At the request of the Baikal Headwaters Expedition, the Center for Natural Resources & Environmental Policy completed an independent assessment in 2018/2019 to identify opportunities to enhance collaboration on conservation and development in the Selenge River – Lake Baikal transboundary basin. The Selenge River originates in Mongolia and flows north into Russia, eventually draining into Lake Baikal -- the largest freshwater lake in the world. The assessment focused on three water development projects currently under consideration by the Mongolian government.
The results of the assessment are presented below.
Based on the assessment, the Center entered into a multi-year partnership with the Freshwater Resources and Nature Conservation Center in Mongolia to (1) enhance the collaborative capacity of the 21 river basin administrations and councils throughout the country; and (2) provide resources to promote and support collaborative conservation on a number of other natural resource issues, including water policy, watershed management, and parks and protected areas. The Center was also invited by the U.S. Embassy in Mongolia to apply for a Fulbright Fellowship to support this effort.
Partners
Several individuals and organizations contribute resources to this initiative, including but not limited to:
- BioRegions International
- Freshwater Resources and Nature Conservation Center (Mongolia)
- Glacier National Park Conservancy
- Mongolia River Outfitters
- Nomadic Journeys
- The Nature Conservancy - Mongolia
- The Trust for Mutual Understanding
- The Transglobe Expedition Trust
- The Taimen Fund
- S. Embassy, Mongolia
- Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park Association, Rotary
Resources
Here are some of the resources that have emerged from this initiative to date:
- Memorandum of Understanding Between Freshwater Resources and Nature Conservation Center and Center for Natural Resources & Environmental Policy (2019).
- The Selenge River – Lake Baikal Transboundary Basin: A Preliminary Assessment of Opportunities to Enhance Collaboration on Conservation & Development (2019).
For More Information
For more information, please contact Matt McKinney.