33

IB Post 20-10-98

Awards
salute
green
projects
A garbage-recycling scheme
in a ger district of Ulaanbaatar,
UB Post 30-09-97
an air-pollution project and an
awareness-raising campaign
targeted at herders were
among the winners at the first
A tree grows in UB
Environmental Public Aware- Every Mongolian should Australia, the Netherlands
ness awards. plant a tree a year, says and the United Nations
The October 16 awards The Mongolian Forestry Development Programme.
Association's Ts. The wide-ranging
capped the two-year
Banzragch. A newly projects, outlined at a
Environmental Public Aware-
adopted forestry law September 23 press
ness Programme. encourages local conference at the Press
Funded by the Dutch gov- authorities to organize Institute of Mongolia,
ernment, the United Nations citizen tree-planting, and include the Selbe River
Development Programme and Banzragch's group has protection project, plant
the Australian Embassy in completed a film. How to and animal research at
Beijing, the Programme Plant A Tree, to educate Otgon Tenger protected
supported, through training people on tree-planting area, the Blue Bag recycling
and small grants, 91 small techniques. scheme, an initiative to
projects designed to raise It's one of more than 60 fight air pollution in
awareness of the country's N6O- and government- Ulaanbaatar and a project
fragile ecology. initiated Environmenal dubbed Gobi Nature
Public Awareness projects Through Children's Eyes.
The projects were carried
supported by money from
out by Mongolian NGOs and
government agencies in
Ulaanbaatar and all 21 aimags.
The 22 projects saluted for
their accomplishments on
Friday ranged from a video
demonstrating how to plant a
tree to a campaign to erect road
signs in dusty Dalanzadgad
and a televised ecology Olym-
piad.
At the awards ceremony,
it was announced that the
project will be extended for
another two years.
The ceremony also
marked the launch of the news
published Green Book, a how-
to manual on environmental
protection in Mongolia.
 34
UB Post
Warm and ecofriendly: why straw houses
have development agencies excited
By David SAOOWAY
A
woman stand*
poised on a ladder,
plastering a wall
with earth-red mud. An
adjacent room, soon to b*
filled with doctors and
nurses, Is covered with
bailed yellow straw. Wheat
straw, mud and glue —
these are the main ma-
terials in a straw-bale
building.
"Straw-bale construc-
tion technology was in-
troduced to Mongolia in
1995 by A.D,R,A-, the
Adventiat Development
Relief Agency, " says N.
T**nd, the officer over-
seeing this project. "This
technology has become to
popular that 16 projects are
now under construction or
on the drafting table.'
Recently the U.N.-fun-
ded Mongolian Action
Programme <0f the 21st
Century decided to marry
this energy-efficient build-
ing technique to social-
service pilot projects. The
twofold aim is to teach
employable skill* In con-
struction while creating
much needed community
services including a school,
8 kindergarten, a dormitory
and a health clinic.
One of the straw-bale
projects is a community
health clinic in Biocom
binat, a 4,000 person bed-
room community just west
of Ulaanbaatar'c Buyant'
Ukhaa airport, When the
work >$ complete by year's
end, the clinic will have
cheek-up rooms, visiting
areas, offices and storage
spaces. Tsend explains that
the total cost for the 160-
vquaie-metre building will
be around Tg 1Z million, -or
U,5. $14,000.
25-11-97
Though it is Only par-
tially finished, the clinic is
pleasantly 'warm. An ef-
ficient Chinese-built heater
recirculates warm water to
radiator* throughout the
building.
"This building requires
20-30 kilograms of coal
dally - four to five times
leas fuel than conventional
brick buildings of the same
sii«," says Tsend. *\t
means the fire only needs
to be made twice a day.'
That mean* less work, and
a lot fewer carbon and
sulphur oxides and harmful
interior *moke-
Another benefit of buil-
ding with straw Is the
environmentally friendly
nature of the materials.
Natural wheat Straw, clay
and sand are non-toxic,
cheap and plentiful in
Mongolia. Straw-bale con-
struction costs roughly half
the price per square metre
of brick. The dry Mongolian
climate means that the
materials do not rot easily,
and straw is an excellent
insulator.
"With proper construc-
tion &nd maintenance, a
straw-bale house will last
up to 80 year*," Tsend
claims.
At the Biocombinat
clinic 27 trainees, many of
them women, are going
through three weeks of
intensive training. Travel
from theif home aimags
and training allowances are
provided by the Mongolian
Action Programme's pilot-
project fund. After written
ymi oral tests, students
receive certification as
(e&chers, technicians or
workers.
The project is providing
training for s i x - p e r s o n
crews"Irtjm"thr*e~e aimags," (See next page)
 35

