Natural disasters are one of the most important factors that threaten the sustainability of economic and social development. Especially today, as the effects of climate change continue to increase, strengthening disaster-preparedness capacity has become a strategic necessity for ensuring economic stability, national security, and societal well-being. In this context, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a 32 million dollar financing package to strengthen Mongolia’s disaster-management capacity. This project aims to modernize the state’s early warning systems, reduce the impacts of climate-related disasters, and increase the resilience of vulnerable rural communities.[i]
Because of its geographical location, Mongolia is exposed to both climatic and geophysical disasters. Floods, droughts, snowstorms, earthquakes, forest fires, and especially harsh winter conditions are dangers that directly affect people’s lives. Considering that about 40% of the population lives in rural areas and depends on livestock for their livelihood, it becomes clearer how deep the socioeconomic impacts of these disasters are. For this reason, the “Strengthening the Integrated Early Warning System in Mongolia Project,” led by the ADB, is a key initiative that is directly linked to the country’s sustainable development goals.
This financing package consists of three main components: an 18 million dollar concessional ordinary capital resources loan, a 12 million dollar regular ordinary capital resources loan, and a 2 million dollar Asian Development Fund (ADF) grant. This financial support includes not only infrastructural investments but also digitalization in disaster management, gender-sensitive risk analysis, data sharing, and capacity building at the local level. Between 2015 and 2024, more than 40,000 hazardous natural events were recorded in Mongolia; 726 people lost their lives, over 2,000 people were injured, and more than 11.5 million animals died. In 2024 alone, 73 earthquakes of magnitude 3.5 or higher occurred, showing that the country faces a high seismic risk. The total economic loss caused by these disasters has been estimated at around 1.9 trillion Mongolian Tugriks, which represents a heavy burden for Mongolia’s economy and forces the government to allocate a large portion of the national budget to post-disaster recovery efforts.[ii]
A Multi-Hazard Early Warning System is a system that monitors and evaluates different types of disasters (such as storms, earthquakes, floods, droughts, etc.) and sends early warnings to the public through a single integrated platform. The main goal of such systems is to detect disasters in advance and provide timely, accurate, and understandable warnings. In this way, both loss of life and economic damage can be significantly reduced. The insufficiency of the current early warning system in Mongolia contributes to the increase of these losses. Warnings are often limited to certain areas, and especially herder communities in rural regions cannot receive information on time. The planned project aims to solve this problem by using the power of digital technologies. In this context, emergency centers with two-way communication systems will be established, cell-broadcast alerts will be sent through mobile networks, emergency broadcasts will be strengthened, and siren systems will be expanded. In addition, mobile communication units will be deployed to remote areas to increase coverage.[iii]
This initiative also aims to create a social change. With a gender focused disaster risk monitoring system, a mechanism will be developed that takes into account the different needs of women and men. In addition, volunteer teams will be established in 21 provinces, and local disaster management capacities will be strengthened. Through this approach, disaster risk is expected to be addressed not only as a technical issue but also as a social one, creating a more inclusive perspective.
ADB’s partnership with Mongolia is not limited to this project. In 2025, the institution signed a financial cooperation framework agreement worth 475 million dollars with the Mongolian government. Within this framework, it aims to accelerate investments in education, health, and disaster resilience. ADB’s approach is based on an “inclusive development” model that integrates economic growth with social well-being. In this way, disaster management projects play a central role not only during crises but also in long-term development processes. Additionally, this project is directly aligned with Mongolia’s 2024–2030 National Climate Change Adaptation Plan, the Disaster Protection Law updated in 2020, and the Vision 2050 Long-Term Development Policy.[iv]
These initiatives define disaster risk reduction and resilience as key pillars of the country’s national development goals. Therefore, ADB’s contribution is not only financial but also strategic and institutional. For such projects to succeed, financial support alone is not enough; local governments must be actively involved, the public must be informed, and international cooperation must be ensured. ADB’s approach shows that sustainable development is not only about economic growth but also about building social resilience and ensuring environmental safety. The case of Mongolia once again demonstrates how important regional cooperation and innovative technological solutions are in the fight against the effects of climate change.
[i] “ADB to Support Mongolia’s Disaster Preparedness Through Innovation and Technology”, ADB, https://www.adb.org/news/adb-support-mongolia-disaster-preparedness-through-innovation-and-technology (Accessed: 10.11.2025).
[ii] Ibid.
[iii] “ADB Approves $32 Million to Boost Mongolia’s Disaster Preparedness Through Technology and Innovation, Fundsfor NGO’s,” Fundsforngos, https://news.fundsforngos.org/2025/11/07/adb-approves-32-million-to-boost-mongolias-disaster-preparedness-through-technology-and-innovation/, (Accessed: 10.11.2025)
[iv] “ADB, Mongolia sign $475M framework for social sector projects”, Developmandaid, https://www.developmentaid.org/news-stream/post/201699/adb-mongolia-475-million-framework-health-education-disaster-resilience, (Accessed: 10.11.2025).
