Desertification In Mongolia: Untangling Problems, Effects, And Policy Solutions

Abstract

In recent years, much attention has been given to Mongolian capital city, Ulaanbaatar in regard to its concerning issue with environmental pollution, particularly air pollution during winter months. People have been desperately finding a solution to Ulaanbaatar’s air pollution due to numerous negative consequences to the health of people living in Ulaanbaatar. The majority of the actions taken by the Government of Mongolia and other international organization have focused on structural methods to reducing the fossil fuel emission coming from houses in Ulaanbaatar’s low-income areas called the ‘ger district’. Regardless of the efforts and money spent, the air quality worsened each year. Therefore, this thesis will examine a different approach to finding a solution to this problem. The thesis identified desertification as the main underlying cause of air pollution. Due to desertification, a rural-urban migration increased rapidly over the past few decades, increasing the number of residents living in the ger district, who burn fossil fuels, which is the main source of air pollution. Instead of trying to find a mechanical solution, the thesis aimed at directing the attention to the main cause of air pollution; and furthermore, offered policies that could alleviate the current crisis situation in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.