UNEP Warns of Water Crisis in Mongolia

More than half of Mongolia’s population have no access to clean water, and the country’s water resources are under threat due to climate change and rapid urbanisation, according to a report released by Mongolia Water Authority and the United Nations Environment Programme.

The report, entitled ‘Urban Water Vulnerability to Climate Change in Mongolia’, stated that extreme temperatures and natural disasters such as droughts, flooding and heavy snowfall are becoming more frequent, and annual average temperatures have increased by 2.1°C since 1940.

Groundwater resources are most likely to be affected by climate change because all the country’s surface water is covered by ice for about six months of the year.

The report recommended the development of an Integrated Urban Water Management plan for the Tuul River Basin, with active planning and management of land use and human activities.

It also suggested increasing investment and rehabilitating existing water supply networks for the domestic water supply, improving water quality through the rehabilitation of wastewater treatment plants, and better implementation of the legal framework on water supply, disposal and wastewater treatment.