Mongolia: Utilization of Treated Water from Overmelting Ice in the “Ger” District Area for the Heating System in Eastern Part of Ulaanbaatar City
Basic Information
Grant ID: K-166
Region: East Asia & Pacific
Country: Mongolia
Approval Year: 2020
Grant Year: Year 8
Amount Approved by Donor: $489000.00
Main Product Line: ASA
Sector: Water
Grant start/completion: March 11, 2021~December 31, 2024 (Anticipated)
Grant Status: Active
TTLs: Rochi Khemka (Senior Water Resources Management Specialist)
Grant Activities
Project Summary:
The aim of this project is to support more sustainable and greener pathways for Mongolia’s growth trajectory through re-treating the overflow of melted water from ice, increasing the water supply to heat the eastern part of Ulaanbaatar city, saving clean water, and providing improved standard of living to individuals. Particularly, addressing water and energy security, water pollution and health of urban residents, the project positively impacts municipal and firm productivity, and thereby national productivity. It contributes to Mongolia’s green growth strategy by treating the overflow of melted water from ice and untreated wastewater from the Mental Health Center in Ulaanbaatar to provide water supply for heating the eastern part of the city. These measures will save ~40% in freshwater for power generation, while facilitating wastewater treatment and reuse, and improving the standard of living for 343,000 individuals.
The 2030 WRG will support this objective in Mongolia through its multi-stakeholder platform, promoting collective action among government, private sector and civil society.
List of Activities:
- Stakeholder engagement and concept development - Stakeholder engagement, concept paper and methodology
- Feasibility and technical studies for green growth approach - Feasibility and technical study
- Implementation
- Implementation of green growth approaches
- Capacity building of stakeholders & Assessment
- Policy development and knowledge dissemination - Policy development and knowledge dissemination
Outcomes:
Output 1:
- Development of policy, strategy, concept papers
- Develop methodological framework
- Participation of development partners
- Private sector participation
- Activities (Seminar, workshop, KE, consultation…)
- Relevant institutions (to the program)
Output 2:
- Completion of Feasibility study
- Development of action plan/pilot ideas
- Development of data base
Output 3:
- Development of action plan/pilot ideas
- Development of training programs
- Seminar, workshop, KE, consultations
- Relevant institutions (to the program)
- Reduction of water from baseline
Output 4:
- Development of policy, strategy, concept papers
- Policy recommendation
- Knowledge products
- Dissemination of findings
- Partner engagement in delivering knowledge products, knowledge Exchange
- Partnership development
Outcomes:
- Improved efficiency: The program will support improved efficiency through:
- Wastewater treatment with improved efficiency using a green technology approach
- Substitution of water use for the thermal power plant with treated water from melted ice and the discharge of the National Center for Mental Health to reduce pressures on freshwater and save freshwater requirements for power generation, impacting close to 343,000 people with secure energy, improved water quality and reduced wastewater discharge.
- Replication of program in other areas to support mainstreaming of green growth strategies in the urban capital of Ulaanbaatar in collaboration with the Mayor’s office
- Support to policy strengthening on green growth strategy development
- Greater resilience: As climate change impacts are compounded in residential areas, disaster risk management of urban areas and resilience through sustainable approaches is crucial. This program for wastewater treatment, reuse and water-energy nexus approaches will contribute to resilience as follows:
- Integrated water resources management through solutions for natural disasters, such as excessive ice melting due to climate change
- Design of smart infrastructure to address power generation and wastewater issues through a combined program on circular economy solutions
- Optimization of the water-energy nexus through reuse of water to support thermal power generation
- Increased competitiveness: Disaster risk from melting ice is common in Mongolia. Therefore, green technology approaches are critical to support more competitiveness of industries and urban economies. Mongolia has large territories with scarce population; thus, this kind of approach is not only environmentally friendly, but socio-economically relevant as well. This program supports increased competitiveness through:
- Alignment of runoff water and wastewater management with energy generation, reducing water shortage risks for power generation, thereby improving firm productivity
- Addressing flooding risks through circular economy solutions to reduce the discharge of untreated wastewater and enhance the reuse of treated wastewater, thereby improving thee standard of living and health of urban residents, and positively impacting municipal productivity
Collaboration with K-Partners and Others:
- Korea Environmental Industry and Technology Institute (KEITI)
- Ministry of Environment
- K-water
- 2030 Water Resources Group (2030 WRG)