Dust storm hits southern Mongolia-Xinhua

Dust storm hits southern Mongolia

Source: Xinhua| 2023-03-08 23:33:45|Editor: huaxia

KHANBOGD, Mongolia, March 8 (Xinhua) -- A heavy dust storm hit the southern Mongolian province of Umnugovi on Wednesday, causing low visibility on roads.

The storm is expected to continue in the province in the coming days, with wind speed expected to reach 18-24 meters per second, according to the country's meteorology and environmental monitoring agency.

Located in the Gobi Desert region of southern Mongolia, Ummugovi is one of the provinces most affected by desertification.

More than 70 percent of the province's total territory had been somehow affected by desertification and land degradation, according to the provincial governor's office.

In 2021, Mongolia launched a national campaign initiated by President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh to plant a billion trees by 2030 to combat climate change and desertification. As part of the campaign, Umnugovi set a target of planting at least 70 million trees.

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