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“Close Your Windows, Avoid Outdoor Exercise” – Residents Fear Air Pollution in Tashkent

On the afternoon of January 27th local time, the level of PM2.5 (fine particles) pollution in the air in Tashkent surpassed the level recommended by the World Health Organization by 23.2 times, according to data from the U.S. Embassy Tashkent AirNow monitoring station. This ranked Uzbekistan’s capital as the third worst city in the world for air pollution, leading to warnings to “avoid outdoor exercise, close your windows, wear a mask outdoors, and run an air purifier.” Thirty-times thinner than a human hair, PM2.5 particles are widely regarded as the most harmful to health.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image="14067" img_size="full" el_class="scond-image" parallax_scroll="no" woodmart_inline="no"][vc_column_text woodmart_inline="no" text_larger="no"]Tashkent has been grappling with a serious air pollution crisis for years, and has been consistently ranked among the cities with the highest levels of air pollution worldwide. Several factors contribute to the escalating levels of air pollution in Tashkent. The Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of Uzbekistan has highlighted increasing emissions from coal-burning heat and power plants, motor vehicles, illegal tree felling, and unauthorized construction activities as the key contributors. The number of vehicles in Tashkent has also increased by 32% from 3.14 million in 2021 to 4.6 million in 2023. The majority of these vehicles use A-80 gasoline, a fuel type that does not meet international standards and emits a significant number of pollutants. Moreover, coal usage for electricity generation has also increased, rising from 3.9 million tons in 2019 to 6.7 million tons by the end of 2023, whilst Tashkent's geographical location, surrounded by mountains, exacerbates the problem as it prevents the polluted air from being dispersed by wind.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image="14068" img_size="full" el_class="scond-image" parallax_scroll="no" woodmart_inline="no"][vc_column_text woodmart_inline="no" text_larger="no"]In response to this environmental crisis, earlier this month the Ministry proposed several measures including banning motor fuel below the Euro-4 standard, restricting the movement of heavy cargo vehicles during rush hours, banning vehicles manufactured before 2010, promoting electric vehicles, reducing congestion by implementing an odd-even scheme for vehicle movement, pedestrianizing city centers, transitioning public transport to electric and gas-cylinder fuel, imposing a moratorium on construction except for facilities of social and state significance, banning the use of coal for industrial purposes in the Tashkent region, and creating a “green belt” around the city.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image="13668" img_size="full" el_class="scond-image" parallax_scroll="no" woodmart_inline="no"][vc_column_text woodmart_inline="no" text_larger="no"]Despite these proposed measures, with such commitments having been made previously, many remain unconvinced about the government's commitment to combating air pollution. "It is now safer to live in Chernobyl than in Tashkent,” Journalist Nikita Makarenko wrote on Telegram. “Where are the measures to reduce cars? Where are the paid parking lots; where are the measures to raise the price of owning a car? Where is the public transport?" Earlier this month, activists in the capital staged a protest to voice their concerns, complaining that the city feels like it is covered in a constant layer of fog which “smells like smoke” and fearing that the government’s response may prove to be a “one-off,” when a long-term strategy is desperately needed. Tashkent is not alone in the region –...

Central Asia Life & Culture Kazakhstan Life & Culture Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan’s Top Five Tourist Sites Revealed

According to Kazakhstan’s National Bureau of Statistics, from January to September 2023 more than three million people visited domestic tourist sites, an increase of 344,000 people compared to the same period in 2022. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has named the top five tourist sites in Kazakhstan by visitor numbers. The Almaty mountain cluster was the most popular destination — over 1.7 million people visited this area from January to September last year. The western Mangystau region was in second place, with just under 300,000 people visiting this part of the country. In third place was the Shchuchinsk-Borovoye area (Burabay National Park) in the north of the country, with 243,000 visitors. The list also included two popular summer holiday destinations: the Alakol area (Abay region, in the south) with 204,000 visitors, and Lake Balkhash with 94,000 visitors. Deputy minister for tourism and sports Erzhan Erkinbayev commented: “Domestic resorts are increasingly popular not only among Kazakhstanis, but also among foreign guests. Unfortunately, the potential of some sites has not yet been fully realized. For example, in the Katon-Karagai national park [the largest national park in Kazakhstan, located in the East Kazakhstan region], the beauty of its nature is not inferior to any of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. However, only 7,800 people visited this place over the first nine months of last year,”

