The discovery of Asia’s richest copper deposits led to the construction and development of Erdenet, which in Monglian means “precious treasure”.

What began as a small mining town has grown into one of Mongolia’s largest cities. Now, to accommodate the growing population and their needs, the government is implementing an innovative City Development Strategy

THE creation of the Erdenet Copper Mine Factory in 1976 was a joint effort by Russia and Mongolia, and it was founded in what was the new industrial city of Erdenet. Since then the city and the mine have developed into key players in Mongolia’s economic growth, responsible for 14 percent of the national GDP. As the city grows at an annual rate of 4 percent, it is also working on diversifying. Alongside the mine are more than 1,300 factories, food and convenience markets, wholesale centers and other enterprises.

While Erdenet enjoys revenue generated from the mine, it still has its problems; however, new plans to develop the city are underway. A new City Development Strategy aims to turn Erdenet into a model city with highly educated citizens, a pollution free environment, and a strong export-oriented economy based on IT and manufacturing.

This plan consists of six key initiatives, the first of which is to develop Erdenet as the center of development in the Khangai region. This includes founding an industrial and technological park, creating a Free Economic Zone (FEZ) with an emphasis on the IT sector, working on progressive technologies for farming, and improving the energy supply.

The second initiative aims to further diversify the economy and encourage IT development, production industries and tourism. While 70 percent of the region’s GDP comes from mining, the strategy recognizes the need to improve the business environment, which calls for creating a business support center and developing an export-oriented industrial park which focuses on agricultural and environmentally friendly production.

Initiative number three seeks to promote urban planning and land management. To do so, Erdenet will implement a housing program, upgrade the water supply network and expand on the capacity of the thermo power plant, power distribution equipment and heating supply pipelines.

An additional initiative will develop human and cultural resources, as the social services system is considered unresponsive to local needs. To rectify this, plans call for establishing a complex dedicated to training and scientific research. Furthermore, health education will increase, and a regional health diagnosis center will be built. Plans to create a recreational zone are set improve the health and activity of residents, and new educational facilities for children are also part of the program.

A fifth initiative looks to better manage natural resources and protect the environment. New projects would improve land management and implement natural restoration plans such as reforestation and developing an irrigation system.

The last initiative has the ultimate goal of improving living conditions in the gers, or traditional nomadic living communities. While 29 percent of the population resides in apartment buildings, 71 percent lives in ger communities. Plans include building commercial centers, upgrading and expanding water supply and heating, and establishing sanitation and solid waste management systems.