MONGOLIA’S MINERAL FRONTIER

Mongolia’s Gobi Desert lies at the heart of one of the world’s most dramatic mineral booms. From the copper fields of Oyu Tolgoi to the coal convoys heading toward the Chinese border, this photo essay follows the people living with both the promise and the cost of that newfound wealth: herders whose pastures have been lost and wells have run dry, truck drivers chasing fragile livelihoods, and families benefiting from new schools and upgraded clinics while facing growing health risks. In the vast emptiness of the Gobi, the future is being negotiated one road, one well, and one mine at a time.