Report on
1999 TBI Lake Huvsgul, Mongolia Study Tour

by Karen Smallwood, 97' TBI Alumni/TBI Executive Director

Because Lake Huvsgul lies in Northern Mongolia in the Baikal watershed, TBI sent a Summer Environmental Exchange Program group to examine the possibilities for expanding TBI programs into Mongolia. The expedition included two American, two Russians, one German, and four Mongolian students, as well as two scientists from the Mongolian Academy of Sciences. The goal was to meet with those involved in Mongolian environmental issues, establish contacts and pave the way for future work there.

Two Mongolian participants from the 1998 program, Byamba Ayush and Uugna Horloo, and Erjen Khamaganova (TBI '97), became the coordinators for this mystical journey into the southern most reaches of Lake Baikal's watershed. Participants first met with speakers in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, learning about Mongolia's natural environment and then took a plane and overland vehicle to Lake Huvsgul.

Prior to 1980, Lake Huvsgul had been an industrialized area with a wool processing plant and natural gas processing plant on the shores of the lake. However, the area around Lake Huvsgul was designated a National Park, and all industries were subsequently shut down. Today the region supports a low level of tourists and sheep herding.

TBI 1999 participants showing off their t-shirts at Lake Huvsgul, Mongolia

The students built relationships with individuals from a wide range of organizations, including the WWF (World Wildlife Fund for Nature), the Mongolian Academy of Science and the Institute of Hydrology and Meteorology, as well as the environmental department of Peace Corps-Mongolia.

At the program's end the participants and coordinators floated ideas for future TBI projects in Mongolia--the most promising was a study of toxins in the Selenga river (connecting Huvsgul and Baikal). The group considered bringing TBI alumni over for internships, or setting up a separate, Baikal-Huvsgul exchange.

The startlingly clear waters of Huvsgul and nearly untouched landscapes of Mongolia were an uplifting reminder of Tahoe and Baikal's not-too-distant past. While the situations at Huvsgul, Baikal and Tahoe all differ greatly, successes at each lake can still serve as inspirations for actions at the other lakes.

Overall the enthusiasm for including Mongolia as some portion of the program was high. We hope that within the next few years Mongolia can become an integral part of TBI.