UB Post 25-11-97

Cheap and energy efficient: there's been a lot of huff and puff about straw-bale houses lately.
Crew members include a of Women. The Federation Now Oyunchimeg plans Many will also provide
cartified engineer and tech- intends to start a Women's to return home to Sukh- much-needed employment.
nician, two carpenters, a Development Centre, pro- baatar aimag in eastern Would a straw bale
r a s t e r e r and a metal viding free healthcare Mongolia and "look for house be a cheaper choice
worker. services, skills training and possibilities of private, than the classic ger? A
The clinic uses a stand- a temporary shelter for housing construction in the basic ger costs between Tg
ard concrete foundation battered women. countryside." She believes 750,000 and Tg 1 million,
ana floor, the later built The plan is to surround demand will be high and while a similar sized straw-
atop a straw-gravel bed. the building with gardens through her company's bale structure would be
The walls and.roof are also for food and traditional efforts she intends to build valued at around Tg 2
mutated with straw. The medicinal herbs. two or three houses. million. But the long-term
walls are mudded at Back at the clinic, Oy- Tsend, too, has high advantages of energy sav-
twice before receiving unchimeg is busy dis- hopes for the future of ings and extra rooms might
i coat of paint. cussing building techniques straw-bale construction. In make the straw-bale a more
Construction began in with carpenters and plas- 1998, with the co- appealing choice to some,
August on another straw .terers. For the last two operation of A.D.R.A, 10 especially to young
[>flot project at Am- months, she has been projects will be completed families.
, in Ulaanbaatar's east learning to teach straw-bale in nine aimags. And Tsend It will probably be a long
. Work was completed construction techniques. is working with the Asian time before Mongolians
toy 30 worker-trainees. This "I became interested in Development Bank and the give up their traditional
two-storey, 168-square- this technique after watch- private sector to get more mobile form'of housing. In
••cre structure was built at ing a television programme than 70 more projects off the meantime, for those
coct of U.S. $18,000. on this type of housing," the ground into the next building with wood and
The building ft Amgalan she says. "I wanted to learn century. Many of these brick, an energy efficient
finished. Soon the about it by taking the three projects will feature solar alternative is being demon-
t wiH be handed over to weeK teacher-training hot-air collection and basic strated in Ulaanbaatar and
Mongolian Federation course." greenhouse technology. five aimags .
 36
*
Mongol Messenger 10-12-9"

