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Air Pollution

Kyrgyzstan’s Junda Oil Refinery Faces Pollution Complaints During $194 Million Upgrade

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov said his government would consider relocating residents of Kara-Balta if living near the Junda oil refinery was harming their health. A resident had asked him to close the Chinese-owned plant or require better pollution controls. At the November 8 meeting in Kara-Balta, about 60 kilometers west of Bishkek, the woman described cases of allergies, hair loss, and high blood pressure that residents associated with the refinery. Japarov defended keeping the plant open, saying Kyrgyzstan needed to develop its industries and produce more of its own fuel. In a November 11 response, Junda said its modernization project was nearing completion. It is installing a vapor recovery system that the company says will capture petroleum vapors during storage and transport and return them to production. It also plans to plant trees on about two hectares of refinery land in spring 2027. Kyrgyzstan is trying to reduce its reliance on Russian gasoline and diesel by refining more crude at home. Junda is the country’s largest refinery, with the capacity to process 800,000 metric tons of crude oil a year. The upgraded plant is expected to produce K4- and K5-grade fuels, which have tighter limits on sulfur content. At full capacity, the company says the plant could meet more than 35% of domestic demand for fuels and lubricants. The refinery began producing fuel in 2014, shut down in early 2020, and resumed operations in 2024. Residents had complained repeatedly about odors and air pollution before the shutdown. The locally registered operator, China Petrol Company Junda, is 99% owned by China’s Central Asia Energy Company. Kara-Balta’s DaDe Service Company holds the remaining 1%. Estimates for the upgrade rose from about USD 160 million in 2024 to USD 167 million in 2025. Kyrgyzstan’s National Investment Agency now puts the investment at USD 193.75 million. The project missed its July 31, 2026, completion deadline. On August 25, the agency and the Chinese investor signed an agreement for the next phase. At an October 9 briefing, an environmental inspector said the work was expected to finish by April 2027. Officials at the briefing also said inspections prompted by residents’ complaints had resulted in two fines and orders to correct violations. After visiting the refinery on November 11, agency head Ravshanbek Sabirov called on the investor to meet its commitments. The agency gave no date for the upgraded plant to enter service. The new fuel standards do not, by themselves, establish whether residents will breathe cleaner air. In September, Kyrgyzstan’s environment ministry published air quality readings for Kara-Balta. Some spring readings for nitrogen dioxide exceeded the daily average limit, while sulfur dioxide remained within the limit in spring and summer. The ministry did not trace the pollution to Junda. The company’s response cited no independent measurements of its emissions or medical studies assessing residents’ symptoms.

Energy Drinks

Japarov Orders Cabinet to Consider Kyrgyzstan Energy Drink Ban

Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Japarov gave the Cabinet of Ministers one month to consider a ban on the production and import of energy drinks and six months to take regulatory action. He announced the directive on Facebook on November 5, 2026. Japarov cited doctors’ warnings about excessive consumption and pointed to the cost to the state of treating illnesses he attributed to the drinks. Figures in his announcement put consumption at about 36 million liters in the first half of 2026, roughly two-thirds of the 54 million liters consumed in all of 2025. Kyrgyzstan produced about 25 million liters in 2025 and imported more than 29 million liters. Tax and customs revenue from the industry totaled 1.104 billion soms ($12.6 million) in 2025 and 996.7 million soms ($11.4 million) in the first half of 2026. Japarov said preliminary estimates suggest a ban on production and imports could reduce tax revenue by about 1.5 billion soms ($17.2 million). A separate bill drafted by lawmaker Erulan Kokulov was put out for public comment on November 5. It would ban sales of nonalcoholic energy drinks to anyone under 18, covering stores and food outlets as well as online sales and deliveries. Sellers would have to request identification if they were unsure of a customer’s age and refuse the sale without proof that the buyer was at least 18. Couriers would have to verify recipients’ ages on delivery and could not leave energy drinks at the door. Sellers would remain responsible for compliance even when using a third-party delivery service. The bill would also ban sales through vending machines. Selling energy drinks to a minor would carry fines of 10,000 soms ($114) for individuals and 35,000 soms ($400) for companies and other legal entities. For a repeat violation within a year of the first penalty, the fines would rise to 20,000 soms ($229) and 55,000 soms ($629), respectively. In March 2026, Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Health proposed raising the excise tax on energy drinks from 6 soms (0.07)to20soms(0.23) per liter. The ministry cited the drinks’ high sugar and caffeine content and the health risks for teenagers.

