Air Quality - The Times Of Central Asia

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Air Pollution

Report Reveals Persistently High Air Pollution Levels in Bishkek and Osh

Air pollution remains one of Kyrgyzstan’s most serious environmental challenges, particularly in the cities of Bishkek and Osh, where coal-based heating and motor vehicle emissions are identified as the main sources of pollution, according to a report by the environmental organisation MoveGreen. The study, covering the period from December 2024 to November 2025, found that Bishkek experienced between 118 and 120 days during which concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exceeded permissible limits. Average annual levels were estimated at between 44 and 47 micrograms per cubic meter, significantly above the World Health Organization’s recommended guideline of 5 micrograms per cubic meter. Air quality in the capital shows strong seasonal variation. Pollution levels rise sharply during winter due to increased coal consumption for heating and the accumulation of emissions linked to the city’s geographical setting. As a result, Bishkek has frequently ranked among the world’s most polluted urban areas in international air quality monitoring indices. In Osh, pollution patterns were described as more stable but still concerning. Elevated PM2.5 levels were recorded for 159 days during the study period, nearly half the year. The city’s average annual concentration reached 74 micrograms per cubic meter, far exceeding international health recommendations. The report’s authors also noted that concentrations of other pollutants, including nitrogen oxides and formaldehyde, tend to increase during warmer months. Among the key recommendations outlined in the study are a gradual transition to cleaner heating sources, expansion and modernisation of public transport systems, measures to reduce dust pollution in urban areas, and improvements in air quality monitoring infrastructure.

Traffic regulations

Kazakhstan May Introduce Traffic Restrictions Based on Beijing Model

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources has proposed that city authorities draw on Beijing’s experience in restricting private vehicle traffic on days with unfavorable weather conditions as part of efforts to combat air pollution. Beijing has operated an “even-odd” traffic system since 2011, under which vehicles with even-numbered license plates may drive on even dates, and those with odd-numbered plates on odd dates. While the measure in the Chinese capital was initially introduced to reduce traffic congestion, in Kazakhstan, it is being considered primarily as a tool to improve air quality. After reviewing Beijing’s practice, the ministry has instructed local authorities and regional environmental departments to prepare air protection plans for 2026-2028, including the possible introduction of similar restrictions. The ministry cited data from Kazhydromet indicating that by the end of 2025, eleven cities in Kazakhstan are expected to record persistently high levels of air pollution. The most affected cities remain Almaty, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Karaganda, Temirtau, and Aktobe. Despite the modernization of major industrial facilities and the adoption of best available technologies, a significant share of emissions originates from smaller sources, including motor vehicles, private households, and small businesses. In Almaty, approximately 60% of emissions are attributed to transport, while a further 12% comes from private homes and small boiler houses. A similar pattern is observed in Ust-Kamenogorsk. In response, the Ministry of Ecology has proposed that city authorities not only consider temporary traffic restrictions during periods of unfavorable weather but also accelerate the transition of public transport and taxis to electric and gas-powered vehicles, establish green belts around industrial zones, subsidize the gasification of private homes, promote connections to centralized heating systems, and ban the use of solid fuels in catering establishments and small boiler houses. The Times of Central Asia previously reported that the most severe smog and adverse weather conditions have recently been recorded in Ust-Kamenogorsk.

Air Pollution

Bishkek’s Air Pollution Crisis Comes Under Parliamentary Scrutiny

On February 2, Kyrgyzstan’s parliamentary committee on ecology and environmental protection convened to hear reports from senior officials on the worsening air pollution and winter smog in the capital. Air pollution remains a chronic challenge in Bishkek, a city of over one million residents. Conditions worsen sharply in winter, when widespread coal burning for heating and emissions from an aging vehicle fleet accumulate in the city’s basin-like topography. Bishkek consistently ranks among the world’s 10 most polluted cities on IQAir’s global air quality index. In January 2026 alone, the city appeared in the top five on at least eight separate days. Minister of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision Meder Mashiev told lawmakers that the primary sources of pollution are household coal burning (40%), vehicle emissions (30%), the city’s coal-fired thermal power plant (15%), wind-blown dust (13.5%), and industrial activity (1.5%). Mashiev underscored that vehicle emissions are a particularly significant contributor to the city’s smog. According to Mashiev, Kyrgyzstan has more than 1.9 million vehicles, a 13% increase compared to 2024. Of these, 972,000 run on gasoline, 339,000 on diesel, 56,900 on gas, and 37,000 are hybrids. Electric vehicles make up just 0.8% of the total, numbering around 15,200. An estimated 600,000-700,000 vehicles, more than 30% of the national total, are located in Bishkek. More than half are over 15 years old, contributing significantly to harmful emissions. Jarkynbek Kasymbekov, Director of the National Institute of Public Health, outlined the health implications. He reported a 2.5-fold increase in allergic rhinitis cases nationwide, particularly among young people, a trend he linked directly to poor air quality. While long-term studies are lacking, the rise in respiratory illnesses is well documented. Mashiev highlighted several measures taken in 2025 to address the crisis. Fifty-four residential areas in Bishkek were connected to natural gas, enabling more than 51,000 households to switch from coal heating. This transition is estimated to have reduced coal consumption in the capital by 100,000 tons. He also reported the long-awaited extinguishing of Bishkek’s decades-old smoldering landfill. A new waste-to-energy facility has been launched at the site, now generating electricity by incinerating solid waste. Additional efforts are underway to modernize urban transport and expand green spaces. “Work is currently underway to transition to environmentally friendly transport. A total of 1,447 gas-powered eco-buses and 120 electric buses now operate in Bishkek. There are already more than 100 electric charging stations in the city, and over 2,000 applications for new stations are under review,” Mashiev said. Bishkek Mayor Aibek Junushaliev added that 18,000 trees were planted in the capital last year, with plans to plant another 50,000 in 2026. Parliamentary committee chairman Bakyt Tentishev raised concerns about vehicles operating without catalytic converters. Kyrgyzstan is preparing to tighten environmental regulations on motor vehicles. A draft law currently under public discussion would mandate the presence and functionality of catalytic converters in vehicles originally manufactured with them. The absence of these devices significantly increases toxic emissions and fuel consumption, posing direct risks to public health.

