PROPERTY RIGHTS PROJECT
Accomplishments to date
- Took part in the Focus Group Discussions held in target “ger” district areas of Ulaanbaatar to get feedback on the planned activities of project from the “ger” residents (15 Oct. & 22 Oct. 2008). Prior to that, reviewed and commented on the Questionnaires to be taken from officers of the Administration of Land Registration and general public.
- Reviewed and commented on a draft TOR for Design and Oversight of Refurbishment of the ASRT Offices in 20 January 2009.

Next Steps
- A framework environmental assessment (that includes a social assessment) and an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) will be completed for Hashaa Plots activity.
- Identify and manage environmental, social, health and safety impacts associated with the implementation of this Project Activity, consistent with Section 2.6(c) of the Compact and the World Bank’s Operational Policy on Involuntary Resettlement (OP 4.12).
- To ensure EMP monitoring and oversight

PERI-URBAN RANGELAND PROJECT
Accomplishments to date
- Field trips to project sites (Field Trip to Jargalant soum, Tuv aimag and Bayangol soum, Selenge aimag, Tuv, Bulgan, Darkhan-uul, Selenge and Orkhon aimag, 30 September 2008, 15-22 October 2008
- Coordination and collaboration with the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) regarding development of the Herder Selection Criteria through review and comments of the related documents; Guideline for the Working Group, Herder Selection Criteria and Questionnaire for applicant herders.
- Joined the Peri-urban team to introduce the draft Herder Selection Criteria to the relevant officials & administrators of Zuun Mod soum, Tuv aimag, Inception Workshops in Darkhan-Uul aimag (26 March) and Tuv aimag (1 April) and in Ulaanbaatar (7 April)
- Water and soil samplings. The water and soil samples, which had been collected from the potential project sites during the field trip from 15-22 October 2008, were tested by the Central Geological Laboratory.
- Meeting with GIS/Rangeland Mapping Consultant. Met a business development expert, and an environmental expert, Centre for Policy Research, awarded the contract for CIS/Rangeland Mapping Consultant to ensure that the environmental and social factors are duly taken into consideration during the upcoming field survey.

Main Findings:
- The mercury contaminated waste sand of the gold mines is being buried and mitigated by the Geomin Company of the Czech Republic using a centrifuge in Tal Bulag bagh of Jargalant soum and Bayangol soum areas, in accordance with the relevant health and safety guidelines. As stated by Mr. Gansukh, who accompanied the team during the trip, a feasibility study on introducing such kind of mitigation effort into other areas affected with toxic chemicals is crucial.
- Zaamar soum, Tuv aimag is tremendously affected by widespread mining operations. There are over 90 mining licenses issued so far, whereas 13 small- and large-scale mines are under operation surrounding the Tuul river valley, 40 km of distance from soum center. This valley has been predominantly affected by gold mining since 1993, and estimated 60 to 80 tons of gold has been extracted since then.

