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| WATER SCARCITY & POLLUTION | DESERTIFICATION & CLIMATE CHANGE | SOCIO - ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS OF MINING |
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| Nonetheless, for 4,000 years, Mongolians have lived off of this arid land. Today, half of all Mongolians still lead a nomadic lifestyle and receive their drinking water from freshwater rivers and lakes. The health of these scarce and unique freshwater ecosystems is directly linked to the future and health of the Mongolian people and their nomadic lifestyle. However, during the most recent decades, natural and anthropogenic factors have conspired to cause extensive damage to the freshwater ecosystems, adversely impacting the livelihood of the Mongolian people. Climate change has caused a significant rise of 1.8°C in average annual temperatures, with the largest increase seen during the winter months. Glaciers and winter snow are a freshwater reserve, replenishing rivers and lakes. However, with warmer winters and an overall warmer climate, less snow accumulates and glaciers, like those in Mongolia’s Uvs province, are melting faster than ever before. Meanwhile, in the desert and semi-desert regions of Mongolia, the frequency of droughts has increased. In areas like the Altai Sayan eco-region’s Bayan-Olgii province, 217 marshes have dried out. Overall, climate change is the largest natural contributor to the rapid loss of freshwater resources and reserves in Mongolia. While climate change is depleting Mongolia’s scarce freshwater supply, a variety of anthropogenic factors are polluting and degrading the health of the remaining freshwater ecosystems. The industries of gold mining, gravel, copper and uranium extraction all use methods and technologies that are inefficient and outdated, resulting in wastewater with high levels of both toxic chemicals and suspended sedimentation. Due to a lack of regulation and enforcement, the waste water is released back into the rivers without proper filtration and treatment. Tens of kilometers of water downstream of these industrial areas experience sharp reductions in fish populations and the fish that remain are toxic to the humans, livestock and wildlife that consume them. This severely handicaps the geographic freedom of nomadic Mongolians and their livestock. <p>It is clear that Mongolia’s unique and scarce freshwater ecosystems need to be protected and kept clean to ensure a healthy future for Mongolia, its people and its environment. Today, national and international organizations and government agencies are collaborating to research, investigate, and take action on water pollution in Mongolia. Unfortunately, there is still much to be done to help preserve the Mongolian nomadic lifestyle and environment. The MEC has created an e- database with up-to-date information on water scarcity, factors that contribute to water pollution, and programs addressing these issues, in order to empower and connect those interested in taking action to keep freshwater ecosystems clean and healthy. If you are researching and writing about water scarcity and pollution in Mongolia, we would like to feature your story. Please submit your story to info@mongolec.org If you are working on water issues in Mongolia, we would like to partner with you to maximize our social impact. Please visit our Partners page to see who is in our network of partners and how you can become a partner. |
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| > MINETECH-2010 next month Friday, March 12, 2010 (News.mn) > Tavan Tolgoi Negotiations Reach Second Level Tuesday, March 09, 2010. (UB Post) > EBRD Seeks Cooperation in Mining Projects Tuesday, March 09, 2010. (UB Post) |
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