Central Asia Home Uzbekistan Life & Culture Uzbekistan Life & Culture Features

The Last Emir of Bukhara – In the Shadow of Antiquity

The seventh largest city in Uzbekistan, the history of Bukhara is swathed in legends which stretch back for millennia and can be traced to the period of Aryan immigration into the region. After passing through the hands of Alexander the Great, the Bactrians, the Kushan Empire and many others, Bukhara became an epicenter of Persian culture in medieval Asia. With the rise of the Caliphate, by the end of the ninth century Bukhara was one of the most significant Islamic and cultural sites in the region. Throughout its history, Bukhara has been nourished by merchants and travelers, establishing itself as a major hub of trade and crafts on the Silk Road. Today, in the orange early morning light, women holding parasols walk their children to school down gravel alleyways to the ever-present hum of air-con units. Broom-wielding figures in high-viz orange jackets cast bulbous shadows as they sweep the dust from side to side. As the sun arcs towards its zenith, a haze develops, the heat so overpowering that even the hawkers lose the will to sell. Weaving past scant pedestrians, infrequent marshrutkas head out of town towards the glittering Summer Palace of Bukhara’s last Emir, the outsized Sayyid Mir Muhammad Alim Khan. Beyond the imposing majolica tiled gateway of the Russian-built Sitora-I Mohi Khosa – Palace of the Stars and the Magnificent Moon - the banqueting hall contains an elaborate bronze chandelier from Poland weighing half a ton. To gasps of awe, Bukhara’s first electric light shone from it during the 1910s thanks to a fifty-watt generator.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image="12020" img_size="full" el_class="scond-image" parallax_scroll="no" woodmart_inline="no"][vc_column_text woodmart_inline="no" text_larger="no"]An avenue of quince trees leads to an ostentation of peacocks parading around a voluminous pool, where the Emir’s harem used to frolic. Raised on a platform high above them, the Emir would sit upon his gilded throne, bejeweled and decked in golden threads, choosing his lady for the night. Escaping the conflict between reformers and imams, and ever more dependent upon the overlords who would inevitably bring about his downfall, Amir Khan spent his last years as ruler cocooned in the Summer Palace, sating his gluttonous appetite from a glass-fronted Russian refrigerator.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image="13877" img_size="full" el_class="scond-image" parallax_scroll="no" woodmart_inline="no"][vc_column_text woodmart_inline="no" text_larger="no"]Putting his lot in with the reformers, then switching sides in the face of the mullah’s power, in his final years the last Emir was a leaf in the wind. These were the dark days of mass executions, book burnings, and an intellectual exodus from the Emirate. When the ripples from the Bolshevik Revolution reached his kingdom, Alim Khan declared a Holy War upon the Russians and their reformist allies, the Young Bukharans. With Russian gunners initially forced back by frenzied, knife-wielding true believers, tit-for-tat retributions took place before, with their inevitable victory sealed, the Red Army set about pillaging and murdering their vanquished foes. On September 2nd 1920, soldiers raised the Red Banner from the bombed-out lantern of the Kalon Minaret. From the ninth-century Pit of the Herbalists to the Ismail Samani Mausoleum, Bukhara isn’t about...

Central Asia Turkmenistan Life & Culture Turkmenistan Life & Culture

Turkmenistan and UNESCO: joint efforts to preserve cultural heritage

A regular meeting of the National Commission for UNESCO was held in the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat. It was chaired by foreign minister Rashid Meredov. The meeting was attended by high-ranking representatives of the government and heads of key Turkmen agencies and ministries. Last year four documents were signed between Turkmenistan and UNESCO. This made it possible to take active measures to preserve the cultural and natural heritage of the Turkmen people. One of the main topics for discussion at this meeting was efforts to include Turkmenistan's national values in the UNESCO World Heritage Lists. During the past year, three objects of Turkmen culture were added to the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Another important step for Turkmenistan is the inclusion of a collection of manuscripts by Makhtumkuli Fraghi in the UNESCO International Memory of the World List. UNESCO’s list of commemorative dates for 2024-2025 includes the 300th anniversary of the birth of this important figure in Turkmen literature.

