The importance of the role that physical infrastructure plays in sustainablility and economic development is paramount.

Under Construction: Please check back soon as this section is updated and expanded.

One of MISED's main objectives is to promote the use of renewable energy in Mongolia and find feasible and affordable technologies.  Renewable energy currently accounts for 0.25% of Mongolia's energy supply, but the potential to improve this number is great.  Mongolia has tremendous wind and sun resources, and the possibility of implementing geothermal power has hardly been explored.  But the country also has the most coal reserves per capita in the world, so there is currently little motivation to invest heavily in renewables.  Coal in Mongolia is currently one sixth the price of coal in the United States.

At MISED, we are currently researching Mongolia's energy resources to determine the locations best suited for renewable energy as well as new technologies that could be implemented affordably and possibly compete with coal's price point of about 4 cents per kWh.

Air pollution is perhaps Ulaanbaatar's greatest problem.  In the winter, the air is hardly breathable due to the massive amounts of smog.  These emissions are largely a product of heating stoves used in the winter in the ger districts, which burn coal, wood, and trash.  We are researching alternative fuel sources and better insulation practices to reduce these emissions.

Ulaanbaatar's population has risen rapidly in recent years, but its infrastructure is not appropriate to its population.  As a result, many people live in slum conditions.  We are researching sustainable housing and a new plan for the city.