Ulaanbaatar is one of the top-ten most polluted cities in the world. This is a winter phenomenon, when the planet’s coldest capital is veiled in an acrid dense smog. However, this has not always been the case. Since independence in 1990 and the end of agricultural  support from the Soviet Union, a mass migration to the capital began of people in search of a bright future. The ‘Mongolian dream’ for many became a veritable nightmare. Today, the city is surrounded by sprawling shanty towns, known as ‘ger districts’ occupying 80% of the municipal area and home to over half the population. Because the majority of the ‘ger district’ dwellers cannot afford good quality coal, they have no option other than to burn cheap grade alternatives – the result is a dense smog which takes the lives of many each year, in particular infants and old people.

The scale of the migration is extraordinary: around 20% of the country’s population of three million has moved to Ulaanbaatar over the last decade, doubling the city’s population and further  increasing pollution. The influx has caused other problems: an increase in crime, chronic traffic jams, urban planning problems  and  pressure on housing, health and social care systems.

On 9 January, Ulaanbaatar Mayor S.Batbold issued three decrees primarily designed to combat air pollution. The decree entitled “Restriction Action” has been getting the most attention, as its purpose is to limit migration to the city from the rural areas. The decree states that rural residents, excluding those who require long-term medical care, those who already own an apartment, and those who have a mortgage loan, will be restricted from taking up residence in Ulaanbaatar. This restriction will be in place until 1 January 2018. Even though freedom of movement is the constitutional right of every citizen, the threat of air pollution in the capital has reached a point where it could potentially affect national security.

For the first time, the population of the Mongolian capital has actually decreased. According to statistics just released over 11 thousand people left the city in 2017 up to November.