Update:October 23, 2008

FY2008 Leadership Training Course on “Environmental Education and Environmental Leaders Development for Mongolia(EELDEM)” came to an end.

After the democratization of Mongolia in 1990, approximately half the population has concentrated in the capital city accompanying the market-oriented economic reform. Consequently, different environmental problems such as air pollution, water contamination, illegal dumping of waste have arisen. In response to these problems, ICETT executed the program, commissioned by Mie Prefecture, in order to improve the environment of Bayanzurkh district in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
During the two years of the program, it became clear that in order to solve the grave environmental problems of Mongolia, the authorities need to raise the citizens’ awareness of environmental conservation and work harder to improve the environment.
Accordingly, five faculty members were invited to Japan (two from Eco Asia University, and three members involved in environmental education and learning in the Nalaiha district) who are destined to become key persons in environmental education and learning. Training and exchange programs focusing on improving their knowledge and skills regarding environmental education and learning, as well as introducing the environmental education activities of ICETT were held. The program has finally closed after accomplishing its goals.
The course was largely divided into three parts. The activities of various organizations working on environmental education and learning were also introduced to as great an extent as possible.

• Environmental education at national and local government level
• Environmental education at school
• Environmental education in communities and at companies

Throughout the training course, all training participants, motivated with awareness, devoted a considerable amount of time to discussion of what measures should be taken to promote environmental education and learning in their country. On their last day, each training participant gave an achievement presentation on what action they intend to take on return to their country and what measures they will take to promote environmental education and learning.
Looking at an aerial photo of Yokkaichi City taken in the past when the atmosphere was contaminated, the training participants remarked, “It looks just like Ulaanbaatar nowadays”. As they studied in the training course, by learning about what Japan went through in fighting the different types of environmental pollution, the training participants seemed become fully aware of the sense of crisis in their country.