The Asian Development Bank approved a USD 448 million investment program to support green and inclusive development of Mongolia’s provinces and soums.

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

Mongolia’s rangelands cover 82 percent 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.

To expand financial access for low-carbon and climate-resilient agribusiness value chains, the project will establish a green and inclusive regional agribusiness fund to provide climate-smart financial mechanisms and institutions to overcome the financial bottlenecks of agribusiness small and medium-sized enterprises. This will generate green jobs and promote green economic recovery and diversification.

The total program cost is USD 735 million, with counterpart financing from the Government of Mongolia and the private sector, along with co-financing from the European Investment Bank, European Union, and the Green Climate Fund. A USD 3 million grant is sourced from the Asian Development Fund. The ADF provides grants to ADB’s poorest and most vulnerable developing member countries. The project will be implemented in three stages  and is expected to be completed in 2033.