October 15, 2024
G-NETS Joint Project: Working with Ulaanbaatar on Sewerage Challenges and Human Resource Development
As part of a G-NETS working-group joint project, Tokyo launched a technical exchange initiative with participating cities in 2024. In October, staff from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) Bureau of Sewerage visited Ulaanbaatar to observe current sewerage operations, including regulations on the city’s industrial wastewater. In addition, Tokyo also received insights into support measures for challenges such as reconstruction of wastewater treatment plants—an issue shared by both cities—and their management, as well as the development of human resources that can contribute internationally.
Key Topics of Discussion between Tokyo and Ulaanbaatar
- Examining strategies to ensure compliance with wastewater standards among businesses discharging into treatment facilities in Ulaanbaatar
- Reconstruction and technology upgrades for existing wastewater treatment plants
- Knowledge accumulation for flood control in response to climate change
Key Site Visits
[October 14, 2024]
Water Supply and Sewerage Authority of Ulaanbaatar City (USUG) Headquarters, Ulaanbaatar City.
TMG representatives met with Head of the Urban Engineering Infrastructure Department of Ulaanbaatar, M. Baldandorj, USUG Chief Engineer J. Dagvasuren, and other officials from the urban planning, sewerage, and international cooperation departments.
[October 15, 2024]
Visit to tannery facilities, wastewater treatment plant, and Ulaanbaatar water quality inspection labs.
Left: Meeting at Ulaanbaatar city hall. Right: TMG staff examined treatment methods at a tannery factory.
Water samples were collected at the pollutant removal facility.
The visit reaffirmed Ulaanbaatar and TMG’s continued communication in sharing expertise and technologies in wastewater management, enhancing administrative capabilities to tackle water pollution effectively. Insights gathered during the visit, along with analysis results from collected samples, will be utilized in future training programs to develop internationally knowledgeable human resources. Discussions also covered broader shared challenges, including climate change, air pollution, and disaster prevention. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between both cities in May 2024, underscoring the potential for expanded technical exchanges across multiple fields in the future.