Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake is a large freshwater lake located in Tariat soum, Arkhangai aimag in central Mongolia, within the Khangai mountain region at about 2,060 metres above sea level. The lake lies within the Khorgo Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake National Park and is designated as a Ramsar site and Important Bird and Biodiversity Area. It is fed by multiple rivers and supports a mosaic of lake, wetland, and steppe habitats that provide important ecosystem services, including water regulation, fisheries, grazing, and tourism.

 

The site supports internationally important populations of migratory waterbirds along both the East Asian Australasian and Central Asian flyways, with species exceeding one percent of their flyway populations, including Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus and several waterfowl species, as well as globally threatened species such as Pallas’s Fish Eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus and Swan Goose Anser cygnoid. Intensifying tourism, livestock overgrazing, and waste pollution are major pressures affecting habitat quality and ecological integrity. Priority interventions include improved site management and zonation, integrated water and river basin management, regulation of tourism activities, and strengthening sustainable grazing practices to reduce degradation while maintaining local livelihoods.