Brief overview about urbanization in Mongolia

By Erdenetuya Urtnast
For centuries or until the early 20th century the Mongols had farmed mobile animal husbandry and used livestock products rather than natural sources, such as using of cow dung as fuel. The territory has sparsely been populated because of low carrying capacity of Inner Asian ecosystem.
Thus it can be said that the urbanization process in Mongolia started only after 1921’s people’s revolution and in actual fact, around 50s and 60s of 20th century it began to take shape as a city because of collectivism, industrialization and “great socialist upbuilding” (socialismiin aguu ikh buteen bosgolt).

At the same time, thanks to cultural campaign (soyolyn dovtolgoo) or cultural raid the nomads started to become citizens of “modern city” by their behavior, hygiene and living style.
It doesn’t mean that I want neglect its’ previous history. The city was founded in 1639 somewhere around Shireet tsagaan nuur of Uvurkhangai aimag far away from its current location as a Buddhist monastic centre and, in 1778 the city settled for good at its current location or along the basin of the Tuul and the Selbe rivers, second of which has already evaporated.
Why collectivism and industrialization must be mentioned in connection with the urbanization? Because giving their livestock to negdels (collective farms) many herders migrated to Ulaanbaatar and became workers of new established industries. A main advantage of the period might be taking care of newcomers’ hygiene and civilized behavior.

Around 1970-1980s new micro districts of apartment buildings were built and since then many of ger settlement families moved into the new apartments. During the period the capital city was a medium sized, considerably clean, tidy and typical Russian style city, even there had been ger settlement areas in outskirt of the city. In the socialist period “to be a citizen of the capital was considered as matter of reputation” and Ulaanbaatar citizenship was restricted for rural residents.
Even though, after 1990’s rural-urban migration abruptly increased because of the variety of factors: social, economical, political, cultural and so on.

Ps: Photos were inserted from www.google.com

Environmental perception of the Mongols

By Erdenetuya Urtnast
Depending on natural condition and resources a certain way of subsistence takes shape and people bring into existence specific cultural and economical patterns. In this sense, in high forest and forest areas people have run hunting, whereas in steppe areas Mongolians have run mobile animal husbandry.

According to Mongolians’ understanding the “nature” is very inclusive concept which covers meaning “mighty force”, “the mother giving birth to all of animate beings”, “fertility, nourishment” and et cetera. The perception that human being relatively and entirely tied together surrounding environment is found in Mongolians’ worldview, religion and ecological consciousness. “According to the original ideas of Mongols, nature is an all-encompassing system which ideally remains in balance, a state of normality regulated by tngri” [1] . Also they they have personified nature and treated as if there is a communication between humans and nature as inter-human communication.

Since animal husbandry is dependent on nature and environment, Mongolians realize that nature and environment are the most vital origin and source of their life. They had not only received natural “generousity” and “bounty” by direct ways but also received via their livestock productivity, therefore they had comprehended very well about that if the vital source of life damaged then their life and fate would dramatically terminate. They had known very well about that if water resource polluted and dried up, then plants and vegetation, soil and pasture would be dessiccated, livestock would be lost, wild beasts and antelopes would shy away and consequently habitat would get lost. Because for them livestock products and natural sources are used for all of necessaries of life, such as food, clothing, lodging and transfortation.

For this reason on the one hand, in order to exist themselves, on the other hand they deeply realize that they are not able to recognize all secrets of the world and they never overcome mighty force of nature, Mongolians made up cultural pattern that adapted to ecological special feature of residing locality and created very sophisticated customs, laws, prohibitions, qtiquettes and religious rituals which are aimed to preserve natural and ecological pristine condition. Such pattern of culture is called as traditional culture. Mongolians never blamed to use natural sources for the sake of subsistence and survival, but had refrained to treat towards nature for gaining profits, breaking the law of nature and avoided to behave in careless and obdurate manners.

[1]Caroline Humphrey and David Sneath (edited). Culture and Environment in Inner Asia: Society and Culture. Volume.2. Cambridge: The White Horse Press, 1996, p.6

A problem of the capital “city”: Contamination of Land

By Erdenetuya Urtnast
Main causes of contamination of land in Ulaanbaatar are population growth caused by rural-urban migration, the expansion of ger-settlements, improper behavior and habit of people (for example, blowing the nose, spitting out saliva, dumping rubbish, excreting in public places and streets), the increasing use of plastics and chemicals.
There most of rural-urban migrants settle besides native settlers. Total squares of ger-settlements are 3 times larger than other areas. There is no green area in ger-districts and land devastation is higher than other areas. Due to simple or outside latrines, cesspits and rubbish dumps the chemical pollution of the ground is 2.5-8 times higher than other areas and bacterial contamination is 10 times higher than flat areas. It was estimated that there are more than 150 thousand latrines and the same number of sewage water pits in Ulaanbaatar.

