Wild Camel Protection Foundation to Participate in UNCCD COP17 in Mongolia
Wild Camel Protection Foundation (WCPF) is honored to announce its participation in the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), taking place August 17–28, 2026, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
As one of the world’s largest international conferences dedicated to combating desertification, land degradation, and drought, UNCCD COP17 will bring together governments, scientists, conservation organizations, Indigenous communities, businesses, and civil society from nearly 200 countries to develop global solutions for restoring the world’s degraded lands. Land degradation now affects up to 40% of the Earth’s land surface, threatening biodiversity, food security, water resources, and the livelihoods of nearly half of the world’s population. As climate change accelerates the loss of healthy ecosystems, protecting fragile desert environments has become more important than ever.
Mongolia, home to the endangered Wild Camel (Camelus ferus), is uniquely positioned to host this landmark global conference. The country’s vast Gobi Desert represents one of the planet’s most remarkable yet vulnerable desert ecosystems, making Mongolia an ideal venue for international collaboration on sustainable land management and biodiversity conservation.
Throughout COP17, WCPF will present its conservation work through exhibits in the pavilions of both the Blue Zone and the Green Zone, highlighting more than two decades of commitment to protecting one of the world’s rarest large mammals and conserving Mongolia’s unique desert ecosystems.
Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about the Foundation’s integrated conservation approach, which combines scientific research, habitat protection, education, international collaboration, and community engagement. During COP17, Wild Camel Protection Foundation will showcase its comprehensive conservation efforts, including the world’s first and only dedicated Wild Camel ex situ breeding program, which provides a vital insurance population for one of the planet’s rarest large mammals. The Foundation also leads environmental education programs for schools across Mongolia’s Gobi Desert, develops international education partnerships with zoological institutions, implements water point projects that support Wild Camels and other desert wildlife during periods of drought, strengthens conservation capacity by supporting Mongolian scientists and wildlife veterinarians through research and professional training. Together, these initiatives demonstrate an integrated approach to protecting the endangered Wild Camel while advancing biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of Mongolia’s unique desert ecosystems.
Participation in UNCCD COP17 represents an important opportunity for the Wild Camel Protection Foundation to share its conservation experience with the international community while building new partnerships dedicated to protecting fragile desert ecosystems worldwide.
As global attention turns toward sustainable land management and biodiversity conservation, the Foundation remains committed to ensuring that the Wild Camel, one of the last truly wild camel species on Earth, continues to survive for future generations.
We warmly invite delegates, conservation professionals, researchers, educators, and members of the public to visit the Wild Camel Protection Foundation’s exhibits in the pavilions of both the Blue Zone and Green Zone during COP17. Together, we can strengthen international cooperation to protect Mongolia’s remarkable Gobi Desert and secure a future for one of the world’s most endangered mammals.