Promoting Social Equality in the Gobi Areas of South Mongolia by Fostering Human Security with Integrated and Preventive Approaches

Mongolia struggles with severe climatic conditions where long and cold winters followed by dust storms in the spring result in vicious cycles of desertification, malnutrition and poverty. With less than one percent arable land, the country has been severely affected by climate change and its related consequences such as droughts, lack of access to clean water, and higher rates of morbidity and mortality. The situation is particularly acute in the Gobi desert where the interaction between climate change and human insecurities is likely to be long, complex and full of uncertainties.

To improve the resilience of communities in the Gobi areas from both persistent poverty and the impacts of climate change, the programme advances a four-pronged intervention with interrelated components to: (i) increase access to safe drinking water among those severely affected by climate change by building the capacity of both local Government and service providers through the rehabilitation of water resources and water waste management facilities; (ii) improve the quality of formal education with emphasis on proper hygiene practices; (iii) enhance access to and quality of primary health care through community-based healthcare mechanisms; and (iv) strengthen economic security at the individual and community levels through training in business management, product development and technical support towards income generating activities in rural development, recycling, and waste water treatment.

A comprehensive and multi-sectorial intervention is recognized as the most appropriate strategy to address the consequences of climate change as well as to meet the country’s sustainable development goals and aspirations for economic growth and prosperity.

KEY MATERIALS
Programme Summary
Press Briefing