ULAN BATOR, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia will build a "green wall" along its borders by planting at least 16 million trees by 2030 to combat desertification, according to the presidential office of Mongolia.
To achieve the goal, professional agronomists have been appointed to all units of the General Authority for Border Protection, and trainings on planting and caring for trees have been provided to contract or conscript servicemen, the presidential office said in a statement on Monday.
The effort is part of Mongolia's national tree-planting campaign initiated by President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, the statement said.
The campaign was officially launched last October with an aim to plant at least 1 billion trees by 2030 to combat climate change and desertification.
Almost 77 percent of Mongolian territory is affected by desertification and land degradation, according to the country's Ministry of Environment and Tourism. ■