14 DAY TRIAL // It is likely that Mongolia is living its last days as we know it, on the path to becoming “Minegolia.” Experts' belief that the nation's inhabitants are sleeping on a black gold mine will certainly redefine this country's surface as the globe's newest center of natural resources.
At the same time, as Mongolia turns into a giant, profitable mine, we are witnessing one of the most spectacular transformations in human history.
Scientists expect the national economy will bloom through coal-exploitation operations which will make foreign countries compete for a share of the profit.
The government expects a triple financial growth, as the mining process will bring food on the table for the 2.6 million who struggle to defeat poverty at this point in time.
Overseas bidders are evaluating Mongolia's potential, but it seems that the big winner will be China, the country whose companies will increase their profit margins while taking care of 85% of Mongolia's black treasures destined for export.
Activities which imply progress are often developed at the environment's expense and local communities are aware of this fact.
They fear that mining activities will exploit the already-decreased potential of water resources, leaving their lands sterile and useless. Also, deforestation might be implied by the construction of new roads, meant to create easier access to the mining fields.
The activities have already displayed their minuses, while large vehicles that carried equipment managed to spread dust all across the exploited region.
"Every day, they use 2,000 off-road 100-tonne trucks. There is so much dust in the sky, it looks like a war is taking place.The government needs a much more comprehensive plan to protect the environment and respect local communities. This is not just about economics. It is about human rights," said Enkhbat, co-chairman of the Mongolian Green party, who fears that the actions of black gold-diggers will influence the balance of the entire region.
If the mining process continues, it will eventually have a devastating impact upon the entire food security system. The “recipe” of an environmental catastrophe is quite simple: the ecosystem is affected, animals are eating polluted grass, humans eat poisoned animals.
Despite the concern displayed by environmental preservation groups, the area's potential will still be exploited. Next in line is Oyu Tolgoi, a new mega-mine which will be worth $200bn a day, once the work starts in 2012. Once the project is implemented, Mongolia will be able to provide 450,000 tonnes of copper annually, for the next 50 years.
The picture seems to be almost perfect, if we disregard the fact that Oyu Tolgoi will compete for scarce water resources with its already poor and dry inhabitants.
"It's very exciting. Mongolia has the potential to do it right. In a way Mongolia is the last frontier. You might have to go back to the Californian gold rush to find anything similar," declared Ajay Chhibber, UNDP assistant secretary general, an individual clearly in favor of Mongolia's progress.
The local people are also excited about a potential economical growth, but not when it implies piles of dust and lack of water, two essential factors which make the entire area seem uninhabitable.