Anar Amarjargal grew up in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, a city that once had the most polluted capital in the world. Early on, she knew she wanted to be part of a solution to the complex environmental problems facing the community.
After earning her undergraduate degree in Environment and Development in Japan, Amarjargal is now pursuing a master’s degree in climate and society at Colombia Climate School. In the Q&A below, she shares her global journey through sustainable investment, food systems and disaster recovery, and how to embrace her diverse but interconnected interests in the climate field.
What brought you into a master’s degree in climate and social programs?
After undergraduate, I knew I wanted to deepen my understanding of environmental science and find my own niche. When I discovered Columbia’s climate school, it immediately stood out – not just climate change, but also how it affects society. From Ulaanbaatar, who is part of everyday life, I strongly desire to be a bridge between personal action and systematic, top-down change.
It has been an incredible journey from Mongolia to Japan to New York City and I am so excited to continue learning and growing.
What are the most important lessons you have learned in your educational journey so far?
I graduated at the age of 16. At that age, you really don’t know what you want to do, so I asked my parents to choose my major. They choose accounting, and as they say, it is the most stable profession.
After a month of class, I thought it was not my path and decided to spend a few years exploring various jobs. Looking back now, especially in my courses in Sustainable Investment and Finance courses, I realized that things have come. Many brilliant climate ideas wouldn’t be a reality without funding, so I want to learn how to fund these gaps in a sustainable way.
I’m also passionate about the food system. It is very important to emphasize a just energy transition, but I believe we need to pay equal attention to just food transitions. Currently, I am currently researching this at the Colombia Sustainable Investment Center to understand the livestock industry and where capital flows are.
In New York, there are many amazing people in the climate space. I take these critical and practical courses with distinguished professors and guest lecturers in Colombia and guest lecturers, and my perception of climate change phenomena is expanding in various ways.
Can you talk about the work you do in Türkiye this Sustainable urban development center?
The building is located in Better Project the in Hatay, Türkiye focuses on resilience and built environments. The city was destroyed by a massive earthquake, and now the challenge is: How do you rebuild the city more resilient than just earthquakes, but also jeopardize climate risks such as floods and heat waves?
I am currently studying data analysis and research related to flooding and sustainable adaptation strategies.
What is the goal of this project?
We are working with the Colombia Global Center in Istanbul. Our goal is to equip local governments and communities with the tools and data they need. A key perception for me is that while systematic, top-down change is crucial, community members must be crucial to these efforts.
Many earthquake survivors still live in temporary container houses that are not unavailable to withstand heat waves, floods or future earthquakes. The government plans to rebuild the city within five to ten years, a long wait in fragile conditions. Long-term strategies are important, but we must also protect people immediately. Therefore, balancing short-term and long-term solutions is one of the biggest challenges that require system-level thinking and collaborative management with multiple stakeholders.
At present, the government has not fully interacted with local communities or listened to their needs. They need data, communication and collaboration with multiple stakeholders, from people who directly impact decision makers. One of the core questions we are exploring is: How do we rebuild social resilience under such dispersed conditions?
Imagine not only losing your home, but also losing your entire community or city. This is trauma. I hope our work contributes to the reconstruction of practical, feasible and community knowledge.
“I know I can’t solve climate change alone, but I can help drive change in my own communities.”
How does this plan and your time in your plan match your future goals?
In Colombia, I have exposed people from all over the world and how they experience climate change in different ways. I learned that while I have my own story and perspective, the real solution comes from collective efforts. I am very excited to be a member of the school for leaders in this field.
I hope to bring this knowledge home and apply it to similar efforts in Mongolia. I know I can’t solve climate change alone, but I can help drive change in my own communities.
Have you helped you instruct your mentor?
Absolutely! I’m lucky to work with many outstanding and generous people – my academic consultants Lisa Dale and Madajewicz, who I worked with at Rockaways Flood Vulnerability Index. At CCSI, I am working on food systems with Lara Fornabaio, who is passionate about this topic. Another amazing professor I deeply admired, Lisa Sachs, introduced her to me.
Andrew Kruczkiewicz is the best too. He not only helped my technical work, but also how to browse the climate field in the climate field – how to better demonstrate, negotiate and build meaningful careers. In the early part of the semester, I felt the pressure to be the best thing I had. He reminded me that I can be the one who connects multiple interests in sustainability. This suggestion is really with me.
What are your summer plans after class?
This summer, I will be working with over 100 accelerator programs, working with venture capitalists and sustainability-focused startups to help bring impactful projects to life. I will also be internships with the United Nations Convention to combat desertification, where I will focus on attracting private investment and advancing hybrid financial solutions to expand climate resilience.
What do you hope to do in the future?
I have a lot of ideas. I had an internship in Mongolia before and the project supports the GER community. We are very dependent on coal, which has caused our pollution problems. But Mongolia has incredible solar and wind potential. I want to help the community transition from coal to renewable energy and start to scale over time.
One of my biggest goals is to establish a Climate Research Centre in Ulaanbaatar. Every year, an extreme blizzard known as “dzud” kills millions of livestock, devastating rural livelihoods. Not to mention our looming water shortages and desertification challenges, we need a center where climate resilience projects can be studied and implemented.
I used to feel like I wasn’t ready to join the workforce, but now I’m ready and excited for the next step. I am honored to represent Mongolia at Columbia University and I am very grateful to everyone I meet here – faculty, mentor and my incredible associates. I will always be grateful to be able to study with some of the most enthusiastic and dedicated classmates in this challenging and vital field.
