Bayartsetseg Terbish
Department of Sociology and Social Work
National University of Mongolia
Email: bayartsetseg@num.edu.mn
Climate change issues are at stake in Mongolia as nearly as 80 percent of its territory is under threat of desertification due to excessive use of pastureland and decreasing level of precipitation (Dorj et al, 2013). When it comes to urban areas, air and soil pollution is vividly considered the major issues among other human induced climate concerns including waste management and reduced green areas in the city (Legal Info, 2011). Rapidly growing urbanization and rural-urban migration have been considered one of the major contributing factors to such pollution as tremendous number of former pastoralist Mongolians face limited choice but to migrate to the capital city for accessing better formal resources such as education for their children and employment for themselves (Terbish et al, 2020). Extreme climate conditions of drought and cold winter with snow blizzards also pushed pastoralist herders migrating to settle (in)formally in peri-urban settlements referred to as ger areas, where many are caught up in the intersection of poverty and social inequality (International Organization for Migration, 2019).
Expansion of ger area is often targeted as problem area as these settlements are often considered the major causes of persistent social and ecological problems, as well as the main sources of air smog as ger residents burn coal throughout winter (Naranzul & Sarnai, 2018; UNICEF, 2019). Despite the fact that the Government of Mongolia and donor organizations are taking varying measures to combat air and soil pollution in Ulaanbaatar, considerable changes have not been observed to date. Nurturing positive changes through an integrated governance to reduce climatic issues is not the only controversy faced in Mongolia but it is related to an absence of an integrated approach to climate governance which has not yet developed globally as the nature of climate issues vary considerably city by city (Bulkeley & Broto, 2013). In particular, initiatives that are authentically grown from grassroots organizations and individuals are sporadic at best, particularly in Mongolia, and much is left to be done in the fight against climate change and raising awareness among communities.
Photo 1: Air pollution is apparent not only in winter. Photo by the author, fall 2021
Ger areas in Mongolia represents a balance between pastoralist historical past with the rapid urbanization and areas are legally recognized by the Government of Mongolia in terms of land entitlement and settlement development (Hamiduddin, 2021). As such, these settlements areas are not identical to ‘slums’ as some may assume. Nearly half of the total population of Mongolia (3.4 mill) reside in ger areas today where households burn coal briquettes on the stove regularly to keep warmth during the bitterly cold winter in Ulaanbaatar (Terbish et al, 2020). Population of Mongolia is relatively young with about 63 percent of total population being aged under 35 and, undoubtedly, considerable number of them live in ger areas (Policy Watch, 2019). Pollution in ger areas, especially air pollution, have an impact on educational achievement of children and youth as it detrimentally impacts the health and safety of the youngsters in Ulaanbaatar (UNICEF, 2019).
One of the policy approaches by the Government of Mongolia towards ger areas continue to be re-development by gentrifying ger areas with high rise apartments in central parts and to redesign middle and peripheral zones with detached houses (Parliament of Mongolia, 2014). Ger residents, however, find this policy approach controversial as many face affordability issues in this redevelopment process whereas some others prefer living on their land with improved management of heating, water, electricity and sanitation arrangements. A modernist approach towards urban renewal such as this may further segregate the city, creating a divide between those who are capable and less capable (Godfrey, 2019). In addition, re-making of the urban areas without understanding what locals truly want also has a danger of creating more situations of “urban space held by the administration” (Sedrez, 2014, 113).
Notwithstanding the fact of some negative climate effects associated with rural-urban migration and expansion of ger areas in Ulaanbaatar, the focus of this story is either to criticize the migrants nor the unprecedented urbanization process currently at stake. But, rather, it is to highlight one of the local initiatives driven by Public Lab Mongolia (PLM)[1]– a local non-governmental organization (NGO) that is working towards raising awareness on air quality by equipping Mongolian youth with the technology, training and resources to find the answers to questions they have about air quality. Guided by the Hannigan Air Quality and Technology Research Lab in the Mechanical Engineering Department of the University of Colorado and Department of Environment and Forest Engineering at the National University of Mongolia, this NGO has been conducting an AQIQ program that employs an STEM-based curriculum since 2020 by training 8-12 graders at three piloted high schools in Ulaanbaatar and six additional schools in Central and Western provinces, as air pollution is also apparent beyond the capital city. Equipped with the user-friendly air quality measuring devices called Y-Pods, nearly 180 adolescents were mentored to assess not only indoor and outdoor air quality, but they were also open to explore other pollutants and human practices (hair dye, nail polish, air freshener, shoe polish, washing detergent) that have some harmful effect in human and environmental health. Some projects developed by adolescents measured emissions from cars, with a recommendation for adults shifting to electric or hybrid car uses whereas other project examined pollutants from washing detergents, raising awareness on checking pollutants and emissions contained in a powdered detergents we use daily.