Straw-bale
trainees
ready for
business
HOUSING
by Laura

deposit, bat n: •
portunitv to exti
straw," S'. Tsead
pants at a natioui i
construction wo
week.
MrTsend, wkobtfcel
Nations Doe
Programme (1NDP
Development Officer.:
ous local compaain
pressed interest in an
straw-bale building?
ers were keen to provide
dows and doors.
About 85 people fro*
aimags attended the
workshop which carried the
theme, Fields Of Gold.
Participants were issued with
straw-bale technology munis
and taken on a tour oTstr*w-bale
buildings in Amgalin.
Biocombinat and Microdistrkt
3.
The workshop was an impor-
tant part of the Provision of En-
ergy Efficient Social Services
Project, which has already re-
ceived requests from the State
and private sector for straw-bale
buildings in their local commu-
nities.
The project has coordinated
the construction of straw-ba'-
buildings for a health clinic ai._.
a centre for the Mongolian
Women's Federation. Over the
next two years, the project plans
the construction of a further 98
super-insulated buildings. Only
companies with experience in
straw-bale building will be eli-
gible to bid for these contracts.
National Project Manager S.
Ganbold, who has worked
closely with 163 Mongolians who
have been exposed to on-the-job
training, said many trainees
were interested in exploring em-
ployment opportunities in straw-
bale construction.
"Enkhbayar is a mother of
two who received training and is
working at the Amgalan site
where the two-storey building is
being constructed for the Mon-
golian Women's Federation,"
Mr Ganbold said.
"Next season she plans to
start up her own business and
take a straw-bale construction
crew to her native Dornogobi
Aimag."
The workshop was organised
by MAP-21, the Ad ventist Devel-
opment and Relief Agency
(ADRA) and the UNDP.
Keen interest in straw-bale technology
HOUSING
Hach winter healing costs fur a
Mongolian ger can reach Tg4200
per square metre, while heating a
small straw-bale dwelling will cost
only Tg280.
Such a house can be built for
about Tg560,000, enabling fuel
savings to pay for its construction
within seven years.
Mongolians living in straw-
bale houses can decrease their fuel
use by more than 90 per cent, re-
sulting in a cleaner and healthier
environment.
In addition to solving problems
related to economic and energy
efficiency, the United Nations De-
velopment Programme and the
Government of Mongolia hppe
that the Pro-
vision of
Energy Effi-
ciency So-
cial Services
(PEESS)
project will
"solve some
o f
Mongolia's
Mongolia Is gearing up for a national seminar on
straw-bale houses to demonstrate building
technologies to State and private construction
companies. LAURA RYSER reports.
infrastructure and social problems. since the turn of the century. How-
Currently, instead of delivering ever many people continue to be
educational and health services skeptical about the durability of
with their operating budgets, insti- straw-bale houses.
tutes are instead consuming re- According to the Canada Mort-
gage and Housing Corporation, the
sources to heat outdated buildings.
Building straw-bale public fa- straw-bale/mortar structure wall
cilities will allow the social ser- has proven to fire-resistant.
vices infrastructure to be less de- Straw will not rot if the straw
pendent on nonrenewable re- used to make bales is dry, and a
sources for its energy needs. This well-constructed roof keeps the
will free financial resources for water off. This will prevent water
core activities and give a signifi- from accumulating or becoming
cant contribution to the conserva- trapped inside the wall.
tion of the Since straw-bale walls are
environ- strongly compacted and plastered,
ment. they also provide fewer havens for
Straw- pests than conventional wooden
bale build- walls.
ing tech- The three-year PEESS project
n iques began on May 20, 1997. The
have been project involves the participation
used in of the UNDP, the Mongolian Gov-
N o r t h ernment, MAP-21, NGOs and in-
A m e r re a dividuals.
More than 160 people from 18 efficient, south-facing windows
aimags have been exposed to on- that will either be sealed or double-
the-job training of which 32 have pane. This will be an improvement
been awarded a teacher certificate. from poorly built double windows o
Only certified teacher-level train- with single glass that often results
ees can be construction managers in broken glass or non-aligned win- era
on the project. dow frames from a lack of mainte- o
Sixty percent of the trainees nance.
were previously unemployed or Trainees will also instal low-
were low-income family women. cost greenhouses for growing veg-
A two-story straw-bale house etables. This will allow institutions
for the Mongolian Women's Fed- to obtain nutritional foodstuffs, to
eration site in Amgalan and straw- reduce the costs of providing
bale health clinic for Ulaanbaatar meals, and to introduce an element TO
on the Bio-Combinat site are be- of self-sufficiency.
ing built by local construction The PEESS project has already
firms (trainees) with the technical received more than 100 requests
assistance of Adventist Develop- from State and private sector.
ment Relief Agency (ADRA). Preparations for the next 10 straw-
Other straw-bale buildings are be- bale buildings in nine aimags are
ing constructed in rural areas underway.
where social services and living
standards are underdeveloped. Laura Ryser graduated from
A unique feature of the PEESS
project is the advanced technology the University of Northern Brit-
of about 80 photovoltaic systems - ish Columbia in Canada and is
solar panels that collect electricity in Mongolia on an internship
- and the installation of 75 solar from the Sustainable Develop-
hot-air collectors in social service ment Research Institute. She is
buildings. Photovoltaic systems do
not emit carbon dioxide into the currently working with the
atmosphere. UNDP environmental team on
The project will design energy- the MAP-21 project.
O-N
Environment
38
Mongol Messenger
Pumphouse serves
rural eommunity
By Laura Ryser
Mongolia's first straw-bale
pumphouse was put into operation
recently.
Located 50 kilometres south of
Ulaanbaatar near Zunmod Soum,
•he pumphouse will be used by 500
of trie area's 2000 people.
Prior to the pumpnousc, water
had been delivered by truck, a
costly operation. Water will now be
more accessible and cheaper -
residents will save Tgl50 per 1,000
litres Of water.
Puntsogdorj and Nyamjav are
two local residents now benefiting
from the hand pump. In the past, the
couple had to walk .100 metres to a
difterent pump: a difficult task
when carrying heavy loads of water
in sub-zero temperatures.
A caretaker will monitor the
UB Post
Straw-bale clinic
goes up in smoke
Fire has destroyed a straw-bale
health clinic built under a much-
praised United Nations Devel-
opment Programme project
No .one was hurt in the
November 4 blaze, which star-
ted in the attic of the structure
in the Ulaanbaatar district of
Bagakhangai. Ulaanbaatar Fire
Department investigators are
working to determine the cause
of the fire, which smouldered
for 18 hours before it was
extinguished by firefighters.
Though large portions of the
clinic's walls remained standing
after the fire, area residents soon
began dismantling what was left
of the structure.
Straw-bale construction has
been taken up enthusiastically
by development groups as
cheap, energy efficient and
environmentally friendly.
But a spate of fires earlier
this year that culminated in a
Fire Department warning raised
concerns about the buildings'
safety.
Advocates said at the time
11-02-98
facilities. His salary will be paid
by the fees collected from the
pumphouse. To reduce ground
water pollution, the house :s
located upstream from the loca]
settlement.
The pumphouse is the firrt
straw-bale structure buill in
winter. As a result the eiienor
plastering of the building will be
completed in Spring.
The building was created as
part of the National Water
Sanitation ar.d Hygiene
Education Prcgramc "or the
21si Century It: was made with
support from L NDP, Australia,
Sweden and the Netherlands.
The project will help 50
communities Ln six aimaes with
* a ' e r . sanitation and health
ecj:;: :-. jver the next three
years. 150 pumps are expected to
be installed.
10-11-98
the problem lay in shoddy
materials and construction
methods at unregulated sites, not
with the technology itself.
The Bagakhangai clinic,
built with Canadian government
funding, is one of six social-
services buildings constructed
in 1998 under the UNDP
project.
Its construction was moni-
tored by the Adventist De-
velopment Relief Agency - the
well-regarded pioneer of straw-
bale construction in Mongolia -
and the building had been given
high marks for quality and
safety.
UNDP programme officer
Paul Groenewegen stands by
straw-bale construction.
He says the Bagakhangai
authorities have already re-
quested a straw-bale replace-
ment clinic.
"I think this is an isolated
incident,", he says. "We'll have
to learn the lessons and build
buildings even more fire-safe in
the future."

