Үерийн жалганаас өөрийн төгөл рүү

About a decade ago, O. Ganbat moved from Selenge Province to Ulaanbaatar and settled in the 16th Khoroo of Sukhbaatar District. Before that, he had spent three years selling footwear in Inner Mongolia. Today, he works at Emeelt Market, distributing and supplying animal by-products to food markets and shops.

About a decade ago, O. Ganbat moved from Selenge Province to Ulaanbaatar and settled in the 16th Khoroo of Sukhbaatar District. Having previously spent three years selling footwear in Inner Mongolia, he now works as a distributor of animal by-products, supplying food markets and shops from the Emeelt market. He is a hardworking man whose determination and perseverance are reflected not only in his livelihood but also in the remarkable transformation of his neighborhood.

He is a hardworking man, and his determination is even more evident in his personal story. When his family first settled in the area, the land was a steep, hazardous mountain ravine that seemed unsuitable for residential use. Nevertheless, determined to create his own living environment, Ganbat spent an entire summer transporting and dumping more than 100 truckloads of soil to level the ground. After leveling and fencing the land, he eventually obtained possession rights to the property. Yet the ravine remained a ravine. His family still had to carry drinking water from one kilometer away every day. Whenever it rained, floodwater rushing down the mountainside flowed directly into their yard. Although neighboring households were aware that they lived at the mouth of a flood-prone ravine, this was not a problem that any one family could solve alone.

Нэг өдөр Ганбатыг хөрш нь дагуулан НҮБ-ын Хабитат байгууллагын “Гэр хорооллын иргэдийн үерийг тэсвэрлэх чадавхыг бэхжүүлэх төсөл”-н уулзалтад дагуулан оролцов. Тэр сургалтаар мод тарих нь зөвхөн орчныг чимээд зогсохгүй, үерийн усны эрчим, эрсдэлийг бууруулдаг байгалийн хамгаалалт болдог гэдгийг тайлбарласан нь О.Ганбатын сонорт хоногшжээ. Тэрээр сургалтын дараа гудамжиндаа буцаж ирээд хөршүүдтэйгээ ярилцаж, үерийн асуудлаа хамтдаа шийдэх, орчноо илүү аюулгүй болгохоор сэтгэл шулуудаж ойролцоох арван таван өрхтэй нэгдэн "Бүтээлч иргэд" бүлгээ байгуулсан юм.

"Хамгийн анх модны үрсэлгээ аваад хашаандаа суулгаж, усалж байсан үе бол миний амьдралын хамгийн дурсамжтай, хамгийн гоё мөчүүдийн минь нэг" гэж Ганбат дурсдаг.

In addition to training on tree planting, the project provided group members with a series of capacity-building sessions and meetings on community organization, leadership, disaster preparedness, waste management, vegetable gardening, and project proposal writing. The project also supported eight households in the Creative Citizens group to upgrade and install their sanitation facilities. However, the project's greatest contribution was neither the seedlings it distributed nor the facilities it helped construct. Rather, it was bringing together households that had previously struggled with their challenges individually and helping them become a united community with a shared purpose.

In the early stages of tree planting, watering was the greatest challenge. Ganbat began transporting water in a three-ton water tank using his own vehicle. He not only watered his own trees but also delivered water to his neighbors' yards and helped them care for the trees they had planted. His sincere support greatly encouraged his neighbors and fellow group members, inspiring them to make even greater efforts. Soon, the group set a goal of having a water well on their street and submitted a joint request to the local khoroo administration. As a result, a well was established on their street in 2023. With water available closer to their homes, their workload was reduced, and residents began paying attention not only to improvements within their own yards but also to the appearance and condition of their street. Today, more than 400 trees are growing along their street and within their yards. The elm trees planted by Ganbat have grown to more than two meters tall, while his own yard has become a green grove with over 150 fruit trees of five different varieties.

The results of their many years of dedication and hard work became particularly evident in the summer of 2025. That summer, when powerful floodwaters rushed down the mountainside, the water did not flow directly into residential yards as it had in previous years. Instead, the roots and trunks of the trees they had grown helped slow the force of the current, contain the flow, and allow the water to pass through more safely. After years of living with the threat of flooding, the residents were able to protect themselves with the help of trees they had planted and nurtured through their own commitment and hard work. This was the result of their cooperation and collective efforts.

Өнөөдөр "Бүтээлч иргэд" бүлгийнхэн гудамждаа тогтмол уулзаж, найрсаг халуун ууртайгаар дараагийн хамтын ажиллагаануудаа төлөвлөх уламжлалтай болсон. Тэдний хамгийн сүүлийн санаачилга нь хуучирч элэгдсэн модон хашаагаа өнгө үзэмжтэй болгох ажлыг эхлүүлээд байгаа бөгөөд энэ ажилд нь О.Ганбат манлайлан өөрийн хашааны нүүрэн талыг сольж, гудамжны төрхийг өөрчилж эхэлжээ.

This street has shown us that solutions and practices for disaster risk reduction do not always require large investments or engineering infrastructure. Many challenges can be addressed through small actions and cooperation among residents. When 15 organized households, the right knowledge, and effective guidance come together, even a hazardous area at the foot of a mountain ravine can be transformed into a safer, greener living environment with opportunities for additional income.

The support of the UN-Habitat project team, the sustained cooperation of local residents, and Ganbat's leadership now stand together as a green protective barrier along their street.