Togtokh, a professor at the National University of
Mongolia , feels that although the country has a long and distinguished
history, as an emerging democracy it is experiencing some growing pains that
are impacting its social-ecological systems as it moves from its pastoral and
nomadic past into the 21st century. Now a Visiting Professor at Arizona State
University’s Center for the Study of Institutional Diversity, Chuluun feels
that better public policies are needed to make the transition to a democratic
country a “greener” one.

During his stay in Arizona, where he arrived in
September, Chuluun hopes tol obtain a better understanding of how
sustainability and land-use policies can help preserve and protect the
country’s pastoral and urban social-ecological systems. He is one of the few
researchers in Mongolia studying institutional diversity. “Being at the center
will give me the opportunity to focus more on institutional perspectives and
advance my research from science to policy. The center is perfect for me from
the commons management perspective,” he told the university newspaper.

Chuluun is focusing on policies addressing Mongolia’s
diverse ecological systems, such as forests, forest steppes, steppes, desert
steppes and desert regions. He feels there should be different regulations in
different ecological zones, which currently don’t exist in Mongolia. He is also
focusing on many other social-ecological issues Mongolia is facing as it
transitions from its previous dependence on socialist Soviet Russia.

Chuluun cites several driving factors currently impacting
the country: adoption of a democracy (migration from rural to urban areas);
transition to a market economy (privatization of livestock); global warming;
globalization (information and communication technology); and environmental
changes (air pollution, land degradation and water pollution). With each of
these factors come numerous challenges.

“Ulaanbaatar is the capital city and is home to half of
the country’s total population. There are huge air pollution and urban planning
problems, and energy issues are very important as well,” said Chuluun, director
of the Department of Environmental Policy and Science, the Mongolian Development
Institute in the Office of the President of Mongolia. “The city is the second
coldest capital city in the world, and heating demands in the city’s urban core
continue to climb rapidly. We need to address this issue in a sustainable way.”

While at the center, Chuluun plans to continue his
research on how to integrate climate change adaptation into sustainable
development projects in Mongolia. Designating Mongolia’s Gobi Desert region as
both a world natural and cultural heritage site is another idea of Chuluun’s.
The Gobi Desert covers much of the southern part of Mongolia and is the fifth
largest desert in the world.

He wants to conserve the nomadic cultural resilience in
the region, which he said is disappearing. “We have a great opportunity to
conserve nature and culture in the Gobi; it has a globally significant
agricultural heritage. I want to continue to bring new green technologies, such
as renewable energy and wireless communication technology, to the region, and
develop the area in a sustainable way.”

Chuluun will also continue to work on his proposal to add
a “green” index to the United Nations Human Development Index, which measures a
country’s well-being based on its gross domestic product per capita, health
(life expectancy) and education. The U.N. HD  is considered by many to be an excellent tool
for measuring human development, since both economic and social indicators are
covered. Chuluun feels if a country’s carbon footprint is high then its human
development index score should be lower. 

Chuluun will be at ASU for the next six months. During
his visiting professorship, he will be writing a research paper emphasizing the
importance of having different policies in different ecological zones. He also
plans to work on his paper to designate the Gobi Desert as a world natural and
cultural heritage site.