Safeguarding Important Areas of Natural Habitat in Mongolia Alongside Economic Development
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Safeguarding Important Areas of Natural Habitat in Mongolia alongside Economic Development January 2009 © January 2009 The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/THE WORLD BANK 1818 H Street, NW Washington, DC 20433 USA January 2009 All rights reserved. This study was prepared by the Rural Development, Natural Resources and Environment Sector Unit of the East Asia and Pacifi c Region (EASRE) in collaboration with BirdLife Asia (Tokyo) and the Wildlife Science and Conservation Center (Ulaanbaatar), and was funded by Japanese Consultant Trust Funds. The printing and launch of this publication were supported fi nancially by the World Bank’s East Asia and Pacifi c Safeguards Secretariat, and the Mongolia Country Management Unit. The World Bank’s Environment and Social Development Strategy for the region provides the conceptual framework for setting priorities, strengthening the policy and institutional frameworks for sustainable development, and addressing key environmental and social development challenges through projects, programs, policy dialogue, non-lending services, and partnerships. The East Asia and Pacifi c Region Sustainable Development Discussion Paper series provides a forum for discussion on good practices and policy issues within the development community and with client countries. This publication is available online at www.worldbank.org/ eapenvironment and www.worldbank.org.mn where the GIS layers are also available. Suggested citation: BirdLife Asia. 2009. Safeguarding Important Areas of Natural Habitat alongside Economic Development. Mongolia Discussion Papers. East Asia and Pacifi c Region Sustainable Development Department, World Bank, Washington, DC. Cover image: Ariin Lake in Omnodelger soum, Khentii aimag. Photographer: Batbayar Nyambayar. Cover design by James Cantrell Contact information for study team: BirdLife Asia, TM Suidobashi Building, 4F, Misaki-cho 2-14-6, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 106-0061, Japan Tel: +81 3 52130461, Fax: +81 3 52130422 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.birdlife-asia.org This volume is a product of the staff of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank. The fi ndings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper do not necessarily refl ect the views of the Executive Directors of The World Bank or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. The material in this publication is copyrighted. Copying and/or transmitting portions or all of this work without permission may be a violation of applicable law. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank encourages dissemination of its work and will normally grant permission to reproduce portions of the work promptly. For permission to photocopy or reprint any part of this work, please send a request with complete information to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, USA, telephone +1 978-750-8400, fax +1 978-750-4470, www.copyright.com. All other queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to the Offi ce of the Publisher, The World Bank, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA, fax +1 202-522-2422, e-mail [email protected] Table of Contents Foreword iv Glossary of terms vi Abbreviations and acronyms used vii Acknowledgements ix Executive summary xi 1. Introduction 1 2. Background to the study 3 2.1 Important biodiversity under threat 3 2.2 Site safeguard position of the World Bank 5 3. Objectives of the study 7 4. Identifi cation of important areas of natural habitat in Mongolia 9 4.1 Sources of information 10 4.2 Nationally protected areas in Mongolia 12 4.3 Locally protected sites in Mongolia 14 4.4 Internationally protected areas in Mongolia 15 4.5 Natural sacred sites in Mongolia 16 4.6 Important Bird Areas in Mongolia 17 4.7 Consolidated set of critical natural habitats 20 5. Overview of development planning in Mongolia 23 5.1 Sources of information 23 5.2 Mining development 24 5.3 Infrastructure development 30 5.4 Tourism development 35 6. Overview of regulatory and institutional frameworks 39 6.1 Regulatory and institutional framework for environmental protection 39 6.2 Regulatory and institutional framework for mining 40 6.3 Regulatory and institutional framework for tourism 42 6.4 Safeguard policies 44 i 7. Environmental impact of development plans 47 7.1 Analysis of overlap between exploration licences and critical natural habitat 47 7.2 Implications of overlap between exploration licences and critical natural habitat 49 7.3 Analysis of