Mining

Coal mine in the Altai Mountains, Nüürstkhotgor, Mongolia.
© WWF-Canon / Hartmut JUNGIUS

As of 2005, 198 mines are active throughout Mongolia. There are 135 alluvial gold mines, 17 coal mines, 10 fluorite mines and another 24 mines that extract raw materials for construction purposes.

Official statistics show that exploration licenses have been issued to about 43% of the territory of Mongolia.

As of January 2006, totally 6,073 license have been issued - 5,097 exploration licenses and 976 mining licenses.

Coal mine at Nüürstkhotkor Turgen Mountain, Altai Mountains, Mongolia.
© WWF-Canon / Hartmut JUNGIUS

While recognizing the importance of mining sector for the economic growth in Mongolia, WWF Mongolia strives to ground the Responsible Mining concept onto Mongolian Land.

Since the adoption of the “Gold” programme by the Government of Mongolia in 1992, both legal and illegal gold extraction and exploitation has been intensifying.  Foreign and domestic investment in gold mining has been growing. 

Environmental Challenges related to Gold Mining Practice:

• Mining of alluvial gold deposits has led to the deviation of rivers, loss of water flow and degradation of water quality: Drying up of rivers and streams is becoming common in mining sites.
• Soil erosion due to lack of restoration and reclamation: This has led to the loss of fertile top coil cover; disruption of eco-system functions and health externalities for local communities. 
• Pushing traditional herders off the land: Due to the negative impact caused by exploitation of the land and water by mining activities, local herders are becoming impoverished. Because of this, local movements against the gold miners are intensifying.     
• Biodiversity Loss: Gold mining activities puts under the threat of extinction many communities of plants and insects by causing habitat loss.
• Mining results in an increase of toxic chemicals in the environment
  

Artisanal or hand mining is on the rise
Hand-mining and an associated phenomena of Ninja Miners now has an army of hundreds of thousands of people, who run illegal mining activities without relevant permits, and having no Environmental Impact Assessment  (EIA)conducted. Often, individuals extract gold manually using mercury.