Across Mongolia, 60 percent of the urban population live in traditional dwellings called gers, where households primarily rely on coal-burning stoves for heating and cooking. This practice is the largest contributor to air pollution in urban areas, especially in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, accounting for 55.6 percent of emissions. Winter fuel costs consume up to 40 percent of low-income families’ income, forcing them to use cheap, highly polluting fuels. Other contributors include transportation (28.9 percent) and industrial zones, power plants, and waste facilities (15.5 percent). The combination of extreme cold, rapid urbanization, valley geography, and socio-economic factors makes Ulaanbaatar one of the most polluted cities globally during winter, with PM2.5 levels often exceeding 650 µg/m³ on the coldest days—far above the WHO safe guideline of 15 µg/m³.
Air pollution has severe consequences for children and pregnant women. Exposure in Ulaanbaatar is linked to adverse birth outcomes, preterm births, low birth weight, respiratory illness, and reduced lung function among children. Household air pollution from coal stoves is a leading risk factor, contributing to pneumonia as the second leading cause of death among children under five. Around 63 percent of Mongolian children are exposed to ambient PM2.5 levels above 35 µg/m³, and urban children show significantly lower lung function than rural peers, increasing school absenteeism.
To address these challenges, UNICEF introduced the Cooking, Heating, and Insulation Products (CHIP) initiative, providing low-cost solutions for ger households to improve indoor air quality. CHIP combines electric cooking and heating systems with insulated ger panels and ventilation systems. By May 2025, the program had reached 4,700 households and 25 kindergartens. Monitoring showed improvements in household thermal comfort, safety, energy efficiency, and convenience, reducing the daily labor for women and children by over 40 minutes. While CHIP reduces indoor smoke exposure, severe ambient pollution in ger districts limits the extent of health benefits, and high costs and electricity availability remain barriers for many low-income households.
UNICEF’s approach goes beyond CHIP, using evidence-based research to guide interventions and policy advocacy. In collaboration with national and international academic institutions, UNICEF conducted extensive air quality monitoring in schools, health facilities, and ger districts. Results revealed extreme PM2.5 levels, links between air pollution and respiratory diseases, and adverse maternal and child health outcomes. This research informed the design and scaling of interventions, government policy adjustments, and public awareness campaigns.
Implementation of CHIP involved multi-sector collaboration, including the Mongolian government, local NGOs, universities, and international partners. The program incorporated cultural, technical, and behavioral considerations to ensure adoption, offering subsidized financing and working with local production enterprises to maintain quality standards. Pilot studies showed significant improvements in energy efficiency, operational cost, and thermal comfort, though ambient air infiltration limited the reduction in indoor PM2.5.
Beyond technical solutions, UNICEF has promoted broader strategies to protect children’s health. These include strengthening health system capacity, training over 500 community health workers to detect and manage pneumonia, promoting vaccinations and nutritional support, and integrating environmental health into maternal and child health curricula. Awareness-raising initiatives, including youth networks and educational platforms, empower children and communities to mitigate exposure and advocate for clean air. Solar energy pilots and hybrid energy systems are also being explored to provide affordable clean-fuel alternatives for households.
UNICEF’s work demonstrates that reducing air pollution for children requires a holistic approach, combining technical solutions, government policy, community engagement, research, and advocacy. While CHIP addresses household-level pollution, effective protection of children’s health also requires stronger government commitment, expanded surveillance systems, increased funding, and broader adoption of clean energy policies across all provinces. The goal is to ensure that children and pregnant women are protected from both indoor and ambient air pollution while promoting sustainable, culturally appropriate solutions for Mongolia’s urban environments.