Gas Safety

18 Dead in Suspected Carbon Monoxide Poisonings in Uzbekistan

Eighteen people died in three suspected carbon monoxide poisoning incidents in Uzbekistan between October 25 and November 1, prompting warnings about dangerously modified gas boilers being sold as new. On October 25, seven members of one family died in the village of Chimyon in the Fergana region. On November 1, another five people died in Kokand, including three girls aged seven, three, and one. An initial inspection of the Kokand home found a disconnected exhaust pipe on the gas boiler. In Tashkent, six people were found dead in a house under construction on October 25, and two others were hospitalized in serious condition. The Prosecutor General’s Office said a preliminary investigation found that the basement boiler did not meet safety requirements and the house had been connected to the gas network without the required technical permits. A criminal case was opened. The Fergana Regional Department of Emergency Situations said Vaillant gas boilers decommissioned in Germany had been illegally imported into Uzbekistan, refurbished, and sold as new. It warned that improvised plastic flues can come apart when exposed to heat and allow combustion gases to enter living spaces. Blocking air intakes can cause incomplete combustion, producing carbon monoxide. The gas is colorless and odorless and can cause fatal poisoning while people are asleep. An October 2025 report citing Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations recorded 116 deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning in 2024 and 141 deaths in 29 incidents during the first nine months of 2025. However, an October 2026 account of a ministry press conference put the toll for the same period in 2025 at 59 deaths, again in 29 incidents. It gave a total of 46 deaths in 25 incidents for the first nine months of 2026. The two published figures for 2025 differ by 82 deaths, with neither report explaining the discrepancy. Official accounts have also conflicted over the causes of individual deaths. In December 2024, after a man and three children died in Karshi, gas distributor Hududgazta’minot said carbon monoxide poisoning was unlikely. The Prosecutor General’s Office later confirmed the cause as acute carbon monoxide poisoning, citing forensic examination results. Figures published by Uzbekistan’s then State Committee on Statistics show that 55.4% of the country’s houses and apartments had access to natural gas at the beginning of 2022. Gas and electricity shortages have left households relying on stoves and makeshift heating systems. In neighboring Kazakhstan, more than 170,000 gas and smoke detectors were installed in residential buildings over a three-year period ending in 2022. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations said alerts from the devices had helped save 192 lives. Installations have been funded in part by akimats, Kazakhstan’s local executive authorities, and sponsors. Uzbek authorities recommend installing carbon monoxide detectors. In February 2025, the Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan announced that free detectors were being provided to households on the social protection register, but did not say how many had been installed. Following the deaths in the Fergana region, emergency personnel and gas utility workers began inspecting homes....

Air Pollution

Air Pollution in Central Asia: Why Winter Smog Persists in Almaty, Bishkek, and Tashkent

Almaty is investing 325.9 billion tenge (about $720 million) in converting a coal-fired power plant to natural gas, but the plant will continue burning coal for several more years. Bishkek is restricting certain types of coal while maintaining supplies of permitted fuel for winter. Tashkent reported lower pollution over much of the year, though early October brought a sharp increase in harmful particles. Across these three Central Asian cities, winter smog remains a problem as the heating season begins. According to World Bank estimates, concentrations of fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, in major Central Asian cities frequently exceed World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines by six to twelve times, particularly in winter. PM2.5 particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and increase the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. During colder months, emissions from heating and transportation accumulate near the ground. When winds are weak and temperature inversions occur, polluted air can remain trapped over a city for several days. Almaty: Gas Conversion, Coal Remains Almaty's heating season began on October 9, with schools and hospitals connected first, followed by residential buildings on October 10. By then, the modernization of CHP-2, the city's largest coal-fired heating plant and one of its biggest sources of industrial emissions, had yet to be completed. According to project estimates, converting the plant to natural gas should reduce annual emissions of harmful substances from 37,300 tons to 2,700 tons. However, those reductions will not be achieved immediately after the new equipment begins operating. Environmental assessment documents cited by Kursiv indicate that coal-fired boilers and turbines will continue operating alongside gas-fired units in 2027–2029 during commissioning and periods of peak winter demand. The documents also envisage keeping coal-fired equipment in operation into the 2030s to safeguard energy supplies in case of gas shortages. Vehicle exhaust is another major problem for Almaty. In April, the city introduced a pilot low-emission zone (LEZ) in its center. Until the end of the year, the zone is operating without entry fees, fines, or traffic restrictions. Separately, citywide emissions checks have been underway since the beginning of 2026. By late August, inspectors had tested 5,496 vehicles and found 1,301 exceeding emissions limits, nearly a quarter of those checked. Violations detected during citywide inspections can result in penalties. Bishkek: Coal Restrictions, but No Easy Alternative In Bishkek, the main cause of winter smog is heating in private homes. Residential heating accounts for approximately 29% of air pollution, transportation for 27%, and dust for 21%. Combined emissions from the main thermal power plant and smaller boiler houses account for 11%, according to international research cited by the city administration. In October 2025, the municipal authorities imposed restrictions on the sale, storage, and use of fine coal in Bishkek. They also stepped up inspections targeting waste burning and began converting some boiler houses to cleaner fuels. On October 1, 2026, the mayor's office announced plans to maintain adequate supplies of coal meeting quality standards at fuel depots across the city. For many private residents,...

