In Ulaanbaatar, air pollution is one of the biggest problems. This is because many people move to the city and live in gers, traditional Mongolian homes, that are heated with coal. Coal is a very dirty energy source, and makes Ulaanbaatar very smoky and polluted, especially as it gets cold in the winter. Energy-efficient housing is hard to find and expensive, and many people do not have enough money to buy an electric heater.
I learned about air pollution and energy-efficiency in Mongolia. Most people still use coal heating, even in apartment bulidings and in the city, which makes the city very polluted. Ulaanbaatar is the most polluted capital city in the world, and people here struggle in the winter when the pollution is particularly bad. The community needs to have access to cleaner, more efficient heating like electric, gas, or solar, as well as houses that keep the heat in more effectively.