- Although the areas nearby gold extractive industry “Zeregtsee” are said to have gone through a biological rehabilitation by the scientists and researchers of the University of Agriculture, the shrubs and perennial crops still appear to be scarce. Widespread mining operations in most parts of soum area and the increased settlement of herders due to transhumance from nearby aimag and soums have caused a high density of population and livestock, resulting in the ever worsening land degradation.
- Khongor soum residents of Darkhan-Uul aimag were complaining about the poor quality of drinking water from the newly drilled wells nearby Kharaa river, given the prevalence of stomach pains among local residents. Furthermore, students living in dormitories still suffer from rash & itching, while hypertension remains to be prevalent among people.
- To ensure mitigation, the sand contaminated with toxic chemicals is being buried in the Buurt of Sharin-gol soum. The local residents expressed also their frustration concerning an absence of rehabilitation efforts by gold mines on the west side of Sharin-gol soum center, which led to the decreased water level and discharges of the wells in soum center.
- As the testing results show, soil in Khongor soum of Darkhan-Uul aimag is highly contaminated with mercury (23.89) and arsenic (73) due to a widespread artisanal and small-scale gold mining. Moreover, arsenic (97) has been also revealed to be extensively widespread in the soil of Altanbulag soum, Tuv aimag; namely, the areas along the Tuul River, which is associated with a common practice of manual ore processing for the gold exploration purposes. A worrisome concern here is that the rivers (including Tuul, Khangal, Kharaa and Sharin Gol Rivers), which flow through along our project sites, are one of the main source of drinking water for local community and livestock as well.
- The areas surrounding Darkhan-Uul aimag are adversely affected by both legal & illegal mining operations to a large extent, given the testing results that revealed a high contamination of the areas with heavy metals (e.g., arsenic and mercury etc.).
- River basins like Tuul and Kherlen are also tremendously contaminated due to a widespread illegal mining.
- White dust remains to be one of the main concerns for peri-urban areas of Erdenet city.
- As for Ulaanbaatar city, there is a high risk of spread of mercury, given the fact that there were 43 incidences of mercury in 2008 alone. Moreover, because of the hide & skin processing factories nearby Ulaanbaatar, there is a high risk of contamination with six-valent chromium. Because the germ is commonly revealed in the drinking water of Ulaanbaatar, it is required to collect samplings from the existing wells in potential project sites.

Recommendations for further follow-ups:
1. Environmental conditions in the MCA-M
Projects sites; namely, Ulaanbaatar, Darkhan, Erdenet are not in a satisfactory level. Extensively unregulated mining operations have caused numerous environmental problems, such as soil erosion, water contamination and so forth.

2. Considering the heavily contaminated river basins, including especially Tuul, Boroo, Kharaa, Sharin Gol, Khuitni and Zulzagin river basins, it is urgently required to make an environmental assessment to a relevant extent.
3. A prohibition on illegal bargaining of mining licenses (for exploration and extraction) should be reflected in the pending draft Law on Minerals.
4. It was emphasized by MCA-Mongolia that based upon the below findings of field trips to the project sites, it can be concluded that a comprehensive environmental assessment needs to be conducted.
5. Land ownership is relatively new concept in Mongolia; therefore, it may provoke numerous social issues/problems related with land. CPR should thus, pay special attention to this matter. Once the ESOC is on board, there will be much public consultation at grassroots’ level concerning the issues surrounding the land disputes. A careful attention is also needed in checking the areas with the mining licenses to avoid any overlapping with those areas. One more controversial issue is that whether to allow only indigenous community, who are registered and have resided also in that area for more than 180 days, to benefit from the project. This needs further deliberations in view of the different local contexts.
6. In terms of the repayment fund, it was suggested by local representatives to develop the guidance for monitoring of the repayment fund’s spending. Considering a still vague understanding about the purpose and future use of this repayment fund at local level, it should be therefore recommended to provide the potential target groups with more detailed information on how the funding mechanism would work and for what purposes the funding would be spent under the authority of local administration. That is to say, more specific public outreach efforts needed to improve the understanding of the potential target groups that the accumulated resources would be expended solely for the socio-economic development purposes of that specific area/region.

Next Steps
- When ESOC is on board, to maintain more close coordination with the Rangeland Mapping Contractor to ensure that selection of the sites and herders meet the environmental and social requirements.
- To ensure the environmental and social sustainability of the project, MCA-Mongolia will engage in regular public consultations through which various stakeholders (including women and other vulnerable groups) will have the opportunity to participate in the development and implementation of project.
- Prior to the commencement of any construction activity under the Peri-Urban Land Leasing Activity, to prepare a framework environmental assessment including a social assessment and an EMP for approximately 300 serviced tracts of rangeland to be leased to herder groups in project sites.
- Identify and manage environmental, social, health and safety impacts associated with the implementation of this Project Activity, consistent with Section 2.6(c) of the Compact and the World Bank’s Operational Policy on Involuntary Resettlement (OP 4.12).
- To ensure EMP monitoring and oversight.

TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROJECT
Accomplishments to date
- Hiring of a short-term Environmental Consultant for EAs/EMPs, January
Although the TOR for hiring a short-term environmental consultant for EAs and EMPs for the six Regional Methodological Centers (RMCs) was developed followed by a procurement process on January, it was agreed later on with PIU to wait for ESOC considering an extent and magnitude of services.
- Field Trip to Erdenet for the period of 2-4 April 2009, accompanied by the TVET team
The purpose was to participate in the workshop “Human Resource Management” and do site visits to RMC, Vocational Training and Production Center (VTPC), “Erdenet” University and “Margad” school as well.

Summary of Findings:
- The land surrounding VTPC is getting to be extensively occupied due to the poorly regulated issuance of land ownership licenses.
- The facilities, especially classrooms of the training school are in bad condition.
- The “Sh. Otgonbileg Technological School” is the best place for training the technical & vocational workers especially in the mining sector. The school building needs to be inspected.
- As for the Vocational Training and Production Center, the building as a whole needs to be inspected in detail not only from the environmental and social perspectives, but also terms of architecture, structure, heating and electrical equipments. The school surrounding area should be released for parking.
- To ensure environmentally and structurally sound building/facilities, the “Margad” school needs big investment, so that it can provide trainings in a qualitative manner.

Next Steps
- To carry out public outreach process described in the Public Consultation Plan.
- To prepare a framework EA and EMP, including health and safety guidelines for use in the TVET institutes in the program.
- To ensure EMP monitoring and oversight.

HEALTH PROJECT
Accomplishments to date
- Tripartite meeting on Healthcare Waste Management with Health PIU and counterparts like Ministry of Health (MoH) and World Health Organization (WHO), 14 October 2008
Discussed about up-to-date actions taken by MoH and WHO, and the Government policy on healthcare waste management to find out the most cost-effective way of addressing this concern.
- Field Trip to Khentii and Sukhbaatar aimags, 30 January-6 February 2009

Summary of Findings:
- Given a high prevalence of diseases of digestive organs and the fact that 72 percent of children have dental diseases in Sukhbaatar aimag, there is a high probability of the increased hardness of drinking water with highly concentrated fluorine. It therefore requires a detailed chemical testing of water in the central wells of all soum areas in Khentii and Sukhbaatar aimags.
- The unfenced waste disposal unit of Khentii aimag centre has brought a widespread mess, resulting in the extensively polluted surroundings. Mitigation measures like fencing and improving the waste disposal unit are thus urgently need to be taken.

- Due to absence of incinerators for healthcare waste disposals neither at aimag nor soum level hospitals of Khentii and Sukhbaatar aimags, the healthcare waste management remains to be substandard. Therefore, if these aimags are selected for our focus sites, either incinerators or autoclaves should be provided.

Next Steps
- To develop and ensure use of a plan for safe and proper use of diagnostic equipment during the development and implementation of the Health Project.
- A framework EMP will be developed for addressing health and safety issues and for assessing compliance with existing waste management regulations in all project related services and facilities. The EMP will include procedures for support of remedial actions to insure compliance with the MCC Environmental Guidelines, environmental regulations and access needs for all potential beneficiaries.
- To ensure EMP monitoring and oversight.

Future Follow-ups on Common ESA tasks
- To ensure the environmental and social sustainability of the Compact Program as a whole, MCA-Mongolia will be engaged in on-going public consultations in which various stakeholders in the Program (including women and other vulnerable groups) are given the opportunity to participate during the implementation of the Program.
- Capacity Building Functions (including needs assessment followed by the training activities) for Ministry of Environment and Tourism, and the State Specialized Inspection Agency. It is expected that these programs will result in enhanced capacity not just in responding to environmental and social issues but also in administrative efficiency, human resources management, and service delivery.
- To sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to ensure a successful implementation of MCA-Mongolia project activities from the environmental perspectives.
- To finalize a draft of ESA Workplan for MCA-Mongolia projects.