overlap between mining licences and critical natural habitat 51 7.4 Implications of overlap between mining licences and critical natural habitat 54 7.5 Analysis of overlap between mining-associated infrastructure and critical natural habitats 57 7.6 Implications of overlap between mining-associated infrastructure and critical natural habitats 59 7.7 Individual critical natural habitats where impact from exploration and mining is expected to be signifi cant 60 7.8 Analysis of overlap between tourism development plans and critical natural habitats 65 8. Recommendations 75 8.1 Recommendations for site safeguard with regard to mining and infrastructure 75 8.2 Recommendations for site safeguard with regard to tourism 78 9. Best practice in site safeguard and mitigation 81 9.1 Examples of best practice with regard to mining and infrastructure 81 9.2 Examples of best practice with regard to tourism 98 References 104 Annexes 109 Annex 1. Nationally protected areas in Mongolia 109 Annex 2. Locally protected areas in Mongolia 112 Annex 3. Internationally protected areas in Mongolia 113 Annex 4. Natural sacred sites in Mongolia 115 Annex 5. Important Bird Areas in Mongolia 117 Annex 6. Regulatory framework for environmental protection 120 Annex 7. Regulatory framework for mining 127 Annex 8. Safeguard policies of international development banks 133 Annex 9. Overlap between nationally protected areas and exploration licences, mining licences and areas at high risk from mining-associated infrastructure 136 Annex 10. Overlap between IBAs and exploration licences, mining licences and areas at high risk from mining-associated infrastructure 139 Annex 11. Tourist camps located in or adjacent to State SPAs 142 Annex 12. Tourist camps located in or adjacent to Local SPAs 145 Annex 13. Tourist camps located in or adjacent to IBAs 146 ii Maps Map 1. State Special Protected Areas in Mongolia, as of June 2008 147 Map 2. Local Special Protected Areas in Mongolia, as of May 2008 148 Map 3. Internationally protected areas in Mongolia 149 Map 4. Natural sacred sites in Mongolia 150 Map 5. Important Bird Areas in Mongolia 151 Map 6. Consolidated set of critical natural habitats in Mongolia 152 Map 7. Exploration licences in Mongolia, as of May 2008 153 Map 8. Location of tourist camps in Mongolia 154 Map 9. Overlap between critical natural habitats and exploration licences 155 Map 10. Overlap between critical natural habitats and mining licences 156 Map 11. Overlap between critical natural habitats and areas within 20 km of mining licences 157 Map 12. Overlap between critical natural habitats and tourist camps 158 Map 13. Overlap between critical natural habitats and exploration and mining licences in the north-east of Dornod aimag 159 Map 14. Overlap between State SPAs, IBAs and exploration and mining licences in Omnogobi aimag 160 Map 15. Overlap between Ikh Gazriin Chuluu Nature Reserve and exploration and mining licences 161 Map 16. Overlap between Nagalkhan Nature Reserve and exploration and mining licences 162 Map 17. Overlap between Suikhent Uul Monument and exploration and mining licences 163 Map 18. Overlap between Tavan Tolgoi Local SPA and exploration and mining licences 164 Map 19. Overlap between Dashinchilen Bayan Lake IBA and exploration and mining licences 165 Map 20. Overlap between Tashgain Tavan Lakes IBA and exploration and mining licences 166 Map 21. Overlap between Tsengel Khairkhan Mountain IBA and exploration and mining licences 167 Map 22. Overlap between Shaazan Lake IBA and exploration and mining licences 168 Map 23. Overlap between Galba Gobi IBA and exploration and mining licences 169 iii Foreword rom the boreal forests of the north advantage of opportunities to generate new funding to the deserts of the south, from the streams for the conservation of these areas. high peaks of the Altai range to the unending steppe, from ephemeral oases The World Bank has taken an advanced position Fto one of the largest bodies of freshwater in the in safeguarding important areas of natural habitat world, Mongolia’s natural habitats form a major alongside its development work, which is set out component of the country’s national wealth. These in its Operational Policy on Natural Habitats habitats support the nomadic pastoral lifestyle (OP 4.04) of June 2001. In order to strengthen of Mongolia’s rural population, underpin the environmental safeguards in Mongolia, the Bank development of nature-based tourism, and provide commissioned a study on Safeguarding Important freshwater, fuel and other essential ecosystem Areas of Natural Habitat in Mongolia alongside goods and services. At the same time, Mongolia’s Economic Development, funded