Land Cover Change Analysis to Assess Sustainability of Development in the Mongolian Plateau over 30 Years

The changes in land cover patterns in the Mongolian Plateau can reveal the regional status of sustainable development. Based on land cover data from 1990-2020, the study reveals the process of land cover change on the Mongolian plateau and integrates those changes with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to further evaluate regional sustainable development status. Result revealed there is a stable rate of land cover change (0.16%) for the Mongolian Plateau, but with diverse shifting trends for various land cover types and SDGs indicators in past 30 years. Croplands (SDG2) showed a growth trend in the last five years, which was different from its initial obviously decreasing trend. The status of water (SDG6) showed a clear decreasing trend, which presents a major threat to this arid-to-semi-arid region. The built area (SDG11) increased continuously, but the long upward trend has slowed in recent years. The forest area (SDG15) declined, but it has recently recovered. Grasslands showed diverse changes in various steppe types (including real, meadow, and desert steppe types) while still experiencing land degradation. The expansion of sand areas presents a hidden risk of increasing sandstorms. Comparative analysis revealed that there have clear differences between Mongolia and Inner Mongolia due to the various government policies. In general, the land use degree in Mongolian Plateau increased annually. This indicated that the climate change and human activities have more and more influences, and it is still facing severe challenges for specific SDGs indicators in the region.

Automated summary

This study reveals the status of sustainable development in the Mongolian Plateau through analyzing land cover changes. The research finds that there is a stable rate of land cover change with diverse shifting trends for various land cover types and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators. The study shows an increase in croplands, a decrease in water resources, a continuous increase in built areas, a decline in forest areas with recent recovery, diverse changes in grasslands with land degradation, and expansion of sand areas posing a risk of sandstorms. Additionally, there are clear differences between Mongolia and Inner Mongolia due to government policies.