Anar Amarjargal grew up in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia—a city once ranked the most polluted capital in the world. Early on, she knew she wanted to be part of the solution to the complex environmental issues her community faced.

After completing an undergraduate degree in environment and development in Japan, Amarjargal is now pursuing her M.A. in Climate and Society at the Columbia Climate School. In the Q&A below, she shares her global journey through sustainable investment, food systems and disaster recovery, and how she came to embrace her diverse but interconnected interests within the climate space.

What brought you to the M.A. in Climate and Society program?

After undergrad, I knew I wanted to deepen my understanding of environmental science and find my niche. When I discovered the Columbia Climate School, it stood out immediately—it wasn’t just about climate change, but also how it affected societies. Coming from Ulaanbaatar, where climate challenges are part of daily life, I felt a strong urge to become a bridge between individual action and systemic, top-down change.

From Mongolia to Japan, and now to New York City, it’s been an incredible journey—and I’m super excited to continue learning and growing.

What are some of the most important lessons you’ve learned during your educational journey so far?

I graduated high school at 16. At that age, you don’t really know what you want to do with your life, so I let my parents choose my major. They chose accounting, as they said it’s the most stable career one can have.
 
One month into classes, I decided it was not the path for me, and decided to take a gap year, exploring a variety of jobs. Looking back now, especially with the courses I’m taking in sustainable investment and finance, I realize things have come full circle. So many brilliant climate ideas won’t become reality without funding, so I wish to learn how to finance these gaps in a sustainable way.
 
I’ve also grown passionate about food systems. There’s so much emphasis on a just energy transition, which is crucial, but I believe we need equal focus on a just food transformation. I’m currently doing research on exactly this at the Columbia Center for Sustainable Investment, learning about the livestock industry and where the capital flows.
 
Being in New York, there are so many amazing people in the climate space. Taking these critical and practical classes with brilliant professors here at Columbia and guest lecturers, my perspective on climate change phenomena is expanding in every way.

Can you talk about the work you’re doing in Turkey with the Center for Sustainable Urban Development?

The Building Back Better project in Hatay, Turkey focuses on resilience and built environment. The city was devastated by a massive earthquake, and now the challenge is: how do you rebuild a city to be more resilient—not just to earthquakes, but also to climate risks like floods and heatwaves?

I’m currently working on the data analysis and research related to floods and sustainable adaptation strategies.

What are the goals of this project?

We’re collaborating with the Columbia Global Center in Istanbul. Our goal is to equip local governments and communities with the tools and data they need. One key realization for me has been that while systemic, top-down change is critical, community members must be central to these efforts.  

Many earthquake survivors are still living in temporary container homes that weren’t built to withstand heatwaves, floods or future quakes. The government plans to rebuild the city in five to 10 years, which is a long time to wait under vulnerable conditions. Long-term strategies are important, but we must also protect people in the immediate term. Therefore, balancing short and long-term solutions is one of the biggest challenges that requires systems-level thinking and collaborative management with multiple stakeholders.

Right now, the government isn’t adequately engaging with local communities or listening to their needs. They need data, communication and collaboration with multiple stakeholders, from the people who were directly affected to policymakers. One of the core questions we’re exploring is: how can we rebuild social resilience in such fragmented conditions?

Imagine losing not just your home, but your entire community or city. It’s traumatic. I hope our work contributes to practical, actionable and community-informed rebuilding efforts.

How does this initiative and your time in the program dovetail with your future goals?

Being at Columbia has exposed me to people from all over the world and how they experience climate change differently. I’ve learned that while I have my own story and perspective, real solutions comes from collective effort. I’m grateful to be a part of a school that is a leader in this space.

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 community.

Have you had mentors who helped guide you?

Absolutely! I’ve been fortunate to work with many brilliant and generous people—my academic advisor Lisa Dale and Malgosia Madajewicz, with whom I worked on a flood vulnerability index in the Rockaways. At CCSI, I’m researching food systems with Lara Fornabaio, who is incredibly passionate about the topic. She was introduced to me by Lisa Sachs, another amazing professor whom I deeply admire.

Andrew Kruczkiewicz has also been the best. He’s helped me not just with the technical work, but also with how to navigate the climate field—how to present better, negotiate and build a meaningful career. Early in the semester, I felt pressure to be the best at one thing. He reminded me I could be the person who connects multiple interests across sustainability. That advice really stayed with me.

What are your summer plans after Class Day?

This summer, I’ll be working as a fellow with the 100+ Accelerator Program, collaborating with venture capitalists and sustainability-focused startups to help bring impactful projects to life. I’ll also be interning with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, where I’ll focus on attracting private investment and advancing blended finance solutions to scale climate resilience. 

What do you hope to do in the future?

I have a lot of ideas. I previously interned in Mongolia on a project that supported the ger communities. We’re heavily reliant on coal, which drives our pollution problem. But Mongolia has incredible, untapped potential for solar and wind energy. I want to help communities transition from coal to renewables—starting small and scaling over time.

One of my biggest goals is to establish a climate research center in Ulaanbaatar. Every year, extreme snowstorms known as “dzud” kill millions of livestock, devastating rural livelihoods. Not to mention our imminent challenges of water shortage and desertification—we need a center where we can study and implement climate resilience projects.

I used to feel like I wasn’t ready to join the workforce, but now I feel prepared and excited to take the next step. I’m proud to be representing Mongolia at Columbia University, and I’m deeply grateful to everyone I’ve met here—faculty, mentors and my incredible cohort. I’m eternally thankful to be learning alongside some of the most passionate and dedicated classmates in this challenging and vital field.