Stakeholders chart a path to cleaner air in Central Asia
- Air pollution is a leading environmental killer in the region; elderly and children especially at risk
- UNEP convened development partners, government officials, NGOs, experts, academia and donors for solutions
- Recommendations to countries cover five areas.
A raft of stakeholders have put forward recommendations to improve air quality in Central Asia at the biggest ever event of its kind in the region.
Central Asian countries should focus on technical solutions, legislation, institutional strengthening, cross-border cooperation and public engagement to shift to clean air, stakeholders concluded at the 3rd Air Quality Central Asia (AQCA) conference convened by the Air Quality Central Asia Platform, UNEP and civil society partners.
“The sixth UN Environment Assembly passed a resolution calling for greater regional cooperation on air pollution to improve air quality, and that’s exactly what has happened here,” said Aidai Kurmanova, Head of UNEP’s Central Asia Office.
A heavy reliance on fossil fuels for heating, industry and transport means air pollution is among the leading risk factors for poor health in Central Asian countries. The elderly and children are most at risk – overall, 60% of deaths caused by air pollution in the region are among the over 70, according to the Health Effects Institute. Meanwhile, in 2021 for example, "3100 infants in Central Asian countries lost their lives less than one month after being born,” said the Institute’s Dr Pallavi Pant.
In response, UNEP and its civil society partners from the region brought together dozens of UN experts, hydrometeorological and government officials, city representatives, and donors to discuss how to step up action on clean air in Central Asia.
Central Asian countries should create regional plans to respond to the increasing trend of sand and dust storms, stakeholders said. A common air quality monitoring network should be set up with strengthened air quality standards, they agreed. Legislation should furthermore be approved on the burning of waste and on regulating indoor air quality, while incentives should be provided for the private sector to reduce their emissions. Finally, open air quality data should be available to citizens trough apps, and youths engaged through school programmes, the stakeholders believe.
Nature is an ally
Nature-Based Solutions for improved urban air quality and mitigation of the impacts of sand and dust storms were highlighted during the event. For example, sand and dust storms are increasing in frequency and intensity in the region. In 2019, the capital of Tajikistan, Dushanbe, recorded its highest levels of PM2.5 particular matter — dangerous particulate matter measuring less than 2.5mm in diameter — during dust storms. Yet planting trees can capture up to 50% of airborne dust, so nature-based solutions should be a part of city planning, said Zebuniso Muminzoda, of the Tajikistan branch of the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia. In the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, green spaces currently cover 5.45 m2 per person, while the city aims to increase this to 21 m2.
During the conference, a spotlight was also shone on innovative approaches to air quality monitoring. For example, satellites are providing a new way to monitor sand and dust storms. “The data is free, it’s about processing it,” said Katja Loven, Head of the Air Quality and Energy Group at the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
Air pollution is also being collected at local community level. MoveGreen, an NGO from the Kyrgyz Republic that co-led the conference, has installed 35 monitoring centres in the country and also monitors air quality indoors. “We were the first to point out the toll that air pollution has on people’s lives in the Kyrgyz Republic,” pointed out Inna Brusenskaya, Air Quality Expert at MoveGreen.
Regional cooperation deepens
Only two out of five Central Asian countries are party to the UNECE Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution. Two countries in the region lack any legal mechanism to manage transboundary air pollution. Each country can benefit from its neighbours’ successful actions and policies, including in order to transition to modern air quality indexes.
The AQCA conference was the largest ever technical meeting held on air pollution for all Central Asian countries, gathering experts and officials from across the region and followed by dozens of participants. The event took place in response to the UNEA-6 resolution and in the wake of the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies, whose 2024 theme was ‘Invest in Clean Air’.
“We need to improve our regional cooperation, given the transboundary nature of air pollution,” recognised Zhomart Aliyev, Vice Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
A more detailed set of recommendations will now be drawn up to help guide Central Asian governments’ policy decisions towards cleaner air.
Watch a recording of the event here.
View all presentations delivered at the conference here.
For more information, contact:
Alejandro Laguna, Head of Communication, UN Environment Programme Europe Office, laguna@un.org
Mark Grassi, Information Assistant, UN Environment Programme Europe Office, mark.grassi@un.org.