Second Red Book makes its debut
ENVIRONMENT
by B. Indra
Mongolian Environment Min-
ister Ts. Adiyasuren presented Brit-
ish Ambassador to Mongolia, John
Durham, with a special edition of
the recently-published Red Book
last week.
Mr Adiyasuren said the up-
dated Red Book was the fruit of
joint British-Mongolia cooperation
to protect Mongolia's nature and
environment.
The British Government con-
tributed more than $US 16,000 to
the Red Book project.
"The Red Book is now printed
in English and Mongolian lan-
guage and has met international
publishing and scientific stan-
dards," the minister said.
In the first edition of the Red
Book, published in Mongolia in
1987, SO species of animals and 86
plants were registered.
Mr Adiyasuren said this year a
third of the country's total pasture
area (117 million hectares) and 40
million hectares of forest had been
damaged by insects and rodents.
"The number of rare and threat-
ened species is increasing and sev-
eral species are in danger of ex-
tinction," he said.
"The government has been tak-
ing measures to protect and restore
Mongolia's biological resources.
"One quarter of the total forest
o
cover has been damaged by log-
I
ging, fires, and insect infestation
over the last 50 years.
"Biological resources have
been depleted and irreparable dam-
age has been done to the environ-
ment. I
"Mongolian scientists and re-
searchers nave given much time to
the development of this second edi-
tion.
"This book is presented to our
readers in order to develop national
policies on conservation, sustain-
able use and the restoration of bio-
logical resources, to initiate pub-
lic awareness programmes on rare
and threatened species and imple-
ment conservation measures."
Red Book Chief Editor Dr Ts.
Shiifevdamba said that the book
had been edited in Mongolian and
English to aid the implementation
of national laws and international
conventions, such as the Conven-
tion on International Trade in En-
dangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora (CITES), Convention oft British Ambassador to Mongolia John Durham was happy to receive his copy of the Red Book
Biological Diversity, Convention from Environment Minister Ts. Adiyasuren last week.
on Wetlands of International Im-
portance especially as Waterfowl ing habitat degradation. measures based upon scientific Money for the prining of the
Habitat (Ramsar Convention) and "Therefore, it was decided to principles. Red Book came from British Gov-
the United Nations Convention to update the first Mongolian Red "Mongolian researchers and ernment and the Mongolian Envi-
Combat Desertification. Book in order to use it as a conser- scientists gave their time and ex- ronmental Protection Fund
"Latest research indicates that vation tool. pertise in the development of this (SUS6SOO) and the Endangered
the number of species which are "Research materials were gath- second edition of the Mongolian Species Conservation Fund
in danger of extinction is growing ered from the Botanical Institute of Red Book. (SUS4500). Preparation of the
- this is due to increasing aridity Biology and Applied Biology, the "The broad scope of this book book for printing, translation and
and intensive natural resource use Mongolian State University, the may give rise to discrepancies and technical work was carried out by
in the last decades. State Pedagogical University and disagreements and the editorial the Mongolia Biodoveristy Project,
"The country's transition to a foreign scientists. board welcomes comments on the funded by the UNDP and the Glo-
free market economy has increased "This book will play an impor- issue, 'content and format of the bal Environment Facility.
the use of natural resources caus- tant role in outlining protection book."
Environment
 3o
New Tov B
TO
O

