Environmental issues in Mongolia
This temperature shift is deemed responsible for an increase in grassland aridity, and as a result, a lowering of the production of biomass.
The rising temperatures will also melt high mountain glaciers, degrade permafrost, and will cause more transpiration from plants.
Plans call for constructing 10,000 houses in 20 environmentally friendly neighborhoods with easy access to businesses and nearby employment.
[4][5] In April 2024, Bloomberg reported that climate change is significantly impacting Mongolia, particularly through the increasing frequency of "dzud" events, with six occurrences in the last decade causing the loss of around 5.9 million animals, or 9% of the country's livestock.
The nation has experienced a temperature rise of 2.5°C over the past 80 years, exacerbating environmental degradation and economic challenges.
The latest dzud event affected almost the entire country, resulting in a 7% increase in Mongolia's consumer price index and higher fodder costs, which also impact the vital cashmere industry.
International and national initiatives are focusing on sustainable practices and renewable energy to mitigate these climate change effects.
Nevertheless, the forests help maintain water conditions, prevent soil degradation, preserve permafrost, and control greenhouse gases and other harmful emissions.
These anthropogenic factors include overgrazing of livestock, erosion of farmland soils, burning, and climate change.
[7] Indoor air pollution is a problem in Mongolia, due to the burning of coal and biomass as fuels within homes, and improper ventilation.
in simple stoves causes the air within the living spaces to have elevated levels of carbon monoxide and particulate matter.
During the winter, the three diesel power plants in Ulaanbaatar release 4.5 million cubic meters of gaseous pollutants.
[7] Suspended particulate matter, (caused by dust storms and pollution) has been shown to peak in winter months.
Daily averages of particulate concentration in the air can range from two-to-three times higher than international standards.
[7] A grassroots movement has emerged, as evidenced by a parliamentary petition with 71,000 signatures, calling for accountability regarding air pollution levels in Mongolia, which exceed World Health Organization guidelines by 27 times on the coldest days[13].
These initiatives aim to incentivize renewable energy production and reduce carbon emissions, contributing to the mitigation of the city's severe air quality issues.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Mongolian Government initiated policies that allowed the mining industry to operate with relatively few regulations, for the purpose of economic growth.
[16] Inefficient use of large quantities of water for the purposes of extracting gold has caused further pollution and the drying up of streams.
[15] The group participated in grassroots organizing activities and succeeded in stopping 36 out of 37 mining licenses issued along the Ongi River.
The HWPC dissolved in 2008 due to internal disagreements, but the organization set the precedent for how local activists can create national change in Mongolia.
