Mongolians are proud of their old ways, best personified by the leader Genghis Khan, the 13th century emperor whose horseback warrior conquered much of Asia and Eastern Europe. Although mining and tourism growth portion of Mongolian economy, a third of the population still depends entirely on husbandry for their livelihood. The harsh winters usually sends thousands of the people streaming into the capital, Ulaanbaatar. Still till this day the tented yurts crowd the neighborhoods on the city’s image and life style struggle to fit into the modern world.
The reason behind all this is because the country has been under seven decades of communism rule.
Mongolia had a constitutional overturn in the years of 1990-1992 which they led to their first democratic change of Parliament. Mongolia sits at the top of treasures of copper, coal and goal that is changing the fate and the face of the country. The Chinese demand for natural resources have made Mongolia the fastest growing economy, transforming the capitol, into a city where Soviet bust meets Chinese boom.
In reality, Mongolia is tiny compared to the big monopoly county’s surrounding them, the issue of mining is at the forefront of the nation today. I think everyone is wondering how it this will shape the future of the economy, people and the land.
Many people sat that Mongolia is blessed by geology, but it is cursed by geography. Land locked between China and Russia, its people face a geographical quandary. Every path to prosperity leads through their mighty neighbors.
Moscow and Beijing seems to make Mongolia pay dearly for the privilege. The reality, a mining opportunity at Tavan Tolgoi in Mongolia where the worlds largest untrapped coal, only 140 miles from the Chinese boarder. It seems clear that it would be right to work with China since everything will be shipped their anyway.
The Mongolian officials are no willing to give up so easily. If they do agree to work with China they would be willing to give up political power and Mongolians are not willing to work with that idea. The official opened the opportunity to the world and the United States seemed to be working together to figure out the future for Tavan Tolgoi.
The people of Mongolia seemed to be frustrated by selling the land for cash. The people have enough to complain. The faint of corruption to every government deal with a world power of multinational corporation. Horror stories about the fouled by mining are on every news, alongside tales of abandoning their workers to work for the mines. Most Mongolians have enjoyed little of the riches extracted from their land. Many are still upset at 2009 deal awarding deal awarding mines of Canada a 66 percent of share of Oyu Tolgoi, the worlds largest untrapped deposit of copper and gold.
They plan to open another mining this year spending over 4 million on the development. The parliament and lawmakers have announced that every Mongolian will receive shares of a multibillion dollar public offer. But in reality without the help of other counties they won’t be able to dig up anything. The people of Mongolia are frustrated about the money that is given to them. They believe instead of distributing the money to the people they should look at the future of the capitol and the idea of renewing instead of giving couple of dollars to an individual.
The issue with all the mining and digging is not helping the nature of the country. The current environmental issue does not look pretty. There is a limited natural resources in some areas; the policies of former communist regimes promoted rapid urbanization and industrial growth that had negative effects on the environment. The burning of soft coal in power plants and the lack of enforcement of environmental laws severely polluted the air in Ulaanbaatar. Deforestation the converting of the virgin land to agricultural production increased soil erosion from wind and rain. Desertification and mining activities had a deleterious effect on the environment.
The Decline of Natural Resources in Mongolia. (2023, May 17). Retrieved from https://paperap.com/the-decline-of-natural-resources-in-mongolia/