Gobi nomads fear desert mega mine

Synopsis

Until recently, the southern Gobi in Mongolia was one of the world's last great wildernesses, characterized by vast plains and roaming herds. Today, it faces significant environmental challenges due to multinational mining corporations extracting coal, copper, and gold for export to China. The Tev Tooy pit, part of the world's newest and biggest mega mine, contains 6 billion tons of deposits, while another mega mine, O Tooy, is set to open next year with the third largest copper deposits globally at 30 million tons. This mining boom is projected to grow Mongolia's economy by over 20% annually for the next two decades, but it raises concerns about water usage, as O Tooy will consume 900 liters of water per second. The local ecosystem and communities are at risk, and decisions made in Ulaanbaatar will determine whether this development benefits or harms the environment and the people living in the region.