Environment - The Times Of Central Asia

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Air Pollution

Tashkent Choked by Smog: What 2025 Revealed and How Residents Are Responding

The year 2025 proved especially challenging for air quality in Uzbekistan’s capital, with Tashkent repeatedly ranking among the world’s most polluted cities during peak smog episodes. At times, short-term air quality readings placed it alongside major Asian megacities during severe pollution spikes. These rankings were more than just statistics. Thick smog became a daily reality for residents, disrupting everyday life and intensifying concerns over public health and long-term environmental sustainability. Coal, Cars, and Construction: What’s Fueling the Smog Officials from Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Ecology and independent environmental researchers say Tashkent’s air pollution is primarily caused by human activity. The heaviest blow came from municipal furnaces and boiler houses. Amid ongoing natural gas shortages, many public facilities, including schools, kindergartens, and hospitals, were converted to coal or fuel oil, resulting in a surge of emissions. Uzbekistan’s coal consumption jumped from 3.9 million tons in 2019 to 6.7 million tons in 2023. Emissions from these sources accumulate in the lower atmosphere during the cold season, exacerbating pollution. Vehicle emissions are another major contributor. Tashkent has approximately 193 vehicles per 1,000 residents, roughly double the national average. Many cars run on low-octane AI-80 gasoline, which contains high levels of harmful impurities. While coal use has surged, vehicle emissions remain a serious issue. In 2019, motor transport accounted for the majority of urban air emissions in several districts of the city. Adding to the problem are industrial plants on the city’s outskirts, frequent dust storms during dry seasons, and unregulated urban development. High-rise construction has created wind barriers that disrupt air circulation, while green spaces, Tashkent’s natural air filters, have steadily disappeared. Despite an official moratorium on tree cutting, official and environmental group estimates indicate that around 49,000 trees have been felled since 2019, often by developers who face only minimal penalties. According to Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Ecology, PM2.5 concentrations in Tashkent routinely exceed World Health Organization guidelines. During peak smog episodes in early February 2024, pollutant levels were recorded at up to 22 times the WHO’s recommended annual limits. These fine particles penetrate deep into the lungs, triggering allergies, inflammation, and cardiovascular issues. A 2019 World Bank report cited air pollution as the cause of 89 deaths per 100,000 people in Uzbekistan, the highest rate in Central Asia. Winter smog episodes have intensified since then. Living Under a Haze: Residents Speak Out For many Tashkent residents, smog has become part of everyday life. People commonly report throat and eye irritation, a constant dusty haze, and difficulty breathing. “It’s dusty and hard to breathe, you feel it all the time,” said Victoria Son, 18, a student at Bucheon University. Karina Sagidullina, 19, a videographer and programmer with severe dust allergies, said the polluted air significantly affects her health. “My nose often gets blocked, I sneeze a lot. I have to do wet cleaning at home every day,” she said. Some residents, however, say they are less affected. “So far, I don’t really feel the air pollution. I breathe normally and don’t wear a mask,”...

Desertification

Ashgabat to Host Regional Center for Combating Desertification in Central Asia

A regional center dedicated to combating desertification will be established in Turkmenistan's capital Ashgabat. The center aims to coordinate efforts among Central Asian nations to address environmental and water management challenges. According to Pirli Kepbanov, Director of the National Institute of Deserts, Flora and Fauna under Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Environmental Protection, the new institution will consolidate regional scientific and practical capacities to tackle transboundary issues affecting agriculture and water resources. “Based at the center, the region’s states will be able to cooperate on shared concerns related to agricultural production and water infrastructure,” Kepbanov said. Ashgabat’s selection as the host city is no coincidence. Turkmenistan has long been a regional hub for desert science, with established research institutions specializing in land degradation, desert ecosystems, and the adaptation of economic activity to arid conditions. “There are only four such scientific institutes worldwide, and one of them is the National Institute of Deserts, Flora and Fauna of Turkmenistan,” Kepbanov added. He also emphasized Turkmenistan’s historical role in developing desert science across Central Asia and beyond. “The first Chinese desert scientists trained here,” he said, adding that contemporary Chinese experts acknowledge Turkmenistan’s important contributions to their national school of desert research. Currently, the National Institute collaborates with the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography in China, the A.N. Kostyakov Federal Scientific Center for Hydrotechnics and Land Reclamation in Russia, and is receiving partnership proposals from universities across Central Asia.

