{"id":20049130,"date":"2020-10-14T12:30:23","date_gmt":"2020-10-14T07:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thethirdpole.net\/?p=39478"},"modified":"2021-03-08T22:22:50","modified_gmt":"2021-03-08T16:52:50","slug":"mongolia-plans-river-diversion-as-mining-boom-runs-gobi-dry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/water\/mongolia-plans-river-diversion-as-mining-boom-runs-gobi-dry\/","title":{"rendered":"Mongolia plans river diversion as mining boom sucks Gobi dry"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In school geography textbooks around the world, Mongolia\u2019s Gobi desert is cited as the main example of a cold desert. It occupies almost the entire southern region of the country, covering approximately 350,000 square kilometres. What is less well known is that this desert is very rich in minerals, that extraction of these minerals has led to a situation where the traditional animal herders of the Gobi do not get enough water, and what they do get is toxic.

Before 2000 there were no mines in South Gobi apart from the state-run Tavan Tolgoi coal mine. But over the past two decades, foreign investment has flooded in, with companies now operating 12 large mines, including Rio Tinto\u2019s Oyu Tolgoi, one of the world\u2019s biggest copper and gold mines. Driven by the mining industry\u2019s growing demands, the government estimates that the region\u2019s groundwater will run dry within a few years.

Much of Mongolia\u2019s water is in the north, and the government now plans to pipe this water to the arid south where the majority of the mining takes place, a \u2018solution\u2019 that has led to many more problems <\/a>wherever it has been tried.

Meanwhile, the water shortage is critical enough to lead to violence. L. Battsengel, a herder in Khanbogd, a small town near the huge Oyu Tolgoi mine, told The Third Pole<\/a> that many wells have dried up in areas where mines operate, and fights over water are common among herders. At a well near a mine, a herder opened<\/a> fire last year, killing one and wounding another. In another incident on September 29 last year, one herder stabbed another to death<\/a> in a fight over water.

\u201cMines take the water and pasture, the main means of life for the herder,\u201d Battsengel said. \u201cWe know there is a plan to transfer water through pipes from the northern region. But that may not be feasible because Orkhon and Kherlen rivers are not that big and may not have enough water for diversion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Camel<\/div>
Camel herding is a traditional livelihood in the Gobi desert [Image by: Paul Robinson]<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Mishigsuren, another resident of Khanbogd, has given up herding. \u201cBeing a herder is no longer a simple and pleasant way of life, especially for women,\u201d she said. \u201cI was born to a herder family and lived much of my life as a herder. I quit due to increasing difficulties I was experiencing. Due to the large quantities of water used by mining companies much of surface water \u2013 such as small streams \u2013 in the surrounding area have all dried up and water in the well fields [a complex of water wells] used by herders has either dried up or decreased drastically. Mining companies use deep aquifers which means mines suck out underground water from area covering tens of kilometres surrounding the mine.\u201d

Batulzii, a herder from Noyon, said, \u201cIn our county, there are two coal mines. Though we live about 7-8 kilometres from the mines, we people as well as animals are all covered with dust and breathe polluted air and drink polluted water. We started getting genetically mutated livestock like baby goats and camels born with extremely large heads, three hind legs and so on. That\u2019s from drinking poisoned water. The well field where we used to water 500 camels dried up. It can\u2019t even water 20 camels now. I had to reduce the number of livestock from 1,000 to 500 so that I can have sufficient water from the well fields around.\u201d

Many herders in South Gobi have been forced to give up their traditional livelihood for similar reasons, though there are no official estimates of the numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/div>
A coal mine in the Gobi desert [image by: O. Odonchimeg]<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Effects of uranium mining<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The poisoning of groundwater is most serious around uranium mines.
Norsuren, a herder at Ulaanbadrakh in Dornogobi, told The Third Pole<\/a> that water is poisoned in over 10 well fields around a uranium mine, some as far as 30 kilometres away. He said the polluted water has caused women to give birth to premature or genetically defective babies. \u201cAlthough it\u2019s not really publicly disclosed, this may affect [adults] as well. We filed a lawsuit, to no avail. The court said that water was poisoned by effects of uranium mining, but the state doesn\u2019t seem to want to do much about it.\u201d

Local media reported four birth defects in a single herder family<\/a> in the area. Norsuren said, \u201cThis is one case now disclosed. But there are many such cases in Ulaanbadrakh. Engineers and other employees of the mining company don\u2019t drink water from the well fields around the mine. If water is fresh and not poisonous as they claim, why don\u2019t they drink it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Goats<\/div>
Goats quench their thirst at Ulaanbadrakh in the Gobi desert [Image by: Batsuuri Khaltar]<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Water demand outstripping supply<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

World Bank studies<\/a> show that water demand in the Gobi is growing quickly and will increase further, driven mainly by mining. Currently, mining accounts for 71% of the 155 million cubic metre annual water demand in the Gobi. This growing demand will soon outstrip the available resources.
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