The EBRD is spearheading a project to help over 140,000 households in Ulaanbaatar switch from using the high polluting raw coal that swathes parts of the capital in smog for six months a year and which is a major health hazard in the capital.

Mongolian President Nambaryn Enkhbayar requested the assistance of the EBRD last year in addressing the pollution problems. About half Ulaanbaatar’s population of 1 million live in tent-like structures known as gers, where coal-burning is the main source of heating. The city is one of the coldest capitals in the world and temperatures can drop to -40º C during the winter.
The EBRD’s First Vice President Varel Freeman, visiting Mongolia from 21-25 October, will assess the progress made so far on this “Clean Air Initiative” and discuss with Mongolian authorities the next steps in implementation.
EBRD assistance, financed by donor funding, is aimed primarily at designing a concept that will increase the availability of clean coal and provide incentives for users to switch from high-polluting raw coal to clean coal.
“Pushing forward the project is a priority for the Mongolian government and a priority for the EBRD,” Mr Freeman said. “This is a serious situation that is costing lives and causing illness. We must solve this problem together,” he added.
The EBRD programme is seeking ways in which the government can support the poorest households switch to smokeless coal.
An important element of the Bank’s assistance programme is a public awareness campaign aimed at highlighting the health benefits of using smokeless coal. The project will also undertake environmental monitoring to measure pollution levels in ger areas; provide legal expertise in developing clean air legislation; and run a pilot scheme in a small part of the ger community.
EBRD representatives, along with a team of expert consultants, visited Ulaanbaatar last month to formally launch the initiative. They are working closely with senior teams in the Ministry of Resources and Energy. The first phase of financing from the multi-donor Early Transition Countries (ETC) Fund (*) has raised €350,000 and a further €250,000 has been pledged.

 

Source: www.finchannel.com