1.3.04 Model region Mongolia – the path to sustainable water management

Mongolia is faced with some major water management challenges. Global change, droughts, widespread contamination from mining and outdated water supply and disposal infrastructures have led to a dramatic decline in living conditions over recent years. The problems are so closely interlinked that only integrated system solutions can help. A consortium of scientists and engineers is now developing an overall concept using German expertise and technologies to implement sustainable management of the water supplies.

Mongolia has a population of around three million people, around 60% of whom have no access to clean drinking water and safe methods of wastewater disposal. The broad, dry and cold steppe regions and the boreal coniferous forestsThe earth’s most northerly forests, which stretch across Northern Eurasia and North America in a wide belt. of central Asia are typified by a general water shortage and an extremely variable climate that brings great annual and seasonal fluctuations in water availability. With a rapidly growing population, the traditional nomadic nature and the expansion of agriculture and mining (predominantly gold and copper), more and more water is being consumed. The situation is not expected to improve in future either.

The research project entitled “Integrated Water Resources Management in Central Asia: Model Region Mongolia” (MoMo) has a team of scientists developing innovative solutions to provide the people with a sustainable water supply. Numerous German and Mongolian cooperation partners are involved in this inter- and transdisciplinary research, which is being co-ordinated by the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Magdeburg.

Reliable basic data required

Between 2006 and 2009, the researchers created key foundations for integrated water management for the city of Darkhan (approx. 100,000 inhabitants) and the surrounding Kharaa river basinPart of the earth’s surface that is drained by a river and its tributaries. We distinguish between above-ground and underground basins. The drainage divide marks the boundaries of the basin. in north-east Mongolia. They developed the new concepts in close collaboration with local partners. This initial phaseA phase is a spatial area in which the physical parameters and chemical composition of the relevant matter are homogeneous. of the project examined the key components of water management: climate change and hydrology, groundwater, land use, nutrient cycles, ecology, supply of drinking water and treatment of wastewater. The scientists used scenario techniques to form long-term strategies for managing water resources, developed with the key local players and adapted and finetuned to the situation on site. This enabled them to propose a useful range of measures. Mongolia is exhibiting a great deal of interest in the implementation; with the national water law of 2004 and the creation of a national water agency, there are excellent institutional framework conditions in place in order to achieve this.

Steps towards implementation

Since the three-year implementation phaseA phase is a spatial area in which the physical parameters and chemical composition of the relevant matter are homogeneous. began (running from 2010 to 2013), the scientists have been implementing the first elements of integrated water resource management (IWRM). For example, several pilot sewage plants are being set up to adapt selected technologies to the local conditions. Gaps in knowledge on the qualitative and quantitative condition of the water resources are to be closed and a comprehensive environmental monitoring system set up covering the surface water, groundwater, soil, drinking water, wastewater and land coverage. The planned monitoring network is being set up in collaboration with the environmental authorities and adapted to local needs.

Research project partners: MoMo

With regard to domestic water management, the researchers are implementing an integral concept covering the introduction of locally optimised technologies and strategies for the settlements in question. These include the urban sector with its ailing central drinking water and wastewater treatment system, the suburban yurt settlements where the residents have no prospects of a connection to central supply and disposal systems through the authorities and smaller localities in the country, which instead of sewage facilities often only have sluice systems taking the waste away. The second phase of the project will also see capacity development measures significantly increased to make a sustainable contribution to improving living conditions and to increase the sense of personal responsibility in affected areas.

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