The Critical Importance of Science and the Rule of Law In Protecting the Integrity of Lake Hövsgöl National Park - 12th International Mongolian ...
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The Critical Importance of Science and the Rule of Law In Protecting the Integrity of Lake Hövsgöl National Park 12th International Mongolian Studies Conference , Washington, D.C. February 9 - 10, 2018
This Presentation Was Presented at The 12th
Annual International Mongolian Studies
Conference By
Clyde Goulden PhD. Robert McIntosh
Curator Emeritus Mongol Ecology Center
Academy of Natural Board Member
Sciences of Drexel U.S. National Park Service
University (Retired)
ceg64@drexel.edu rwm@mongolec.org
12th International Mongolian Studies Conference, Washington, D.C. February 9 - 10, 2018
Sponsored by the Embassy of Mongolia and the Mongolian Cultural Center
LHNP Lake Hövsgöl National Park (LHNP) is in the headwaters of the Yenisei River
LHNP LHNP is at the southern end of the continuous Permafrost
LHNP is in the transition zone between the Boreal Forest (Siberian taiga) to the North and the Temperate Grasslands (Eastern Asian Steppe) to the South
The Mother Sea and Father Mountain
Lake Hövsgöl Munkh Saridag
Local cultural tradition holds that Lake Hövsgöl, the mother sea, and Munkh
Saridag, the father mountain, together are the source of all life
Rangers from the Protected Areas in Hövsgöl Aimag
Lake Hövsgöl National Park
Lake Hövsgöl National Park
• 1.2M ha (2.9M ac)
• Alpine Zones
• Larch Forests
• Mountain Steppe
• 70% of MN Fresh H2O
• Lake Depth 267 meters
– (876 feet)
• Species:
– 68 Mammals * 10 Fish
• Local Families
• Visitors: 94,000 in 2017Vision Statement
The pristine, diverse natural, historical, cultural,
and scenic resources that embody the spiritual
values of the “Mother Sea” and the “Father”
Munkh-Saridag Mountains, and nomadic
traditions and folklore they support, are
conserved forever through long-term
preservation fully integrated with sustainable
economic development.
Source: 2013 General Management Plan – Foundation Document,
a joint effort by the LHNP Administration and the Mongol Ecology Center2014 Roads Paved Between Ulaanbaatar and LHNP
“If You Build It – They Will Come”LHNP Visitation (2004-2017)
90000
80000
70000
60000 ROAD IMPROVEMENTS
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Domestic 4164 4349 5110 8300 7282 9321 14590 20036 44668 29761 42097 57824 33590 78150
Foreign 3552 2837 4611 4654 4704 4021 4620 4818 4500 3690 3346 4994 5790 15956Park Management Issues
Protected Area Law
• 1992 Lake Hövsgöl National Park Established
• 1994 Law On Protected Areas Enacted
– Established Zoning Standards for NP
• Special Zone
– Limited and Controlled Access
• Travel and Tourism Zone
– Travel Restricted and Temporary Use
• Limited Use Zone
– Travel, Permanent Tourism Facilities, Local FamiliesPark Zoning (2014) Special-Pink Tourism-Blue Limited-Yellow
Park Zoning Limited Use Zone provides no specific protection for: -Fish Spawning -Small Natural Areas -Prime Grasslands - 574 Local Families and 118,726 Animals
International Long-Term Ecological
Research Site
Established by Mongolian Parliament - 1996
International –
Mongolian
Research Projects
1996 - 2013Long Term Ecological Research Site
Rezoned and Compromised
• Anjigas Valley
– Spring 2013: Unlawful
Construction of Tourist
Facility
• January 2014
– Limited Use Zone Extended
South 36Km
• December 2014 Anjigas
– Construction Permit
Approved December 2014 Dalbay
• No Law – No Standards
Influential People Control Decisions - Disregard Laws, Standards and ScienceMongolian National Standards MNS 6424-2013 Eco-Tourism in Protected Areas Facilities Must Be – 200 m From Water – 1 Km Between Facilities No Open Toilets Livestock and Tourism Facilities Must Be Separated – 500 m
Standards and Waste Management Livestock - Human-Waste - Tourist Facility Livestock Pen Open Toilet Tourists
2014 2014 - Inventory of Tourist Facilities on Jankhai Road
2014 and 2016 2014 Inventory Plus New 2015 and 2016 Additions
Development Density
Average Separation
0.27 Km
Standard
1 KmVisitor Experience
Posted on the Hatgal FB Page –
Unofficial Translation
“… during Naadam, road along Lake
Hovsgol from Jankhai Pass to Toilogt
of 10kms looks like this. …
It’s covered by complete dust and
more than 10,000 people and half of
them are drunk. …
You can vacation but you can limit
your alcohol consumption, drive
slower, take your trash with you and
stop driving on the grass. …
The lake shore is covered with tents.