Environment

Kyrgyzstan Moves to Tighten Vehicle Emissions Rules as Air Pollution Worsens

Kyrgyzstan is preparing to tighten environmental regulations on motor vehicles as part of a broader effort to combat rising air pollution in its major cities. A draft bill currently under public discussion proposes mandatory requirements for the presence and proper functioning of catalytic converters in vehicles originally manufactured with them. The initiative targets one of the most persistent sources of urban air pollution: an aging vehicle fleet in which catalytic converters are frequently removed. The absence of these devices significantly increases toxic emissions and fuel consumption, with direct consequences for public health. Under the proposed amendments, vehicles that do not meet environmental standards could be prohibited from operating. Driving a vehicle without a functioning catalytic converter would result in fines of approximately $114 for private individuals and about $400 for legal entities. According to the bill’s explanatory note, the measures aim primarily to reduce pollution in urban centers such as Bishkek and Osh. Lawmakers emphasize that the widespread removal of catalytic converters contributes to both higher emissions and increased fuel use. Data from the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision show that motor vehicles, particularly older models lacking emissions control systems, account for roughly 30% of air pollution in Bishkek. Vehicle numbers in the capital have surged in recent years. Bishkek now has more than 600,000 registered vehicles, nearly double the estimated road infrastructure capacity of 350,000. Over 300,000 of these vehicles are more than 15 years old, making them a major contributor to harmful emissions. Air quality in the city of more than one million residents remains a persistent concern, especially in winter, when coal-burning for residential heating, responsible for an estimated 40% of pollution, intensifies. Seasonal spikes frequently push Bishkek into the global rankings of the most polluted cities. The draft legislation could also pave the way for a regulated system to dispose of non-functioning catalytic converters, which contain valuable materials such as platinum group metals, rhodium, and cerium. The presence of these metals has fueled a gray market, with online advertisements and repair shops offering to remove converters for resale. Lawmakers argue that formal regulation would help curb theft and establish a legal recycling sector. In September 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers imposed a six-month ban on the export of catalytic converters and other waste containing precious metals, in an effort to limit illegal outflows and stabilize domestic oversight. The bill’s authors describe catalytic converter enforcement as a concrete step toward meeting Kyrgyzstan’s commitments under the Paris Agreement and reducing transport-sector greenhouse gas emissions. However, the effectiveness of the new rules will depend on enforcement capacity. With a significant portion of the current fleet already non-compliant, and the average vehicle age remaining high, implementation may face resistance unless supported by effective inspection systems and realistic compliance pathways. Kyrgyzstan’s proposed emissions crackdown signals a shift toward more enforceable environmental policy. If properly implemented, the measures could meaningfully reduce air pollution and curtail illicit trade in precious metals. Their success, however, will hinge on the state’s ability...

Water Shortages

Kazakhstan Warns of Severe Water Shortages as Syr Darya Levels Drop

Kazakhstan’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, gave a sober warning to the country on January 13 that this year there could be significantly less water for agriculture in the southern parts of the country. Nurzhigitov said that as of January 12, there was 1.9 billion cubic meters (bcm) less water in the reservoirs of southern Kazakhstan than on that date in 2025. The Importance of the Syr-Darya These areas are part of the Syr Darya Basin. The Syr Darya is one of Central Asia’s two large rivers, the other being the Amu Darya to the south, which runs along the Central Asia-Afghan border. Equally alarming for Kazakhstan, Nurzhigitov noted that in the mountains of upstream neighboring countries, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, where the Syr Darya originates, officials are also reporting low levels in reservoirs. According to the Kazakh Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, the reservoirs in those two countries are a combined 3.2 bcm lower than last year at this time. Kyrgyzstan’s Energy Minister Taalaybek Ibrayev said in November 2025 that the water level in the massive Toktogul reservoir was less than 11 bcm, nearly 2 bcm lower than in November 2024, and only at about 60% of its 19.5 bcm capacity. Water from the reservoir is released into the Naryn River, which eventually merges with the Syr Darya in Uzbekistan, and flows on further into Kazakhstan. The Toktogul hydropower plant (HPP) depends on that water to supply some 40% of Kyrgyzstan’s domestically-produced electricity, and Ibrayev called on Kyrgyzstan’s citizens to conserve electricity and help the water in Toktogul accumulate before the 2026 agriculture season. Tajikistan’s state power company, Barqi Tojik, also called in November for the country’s citizens to save electricity as the water level at the Nurek HPP’s reservoir was low. The Nurek reservoir uses water from the Vakhsh River that does not flow into the Syr Darya, but the water shortage problems at Nurek are similar throughout Tajikistan, including tributaries that do flow into the Syr Darya. Conservation and New Wells In Kazakhstan, Nurzhigitov said inspections and repairs of irrigation canals were currently underway. He also mentioned that in December, Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev had ordered officials in the Kyzylorda, Turkestan, and Zhambyl provinces to hold meetings with farmers and herders to discuss water conservation. There were also talks with farmers about planting crops that required less water. Water limits would be announced in February, Nurzhigitov said, and in March the Agriculture Ministry would decide how much land to sow for this year’s crops based on expected water supplies during the spring-summer period. Nurzhigitov added that work was being done to increase the use of underground water, which he claimed could amount to some 15.7 bcm of extra water for Kazakhstan annually. Currently, Nurzhigitov said, only some 7-10% of this underground water is being used. Bleak Forecast Kazakhstan gathered a record harvest in 2025, some 27.1 million tons of grain, despite planting less wheat. Given the reduction in precipitation in Central Asia in...