cheese VI
I
era

factory
set to open
AGRICULTURE
by Laura Ryser
Another dairy is ex-
pected to open inTovAimag
this month, allowing herders
to keep up with the growing
demand for dairy products
:h as cheese, yoghurt,
>,.i:nk ;md creams.
The first cheese factory
in Allanbulag, a soum cen-
tre about 40km from Ula;m
ti.i.ii.n, began production m
I i-bruary 1996 with the hi l|>
nf the United Nations Drvrl
<>l>ment Programme
fONDP) and $115200,000
f'lom the Dutcti (iovnn
iin 111.
Run hy llic sm.tll nrivali'
< oiii|unv. liv.isl.if. (< in-('.I').
the factory now employees
five people and collects milk
from 33 families. Between
June and August last year,
36,300 litres of rnilk valued
at Tg3,025,435 was bought
by the facliiry, producing3.9
toniu-s til f,oml;i style
cheese,
I he second tailory will
he located in Atiir .Soum,
some lOdkin I'liini IH.ian
1>.1.1 i.i i .uul .iln ml ] '>() km
IIDIII Allanliiil.i);
( 'hrcse I iiliKtiiin
I'loje I evolved illei Ihc
Mini) Mi'iil dc-
c I ii i eo.ooohi
Musi.mi MINIMI
.in.l Mi-p|H- mrii, it Sliili- Nil
Inn- Ki-M-ivr in I'J'M. In ill
Inw Ihr MII i r^iliil i. mini
dm nun iif itn- wild Tiikln
(I'l/fWIll-l il II..IM
Twenty years ago the
Mrs Oostra, the wife of the Dutch Ambassador to Mongolia, accepts sopme gouda-style
Takhi almost ceased to exist
in Mongolia.
In 1980, a Dutch initia-
tive was launched to estab-
lish semi-reserves for the
br.;ed and by 1991 Hustain
Nuruu was chosen as a suit-
able location for the release
of the zoo-bred animals into
the semi-wild.
The first horses were re-
leased in July 1994, as part
ol the reintroduction and
steppe ecology programme.
The decision was popular
among the herders as il rep-
lesenicd the return of a well-
known icon of Mongolian
culture.
According to UNDP
Iiioutanimc officer, S.
Inkhluyt, grazing and hunt-
ing were outlawed in the re-
cheese from factory worker D. Dolgor.
serve, although herders
would be permitted to use
the land for grazing as a re-
sult of extreme climatic con-
ditions.
With the reduction of
their grazing rights, herders
faced serious problems con-
cerning the new economic
order, and the curtailment of
restrictions on animal own-
ership. They had an abun-
dance of milk but limited
opportunity to market the
surplus.
The Cheese Production
Project created new income
for herders as compensation
for the lost opportunities
evolving from the protection
measures taken by the
Hustain Nuruu Steppe
Project. The project has par-
t i c u l a r l y benefited the
women in their role as the
main milkers in the family.
Project consultant S.
Tsetgee said quality inspec-
tions were done at the cheese
factory every three months.
All dairy staff and eli-
gible herders are trained in
relevant aspects of cheese
production, includiii); hy
giene, pricing and impinvnl
livestock management
And herders are pro-
vided with moulds and other
necessary equipment that
allow them to standardi/e
the steppe cheese.
• Laura Ryscr t;> iiiln
atedfrom the llnir,-i\n\
of Northern Htiti\/i < . •
lumhiii in Cumuli! tniil i\
inMoiiKi'lin • "i"" mi'i"
shift fnnn the .Sii\Mnn;Mi
l)l'\'fll>/IHIi III A'.
V<
n nli i l l ,
,-iniii'iuii> i i i i i / i i
(/., M \l
.

Mongol Messenger
Few greenhouse gases but
temperature still on the rise
ENVIRONMENT
In a effort to limit the emissions
of greenhouse gases, more than
1500 delegates from over 160 na-
tions convened in Kyoto, Japan for
a 10-day treaty negotiation.
Mongolian E n v i r o n m e n t a l
Minister Ts. Adiyasuren returned
from the conference last week to
announce the results of the Kyoto
Climate Change conference this
month.
The negotiations resulted in a
legally binding protocol stating
that industrialised nations will re-
duce their collective emissions of
greenhouse gases by 5.2 percent.
Overall emissions from a group of
six greenhouse gases will be low-
ered by 2008-2012. By thai time,
emissions of carbon dioxide, meth-
ane, and nitrous, oxide must be
equal to those of 1990. Cuts in
hydroflouride will be measured
against emissions in either a 1990
or!995.
"Too much development has
had a bad influence for our natural
environment, our style of develop-
ment needs to be changed. History
has taught us that if we don't
41
31-12-97
change our development style, our
environment will gradually sour,"
said UNDP Deputy Resident Rep-
resentative, Bruno Pouzat.
Although Mongolia releases
very few greenhouse gases in re-
lation to more developed countries,
local effects will still be fell.
Research shows that the green-
house effect has contributed to the
0.7 degree rise in temperature,
which has occurred over the past
50 years. This has resulted in de-
sertification, the loss of valuable
steppe to desert. Desertification
has caused a decrease in water
supply, harvest and livestock.
 o
3

Gobi faces desertification threat

Scientists have marked Mon-
trq

n
V
o

golia as a country in threat of mas- VI

n
sive desertification. The outlying
areas of the Gobi Desert are in- ora
re
cluded in the desertification region, •s
indicated Dr. C Davaadorj of the
Geo-ecology Institute.
Mr D a v a a d o r j recently at-
tended a seminar on 'Combating
Desertification by Agro-biology
Methods.' 20countries look pail in
the United Nations seminar, which
was held in Israel.
Due to an iiKTi-a.se in ears and
population, (lie desert's natural bal-
ance has been lost, particularly
around the /aniyii I did border area
near China. In this region, locals
have reported that sand is replac-
ing gra/.ing lands.
One problem has been die re-
cent boom in livestock population.
High numbers of livestock have
overgrazed many desert areas,
causing desert expansion. Re-
search is currently taking place to
determine how many animals the
Gobi region can accommodate.
Mr Davaadorj noted that he has
recently acquired the seeds of 20
plants which are known to be well
suited for desertified soil. Experi-
ments will lake place to determine
if the seeds should IK- planted
r,-ii<>n.\ of the Gobi near China are alrcml\ feeling ih, , / / / , , M ,./ ,/,
 43

