TİKA Supports Access to Clean Water in Mongolia

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) drilled clean water wells in 4 districts of Bayankhongor Province in Mongolia.

Located nearly 1000 km from Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, the districts of Bayanbulag, Bayan-Ovoo, Galuut, and Buutsagaan are in the Gobi Desert. In these districts, which have been greatly affected by the increasing effects of global warming in recent years; especially water scarcity had a negative impact on the lives of local people, whose livelihood depends on traditional nomadic animal husbandry.

With the project implemented by TİKA, 4 clean water wells were drilled to fix the drinking water problem across Bayankhongor and enable people and animals living in rural areas to access water. The water wells drilled in Bayankhongor Province will provide clean water to 1,782 people in Bayanbulag, 3,600 in Buutsagaan, 4,100 in Galuut, and 2,600 in Bayan-Ovoo.

Governor of Bayankhongor Batjargal Gonchigdorj said, “TİKA drilled 4 water wells in our Province in 2020 and a total of 11 water wells in 10 different districts in the last two years. Not only local people but also 2 million animals directly benefit from the wells drilled by TİKA. These water wells solved our water problem. We would like to thank the Republic of Turkey and TİKA for their support.”

Uuganbayar Bataa, a shepherd living in the village of Ölziit in Buutsagaan, stated that there is no natural water resource such as a river or a stream in the village and that although there is a 20-meter-deep hand-dug well, its water is not drinkable. He stressed that the water well drilled by TİKA is vital for villagers.