Factors

• Over-Population

• Urbanization

• Socioeconomic Status

These three factors contribute largely to the severity of Ulaanbaatar’s environmental demise, as they intensify the effects of raw-coal being used as a fuel.

Over-Population and Urbanization

Ulaanbaatar went through a rapid urbanization period between the years 2011 and 2013 (Long, 2017), meaning that it was the most economically developed city, thus many Mongolians flocked there for employment opportunities (Long, 2017). However, in doing so, this large move led to the creation of the Ger district which is highly responsible for the city’s heavy pollution (Bittner, 2016). With so many people in a small city burning this un-environmentally friendly fuel, the effects of the raw-coal are magnified, leading to the smog ever-present during the winter months.

I = PAT Model

This model explains the issue of over-population through a more quantitative medium. Basically, Human Impact on the environment (I) is equal to Population (P) multiplied by Affluence of population (A) which means the amount of resources used per person, and Technology (T)  which is the impact on environment per unit consumption (Cummings, 2009).

As Ulaanbaatar is over-populated, it ticks the P criteria of this model. According to this model, Population affects Human Impact on the environment for the following reasons:1) it causes a disproportionate negative impact on the environment, and 2) there runs a risk of resource over-depletion (Ehrlich & Holdren, 1971). Applying this to the situation in Ulaanbaatar, the overpopulation of the city has definitely had a disproportionately negative impact on the air quality, as each person’s contribution to the pollution is magnified by their large number. As for the second reason, it is quite clear that there is a significant depletion of clean air.

As for Affluence, Mongolians in Ulaanbaatar are producing a significant quantity of pollutants, as it was recorded that “over 600,000 tonnes of raw coal are burned for heating in the city’s approximately 200,000 gers” (Air pollution in Mongolia, 2019). This directly affects the Technology factor, as apparently, the burning 600,000 tons of raw coal accounts for 80% of Ulaanbaatar’s pollution levels (Air pollution in Mongolia, 2019), making the Affluence and Technology factors quite significant.

Socioeconomic Status

Many Mongolians in the Ger district are generally part of the low socioeconomic status group, as they come from the countryside in search for jobs in the city. It was documented that the mean household income of people living in Gers are “half of those living in non ger areas” (Bittner, 2016), and that “An estimated 45% of ger area residents have incomes below the poverty line” (Better Air Quality in Ulaanbaatar Begins in Ger Areas, 26). Other than the blatant understanding of expenses being much tighter in a family low on the socioeconomic scale, leading them to buying the cheapest fuel available, another reason to why this is a large contributor of this pollution issue, follows Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

When one is still trying to cover physiological needs in the freezing winter, it is almost out of the question to be too concerned for safety needs like concern over the air quality of one’s environment (Maslow, 1943). Thus, this leads to people burning raw coal and random wastes they can find, for the sake of keeping themselves warm in the winter.