Mongol Messenger 19-11-97

Gobi surrenders to
small agricultural oasis from handmade bricks. He in-
by Laura Ryser stalled two underground storage
facilities with a combined capac-
ity of 10 tonnes - one for potatoes
The efforts of former veterinar- and the other for cabbages.
ian, -D. Baraduuz, extend far be- These days between April and
yond the tree-lined boundaries of October (depending on the sea-
his one hectare plantation. son), he produces medicinal seeds,
For the last five years, Mr plants and herbs for local animal
Baraduuz has been trying to com- fodder, as well as turnips, toma-
bat desertification in his native toes, potatoes, cabbage, carrots,
Omnogobi Aimag and he remains watermelon and two types of cu-
committed to educating others cumber.
while improving the state of the The plantation also processed
environment. vegetables in jars and in the future
By visiting different planta- has plans to establish a small can-
tions and agricultural works, Mr nine factory.
Baraduuz learned various planting Mr Baraduuz sells his produce
techniques. Before launching his locally, although he is currently
full-time farming career, he was looking for an extended market for
chairman of the Omnogobi Agri- medicinal herbs including jasmine
cultural Department. and the pagoda tree.
Concerns that many medicinal Part of the project site is dedi-
herbs and plants were disappear- cated to producing trees such as
ing from the Gobi region, Shar Khoshoon, a species which
prompted Mr Baraduuz to begin helps reduce salt content in the soil.
plantings about five years ago at a After just one year, this plant
site aoout 60km north of reduced the salt content enough to
Dalanzadgad. plant other types of trees such as
P. Tsetsgee, Project Adminis- aspen, almond, elm, willow and
trative Officer of MAP-21, the sea buckthorn.
UNDP-funded environmental According to Mr Baraduuz, he
project which has been supporting planted about 5000 of almond trees
Mr Baraduuz's efforts, recalls: "At to protect the area from erosion and
first his family was skeptical so he sand. About 1000 of these were
worked alone for a year before his planted last Spring.
wife conceded to help him - when Mr Baraduuz is looking for a
they finally harvested their first market for his trees and discussions
crop their thoughts became more are already underway with MAP-
positive." 21 about the possibility of buying
Last August MAP-21 provided elms next Spring for a desertifica-
Tg3 million for Mr Baraduuz's tion project in Zamyr Dud Soum. MAP-21 representatives inspected D. Baraduuz's Omnogobi
plantation project, allowing him to Previously the project assumed plantation last month.
test new seeds for the Gobi area. seeds would have to come from to transport goods and fertiliser. However Mr Baraduuz's hard
The funds will also enable Mr China, but now Mr Baraduuz may Out of 17 willow trees planted work and increased yields have
Baraduuz to develop and produce be given the opportunity to provide in Spring, only 12 have survived helped to eliminate the myths
seeds and trees for other Gobi resi- seeds and seedlings. their arid surroundings. The deep about the inability of the Gobi to
dents. But Mr Baraduuz's project is cracks in the soil around trees is a sustain crops.
En the beginning, the family not free of problems. The fact that stark reminder that water scarcity, During last month's Poverty
brought in 80 truckloads of animal he does not own a vehicle limits salt intrusion and soil condition Eradication Week, Mr Baraduuz
fertiliser for use on the plantation. Mr Baraduuz's ability to commu- continue to present barriers to lo- organised an educational seminar
During those early days Mr nicate his findings with other cal farmers. in Dalanzadgad and on-site farm
Baraduuz also built a family home people, and he must rent a vehicle Mr Baraduuz tour a bid to help others understand
realises that one agricultural economics,
spring would only He is currently writing a bro-
sustain one hectare of enure about his difficulties, success
cropland. And while and findings over the last five
there is not enough years.
water to expand his In the future Mr Baraduuz
project, he believes plans to expand his operation by
that the aimag's 300 planting trees and plants on Gurvan
natural springs have Saikhan (Three Beauties) Moun-
the capacity to irrigate tain.
300ha of trees and
vegetables. Laura Ryser graduated from
He said such a the University of Northern British
scheme would combat Columbia in Canada and is in
desertification and Mongolia on an internship from
provide jobs for about the Sustainable Development Re-
300 families, although search Institute. She is currently
the extent of compe-
tition for these water working with the United Nations
resources and the ca- Development Programme (UNDP)
pacity of the springs environmental team on the MAP-
remains unclear. 21 project.
44

UB Post
21-07-98
Warmer winters,
cooler summers:
global warming
comes to Mongolia
By T». ENKH "By the laws of physics,
any heated object creates'long-