Central Asia Life & Culture International Affairs Kazakhstan Life & Culture Kazakhstan International Affairs Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan President Tokayev Makes First Visit to Vatican

During his visit to Italy last week, Kazakhstan’s president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev made his first official visit to the Holy See at the invitation of Pope Francis. During the meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican on January 19th, Tokayev expressed gratitude to the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church for his tireless efforts to serve humanity around the world, Tokayev’s press service reported. “Your prayer for peace instilled aspiration and new hope not only in the hearts and minds of thousands of Catholics, but of many of our fellow citizens of other religions. Today, multiethnic and multiconfessional Kazakhstan, which has been historically located at the crossroads of various civilizations, is a proud home to the largest Catholic community in Central Asia,” said Tokayev. “We have managed to form our own model of peace and national dialogue, based on the principles of ‘unity-in-diversity’. People of various faiths have their places of worship in Kazakhstan. Fostering religious freedom is an integral part of my presidential agenda,” the Kazakh leader emphasized. Tokayev stressed that “We should all come together as one, despite our differences, in order to preach and practice peace, facilitate an ongoing dialogue across cultures and religions, and to drive forward development for the benefit of people of all faiths.” The Pontiff thanked Tokayev for his contribution to peace and harmony. The Kazakh president also met with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations. The Holy See’s press office said that during the meetings with president Tokayev, appreciation was expressed for the good relations between the Holy See and Kazakhstan, with particular reference to mutual collaboration in the sphere of interreligious dialogue. Regional and international themes were also discussed, with special attention to conflicts and humanitarian issues. Pope Francis visited Kazakhstan in September 2022, when he took part in the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions held in Astana. This Congress is held in the Kazakh capital every three years, functioning as a permanent international interfaith platform for dialogue between religions.

Uzbekistan Environment Central Asia Uzbekistan Life & Culture Uzbekistan Life & Culture

Uzbekistan’s senators amend legislation to improve environmental safety

During a meeting on January 20th, the Senate of the Oliy Majlis introduced amendments to legislation aimed at improving environmental safety. The amendments are aimed at reducing the negative impact on the environment. They will also contribute to increasing the responsibility of state bodies. The amendments establish clear mechanisms and procedures for responding to threats to the life and health of the population. According to the senators, the increase in construction, production and urbanization leads to increased emissions of pollutants into the environment. Urbanization is often accompanied by the expansion of production capacity, construction of factories, enterprises and infrastructure, which leads to an increase in emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere. In Uzbekistan this takes place due to the active development of industry, construction of new infrastructure facilities, increase in motor traffic, and poor quality of waste treatment systems. In accordance with the proposed amendments, the legislation now provides for the possibility of limiting and temporarily suspending the operation of facilities that have a negative impact on the environment for a period of up to 10 working days, in order to prevent possible emergencies, epidemics and other threats to people’s health. According to the senators, these changes contribute to improving the environmental situation and protecting enterprises, as well as fighting corruption and increasing the responsibility of government agencies. However, Senate chairwoman Tanzila Narbayeva expressed doubts and noted that environmental laws should not contain ambiguous norms that can be interpreted and applied differently. "In practice, such a situation can cause various problems, misunderstandings, discontent and, worst of all, cases of corruption. From this point of view, these amendments are very important. Because the level of industrialization in our country is growing every year. Under such conditions, the scale of environmental impact will increase. Especially today, in our big cities, such as Tashkent, such clear legal norms are very important for prevention of exceeding the level of air pollution." Due to this, additional changes are possible in the future, which will more precisely justify the laws "On Nature Protection", "On Atmospheric Air Protection" and "On Environmental Control".