Pollution

RowdyRoo wrote:

Hello,
.
IS pollution an issue in Mongolia?

Yes it is. UB gets socked in during wintertime due to pollution from the coal fired power stations around the city.
I can remember our plane having difficulty in landing and having to fly around until a gap opened up and the pilot was able to zip through the cloud and land.

China was horrible and now Mongolia. At least Saudi is without pollution.

RowdyRoo wrote:

China was horrible and now Mongolia. At least Saudi is without pollution.

Yes China is bad. Flying in and out of Beijing you could see the pollution. UB is in a hollow so the pollution from the stations and domestic coal fires for heating causes the problem. The govt has been concentrating on trying to develop better sources of energy other than coal for domestic use. I have not been back there for 4 years now so I am hoping it is getting better.
UB is lovely in the summertime.

UB is THE most polluted city in the world, at least during winter.

It's also stoves in gers around the city causing it and then there's little wind in winter to blow it away. The pollutant concentrations are thousand times higher than WHO recommended levels, people get lung disease, damage and cancer more often than people in chinese industrial cities.

So yes, it's the most polluted and coldest capital city. You can still live there but if you're a health enthusiast, then there's plenty of countryside to live in.

If I ever live in Mongolia, I'll spend the winter somewhere else. Altay should be fun!