
The main objective of the Flood Resilience in Ulaanbaatar Ger Areas project is to enhance the climate change resilience of the seven most vulnerable Ger khoroo settlements focusing on flooding in Ulaanbaatar City. UN Habitat, in partnership with the government of Mongolia, successfully obtained funding for this project through the Adaptation Fund.
Mongolia is set to be significantly impacted by the effects of climate change. Although milder climatic forecasts might bring some benefits to a country such as less harsh weather conditions, these are most likely to be outweighed by significant drawbacks for the country. As mean temperatures are to rise, secondary effects such as increases in extreme weather events become more likely.
Through a feasibility study that undertook a careful analysis of the key risks, constraints and dependencies related to the project, the team was able to show to the Adaptation Fund investors that the potential for successful outcomes was high. The team closely studied the operational policies and guidelines for obtaining funding from AF and incorporated them into the project design. This included upholding
In general, the team focused on strong upstream project preparation and clearly defining infrastructure sectors, as well as thoroughly analyzing the project’s potential impacts on the city’s economic, social, and environmental situation. The project was clearly connected to the city’s existing master plan and was able to obtain government support. The team aimed to minimize risk in every area possible.
After having received funding, the team are currently working towards:
The project will be able to demonstrate adaptation actions in the target areas which could be replicate or upscale for greater impact in the city. Despite strengthening institutional capacity to reduce risks and capture and replicate lessons and good practices, it is much needed further enhancing the finance capacity of city authorities through bankable business models linking to feasible investment channels
Some of the key factors this project was chosen was that it: