ULAN BATOR, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia will plant a billion trees next week to combat desertification, the country's presidential press office said Thursday.
Mongolia aims to realize the target by 2030 to combat climate change and desertification, the country's president Ukhnaa Khurelsukh recently told the United Nations General Assembly.
"Planting trees is not something to be politicized. It is now time to end any acts of politicization and enhance national unity in order to combat desertification and reduce land degradation," Khurelsukh said on Thursday at a meeting with representatives of the country's forest specialists, scientists, researchers and civil society organizations.
He called on all citizens and organizations to join the national tree planting campaign.
Mongolia has a total land area of 1,564,116 square km and only 7.9 percent is now covered by forests.
Around 77 percent of the country's total territory has been affected by desertification and land degradation, according to the president's press office. Enditem