Ulaanbaatar city, March 10, 2023 – MCA-Mongolia organized a Consultative Meeting for Scope Definition of the Project “Improving Data, Planning, and Coordination of Ulaanbaatar Ger Area Truck-Fed Water Supply Infrastructure” on March 10, 2023, one of the components of the Ger Area Cost Containment Sub-activity under Water Sector Sustainability Activity, which is being implemented as part of the Mongolia Water Compact.

As part of stakeholder consultations on the scope definition of the project, a total of three meeting were organized with representatives from Ulaanbaatar Center for Policy Research and Analysis, USUG, and MCA-Mongolia, to solve the challenges and improvements in data sharing, planning, and coordination among USUG, municipal agencies, and district offices on the unplanned expansion of the ger area truck-fed kiosks. Besides these meetings, the project rationale and financial implications of reducing ger area water supply costs were presented and discussed during the Temasek Foundation Water Leadership Program in Singapore, and program participants' opinions and comments were well received.

Following the meetings, USUG provided data on the location and commissioned year of the kiosks in Ulaanbaatar city to the Socio-Economic department of the UB Center for Policy and Research and Analysis and the researchers conducted preliminary analysis. Based on the findings of preliminary analysis, the consultative Meeting for Scope Definition of the Project “Improving Data, Planning, and Coordination of Ulaanbaatar Ger Area Truck-Fed Water Supply Infrastructure” on March 10, 2023, was organized. The meeting was attended by relevant teams from the MCA-Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar Center for Policy and Research and Analysis, and USUG’s Engineering Policy Department and Truck Supply Division, and the parties discussed ideas for future collaboration.

Following that, USUG will provide further data to define the project scope in detail, and preparation for procuring consultancy service will continue. 

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This $462 million project is a partnership between the American and Mongolian people made possible by $350m in MCC grant funding and the $111.76m contribution from the Government of Mongolia which demonstrates their commitment to working together to achieve economic growth and poverty reduction in Ulaanbaatar. The Mongolia Water Compact is funding major infrastructure projects, including the construction of new wellfields and two large plants - an Advanced Water Purification Plant and Water Recycling Plant which will be the first of their kind in Mongolia. In addition, the Compact will invest in policy measures to create a financially and environmentally sustainable future for the water sector of Ulaanbaatar. By 2026, the water system in Ulaanbaatar will have been expanded to deliver 80% more drinking water, allowing for the city’s future expansion.