ULAN BATOR, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced Tuesday that its board of directors has approved a loan of 80 million U.S. dollars to help Mongolia's capital transform its shantytowns into low-carbon, climate-resilient and livable eco-districts.

The project will improve the lives of around 100,000 people, including 10,000 direct beneficiary households that will have access to green housing units, Arnaud Heckmann, ADB senior urban development specialist, said.

More than 800,000 residents, over half of Ulan Bator's population, live in the shantytowns with no running water, central heating or sewerage system, and sporadic garbage collection.

They have to burn raw coal and other flammable materials such as plastics and old tires to stay warm and cook meals during the six-month-long winter.

Over the past 25 years, the ADB has implemented about 280 projects and programs in Mongolia worth 1.9 billion dollars in fields such as healthcare, social protection, infrastructure and urban planning.