A design thinking challenge to save millions
Mongolia, once known as the Land of The Eternal Blue Sky is now home to the world’s most polluted city, Ulaanbaatar. In these dark hours, when the pollution linked death toll rises by the day, I believe, there is a never-before-seen challenge. An interdisciplinary quest, awaiting young professionals and scientists from all fields to solve this multi-faceted pollution problem.
How did the sky turn to black?
Climate and geographical position
It is -34 °C / -29 °F in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia as I write this. A city, built in the valley of the Tuul river, surrounded by mountains, at an average height of 1350 m above sea level.
It’s constantly under a dome of toxic smog at winter time. And make no mistake, winter is long in this part of the world. The heating season lasts from September to early June.
Ulaanbaatar is the coldest capital city of the world. The residents rely on coal for heating their homes. The inner city residents live in apartment buildings heated by a power plant, that runs on coal. On the outskirts, residents live in the traditional Mongolian tent dwellings, called “gers”, in “Ger Districts”, so-called after the traditional round-shaped, felt dwelling of the Mongols, often called “yurt” in Western literature. They also rely on coal for heating their homes.
Due to its geographical position, it is prone to thermal inversion during the harsh winters.
Concentrated pollution sources, combined with thermal inversion traps a layer of cooler air near the ground by a layer of warmer air, not allowing the dispersion of pollutants.
Normal air mixing almost ceases. and pollutants are trapped in the lower layer. During the winter, the phenomenon’s effects are enhanced, because of lower geo-potential and mixing layer-layer heights.
Climate and socio-economic circumstances induced environmental migration
As aforementioned, Mongolia relies mainly on coal as an energy source. The coal is locally mined, and there is a huge industry around it, that doesn’t benefit locals. Mongolia is highly vulnerable to climate change. It’s an arid region, prone to desertification. Mining is simply unjustifiable, due to its water-intensive nature.
Families moving to Ulaanbaatar have either lost their livelihood due to climate change and mining-related ground-water pollution, or desertification, or have no opportunities in the country for better education or jobs.
According to Mongolian law, each Mongolian citizen is legally entitled to own a plot of land. Many claimed their plots in the informal outskirts of Ulaanbaatar. These families have abandoned their animals and instead of the endless steppes, have chosen the relative security of the informal “Ger Districts”.
Lack of urban planning
A city, that was built for 500 000 people, and now accommodates 1.5 million people. A city, where there was no urban planning, and gers sprawl around the concrete houses. There is no infrastructure in these spontaneously spreading settlements.
Most apartments buildings were constructed during the communist era and some new investments are haunting empty, as they were never finished, or simply nobody bought the new buildings.
There was no urban planning involved in the way these districts were set up, and the ger area has been growing haphazardly, completely off the grid for nearly three decades. The living standards in these areas are very poor given that there are no sewage systems, and the fact that gers are not fit for longer periods of sedentary lifestyle. Additionally, wintertime coal burning by families in these settlements is the leading direct cause, that turned Ulaanbaatar into one of the worlds’ most polluted city.
The hospitals are overloaded at winter, schools and kindergartens are poorly organized, and building projects are underregulated, including the dumping of toxic construction waste.
The ger districts get their water supply from fountains, where children stand in line sometimes for hours in the sharp, biting cold. The groundwater quality is toxic in most areas, due to illegal dumping into the surrounding rivers and streams. Even uranium levels are high, rendering tap water and the water from the fountains into a health hazard. Some fountains are right next to illegal dumping sites.
Why do I think a design thinking approach could help curb air pollution?
The pollution in Ulaanbaatar is a multi-faceted real-world problem that requires the knowledge and cooperation of professionals with different backgrounds, experience, and perspectives. We need to elevate ideas, use an unorthodox approach, propose multiple solutions in order to come up with an agile way that can be implemented on any level during the journey.
It is now time for radically new ideas, that are not deeply rooted in the Cartésian, linear mindset. It was the lack of planning hand in hand with one-dimensional thinking, that led the city to its current, I dare say, doomsday pollution problem.
I have briefly defined the problem above, and intend to explore it in a number of upcoming articles, that are designed to serve as an inspiration for further exploration.
Don’t panic, organize!
However grim the situation described above is, it’s an opportunity for international scientists and professionals to think outside the box, and solve a life or death challenge.
Ulaanbaatar is virtually the only city in the vast country. It is surreal to live in this little valley, under a toxic dome and die from pollution-related diseases. Most residents have no other choice than to stay in the city. Their jobs and education link them to Ulaanbaatar for now.
The good news is that Mongolia has a young, well-educated, ambitious population. Their education in ecotourism, tech, engineering, environmental sciences, and sustainable development is already resulting in a shift in thinking. Environmental groups, student organizations, and other ground-up initiatives popping up, aiming to solve the problems of coal-dependency and natural resources exploitation.
A shift to renewables could help with many of the country’s problems. The total hours of sunshine are high in Mongolia, and the country has decent wind-power potential as well, especially in the Gobi desert, where research shows that about 11 gigawatts of wind power can be harnessed.
Mongolia is at the crossroads with plenty of opportunities for conservation. Cooperation across industries and levels of government is more vital than ever.
Breathe Mongolia aims to build an ambitious international team to help address the pollution problem on every level. Clean air is a basic human right, and Ulaanbaatar is in a state of immediate emergency.
Have ideas on how design thinking can be implemented to curb air pollution?
Please feel free reach out to us for cooperation by messaging Ono Borjgyn.
