Mongolia to launch major cleanup campaign to protect Khuvsgul Lake

ULAN BATOR, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia will launch a large-scale environmental cleanup campaign aimed at protecting Khuvsgul Lake, the country's largest freshwater lake, located in the northern province of Khuvsgul, the country's presidential press office announced on Thursday.

More than 1,000 participants, including representatives of government agencies, non-governmental organizations, local communities and over 100 businesses, are expected to take part.

According to the presidential press office, Khuvsgul Lake contains about 75 percent of Mongolia's freshwater resources and roughly 0.4 percent of the world's freshwater reserves. The lake basin holds an amount of freshwater equivalent to the combined 10-year flow of all rivers in Mongolia. The area surrounding the lake is also home to around a quarter of the country's forests and a significant share of its rare and endangered plant and animal species.

The cleanup campaign is part of broader efforts led by President Khurelsukh to safeguard the lake's ecosystem. In February, he issued a decree granting Khuvsgul Lake the status of a state-sacred natural site.

The lake is 1,645 meters above sea level, 136 km long and over 260 meters deep. Khuvsgul Lake National Park was added to the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves in 2022. Enditem