Asia Resilient Cities, Mongolia

USAID formally launched Asia Resilient Cities in Mongolia on October 12 by signing a Letter of Commitment with the Capital City of Ulaanbaatar. The municipal government will be ARC’s primary local partner and will help ARC co-create a shared plan to build urban resilience in the city’s municipal practices in response to the critical challenges of climate change in Ulaanbaatar. 

Ulaanbaatar is the capital of Mongolia and is home to nearly half of the country’s population. The city is Mongolia’s political, economic, and cultural hub, located in a north-central valley on the Tuul River. “Ger Districts” dot the hills surrounding the city, and are rapidly expanding as more Mongolians move from the countryside. Ulaanbaatar is the coldest capital city in the world and residents rely mainly on coal for heat, causing air pollution. Other causes of air pollution and consequences in the city relate to climate change, equity, migration, and access to public services.