No one seem to care where
everyone urinates or throws their
trash. …Waste Management Collected Litter Wild Camping – No Toilets
Waste Management Wild Camping - Wild Trash – No Toilets
Waste Management
Plastics
Litter
Micro-Plastics
in Water
Micro Plastics Found in Water
of LHNP – Same Concentrations
As Some of the Laurentian Great Lakes
Free et al. 2014 Marine Pollution BulletinWater Quality
Hatgal-Hankh & Tourists Use H2O From Lake
Mongol Ecology Center Junior Rangers – Future Rangers and Scientists
H2O Quality Tests Positive for Fecal ColiformWatercraft
Oil and Gas Pollution and Public Safety Requirements
Estimated 70 Private Boat Tour Operators in LHNP
Scarce Enforcement of Pollution or Safety StandardsPark Roads
Design Consequences
Road Improvement Projects Brings High Speed, Noise and Dust
Road Separates Lake from Tourist FacilitiesNew Roads
Murun to Darkhad Valley – to Hankh
Jigleg Pass - Disrupts 173 Local
Families, Impacts Wetlands, Fish
Habitat And All Commercial Traffic
Will Go Through LHNP 180 Km
X
No Impact on
Protected Areas
All Road Improvements Require
Y Inter-disciplinary Design with
Park Management, Landscape
Architects and EngineersUnintended Consequences State Highways Do Not Belong In National Parks
Managing New Uses
The Way Forward
Recommended Actions
• Independent Transparent Administrative Review
of Tourist Facility Permits
– Certify Proper Permits
– Check Compliance with Laws and Standards
– Recommend Necessary Actions
• Comprehensive Transparent Management Plan –
Bring LHNP Into Compliance with Standards and
IUCN Protected Area Guidelines
– Interdisciplinary, Science Based Decision Making,
Community and Stakeholder InvolvementSummary of Critical Science Photo by Jon Gelhaus
Hövsgöl Global Environment Facility/World
Bank
Training Program (English, Biodiversity and
Ecology)
2002-2006Lake Hövsgöl formed in a tectonic basin of
northern Mongolia, a part of the Baikal Rift
System, is similar in surface area to Lake Erie in
the U.S. but its depth is
262 m, the16th largest world lakeThe watershed has
been a summer
home of nomadic
herders for
centuries; a
dependable
source of water
and pasture for
their animals
during periods of
drought in this
semi-arid climate.
In autumn,
herders move
their animals to
mountain tops and
slopes, away from
the cold winter
valleys.