Public health

Reports of Suspected Plague in Russia Prompt Central Asian Health Checks

Reports surrounding the death of an employee at an anti-plague research institute in Russia’s Irkutsk region have prompted health authorities across Central Asia to tighten sanitary controls and review preparedness measures. Russian officials have not confirmed that the employee contracted plague or that a laboratory accident occurred. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan have nevertheless announced additional checks or heightened readiness in response. Officials across the region say there is no cause for alarm, but the response reflects the sensitivity that remains around cross-border infectious disease threats after the COVID-19 pandemic. What Is Known Russian authorities have released few details, but reports say an employee at the anti-plague institute in Shelekhov, near Irkutsk, accidentally broke a test tube containing live bacteria. That employee, a female aged 27 or 28, was hospitalized on September 29, but she died on October 2. The hospital where she was treated was reportedly placed under quarantine, and nearly 200 people who might have come into contact with her are under medical observation. There are also reports that four more hospitals are under quarantine, with some 100 people hospitalized as a precaution. Russian officials deny these reports and say health specialists are on the ground in the area investigating and have urged the public to wait for an official assessment of the situation and not spread rumors. The Response in Central Asia Kazakhstan shares a 7,800-kilometer border with Russia; the distance from far northeastern Kazakhstan to Irkutsk is more than 1,500 kilometers. While that is comforting, the distance from Kazakhstan to Wuhan, China, is some 3,600 kilometers, and the coronavirus that originated in Wuhan in 2019 eventually reached Kazakhstan and everywhere else in the world. On October 5, Kazakhstan’s Health Ministry said it was aware of the reports from Irkutsk, was following the situation closely, and had ordered closer checks at border crossings and other entry points. “Sanitary and quarantine controls are being conducted at state border crossing points,” a Health Ministry statement said, “No individuals with elevated temperatures, signs of illness, or suspected highly dangerous infections have been detected across any mode of transport.” The Health Ministry said the chances of plague, or “pneumonia of undetermined etiology” crossing Kazakhstan’s borders were low. Kyrgyzstan’s Health Ministry also said it had ordered close checks of people entering the country in response to reports about the situation in Irkutsk. “Specialists monitor individuals, vehicles, and cargo crossing the border to prevent the importation and spread of infectious diseases, including highly dangerous infections,” the Health Ministry said. The same measures are being implemented in Tajikistan. Said Davlatzoda, the head of the Health Ministry’s Department of Sanitary-Epidemiological Safety, Emergency Situations and Emergency Medical Care, said orders went out that every person crossing into Tajikistan must have their body temperature measured. Workers from the department have been instructed to ask people arriving whether they are experiencing symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, headache, weakness, and muscle and joint pain. Personnel from the Sanitary-Epidemiological Safety Department have also been told to wear disposable hazmat...

Chemical Safety

22 Uzbek Pupils Hospitalized After Cotton Field Spraying Near School

Twenty-two pupils in southern Uzbekistan were hospitalized after chemicals were sprayed on a cotton field beside their school, the Interior Ministry said. Seven remained in hospital as of September 29, while 15 had been discharged. The children, all in grades 10 and 11 at School No. 51 in Guzar district, Kashkadarya region, fell ill on September 23. They were taken to the district medical center around midday with nausea and headaches. The ministry said the Shokhmalik Shermurod Ugli farm had sprayed the nearby field at about 9 a.m. It used Agro Augron, a chemical applied to make cotton plants shed their leaves before harvesting. Twenty hectares of the farm’s 88 hectares lie close to the school. Investigators suspect the pupils inhaled chemical fumes and have ordered expert examinations. The authorities have opened a criminal case under Article 201, Part 1, of Uzbekistan’s Criminal Code, concerning violations of rules for handling harmful chemicals. The Kashkadarya regional police investigation department is conducting the inquiry.