M ongolia's climate is wave rays. These heat rays are

world famous for its absorbed by gases — carbon
extremes. But that monoxide, methane, nitrogen
may be changing. Recent evi- and so on— and some are
dence shows the country's released into the atmosphere,
temperatures are moderating as causing additional heat in the
a result of global warming. Earth's atmosphere.
"There is a worldwide ten- "In the past 100 years,
dency toward global wanning, because of human activity, the
and tfits—wanrrtrrg T>rrfic oysegases
noticed in high-altitude zones, has risen dramatically. At the
including Mongolia." says Dr. time of the Industrial Revo-
L. Natsagdorj, director of the lution, 1750-1800, there was
Institute of Hydrology and 30 per cent less carbon
Meteorology in Ulaanbaatar. monoxide in the air than there
"Our country's average is now, and half as much marsh
temperature has risen 0.7 de- gases.
grees in the last 60 years. The "It is important to reduce
average winter temperature has the level of greenhouse gas
increased two (o three degrees, emissions immediately, be-
depending on the region, while cause gases, depending on their
summers have become a little type, are stored in the at-
bit cooler. mosphere for between 50 and
"Over the last 30 years the 200 years. If we don't take any
number of cold days under -25 measures, by 2030-2060 green-
degrees has fallen by 10 to 15 house gases will have doubled
days and the number of warm from the 90s' level.
days over 25-degrees has also "This will cause * floW
fallen, by 10 to 20 days. The temperature increase of tmm
winters are getting warmer and dee
the summers cooler. The huge
gap between the highs and low 5
is shrinking."
In case you think a warmer
winter doesn't sound like such
a bad thing, Namgdorj mm
ofthedirceffecaoflungum
climate change on Mongolia.
"According uTafcmanal
scientists, Mongolia's aujjgc
monthlv temperature \*ifl rise
between three and 10 degrees
in the 2030-2060 period. SWB-
mer precipitation will increase,
but so will spring droughts.
That will have a negative
influence on pasture land ar. j
livestock breeding.
"Global warming will also ^,
mean a two to 15 per cent try, do 10 curt ike i
increase in desert areas and a Other devdopag Aan o_-
shrinking of mountain steppe, . ,
taiga and tundra zones." shining models.
Most scientists agree that Still, some moves arc afcof.
global warming is caused by an A project is underway, wok
accumulation of gases in the British assistance, to m»is
atmosphere, the so-called produce an energy-efficiemger
"greenhouse effect.1' stove.
"We can see our planet as And the UN Framework
a huge greenhouse," explains Convention on Climate Change
Natsagdorj. "Direct sunrays commits developed countries-
penetrate the walls of a green- producers of most of the
house, becoming heat. They are world's greenhouse gases — to
not able to rebound back com- aid developing ones.
pletely, causing additional heat. The World Bank, which
In the same way, the sun's rays recently opened an office in
penetrate the Earth's atmo- Ulaanbaatar, has established a
sphere and are reflected off the unit geared to promoting ener-
Earth's surface. A portion gy efficiency in Asian
rebounds back and a portion countries.
becomes heat, absorbed by the Will it be enough? Time
soil. will tell.
Mongolia taces burning issues in wake ot
landmark Kyoto climate-change conference
By David SADOWAY
A
t the start of
D e c e m b e r ,
delegations from
around the world met in
Kyoto, Japan, for a gathering
the BBC dubbed, "the most
important conference of the
decade.".Officially known as
the UN Conference of the
Parties to the United Nations
Framework Convention on
Climate Change/the Kyoto
congress drew repre-
sentatives of government
and environmental groups,
as well as lobbyists from
both the traditional and
alternative energy industries
The conference met to
grapple with the issue of
greenhouse gases, blamed
by«scientists for contributing
to the worldwide atmo-
spheric temperature increase
known as global warming.
Ten days of arduous
negotiations arrived at three
formal proposals that pre-
scribe phased reductions in
the amount of greenhouse
gases well into the next
century — proposals de-
tractors say were fatally
watered down to appease
the United States and other
gaseous nations.
The conference was a
sobering experience for the
Mongolian delegation led by
Environment 'Minister Ts.
Adyasuren.
One troubling problem for
Mongolia is the impact of
regional greenhouse gases
from its populous indust-
rializing neighbours: China,
the Koreas and South and
Southeaste Asian countries
like India, Pakistan and
Indonesia.
But the problem is not
just across the border. This
sparsely populated country
has one of the world's
highest per capita emission
rates of carbon dioxide, a key
greenhouse gas (see table).
The major causes of
greenhouse gases are in-
dustry - particularly the
thermal energy, industry —
and automobiles. In Mon-
golia, one can add the stoves
from thousands of gers.
The Mongolian govern-
ment says is it taking the
problem seriously.
"Most effects of global
climate change are negative
for Mongolia," says Adya-
suren. "As stated in the
report of the Inter-
governmental Panel on Cli-
mate Change, arid and semi-
arid Asia could face ex-
acerbated water scarcity."
One Mongolian scientist has
projected a dramatic shift
northwards n the zone of
desertification if Asian green-
house gases are not sta-
bilized.
Mongolia's present eco-
nomic woes could be wor-
sened with climate change,
notes Adyasuren.
"Preliminary findings
show that agriculture, es-
pecially livestock and water
resources, are the most
vulnerable sectors to climate
change in Mongolia. These
sectors are the major eco-
nomic sectors of the
country."
But is it possible to take
a greener, energy-efficient
approach to the development
that is so urgently needed in
Mongolia? A partial solution
could lie lie with new eco-
logically friendly energy
technologies, construction
techniques and renovation
approaches.
Mongolia's represen-
tatives to Kyoto were made
aware of a range of eco-
friendly energy technologies,
including automobile fuel
cells, solar photovoltaics,
wind turbines, bio-gas/meth-
ane and small-scale hydro-
electric production. In-
novative green technologies
and infrastructure would not
only reduce greenhouse
gases but reduce air pollution
and ecosystem damage.
According to the World
Watch and Rocky Mountain
Institutes, green tech-
nologies can improve in-
dustrial competitiveness and
create long-run cost savings.
They have proven effective
in wealthy nations such as
Denmark, the Netherlands
and Germany and are in-
creasingly being seen as a
solution for economies in
transition such as Mongolia.
But where will the money
come from?
Ironically, one financial
hope for the green shift is the
World Bank, which plans to
open an office in Ulaanbaatar
this year. In the past this
major financier was known
for funding wasteful energy
mega-projects which have
sparked popular protests in
many nations. Recently,
however, the bank appears
to have recognized the
importance of eco-friendly
approaches by launching an
Asia Alternative energy unit.
This forward-thinking unit
has a mandate "to help client
countries and Bank
operations s t a f f pursue
energy-efficiency
investments in Asia, where
two-thirds of the world's
new power capacity will be
installed in the next decade."
Mongolia's delegation
also heard how demand-
management approaches
3d
"0
have provided substantial
energy savings and em- §
ployment creation through
renovating housing and
offices, improving insulation,
installing compact florescent
lighting and using passive
solar approaches. One
example of energy efficient
construction currently being
demonstrated in Mongolia is
the super-insulated, non-
toxic straw-bale building
technology demonstrated by
several development org-
anizations and now being
adopted by the private
sector.
The Mongolian govern-
ment has agreed to develop
a strong made-in-Mongolia
protocol to reduce
greenhouse gases and fulfill
the Kyoto agreement.
"We have to understand
that any delay of action now
will only make the problems
worse, and make future
solutions more difficult,"
says Adyasuren. "We should
not leave today's problems
for our children and grand-
children." The Land of tha Blue Sky is too often the land of smog.
GREENHOUSE GAS FACTS : CO2 EMISSIONS PER CAPITA (tonnes, 1994}
os
MONGOLIA 7o
USA
AUSTRALIA
CANADA 00
N. KOREA
RUSSIAN FED
GERMANY
U.K.
JAPAN
POLAND
CHINA
INDIA
Sources: Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Mongolian Institute of Meteorology
Environment
46

