The city of Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, suffers some of the highest levels of ambient air-pollution in the world. The effects of poor air quality constitute a public health crisis, with vulnerable groups at particular risk of chronic respiratory and developmental health problems.

This project will enable a step change in policymaking capacity and capability to address dangerous levels of ambient air pollution in Ulaanbaatar. The IPR, Department of Mathematical Sciences and the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Statistical Applied Mathematics will work with our partners in Mongolia by bringing together different stakeholders and diverse forms of data to identify (1) the multiple, interdependent causes of the problem, (2) holistic and effective solutions.

The complex dependencies between air quality, poor housing, urban design, lack of available and affordable clean fuel, poverty and economic inequality renders air quality in Ulaanbaatar an entrenched problem, requiring system-wide multi-layered interventions to prevent associated health impacts.

Enhanced policymaking capacity to develop innovative solutions to this multifaceted problem is required. We will collaborate with our partners at the National University of Mongolia, and the Mongolian National Development Agency to seek out evidence led policy solutions to address the root causes of the ongoing air quality crisis.