Traditional pastoralism or mining? Conflict of interest in access to natural pastures in Mongolia

Abstract

The article deals with the problem related to the growing conflict of interest in access to natural pastures, which is the basis of nomadic pastoralism in Mongolia. The discovery of significant mineral resources (inter alia: gold, copper and coal) resulted in a huge increase in interest in their extraction and use of this potential to accelerate the economic development of the country. The opencast mining causes the degradation of natural pastures and permanently hinders the migration of animals between winter and summer stands. This is a serious threat to traditional pastoralism, which is of high importance not only from the economic point of view, but also from cultural one. The aim of the article is to show the specificity of the issue of ecological justice in Mongolia, and to find an answer to the research question: How can ecological justice in this country be restored? Until this day there are no effective solutions to ensure fair access to areas where fossil resources have been discovered. Simultaneously, due to air pollution, and degradation of water resources, environmental health became a problem of the highest importance among Mongolians’ population. Ecological justice is becoming an increasingly pressing issue in the country, that has been so far considered an example of the most successful pro-democracy transformation in Central Asia.