitoring and governance systems. The agreement recognises pastoralists as active contributors to land data, policy, and decision-making.

Pastoralists are among the world’s most effective stewards of rangelands — ecosystems critical for biodiversity, climate regulation, and land restoration. In Mongolia, where pasturelands cover nearly 80% of the country, pastoralist communities sustain ecological balance, support wildlife habitats, and enhance landscape resilience amid climate change.

Aligned with the objectives of the Rio Conventions — including the UNCCD, CBD, and UNFCCC — pastoralist land governance systems contribute to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration, and climate adaptation. Despite being often overlooked in national-level monitoring, their traditional, mobility-based practices help prevent land degradation, improve soil health, and enable adaptive responses to climate variability.

“By jointly implementing LANDex with new pastoralist indicators and aligning our efforts with the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists and UNCCD COP-17, Mongolia is positioning itself as a global leader in pastoralist land tenure security and rangeland governance,” Mr. Enkhmanlai Anand added.

Through this partnership, pastoralist-specific indicators integrated into people-centred land data systems such as LANDex will be jointly implemented, strengthening evidence-based approaches to Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) and ensuring pastoralist realities are reflected in national and global land monitoring.

As Mongolia prepares to host UNCCD COP‑17 and leads the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists in 2026, these efforts highlight the essential role of pastoralist communities in achieving global goals on biodiversity protection, climate resilience, and sustainable land use — locally grounded, nationally led, and globally relevant.

This MoU builds on an earlier agreement signed with Mongolia in early December 2025, which focused on pastoralist land rights and sustainable rangeland governance, further strengthening Mongolia’s leadership in elevating pastoralist priorities globally.