Undrakhtsetseg Tsogtbaatar – We Are River People

Undrakhtsetseg Tsogtbaatar - We Are River People

As a young girl growing up in Mongolia, Undrakhtsetseg Tsogtbaatar learned firsthand about the importance of water to life and the fragility of access to water supplies. When she spent her teenage years in Uvurkhangai province where water resource distribution facilities such as wells were scarce and unreliable, she carried 40-60 liters of drinking water from a local well to supply their family’s needs.

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“The children are our next generation to protect water. Protecting water quality and biodiversity and flow patterns ensures long term survival not only for people but also nature and biodiversity.”
Undrakhtsetseg Tsogtbaatar

Sometimes the well was broken, requiring Undrakhtsetseg Tsogtbaatar to walk several kilometers to another well, carrying the heavy containers of water even further home. From these difficulties, she understood how water resources are valuable and essential to human life every single day, and how to adapt to a new situation and overcome challenges. Therefore, while attending high school, she became interested in Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM). So, she earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees in hydrology from the National University of Mongolia, which ranks first in her country. In addition, she was awarded a scholarship and earned a postgraduate degree in land restoration and sustainable land management at the Agricultural university of Iceland.

Following university, Undrakhtsetseg Tsogtbaatar worked as a water specialist at a company called Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment for two years. After that she worked on national and international projects related to water cycle, hydrological modeling, wetland, peatland and permafrost studies at the Institute of Geography and Geoecology of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences for eleven years. Moreover, she published 15 scientific articles in international and national peer reviewed journals as the first author and coauthor.

During her time working at the Institute, , she felt a deep calling to serve in the field of natural conservation where she could work on making citizen-friendly decisions that are grounded in science-based research. She thinks that this passion was not accidental.

It was shaped by the example set by her parents, whose lives were defined by service and dedication. Her father served in the military, safeguarding the nation’s borders and security, and was honored with the rank of Colonel. Her mother devoted her career to public health as a doctor, earning the prestigious title of Honored Doctor. Their tireless commitment to the well-being of others instilled in her values of responsibility, compassion, and perseverance. Growing up, she witnessed firsthand how their work brought meaningful changes to people’s lives. This environment nurtured her own dream of pursuing a career in conservation, where she could protect and serve communities in a different but equally impactful way.

”Science based decisions in this field can create profound and lasting improvements in communities and enhance quality of life

Over time, her passion became deeply rooted in environmental conservation. She believes that science‑based decisions in this field can create profound and lasting improvements in communities and enhance quality of life. Guided by the legacy of her parents’ service, she continues to dedicate herself to protecting nature and ensuring a sustainable future.

Motivated by this vision, she sought opportunities with The Nature Conservancy. Even when no positions aligned directly with her background, she applied five times between 2021 and 2025, driven by her determination to contribute. When the organization launched a new freshwater conservation initiative, her commitment grew even stronger. In 2025, she was honored to be selected as a Freshwater Conservation Project Specialist, a role that allows her to fulfill her lifelong aspiration.

”Our Freshwater Protection Project is working with two school’s located in the Eg-Uur watershed to create eco-clubs to increase students

Undrakhtsetseg Tsogtbaatar’s work focuses on The Delgermurun River Basin and Khuvsgul Lake – Eg River Basin in northern Khuvsgul Province in Mongolia. The rivers in northern Mongolia are major tributaries of the Selenge River, which is the primary inflow to Lake Baikal. From Baikal, water flows via the Angara River into the Yenisei River, making the Delgermurun and Uur rivers an important part of the Baikal and Yenisei headwater system. However, this headwater system is under mounting pressure from water pollution, overfishing, and flooding.

These freshwater lifelines not only sustain herder communities but also shelter rare freshwater species, such as the mighty taimen, a fish that can reach 1.8 meters in length. Taimen are known locally as wolf fish because they hunt in packs for fish, ducks, and even large rodents they reach sexual maturity in four to six years. Taimen are protected as endangered in Mongolia, where the population of taimen has declined sixty percent since 1985, according to Mendsaikhan Bud, a fish researcher. Therefore, in 2006, the species was listed as Endangered in Mongolia’s Red List of Fishes. Although only catch and release fishing of taimen is permissible under Mongolian law, illegal fishing for taimen meat and eggs threatens the fish.

To address these threats, Undrakhtsetseg Tsogtbaatar and her team are working to establish the foundation for legal protection of 40,000 sq. km of the river and its tributaries from pollution. Their efforts are also focusing on safeguarding main water sources and river systems that are rich in forests, and habitats for endangered species such as the White-napped Crane and Great Bustard.This protection is implemented through the designation of Land Protection Areas and the development of effective management strategies for these areas.

In addition, the “Freshwater Protection Project” is working with two schools located in Khuvsgul Lake – Eg River Basin to create eco clubs to increase students’ conservation awareness and activities, especially on water protection. “The children are our next generation to protect water,” says Undrakhtsetseg Tsogtbaatar. “Protecting water quality and biodiversity and flow patterns ensures long term survival, not only for people but also nature and biodiversity”.