ADB Investment Program to Help Spur Green and Inclusive Agribusiness in Mongolia
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) today approved a $448 million investment program to support green and inclusive development of Mongolia’s aimags (provinces) and soums (subprovinces).

The Aimags and Soums Green Regional Development Investment Program will promote a transformative model for green territorial development and green urban–rural linkages. Secondary towns (aimag and soum centers) will become anchors of climate-smart agribusinesses that promote sustainable, resilient, and low-carbon rangeland management.

“The program pilots an integrated solution to Mongolia’s multidimensional challenges by balancing its territorial development, reducing migration to Ulaanbaatar, and regenerating rangeland natural resources for carbon capture,” said ADB Principal Portfolio Management Specialist Arnaud Heckmann. “The program is designed for replicability within and outside of Mongolia.”

Mongolia’s rangelands cover 82% of the country and are under severe threat due to livestock pressure on pastureland and unsustainable rangeland management practices. Climate change has reduced the productivity of fragile rangelands and has increasingly exposed herders to climate-related natural hazards.