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,”...

Air Pollution

Tashkent Launches Emergency Measures as Air Pollution Worsens

Tashkent is experiencing a significant decline in air quality, prompting President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to sign a decree on November 25 implementing urgent environmental measures. According to the presidential press service, the decree establishes a special commission to take immediate steps to stabilize the situation. The decision follows a high-level meeting on November 24 chaired by Saida Mirziyoyeva, head of the Presidential Administration, to discuss “urgent measures to improve the ecological situation in Tashkent.” Experts at the meeting presented a series of short, medium, and long-term proposals, ranging from immediate restrictions to structural reforms aimed at preventing future pollution spikes. The new plan includes enhanced environmental monitoring, stricter controls on major polluters, tighter regulations for construction sites, and citywide greening initiatives. Authorities also intend to develop a modern air quality assessment system supported by new scientific infrastructure. A key component of the initiative is the establishment of a specialized laboratory under the State Committee for Ecology to analyze sources of PM2.5 pollution, one of the primary contributors to the current smog. To expedite the process, the decree exempts a broad range of imported equipment from customs duties. These exemptions apply to automated monitoring stations, dust-gas filtration systems, localized water-treatment devices, and thousands of quartz filters required for sampling. The measure also extends to household air purifiers brought into the country by individuals and businesses, as demand for such devices has surged. In response to the prolonged dry conditions, the Muslim Board of Uzbekistan announced the performance of istisqo, a traditional Islamic prayer for rain, to be held on November 28 following Friday prayers in mosques nationwide. “In Islamic history, istisqo has been performed during periods of drought, and its benefits have been noted in hadith literature,” the Board stated. Teachers and students from Islamic institutions will also recite the entire Sahih of Imam al-Bukhari before the prayer. This call for collective prayer comes as climate change continues to intensify environmental stress in Uzbekistan. According to a newly released Atlas of Environmental Change by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Uzbekistan’s average annual temperature has risen by 1.6°C over the past 60 years, nearly three times the global average of 0.6°C. In the Aral Sea region, warming has reached 1.8 to 2.5°C, contributing to more frequent droughts, particularly in summer and autumn, and placing further strain on already limited water resources. UNEP describes Uzbekistan’s water resources as “among the country’s most valuable and vulnerable,” noting that they depend almost entirely on sources located outside its borders. The atlas highlights the increasing importance of integrated water-resource management and cross-border cooperation, which officials say have already helped address local water-security issues. The agency also points to the adoption of water-saving technologies such as drip irrigation, which are critical to sustaining the country’s irrigated agricultural sector, the backbone of many rural economies. Despite demographic and environmental pressures, the report finds that Uzbekistan has achieved near self-sufficiency in food production. Reforestation is also a national priority. UNEP praises the Yashil Makon (Green Space) initiative, launched in 2021...

Science

Air Pollution Research Center Opens at Osh State University with Japanese Support

A new Inter-Institutional Research Center for Air Pollution Studies (IRCAPS) has been inaugurated at Osh State University in southern Kyrgyzstan. The center is part of a five-year joint project between Osh State University and the Tokyo University of Science. Funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), the $5 million initiative includes full provision of technical equipment for the facility. The opening ceremony, held on November 18, was attended by Professor Nobutoshi Nawa, a leading scientist from the Tokyo University of Science, and Nishigato Kotaro, JICA’s representative in Kyrgyzstan. Osh State University Rector Kudaiberdi Kojobekov stated that the center's establishment represents a new phase in scientific and educational collaboration between Kyrgyzstan and Japan. The center will focus on studying the health impacts of air pollution. Monitoring equipment will be installed both indoors and outdoors in residential areas to assess air quality in Osh, Bishkek, and other regions. Japanese scientists will collaborate directly with Kyrgyz researchers, and the resulting data will be used to formulate policy recommendations for relevant institutions and stakeholders. The project is being carried out in coordination with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision, the Hydrometeorological Service, the International Higher Medical School, the Osh City Administration, and various international partners. Air pollution remains a critical issue in Kyrgyzstan, particularly in its largest urban centers, Bishkek and Osh. Key sources include the widespread use of coal for heating and vehicle exhaust emissions.