A/HRC/45/10/Add.3 PROGRESS ON-GOING: The Special Rapporteur notes the Government’s effort to address the disparity in access to water and sanitations between rural and urban areas, notably, the new “State policy on housing and public utilities”. He recommends that the Government prioritize reducing inequalities between urban and rural areas both through specific targets for the level of access to water and sanitation in rural areas, allocation of adequate resources to close the gap of inequalities and targeted policies. B. Recommendation on availability RECOMMENDATION 13: Apply a human rights framework to water resources management, particularly by giving priority to water for personal and domestic use over other uses related to economic activities (A/HRC/39/55/Add.2, para. 82(h)). 44. As included in the country visit report, according to the 2013 UN-Water country brief for Mongolia, as of 2009, the industrial sector was responsible for the majority of water withdrawals (38 per cent) together with irrigated crops (23 per cent) and livestock (21 per cent). While mining and other industries may be a driver of economic growth, that may affect the priority of water allocation, which should be given to water used for essential personal and domestic uses for the whole population. As Mongolia faces challenges related to the quantity and quality of water resources, both surface and groundwater, further pressure on water allocation and socio-environmental conflicts were noted to be very likely (A/HRC/39/55/Add. 2, para. 36). The Special Rapporteur noted that the country’s development goals should be implemented in a way that does not undermine water usage for human consumption and sanitation (A/HRC/39/55/Add. 2, para. 35). 45. The prioritization of water for domestic purposes is especially important in the context of widespread activity of mining and extractive industries in Mongolia. A 2019 report by the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development found several instances of mining operations impacting the drinking water quality of local communities. For example, local herders had found many dead fish in the Onon River in Khentii Aimag - which local communities still rely on for drinking water – near gold mining plants where gold is washed with arsenic and cyanide, two highly toxic chemicals. 23 Drinking water and water for personal and domestic purposes must be prioritized, and human rights standards – including but not limited to water quality – must not be compromised as a result of the allocation of water resources to industrial activity. In his report on megaprojects, the Special Rapporteur outlines how conducting human rights impact assessments, in particular on water and sanitation, should take into account how effluents released by megaprojects impact on water quality and the existence of preventive measures to avoid contamination of water resources in the first place (A/74/197, para. 29). 46. One aspect of ensuring the availability of water for personal uses is to take stock of water resources in the country, in order to be able to create management plans and guarantee the full availability of water for drinking purposes. In its submission to the Special Rapporteur, the Government explained that between 2018 and 2019 hydrogeological mapping had been conducted in three Gobi region basins that covered a total 75.000 km2 area, as well as in five soums of Gobi-Altai and Bayankhongor aimag, and five soums in Sukhbaatar and Dornogobi. This increased the area of the country covered by mapping by 4.8 per cent, to a total of 14.6 per cent in 2019.24 47. While the mapping of water resources is a positive step towards creating plans to ensure the availability of drinking water, it is important to ensure that access to water for personal and domestic purposes is prioritized. The Special Rapporteur notes that the amended 23 24 Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, Our Land. Fact-finding mission report on the impacts of mining on defenders and environment in Khentii and Dornod Provinces, Mongolia, 2019, 22. Submission by the Government of Mongolia. 15