Water resource and water market in Mongolia

NERGUI Sunjidmaa

Department of Hydrosciences

Technical University of Dresden

03rd June, 2016

Content

• Water resource of Mongolia

– Surface water resource

– Groundwater resource

• Water related issues

• Water market in Mongolia

– Water current use and

further demand

• Groundwater monitoring

network in Southern Gobi

Capital Ulaanbaatar Area 1,566,000 km2 (18th among world

countries) Population 3,080,000

Population density

1.96/ km2

Official language Mongolian

Mongolia

Source: http://gis.wwf.mn/

250-300 mm in Mongol Altai and forested areas; 50-150 mm in Gobi Desert area

The annual average precipitation is about 300-

400 mm.

Natural characteristics

200-250 mm in Mongol Altai and forested areas;

Altai Tavan Bogd peaks-Potanin glacier

Khuvsgul Lake - 380.7 km3 (76.1% of the

Mongolian lake water resource and 68.7% of

Mongolian surface water resource, 0.4% of all

the fresh water in the world)

Mean annual river runoff formed in the territory of Mongolia is

30.6 km3 /year (Photo of Tuul River).

The total water resource of Mongolia: 599 km3 /year, composed mainly

from water stored in lakes (83.5%), glaciers (10.5%) and rivers (5.8%)

River basins (● hydrological stations)

Surface water resource

Davaa and Myagmarjav (1999)

estimated the groundwater

resources of Mongolia at about

12.0 km3. Exploitable resource of

133 groundwater basins were

estimated.

Groundwater recharge is 40-60

mm/year in Northern part of the

country but 1 mm/year in

Southern part.

Groundwater resource

Water related issues in Mongolia

• Climate change

– Average the air temperature from 1940 to 2009 has

become warmer by 2.1°C throughout the whole territory

• Desertification

– Desertification affects 77% of Mongolian territory

• Overuse of fossil groundwater

– 80% of water consumption is originated from

groundwater sources

• Land use

– 82% of the land area is pastureland and is currently

home to more than 40 million head of livestock

Water market in Mongolia

• In Mongolia the land, its subsoil, forests, WATER, fauna and flora

and other natural resources shall be subject to people's power and

State protection (Article 6.1, The Constitution of Mongolia).

Water market area

• Setting up 29 water basin administrations, 2009

Water market participants

• Public

• Users (industrial and

mining)

• Government

• Water research

institutions and

researchers

Legislation framework of water market

• Mongolian Law on Environmental protection, 2012 (amended)

• Mongolian Law on Water, 2012 (renewed)

• Mongolian Law on Fees for use of natural resources, 2012 (new)

• Mongolian Law on Use of water supply and sewage system in urban and settlement areas, 2011

• Mongolian Law on Prospecting and exploitation of the mineral resources within the forest and water reservoir areas, 2009

• Mongolian Law on Renewable energy, 2007

• Water National Programme, Resolution #24, Parliament of Mongolia, 2010

• Ecological and economical value of water, Resolution #302, Parliament of Mongolia, 2011

• National Programme on Safe drinking water supply, Mongolian Government, Resolution #84, 2008

Water consumers

190 000 family or

900 000 people

130 000 family or

500 000 people

Public

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Daily per capita use, L/day

Apartment Ger

Source: Batima et al, 2011

Water consumers

Water use and demand

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

Urban

Rural

Livestock

Irrigation

Mining

Heavy industries

Manufacturing

Construction

Power plants

Commercial service

Public servces

Green areas

Total water demand (million m3/year)

2021 2015 2010

Source: Dolgorsuren.G, 2013

Water use and demand

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

Urban

Rural

Livestock

Irrigation

Mining

Heavy industries

Manufacturing

Construction

Power plants

Commercial service

Public servces

Green areas

Total water demand (million m3/year)

2021 2015 2010

Source: Dolgorsuren.G, 2013

Source: Keith Harmon Snow, 2011

Prime exploration

areas

Main water users

Mining

Main water users

Further water demand

Source: Tuinhof, A. and Buyanhisnig, N (2010)

Water fee

Wate

r u

se

d in h

ea

vy in

du

str

y (

m3

)

Wate

r u

se

d in

co

nstr

uctio

n w

ork

s

an

d p

rod

uction o

f co

nstr

uctio

n

ma

teria

ls (

m3

)

Wate

r u

se

d in lig

ht in

du

str

y (

m3

)

Water used in

food industry

(m3)

Water used in

mining (m3)

Pu

mp

ing

En

erg

y p

rod

uction

Agricu

ltu

re

Se

rvic

es u

sin

g w

ate

r fo

r th

eir

op

era

tion

Alc

oh

olic

drin

ks

Pa

str

ies

Extr

action

an

d

en

rich

men

t o

f

min

ing

En

rich

me

nt o

f

co

pp

er

co

nce

ntr

ate

an

d flu

orid

e

According to the new

resolution of

Government, MNT

(Resolution 326.327)

176.6 103.3 51.6 103.3 30.6 561.9 506.9 380.2 33.7 51.6 49.4

According to the

previous resolution of

Government, MNT

(Resolution 351) 50 50 40 50 30 150 150 150 30 50 40

Difference 3.5 2.01 1.3 2 1 3.7 3.3 2.5 1.1 1 1.2

Ecological and economic value of water is different in every river basins

Groundwater monitoring network

Totally 200 boreholes

were equipped with data

loggers including

following sites:

• Settlement area’s

centralized and

decentralized water

supply wells

• Technical water

supply source (mining

sites)

• Equipped monitoring

points

• Permanent springs

Groundwater monitoring points in Gobi

region

Reference

• Batima P (2006): Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation in the Livestock Sector of Mongolia, Final Report Project AS06. Assessments of Impact and Adaptation to Climate Change, International START Secretariat: Washington DC pp 409

• Batima P., Myagmarjav B., Batnasan N., Jadambaa N., Khisigsuren P. (2011) Urban water vulnerability to climate change in Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

• Davaa G., Myagmarjav B. (1999): Surface water of Mongolia. National Agency for Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment Monitoring Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (in Mongolian)

• Dolgorsuren.G., Gerelchuluun.J., Puntsagsuren.Ch., Baldandorj.Ts., Jan Bron, Wim van der Linden. (2013): Integrated water management Plan of Mongolia, Ministry of Environment and Green Development, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

• Jacoby, G.J., R.D. D'Arrigo, Ts. Davaajamts, (1996): Mongolian tree ring and 20th-century warming. Science, 273, 771-773.

• Keith Harmon Snow. Citing source: [http://dissidentvoice.org/2011/03/goldman-prizewinner-shoots-up-foreign-mining-firms-in-mongolia/] (11th March, 2011) http://gis.wwf.mn/

• MEGD, Integrated water management plan of Mongolia, 2013

• Pederson, N., G.C. Jacoby, R.D. D'Arrigo, E.R. Cook, B.M. Buckley, C. Dugarjav, and R. Mijiddorj. 2001. Hydrometeorological Reconstructions for Northeastern Mongolia Derived from Tree Rings: AD 1651- 1995 Journal of Climate 14:pp.872-881â

• Tuinhof, A. and Buyanhisnig, N. 2010. Groundwater Assessment of the Southern Gobi Region. Mongolia Discussion Papers, East Asia and Pacific Sustainable Development Department. Washington, D.C.: World Bank.

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