The theme of this year’s International Day of Clean Air for blue skies on 7 September – the Air We Share - focuses on the need for collective action to address air pollution, which respects no national borders.
Polluted air comes from many sources – from cookstoves and kerosene lamps to coal-fired power plants, vehicle emissions, agricultural waste burning, industrial furnaces and wildfires. It has been called the biggest environmental health risk of our time, prematurely killing an estimated 7 million people every year. Air pollution is also fundamentally altering the Earth’s climate and contributing to biodiversity loss and other types of pollution.
Many individuals and organizations are fighting to ensure the air humanity breathes is clean. One of them is Maria Kolesnikova, Chairperson of MoveGreen, a youth-led movement working to improve air quality in the Kyrgyz Republic and the wider Central Asia region.
Kolesnikova, 2021 United Nations Champion of the Earth for Entrepreneurial Vision, started advocating for the right to a healthy environment after seeing a photo of the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek enveloped in smog. Not a single familiar landmark nor any signs of life - cars, shops, schools - were visible in the image, which horrified her.
Home to about one million people, Bishkek is amongst cities with the worst air pollution in the world. During winter months, it is often trapped under a dome of haze caused by burning coal, garbage incineration and vehicle emissions.
“We wanted to understand more about what was in the air that we were breathing, and what data the city was collecting in order to try and make things better,” said Kolesnikova. “But we didn’t find any relevant, actual data – either it was not being collected or it was not being shared. So, we decided to collect the data ourselves.”
Measuring air quality is crucial
When MoveGreen started to collect data on air pollution, it had only three sensors to measure air quality. Now it has over 100 installed in Bishkek and the region to monitor levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) produced by burning coal and other fuels, combustion, and dust.
Under Kolesnikova, MoveGreen developed the AQ.kg app, which collects data on the concentration of pollutants in the air, including PM2.5, PM10 and nitrogen dioxide. Air quality data is now available from almost a dozen cities across the country, including Bishkek, Osh and Jalal-Abad. By September 2022, MoveGreen expects the app to cover all regions of the Kyrgyz Republic, helping more people to make decisions about their daily activities, such as whether to go out or stay indoors. MoveGreen is also promoting environmental awareness across the country and advocates for more and bolder environmental-friendly policies.
Recognizing the threat air pollution poses between neighbouring countries, Kolesnikova and MoveGreen set up the Central Asian Air Quality Platform, bringing together government representatives, scientists, civil society and journalists from across Central Asia to collaborate on ways to tackle air pollution in the region’s growing cities. It is already working on a research database providing information on air pollution in Central Asia.
“Contaminated air poses a serious threat to the health of inhabitants of large cities in Central Asia and is one of the most pressing problems in the region,” Kolesnikova said.
According to a report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in September 2021, Central Asian countries saw a rise in PM2.5 and ammonia emissions between 2010 and 2017. In February 2022, UNEP called on partners to work together to support the Kyrgyz Republic’s transition away from coal, which more than 70 per cent of the population rely on to keep their homes warm in winter.
Equipping young people with knowledge
Kolesnikova’s work with MoveGreen is driven by the desire to protect the health of citizens and work toward a better future for children and young people in the Kyrgyz Republic. In Bishkek, sensors were installed in schools to measure air quality so classrooms can keep their windows closed when air pollution is high. MoveGreen’s flagship initiative, “School Breathes Easily”, uses lectures and laboratory experiments to educate children about the importance of clean air.
Globally, 1 billion children are highly exposed to exceedingly high levels of air pollution that puts their health and development at risk. “It’s up to children and the young generation to decide which kind of world they want to live in. That’s why it’s very important for us to educate them on how to act, what to do,” Kolesnikova said. “Positive change starts from one person – it can start from you.”
Every year, on 7 September, the world celebrates the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies. The day aims to raise awareness and facilitate actions to improve air quality. It is a global call to find new ways of doing things, to reduce the amount of air pollution we cause, and ensure that everyone, everywhere can enjoy their right to breathe clean air. The theme of the third annual International Day of Clean Air for blue skies, facilitated by UNEP, is “The Air We Share.”
UNEP’s Champions of the Earth honours individuals and organisations whose actions have a transformative impact on the environment. The annual Champions of the Earth award is the United Nation’s highest environmental honour. It recognizes outstanding leaders from government, civil society and the private sector. This year’s laureates will be announced in late 2022.
