Dams in Mongolia
Chono Charaich River, site of construction of the Durgun Dam. With the construction of the dam, the gorge will disappear as it will be flooded. Khar Us Nuur National Park, Mongolian Altai, Mongolia.
© WWF-Canon / Hartmut JUNGIUS
© WWF-Canon / Hartmut JUNGIUS
Hydropower Dams in Mongolia
Key contact
Batnasan Nyamsuren
(Freshwater Officer)
WWF Mongolia Programme Office,
Ulaanbaatar
T: +976 11 311 659
(Freshwater Officer)
WWF Mongolia Programme Office,
Ulaanbaatar
T: +976 11 311 659
The construction of large hydropower dams constitutes one of the major threats to the freshwater eco-systems of Mongolia. In Mongolia, hydropower development has started under the technical and economic assistance from the Soviets, with the first small hydropower plant built in 1959.
Currently, hydroelectricity is produced at less then 10 small plants in the country and two large projects are in construction: Dorgon (12 MW) and Taishir (11 MW). A few others are under discussion.
Most of the existing small hydropower plants have been constructed using water diversion channels; the installed capacity is relatively small. As none of these plants can operate in winter due to ice formation, the quoted production values are for the summer months only (generally May to October). Therefore, the rate of operation (output) is quite low.
Dams pose a major threat to freshwater biodiversity:
- Fragmentation of formerly connected rivers and habitats, the abrupt conversion of flowing waters into standing ones through reservoirs and backwater effects, and the alteration of the natural downstream flow and sediment regimes.
- Dams constitute insurmountable obstacles for migrating fish species.
- Causes the greatest disturbance to ecosystem processes, despite natural factors of global climate change resulting in the increased frequency of flooding and melting of permafrost and glaciers in Mongolia
To reduce these threats, WWF Mongolia is working on the following direction:
- WWF Mongolia will advocate through its policy level interventions an increased public participation and transparency in Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) for any economic activities related to freshwater resource use.
- We will assist Mongolia in meeting its commitments to the Convention on Biological Diversity for the protection of biodiversity and the Durban Action Plan for the expansion of protected area network (PA network).
- WWF Mongolia will lead practical implementation of the Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) concept at national level by establishing model IRBM sites where River Basin Councils are formed, Management Plans developed, and their implementations initiated.