Uranium

IAEA Extends Central Asia Uranium Cleanup Plan Through 2030

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has released a new Strategic Master Plan extending its cooperation with Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, alongside international partners, for the remediation of uranium legacy sites in Central Asia through 2030, according to World Nuclear News. Central Asia served as a key uranium source for the former Soviet Union, with mining and processing conducted over more than 50 years. In addition to local production, uranium ore was imported for processing, leaving vast amounts of radioactive waste stored in tailings and mining dumps. Most sites were shut down by 1995, but limited remediation both pre- and post-closure, has left behind long-term environmental and public health risks, including the threat of groundwater and surface water contamination in agriculturally vital areas. Since 2012, the IAEA’s Coordination Group for Uranium Legacy Sites has supported Central Asian countries with expert missions, legal and regulatory framework development, and remediation strategies. In 2017, the IAEA, the European Commission, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the CIS Economic Council, and the governments of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan adopted a Strategic Master Plan. Published in May 2018, it identified seven former uranium sites as the highest priority, with initial remediation costs estimated at €85 million. A revised plan was signed in September 2021, and the most recent version was presented in Tashkent in October 2025. It emphasizes long-term monitoring, maintenance, recordkeeping, and ongoing engagement with local communities to ensure the safe reuse of remediated land. “The new plan, an extension of our collaboration since 2017, focuses on enhancing the regulatory, technical, financial, and human resources for the long-term management of the remediated sites, according to IAEA safety standards,” said Hildegarde Vandenhove, Director of the IAEA Division of Radiation, Transport and Waste Safety. The updated plan puts the total cost of the Environmental Remediation Account programme at €113 million. This includes remediation work, project management, and contingencies. Since 2017, four of the seven high-priority sites have been fully remediated, two in Kyrgyzstan and two in Uzbekistan, while work continues at a fifth site in Kyrgyzstan. In Tajikistan, one site has been partially remediated, and another remains untouched. Lower-priority sites are also covered under the new plan, with some funding secured through bilateral agreements with Russia. Sardorbek Yakubekov, Deputy Chairman of Uzbekistan’s Industrial, Radiation and Nuclear Safety Committee, said the programme “stands as a vivid example of how the collective efforts of the international community… can yield tangible and lasting results.” As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia last December, Tajikistan still faces tens of millions of tons of radioactive waste from Soviet-era uranium mining, highlighting both the scale of the challenge and the critical need for sustained international support.

Glaciers

Glacier Growing Despite Global Warming Discovered in Tajikistan

While most of the world’s glaciers are retreating due to climate change, a rare anomaly has been discovered in the Pamir Mountains. Researchers have identified a glacier in eastern Tajikistan that is not melting but is, in fact, growing. The discovery, reported by Popular Mechanics, concerns the Kon-Chukurbashi ice cap, a rare formation demonstrating resilience in the face of global warming. Located in the Sarykol Range of the Pamirs, near the Chinese border, the glacier lies on the slopes of the peak bearing the same name. The expedition reached an altitude of approximately 5,810 meters (nearly 19,000 feet) above sea level to conduct research. Scientists extracted two ice cores, each over 100 meters long, from the glacier. These cores preserve up to 30,000 years of climate history. One was sent to the Ice Memory Foundation’s underground archive in Antarctica for long-term preservation. The other was delivered to the Institute of Low Temperature Science at Hokkaido University in Japan, where Professor Yoshinori Iizuka is leading an investigation into the glacier’s mass gain. Researchers hope the analysis of the ice’s structure, trapped air bubbles, and chemical composition will help explain why this glacier defies global trends. Understanding these mechanisms could offer insight into glacial stability not only in Central Asia but globally. The region, often referred to as the “Roof of the World”, is characterized by extreme altitudes, a harsh continental climate, and a near-total absence of permanent human settlement. Due to its remoteness, access to Kon-Chukurbashi is limited primarily to scientific missions, underscoring the rarity and importance of the data collected. Scientists believe that studying this glacier could provide critical insights into the future of freshwater resources and climate risk assessment in mountainous regions worldwide.