Every year, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) prepares a report on the state of human rights and freedoms in Mongolia. Article 17.1 of the Law on the National Human Rights Commission of Mongolia stipulates that “The Commission shall submit to the State Great Khural a report on the situation of human rights and freedoms in Mongolia within the first quarter of every year”. This report is published. This time, the 23rd report included a section entitled “Implementation of the right to live in a healthy and safe environment” In this context, research was carried out in cooperation with relevant organizations, and the problem of environmental pollution, including soil pollution, was highlighted.

According to a study initiated by the NHRC, soil pollution has occurred in the capital city due to factors such as pit latrines, waste processing plants, mining, and vehicles. For example, in Ulaanbaatar, 1.4 million tons of waste is disposed in three centralized locations. In addition, excrements and sewage from more than 200,000 pit latrines in the ger district seep directly into the soil, causing pollution. Moreover, bacteria, mold and fungi were found in 93 percent of soil samples from the ger districts. It was concluded that soil pollution caused by pit latrines poses a risk to the capital city’s environment and human health by seeping into shallow water, spreading to other areas through flood water, and being released into the air.