South Korean Efforts Planted Trees in Mongolia
The initiative aims to curb desertification and sandstorms originating from the Gobi Desert.
Updated on Sept. 28, 2026 in Environmental
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South Korean organizations have planted 70,000 trees across 100 hectares in Bayankhongor, Mongolia, since 2022. This project addresses the rapid desertification of the region, where only 18% of land remains unaffected.
Why it matters
Efforts are focused on mitigating the environmental drivers of yellow dust, 81% of which originates from the Gobi Desert and Inner Mongolian Plateau. The work supports Mongolia’s national objective to plant 1 billion trees by 2030 in response to severe ecological shifts.
Since 2000, the organization Green Asia has planted 1 million trees across 10 Mongolian regions, building on a model where local residents are paid to maintain reforested land. These efforts are funded by savings generated through paperless convenience store receipts.
The players
Green Asia
An environmental organization focused on combating desertification in Mongolia through large-scale reforestation efforts and community-led maintenance.
The details
The project addresses desertification by creating vegetation barriers that stabilize soil and reduce the airborne migration of dust. Organizations provide training and financial incentives for local residents to manage the saplings, ensuring maintenance after the initial planting phase. This intervention is critical given that Mongolia's average annual temperature has increased by 2.5 degrees Celsius between 1941 and 2025.
Timeline
1941-2025: Mongolia's average temperature rose 2.5 degrees Celsius.
2000: Green Asia began tree-planting projects in Mongolia.
2022: Tree planting began in Bayankhongor.
2024: 7.4 million livestock died in Mongolia.
2030: Mongolia targets planting 1 billion trees.
The Tech Race
This effort aligns with Mongolia's national goal to plant 1 billion trees by 2030 as a primary defense against climate-driven landscape degradation. It sits as a key component in the broader regional attempt to stabilize the Gobi Desert, which remains the source of 81% of South Korea's yellow dust.
Local residents in Bayankhongor receive direct compensation for managing these newly reforested areas, creating a sustainable labor model for land stewardship. The initiative provides a blueprint for cross-border environmental funding, specifically leveraging paperless consumer habits to finance large-scale carbon sequestration.
The takeaway
The rapid loss of over 1,100 lakes and the recent death of millions of livestock highlight the urgent need for soil stabilization to combat desertification. Observers should track the 2030 milestone for the national 1 billion tree goal to see if these regional planting strategies scale effectively.
Further reading
Learn more about global reforestation efforts in our Environmental section.
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Do you believe international tree-planting projects are an effective way to combat desertification?
