Ulaanbaatar's Latrine Campaign: Addressing Soil Microbial Pollution and Improving Sanitation

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Researchers /Mr.Batkhishig and others/ investigates the pollution of soil since 1990, including the capital city area. As result of investigation the soil heavy metal contamination is relatively low. But soil microbial pollution is exceeding maximum allowed content. This pollution more closely connected with slum district and main source of pollution is pit latrine. Because approximately 200.000 families live with pit latrine in capital city. Improvement of latrine management and “slum district” area planning is challenging issue to solve a soil pollution problem of Ulaanbaatar city area. The slum district is densely populated with many pit latrines, not possible to keep distances between pollution sources and water wells due to very limited space. In these areas, the risk of groundwater contamination and health risks associated with pit latrines is high.

Not only the governmental organizations, but also the private sectors, NGO has been paying attention to appropriate sanitation. Especially, former parliament member Ms. Oyungerel is playing main role by running a campaign called 'Let’s change the latrine' since 2017 in order to eliminate open defecation and decrease soil pollution caused by the discharge of feces.

This campaign is convincing people in slum district to purchase, construct and use new, modern, eco-friendly toilets. Also 50 training courses has been organized in all provincial centers and 9 districts of capital city.

Changing toilets is not only Mongolian problem. About 60 percent of the world's population does not have adequate sanitary facilities. Poor sanitation and inadequate disposal of feces causes many types of diseases such as lymphatic filariasis, diarrheal diseases and intestinal worms, with lymphatic filariasis. https://www.commdev.org/

With support of NGO and volunteers, the campaign published many posters, manuals, e-books, printed books, and media outlets about the soil pollution, why and how should we change our toilets. In 2017, the book named “Let’s change the latrine” was published, and in 2018 the campaign was successfully organized trainings in all provinces and districts. Consequently, they could raise awareness of media, public and the government to latrine issues.

For example, Capitron Bank announced a new loan called 'Eco toilet loan' in 2018 that will spend 1 billion MNT /43.4 million yen/ on its source. The 'World Vision' international organization and Mobicom corporation have been committed to changing latrines, initiating a project, and within four years, constructed 58 comfortable modern toilets with hot and cold water in schools and kindergartens of rural area. People tend to understand the importance of adequate latrine, so many projects are being implemented.