GNV News, 15 February 2026

Glaciers in Mongolia are shrinking at an unprecedented rate due to rapid temperature increases in recent years, according to a briefing released on 2 February 2026 by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), which points out that the decline is progressing at record speed. Mongolia’s average temperature has risen by about 2.3 degrees Celsius compared to the pre‑industrial era, with warming advancing faster than the global average. Looking ahead, temperatures are projected to rise by up to about 8 degrees by the end of this century, and there is particular concern about the impact on the northern and western regions where glaciers are concentrated.

Mongolia’s glaciers support more than 70% of the country’s freshwater resources, but their volume has decreased by about 28% since 1940. Between 1990 and 2016, glacier area shrank by 35%, and currently only 627 glaciers remain, covering about 334 square kilometers. Since the 1980s, 63 lakes and about 683 rivers have disappeared, and groundwater has also been declining at a rate of about 3 mm per year.

Geographic conditions lie behind this high vulnerability to impacts. Mongolia is a landlocked country, and its annual precipitation is low, averaging around 200 mm. Much of its territory is classified as semi‑arid to arid, and water resources are limited to begin with. For this reason, temperature increases and changes in precipitation are considered to have a more direct impact on water resources than in many other countries.

In Mongolia, the frequency of natural disasters has also been increasing year by year with climate change. Winter disasters (dzud) in which large numbers of livestock die due to cold and heavy snow, as well as floods, droughts, and other climate‑related disasters, have been on the rise for more than 30 years. The number of natural disasters increased from 29 between 1989 and 1998 to 53 between 1999 and 2008, and to about 80 in the most recent decade, according to reports. Between 2001 and 2021, 539 people lost their lives due to natural disasters and extreme weather, more than 30 million head of livestock were lost, and economic losses totaled about 681.8 billion tugriks (approximately 190 million US dollars). Future projections suggest that by 2050, droughts could increase by 5–45% and dzud by 5–40%.

In recent years, changes have also been observed in the safety of winter ice on rivers and lakes. Ice thickness has become uneven, with a tendency for thinner ice in some places. Relevant authorities are urging caution to residents, herders, drivers, and travelers, advising them not to cross over ice but to use official roads and bridges instead. Traditionally, nomadic herders have crossed frozen rivers and lakes in winter to move around, but the growing instability of ice in recent years has increased the risk of accidents.

Experts stress the need to introduce water‑efficient agricultural technologies, expand renewable energy, and implement integrated water management based on data from glaciers and rivers. The retreat of glaciers is not just an environmental issue; it has become a critical challenge that affects the economy and national security as well.

Learn more about Mongolia → “GNV: #Mongolia”

Learn more about climate change issues → “The reality of exceeding 1.5°C: Global climate change issues, responses, and coverage in Japan”

Potanin Glacier on the slopes of Mount Tavan Bogd in the Altai Mountains (2012) (Photo: Altaihunters / Wikimedia Commons [CC BY-SA 3.0])