Photo 2: Poster developed by youth from Arkhangai province. Source: Public Lab Mongolia, 2022
Youth demonstrated greater level of aspiration in learning basic research skills and became aware of elementary knowledge in climate change and adaptation strategies through this program. It is expected that participants of this program dispatch their awareness and knowledge further to their peers and family members to start with the change at the micro scale to a greater activity towards community education for a climate justice. Starting small is significant as PLM believes, to acknowledge and to localize the climate change acts through bottom-up approach, so that we avoid the risk of cliché on climate topic among general public as many still do not believe the possibility for climate apocalypse (Swyngedouw, 2013).
Through these three years of implementation, educational bureau of the respective districts and provinces were supportive of this initiative and assisted the PLM in piloting schools for a smooth implementation of the program. Through this program, PLM hopes to prepare future air quality advocates and educators in their respective communities by instilling critical thinking and science-based reasoning skills in today’s youth.
Reference
Bulkeley, H., Broto, V.C. (2013). Government by experiment? Global cities and the governing of climate change. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 38, 361-375. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-5661.2012.00535.
Dorj, O., Enkhbold, M., Lkhamyanjin, Kh., Mijiddorj, A., Nosmoo, A., Puntsagnamjil, M., Sainjargal, U. (2013). Mongolia: Country features, the main causes of desertification and remediation efforts. In G.A Heshmati & V.R Squires (Eds.), Combating desertification in Asia, Africa and Middle East. (pp.217-229). Springer Dordrecht.
Godfrey, B. J. (2012). Urban renewal, favelas, and Guanabara bay: Environmental justice and sustainability in Rio De Janeiro. In. Vojnovic.I (Ed.). Urban Sustainability: A Global perspective. (pp.359-368). USA: Michigan University Press.
Hamiduddin, I., Fitzpatrick, D., Plueckhahn, R., Sangi, U., Batjargal, E., & Sumiyasuren, E. (2021).Social sustainability and Ulaanbaatar’s ‘ger districts’: Access and mobility issues and opportunities. Sustainability, 13, 11470. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132011470
International Organization for Migration (July, 2019). IOM, Mongolia Build Displacement Tracking Capacity to Prepare for Natural Disasters. https://www.iom.int/news/iom-mongolia-build-displacement-tracking-capacity-prepare-natural-disasters
Legal Info (2011). National program against climate change. https://legalinfo.mn/mn/detail?lawId=203357&showType=1
Naranzul, B., Sarnai, G. (2018). A Brief on air pollution. Ulaanbaatar: Admon Printing.
Parliament of Mongolia (2014) Development Strategy for Ulaanbaatar City – 2020 and development approaches for 2030. https://policy.asiapacificenergy.org/node/2723
Policy Watch. (2019). Right to education for youth in ger areas of Ulaanbaatar: Efficiency of the state service delivery. https://www.policywatch.mn/equalsociety4childrenyouth.html
Sedrez, L. (2014). Constructing and de-constructing communities: Tales of urban injustice and resistance in Brazil and South Africa. In The Edges of environmental history: Honoring Jane Carruthers. (pp. 113-116). Rachel Carson Center.
Swyngedouw, E. (2013). Apocalypse now! Fear and doomsday pleasures. Capitalism Nature Socialism, 24(1), 9-18, DOI: 10.1080/10455752.2012.7592
Terbish, B., Lietaert, I & Roets, J. (2020). Shifting senses of solidarity and belonging in the internal migration pathways of citizens in ger areas in Ulaanbaatar: A social work perspective. International Social Work. 1–14. doi.org/10.1177%2F0020872820927768
UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund, 2019). The impact of climate change on education in Mongolia. Ulaanbaatar: UNICEF Mongolia Country Office.