The Municipality of Ulaanbaatar (MoUB) requested support from the Dutch Government to enhance flood resilience following the 2023 floods. During these floods, the Selbe River overflowed in downtown Ulaanbaatar as well as in several other urban areas. In response, a DRRS team was deployed to Ulaanbaatar to provide assistance. The team comprised Eisse Wijma (Team Leader, Studie Flow), Martin te Grotenhuis (Urban Drainage Expert, RHDHV), Roy Daggenvoorde (Flood Risk Expert, HKV), Dr. Ayurzana Badarch (Mongolian University of Science and Technology), and Dr. Chinzorig Sukhbaatar (Sediment Management Expert, Mongolian Academy of Science). Their visit took place in February 2024.
Despite freezing temperatures of -30°C, the mission aimed to assess the flood situation and propose short-term measures to enhance flood resilience ahead of the next flood season, starting in July. While in Ulaanbaatar, the team inspected various flood-prone locations along the Selbe River and engaged with MoUB officials and local experts to better understand the challenges. By the end of the mission, the team proposed several short-term actions for MoUB to implement before the next flood season to improve the Selbe River’s drainage capacity.
Following the mission, the DRRS team developed a comprehensive approach to enhance flood resilience in Ulaanbaatar. This strategy focuses on increasing the flow capacity of rivers in the downtown area while boosting retention capacity in the upstream catchment. The proposed plan aims to deliver multiple co-benefits, positioning Ulaanbaatar as a modern, climate-resilient capital by integrating water management into urban planning.
Photo: Frozen Selbe river in downtown Ulaanbaatar