Toilets, Tourism And Mongolia

Toilets often feature prominently in travel and tourism stories and experiences, especially those involving mishaps like dropping a passport into a long-drop pit toilet. While many international travelers are open-minded and adventurous, seeking authentic experiences that cross cultural divides, there remains a significant demand for standardised sanitation. This is one reason why tourist ger camps in Mongolia are popular, as they offer access to flushing toilets and hot showers.

Despite the Sustainable Development Goal 6, which calls for adequate and equitable sanitation for all, Mongolia faces significant water stress. Although international visitors often request flush toilets, a notable percentage of Mongolia’s 3.2 million population (2020 Census) — particularly those in rural and peri-urban areas, such as the ger districts of Ulaanbaatar — lack adequate access to piped water and sewerage systems.

There are numerous factors leading to this lack of access – the geography of the country, the extreme climate, the dispersed population, and a lack of financial resources leading to a lack of infrastructure. But tourism in Mongolia (both domestic and international) is a major user of water in areas where water is scarce or where renewal rates of the water table are limited such as in the Gobi Desert and tourism’s contribution to water consumption can be regionally significant. In addition, during peak season, the local sewage facilities can struggle to cope with the influx of human waste. The fact that local Mongolians do not have access to the flush facilities provided by a majority of ger camps is just one reason we try to avoid using such camps. We are not overly comfortable using what local people don’t have. We need to show an element of social sensitivity and a willingness to compromise.

Toilets, Tourism and Mongolia – A Personal Crusade!

And then there’s the challenge of dealing with human waste when there are no public toilets, just hundreds of empty square miles of nothingness, such as in Mongolia. What do you do when you need to pee or poop? Bury it? Pack it out? Just leave it?

Despite Mongolia often being marketed by tour companies as an untouched wilderness, toilet paper, sanitary items, and wet wipes are now commonplace throughout its landscapes. This discarded rubbish motivated our annual national park community clean-up event. However, it’s puzzling why some travelers who can afford to explore other countries don’t consider their environmental impact, and why some tourism companies profiting from Mongolian experiences seem to ignore this issue. It’s also worth noting that Mongolia’s herders own approximately 67 million head of livestock (2021), which produce a significant amount of dung. Many international visitors to Mongolia also note that locals aren’t always strict about the leave-no-trace philosophy. So, what can we do?

Human waste and its disposal significantly impact wilderness experiences and the environment. Everyone in the tourism industry – from individual guides to tour operators and destination management organisations – should address these challenges rather than ignore them. While there are no set rules, a few simple changes can positively impact the environment and local communities. Here’s what we’re doing at EL:

Finding suitable trowels took time, as Mongolia’s varied terrain presents challenges: hard-packed earth in the Gobi, dense forest cover in the north, and tussocks on the eastern steppe. We bought a surplus supply of trowels to trial. And then there’s the question of what to do when it’s minus 20 degrees, the land is frozen, and you have your trowel…

In addition, each of our tour vehicles now has its own toilet tent for overnight stops, which covers a communal hole used by all – often a loo with a truly remarkable view and plenty of air conditioning. We also provide information to our female guests, highlighting that used tampons and sanitary pads should be removed and not buried. We also recommend considering a menstrual cup, a non-absorbent, pliable cup that collects menstrual fluid.

However, we know we’re not perfect – not by any stretch of the imagination. Sometimes we forget to give the toilet talk, or sometimes our guests just don’t listen or feel uncomfortable with the idea. The trowels might go missing, and we don’t always remind guests of the rule to walk 70 adult steps from a water source before peeing. But we’ve made a start. We are considering the subject and thinking about how we can improve our footprint. All I ask is that as a traveler, you’ll join us in making an effort to leave no trace. It comes down to respect – respect for our natural environment but ultimately for ourselves as well.

Toilets, Tourism and Mongolia – What We Are Doing at Eternal Landscapes

We research and design our tour experiences to create local benefits for the communities we work with, including herding families. These partnerships help supplement their income, prevent urban migration, face the challenges of climate change, and maintain their fragile herding lifestyle. Many herding families we work with migrate throughout the year and do not always have access to a toilet at their pasture locations, or they have very basic latrine-style toilets that often need improvements. By bringing visitors to their homes, we increase the pressure on their toilet facilities.

Although nearly all tourism companies in Mongolia use homestay experiences provided by herding families, and despite being a small company with limited financial resources, we are looking at ways to fund composting toilets for the families we work with. Dry toilets are also an option, but herding families live on a thin edge and realistically do not have the time required to maintain them. We also need to consider the ongoing maintenance of any toilets owned by the families or that we arrange to be built.

As part of our Earth Day initiative, we are advocating for a sustainable tourism manifesto for both domestic and international tourism in Mongolia. A key component of this manifesto focuses on improving sanitary conditions and education related to toilets and tourism in Mongolia.

For now, we ask that if you’re visiting Mongolia – especially water-stressed areas such as the Gobi – be conscious of your water usage. If you are caught short, bury your waste thoughtfully, and don’t demand amenities that local people lack. Nurture your sense of adventure!

If you resonate with our philosophy and would like to explore Mongolia with us, check out the range of experiences we offer. Alternatively, feel free to get in touch with your questions.

Jess @ Eternal Landscapes