Spring return of animals to valleysSummer grazing
on south-facing slopes
by sheep and
cashmere goats on
upper slopes, and
yaks and horses on
lower slopes
(Dalbay Valley, Lake
Hövsgöl, Mongolia)Unregulated Tourism Development and
Climate Change Impacts
Talking points
I. Developments in the watershed are
increasing nutrient loading to the lake and
increase algal blooms in the lake
II. Rapid warming due to climate change
(2.14oC) will increase growth of nuisance
blue greens
III. Increased trash from human development
will increase formation of microplastic
particles“The Blue Pearl of Mongolia”
Its clear water, 1%
of sunlight
penetrates to 46
meters, allows blue
light to reach great
depths, and when
reflected back to
the surface gives
blue cast to the
lake.Lake Eutrophication and
Unregulated Tourism Development
• Erosion of soils and fertilizers from watershed
development and community-based sewage systems
can cause serious pollution in lakes:
– stimulate heavy growths of nuisance algae
– increase the amount of decomposing dead plant
material that will decrease oxygen levels in the
bottom water of a lake during summer
– produce an oxygen-free zone that allows recycling
of nutrient phosphorus from the lake sediments1999-2000 Lake Hövsgöl Water Quality Study
Tributary Streams and Bays Results:
• Water quality study of tributary streams and inlet bays to
the lake found that livestock grazing is:
– fertilizing algae and plant growth
– impacting bays of the lake lowering oxygen levels in deep water
of bays.
• Increased photosynthesis can increase water pH (=9.8 in
one bay with a fish kill) due to heavy grazing by livestock
• Almost one-half of the geology of the watershed consists of
dolomite, rich in phosphorus.
• Phosphorus (P) is the major limiting nutrient for lake algae:
• High concentrations of P in the watershed geology of the
lake’s basin fertilizes the growth of algae making the lake
sensitive to unregulated shoreline developmentLake Baikal, Russia is more developed than
HövsgölBaikal has been harmed by plant growth
Perceptions of climatic change Herder interviews:
Questions and Responses: Herders’ perceptions
(% of total responses, n = 98)
• What is the biggest environmental impact on
your life?
• Changing weather—85%
• Overgrazing—15 %
• Are the Seasons changing?
• Timing of the seasons has changed—95%
• Winters are milder—54%
• Summers are cooler but mixed with very warm days (= heat
waves that “burns the grasses”—61%)
• Rains have changed—86%
– Aadar rains have become more frequentClimate Change in Northern Mongolia:
Herders say aadar rains have increased as the climate changes
Intense, patchy Aadar rain in Hentii Aimag (July 13,
2012)Mongolian
Rains
• Shivree—warm rains with
small droplets lasting for 3-
4 hours
• Zuser—low to medium
intensity rains with small
droplets lasting 2-3 days
• Aadar—high intensity
short rains with large
drops that start and stop
abruptly, most are
associated with thunder
and lightening (>7.6
mm/hour =
thunderstorms]Herder Descriptions of Aadar Rains
• Herders claimed aadar rains were very damaging to their pastures,
animals and to their families while watching the herds (2009-2010)
• Quotes
“…rain eroded the road, very intense, dangerous. Ger was
flooded, mattresses were floating. Pasture covered with running
water.”
“In previous year [2011] had extremely intense hard rain, killed
many animals.”
“We had extremely hard windy rain that knocked down many
trees, our fodder was blown up into the air, we lost half of the fodder.
Our ger was damaged and knocked down in 2010.””
“Last year at the end of July, I experienced aadar boroo. It was
dangerously intense.”Aadar Rains cause more flooding of tributary streams and erode silts and clays into the lake, reducing water clarity [61mm rainfall July 7-8, 2006, Dalbay Valley, Lake Hövsgöl,
Conclusions: Lake Hövsgöl • Research on Lake Hövsgöl suggests that strict protection guidelines need to be followed as the bay and shoreline areas of the lake’s watershed are developed for tourism and as the climate continues to change. • This is critical in order to avoid serious problems in the future that would very likely include blooms of nuisance aquatic plant growths and fish kills that would quickly discourage tourists from visiting the park.
Rutgers University program conducted surveys for
pelagic and shoreline micro and macro plastics
Microplastic transects (n=9)
Macroplastic transects (n=18)
Free et al. 2014 Marine Pollution Bulletin
Climate change Pollution OverfishingDevelopment Conclusio
Lake HovsgolA New Commitment Is Needed The Mongol Ecology Center Junior Rangers Made Us Promise - “Keep The Park Pristine”
Bayarlalaa
The Academy of Sciences The Mongol Ecology
at Drexel University Center
– With Principal Funding – With Principal Funding
from the National from the Trust for
Science Foundation Mutual UnderstandingYou can also read
