"Activism Against Water and Energy Infrastructure Projects in Mongolia", 28 July 2021

Climate change and environmental stress in countries of the region with resulting internal and external displacement of population is already leading to transboundary conflict. China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) plans to develop infrastructure which will eventually connect as regional and global infrastructure is likely to add to transboundary conflict in Central Asian countries.

...Mongolia planned hydroelectric dams and water transfer projects to support growing demand from mega mines in the Gobi Desert and plans to expand mining in the northwestern regions.

...Potential negative impacts from these hydropower projects ranged from physical and economic displacement at local level without adequate compensation and information disclosure to risks of earthquake,3 loss of agricultural land for both crop4 and livestock sectors, loss of nomadic pastoralist tradition, loss of important resources for tourism and light industry sectors at national level and negative impacts on internationally protected sites.

...This study will present a case of the use of various international mechanisms: the UN bodies for monitoring conformity with commitments under its conventions; multilateral development bank (MDB)'s safeguards systems and grievance mechanisms as well as direct campaigning with potential project financiers in diverting investment from a hydro dam project with potential transboundary environmental and social impacts.