Integrating Forest Conservation and Sustainable Tourism: Mitigating Desertification in Mongolia through Localized Strategies

The degradation of Mongolia's forests and the expansion of desertification are critical environmental challenges, exacerbated by a combination of human activities and climate change. Analysis of yearly time series data, without accounting for regional variations, initially suggests that human activities, such as overgrazing, deforestation, and land mismanagement, are the primary drivers of desertification. However, when region-specific factors and sub-categories of land degradation are considered, the relative importance of climate change becomes more pronounced, highlighting the intricate relationship between environmental degradation and socio-economic factors. This complexity underscores the need for localized strategies to mitigate forest loss and desertification. As regional dynamics play a significant role, effective forest conservation efforts in Mongolia must address both human-induced pressures and climate resilience. The paper explores integrating sustainable tourism into the forest conservation strategies.