Mongol Messenger 20-01-99

New tax law

designed to end
timber exports
By B. Indra
Customs tax laws are set to
change, and perhaps the most
influential will be a tax on timber.
The Ministry of Nature and
Environment is hoping to
implement the tax which could
have a lasting affect on Mongolian
forest lands.
A January 15 tax will see a
Tgl 50,000 fee weighed on every
one cubic metre of wood. The
ministry says the tax will preserve
forests and revive n a t i o n a l
industries, while still allowing for
domestic needs. The tax is
designed to make exporting wood
ail but impossible.
See TREE, page 5

the exported wood is pine, despite

from page 4
MP D. Enkhtaivan tried to take
the forest protection one step
further by submitting a law draft
to the government which would
prohibit the export of wood from
Mongolia- Enkhtaivan had been
working on the project since 1996,
but saw his'proposal shol down by
Parliament. However, the new tax
effectively does what Enkhtaivan
set out to do.
The General Customs office
reports that in 1998, 232,006.3
cubic metre's of sliced wood were
exported from Mongolia. The
breakdown includes 207.8 cubic
metre to Switzerland, 231,361.2
cubic metres to China, 130. 2 cubic
metres lo Korea and 4.5 to
Zimbabwe. 278.3 cubic metres of
log were exported in all.
108 train cars of cut wood had
been prepared for export and
customs since January 9, 42 have
been exported. Until now, no legal
acts or customs tax has inhibited
the export of wood.
"The free export of wood was
hurting national industries, the
price of wood products increased,
and the supply of wood fuel
decreased. Most importantly, the
environment was suffering. The
clear cutting in the Mongonmorit
and Terelj areas had an obvious
affect on the Tuul River, which
dropped in height," said
Enkhtaivan.
Researchers note that most of
the fact that only four percent of
Mongolian forest is pine. Just 8.1
percent of Mongolia is covered in
forest. This has prompted the Food
and Agricultural Organisation of
the United Nations to call
Mongolia's forest reserves 'poor.'
Mongolia has exported 60.000
cubic metres of log and 360,000
sliced wood materials without any
customs tax since 1993, at prices
'three times lower than the world
standard. Meanwhile, little has
been done domestically to
impro"e the investment and
technical renovation of Mongolian
timber mills. The combination has
left Mongolia's timber industry' in
a shambles.
Prior to 1990, ten organisations
used 20 machines to prepare
wood. Nowadays, more timber
mills have arrived, though many
wood buyers agree that the quality
of the product is low.
"National products have
decreased and people saw their get
rich quick opportunity and shipped
a lot of wood off to China at no
cost," Enkhtaivan said.
The lost wood has caused
havoc on the domestic market. The
price of wood drops and local
companies can't gel their hands on
wood. The state policy to support
national manufacturers is lost.
"If we are going to live in
harmony with nature, animals and
elements, we have got to pay better
attention to our forests and our
water reserves," Enkhtaivan says.