Since its official launch in October 2024, the Onon-Balj National Park (OBNP) legacy landscape program has made meaningful progress in operationalizing its environmental and social action plan (ESAP). As of June 2025, 45% of planned measures have been formally initiated, 12% are well underway, and 43% are yet to begin—primarily those requiring additional capacity building or partnership development. This early momentum reflects the program’s commitment to fostering strong stakeholder partnerships and building a deep understanding of the local environmental and socio-economic context.
Stakeholder Engagement
- A two-stage inception workshop organized by TNC, WWF-Mongolia, and OBNP administration engaged 133 participants (72 men, 61 women) from buffer zone soums, provinces, and national-level institutions.
- 328 local community members (161 men, 167 women) were reached through 13 community-level meetings focused on governance, program introduction, and co-management.
- Stakeholder and community engagement plans were developed and are under review through consultations.
- Stakeholder meetings in Bayan-Adraga, Binder (Khentii), and Bayan-Uul (Dornod) involved 95 participants (47 women, 48 men), fostering collaboration with local authorities and community-based organizations.
- Buffer Zone Councils (BZCs) were established or restructured in all five soums post-October 2024 elections to support sustainable resource use and community participation.
- A socio-economic baseline assessment is underway using surveys, focus groups, and consultations.
- 78 natural resource co-management groups were formed and formally certified by soum governments, reinforcing local governance for conservation.
- A program communications strategy was developed collaboratively with stakeholders to support ongoing engagement and transparency.
Gender mainstreaming
- A comprehensive socio-economic baseline assessment, including a dedicated gender analysis, ensures gender and vulnerable group needs are addressed throughout the program.
- Based on the gender analysis, a gender mainstreaming framework was adopted to promote women’s participation, challenge gender norms, and include young herders and vulnerable households in decision-making.
- In March 2025, the team organized a “Women in Forest Protection” forum with 260 women participants—78.1% herders and 21.9% local government representatives—to strengthen women’s roles and voices in forest resource management.
Occupational health and safety
- A code of conduct, safety, and first aid training was conducted by the Mongolian Ranger Federation and National Emergency Agency, covering ethics, human rights, and emergency response. Post-training assessments showed a 35% improvement in knowledge.
- Park rangers received essential tools and first aid kits to ensure safety during patrols and field monitoring.
- Field contractors are required to follow a field safety regulation, outlining mandatory safety measures and reporting procedures.
Grievance redress mechanism
- A grievance redress mechanism (GRM) has been designed based on Mongolia’s institutional framework and tailored to the program context. It is currently under review through stakeholder consultations. Once finalized, it will offer a transparent, inclusive, and accessible process for handling feedback, complaints, disputes, and safeguard-related grievances. In the interim, complaints can be submitted via TNC’s helpline and WWF Mongolia’s GRM, accessible through their website and explained in video format.
Livelihood support
- As part of the socio-economic baseline, an economic situational analysis was conducted on cooperatives and community based organizations (CBOs)—including co-management groups, forest user groups, and herder cooperatives—to assess their capacity, operations, and development needs. This informs future collaboration and capacity-building strategies.
- Experience-sharing activities were facilitated among co-management groups and herder cooperatives in Binder soum, including those involved in value-added initiatives like beekeeping.