25,200 Hectares: Inside Mongolia's Mining Permits

Mongolia has issued thousands of mining permits over the past two decades, covering millions of hectares. Some are actively mined. Others sit dormant — held by speculators waiting for commodity prices to rise. A growing number have been suspended amid environmental protests and water-rights disputes. This database tracks every significant active permit: the mineral, the company, the province, and the land area claimed.

The geographic concentration of mining permits tells its own story. The Gobi region — particularly Umnugovi and Dundgovi — accounts for the majority of both coal and copper claims. Gold permits are more widely distributed, stretching into the northern provinces of Selenge and Tuv. The environmental implications are significant: water-intensive gold mining in the north threatens river systems that support both agriculture and downstream herding communities.