Prince Andrew visits Mongolian eco-ger

During his visit to Mongolia last week, Prince Andrew visited a model "eco-ger" in Ulaan Baator. The ger - or traditional Mongolian felt tent - is in Gandan monastery, the premier monastery in the country, headed by His Eminence Venerable Khamba Lama.

The eco-ger was set up by the local Buddhist community in order to promote environmental awareness - and is part of a larger, long-term programme initiated by the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC), and sponsored by the Dutch Government and the World Bank.

The ger uses appropriate technology, blending the best of Mongolian traditions with simple development tools in order to reflect both Buddhist teachings about protecting creation, and contemporary ideas about minimising climate change.

The Duke of York was visiting Mongolia to join its president Enkhbayar in the 800 year celebrations of the Mongolian state.

He was particularly interested in ARC's work, because the charity was founded by his father, HRH The Prince Philip.