Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (January 23, 2026) – To harmonize national infrastructure development with biodiversity conservation, a joint decree by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change (MECC) and the Minister of Road and Transport has officially re-established the inter-sectoral Working Group dedicated to wildlife-friendly infrastructure.
Caption: Joint Ministerial Working Group on Wildlife-Friendly Infrastructure
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Mongolia supported this milestone by facilitating the working group’s first meeting with MECC on January 22, 2026, where members reached a consensus on the 2026 work plan and the primary organizational documents that will guide the working group’s activities.
The renewed working group is mandated to improve the legal environment and technical standards for infrastructure projects, ensuring that roads and railways do not obstruct the migration pathways or habitats of the country’s iconic nomadic wildlife. The group’s objectives for 2026 include refining regulations for wildlife crossings, implementing new methodologies for railway protective fencing, and providing expert oversight for environmental impact assessments related to linear infrastructure.
Chaired by the State Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, the Working Group comprises a diverse body of stakeholders including senior officials from the Ministry of Road and Transport, the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, and state-owned transport enterprises.
WCS Mongolia holds three technical positions within the group, represented by its Country Director, the Connectivity and Climate Change Manager, and a Senior Researcher.
Other partners include representatives from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation, and The Nature Conservancy. This joint effort reflects the strong collaboration among government agencies, research institutions, and conservation organizations, recognizing that progress on wildlife-friendly infrastructure depends on collective expertise, shared commitment, and long-term partnership.
This work is supported by Sustainable East Asia and Oyu Tolgoi LLC.