ULAN BATOR: A steppe fire has devastated at least 800 hectares of land in the eastern Mongolian province of Sukhbaatar, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Tuesday, reported Xinhua.
The fire, which erupted in Erdenetsagaan Soum (administrative subdivision), was fully extinguished by Monday evening, the NEMA reported.
According to experts, most steppe fires are caused by human negligence, careless handling of fire, and the burning of grass in autumn.
In this regard, the NEMA has warned residents not to make bonfires or throw cigarette butts on the ground during dry weather.
Mongolia is one of the countries most vulnerable to a changing climate in East Asia, according to ecologists. Due to its geographical location, natural disasters associated with global climate change are increasing year by year, including forest and steppe fires, as well as desertification, land degradation, and dust storms.
According to the country’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, only 7.9 per cent of Mongolia’s total territory is covered by forests, while around 77 per cent has been affected by desertification and land degradation. – BERNAMA-XINHUA