A survey report conducted among low income and poor families of ger areas of Songinokhairkhan and Khan-Uul districts of Ulaanbaatar says: “Environmental hygiene is worse. Due to insufficient service to remove refuse, carelessness and laziness of the residents nearest ravines, holes and streets have heavily been dumped and polluted by refuse. Some of inhabitants pour sewage water, excrete and dump cinder around or outside of their wooden fence (khashaa).
Many households haven’t got sewage water pits in their khashaas. Sanitation and cleaning of latrines and sewage water holes are a headache for ger area residents. Some households try to sanitize by chlorine. During winter time they remove frozen excrements by shovel and litter into ravines”. A geoecological survey result conducted by Prof. Ch.Gonchigsumlaa in 2003-2006 shows that in ger areas of Sharkhad, Denjiin 1000, Khailaast and around electric power plants the contamination of land was 10-16 times higher than other areas of the city. Also in outskirts of city dump places and cemeteries have been expanding their squares with the population growth. These places severely threaten not only to ecosystem but also national security. For many of settlers it is very common to live in the neighborhood of cemeteries and dump points.

Ulaanbaatar: Air pollution

By Erdenetuya Urtnast
More than 1.5 billion people on the planet, including Ulaanbaatar residents are exposed to potentially health-damaging levels of air pollution. Concentrations of poisonous chemicals in air are several times larger than permissible standards show that today’s air pollution in Ulaanbaatar is at fatal level. Ulaanbaatar is one of the world's smoggiest capitals, so it has been nicknamed as “Utaanbaatar”. Ulaanbaatar means “red hero”. Utaanbaatar means “smoky hero” (the world utaa(n) means smoke, fume, exhaust & etc.). The geographical location of the city and excessive continental climate cause air pollution as well. It might be a key factor of air pollution.

A source says that nitrous dioxide concentration in air is 15 times, carbon oxide is 2-4 times and dust concentration is 7.8 times than permissible standard. According to official statistics of January 2008 exceeding percent of sulphur dioxide (SO2) was by 62 per cents higher than permissible standard, whereas nitrous dioxide (NO2) amount was by 97 percents higher than permissible level. [1]

Unfortunately we have come to accept smog and polluted air as “normal”. “Urban smog not only limits visibility; it can lead to health problems as uncomfortable as eye irritation and as deadly as lung cancer. The World Health Organization estimates that up to 700 000 premature deaths per year could be prevented if pollutants were brought down to safer levels“ [2]

Air pollution in Ulaanbaatar is caused primarily by electric power plants, low pressure boilers (heat only boilers) for heating, some industries, earth roads, ger-quarters which burn crude coal, car exhaust, and etc. To supplying of 80 per cents thermal energy and electricity of Ulaanbaatar the power plants burn 3.3 million tons coal each year and emit sulphur oxide (SO), sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon dioxide (CO2) and other gases. Also there are more than 400 low pressure heat-only-boilers in Ulaanbaatar. They supply 7 per cent of heating in Ulaanbaatar.

Ger-quarter fumes are the main reason for air pollution. According to official statistics, by the end of 2007 total 1 031 000 residents of 234743 households were registered in Ulaanbaatar. But including inhabitants without Ulaanbaatar citizenship, more than 1.3 million people are living in Ulaanbaatar.

Approximately 60-70 per cent of the households in Ulaanbaatar are residing in ger-settlements. Households of ger-districts burn about 700 thousand tons of crude coal every year. More than 60 per cent of Ulaanbaatar territory belongs to ger-settlements. Ger quarter residents have no access to tap (fauset) water and the sewage system. Fires caused by unprotected electricity lines and sparks fly out of pipes are very common. There is no infrastructure except for earth roads, water tanks, power lines (domestic wiring), communications networks and telephone lines.

Most of low income families dwell in ger-quarters. For heating and cooking they burn not only fuelwood and crude coal but also plastic bottles, plastic bags, tires (tyres) and overlays, used lubricants (oil or lube) of vehicles and rubbishes as well. Traditionally the Mongols prohibit defiling of the hearth and fireplace. But because of lacking of money to buy fuelwood and coal, some poor people scavenge plastic bottles, scrapped shoes, from rubbish dumps and burn the stuffs. A resident of 7th khoroo of Songinokharikhan district says that “For not defiling the fireplace we drip a drop of vegetable oil or butter into the fire. It is a kind of ritual to purify the fireplace. It is much better to be hungry than being chilled”.

Another factor of the air pollution is the location of ger areas. In generally the city is surrounded by ger areas and majority of them are located in the west, north-west and north directions, from where blow wind.

Car exhaust is the main reason for the city's smog problem. By the end of 2006 total 140000 vehicles were registered in Mongolia and 56 per cent or 80000 vehicles were in Ulaanbaatar. 70 per cent of cars in Mongolia have been used more than 10 years. It means those old cars are main causes of air pollution because they emit harmful gas that contains 270 sorts of poisonous chemicals, including nitrogen dioxide, carbon oxide, sulphur oxide, lead and other heavy metals.

For rural-urban migrants it has always been difficult to find a job. That is why considerable number of them chooses to be a taxi driver by buying or renting a car. Generally second hand and old cars ejected from Korea, Japan, Hong kong and Germany market are sold in Mongolia’s market. Most of the Mongols can’t afford new cars.

[1] – Monthly bulletin of statistics: January 2008, (Ulaanbaatar, 2008),pp.83
[2] – Carty, 1999