Water Supply Project for Urban Poor in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
The Second Ulaanbaatar Services Improvement Project (USIP2) in the capitol city of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia has the primary objective of improving water supply to the urban poor in a sustainable manner. The urban poor areas are called “ger” areas by the local people. Gers are felt-covered tent-like structures that have been used by Mongolians for more than 1,000 years. Presently, ger residents obtain drinking water by going to kiosks or service stations and carrying the water back in containers. Residents may have to travel more than 350 meters (1,150 feet) in one direction to get to a kiosk. The difficulty in obtaining potable water has resulted in an average consumption of 10 liters per capita per day (2.6 gcpd). The minimum requirement for potable water recommended by the World Health Organization is 20 lpcd (5.3 gpcd).
