Mongolia has rapidly changed. The nomadic ways of the countryside are giving way to an urbanized industrial country. The change comes with a price. Pollution from the burning of coal threatens public health and the environment. Air pollution has been linked to lung disease and possibly could harm brain health. BBC News revealed in Mongolia : A Toxic Warning air pollution in Mongolia has reached enormous levels. Produced in 2019, this report shows what happens when there is little regulation or strong environmental policy. Herders on the steppe are being effected by climate change. Dry winters caused problems with livestock. These dramatic shifts make it hard for animals to survive. The people of the countryside are forced to leave to cities. The landlocked country with high altitude is vulnerable to climate shifts. Children are very vulnerable to lung related health conditions. The biggest fear is that cases of lung cancer will increase. Burning coal is too lucrative for Mongolia to abandon. The economic incentive is coming at the cost of public health. Mongolia must expand and diversify its economy before it sees a dramatic loss of population due to air pollution. Farming and the countryside must be saved for long term sustainability of the nation. Development should not mean the destruction of the environment or the disregard for public health.
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