AKIPRESS.COM - Actions to lowering transport related emission, reducing coal usage and better insulation of buildings will significantly contribute to improving air quality throughout Bishkek, finds the Clean Air Action Plan document presented by Asian Development Bank.

Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP) started in April 2022 and held several consultation workshops and site visits with key central and local authorities and serves as a road map for implementing priority actions, including sustainable financing recommendations to improve air quality in Bishkek. CAAP was developed through the support of ADB’s Technical Assistance Project on Integrated and Innovative Solutions for More Livable Cities and Almaty Bishkek Economic Corridor Project. The CAAP findings and prioritized actions are presented today to the government and stakeholders to identify actors to take the proposed actions forward.

Bishkek suffers from high levels of both ambient and indoor particulate matter (PM) pollution. The annual average concentration of air pollutants such as PM2.5 (2.5 microns), PM10 (10 microns), NO2 (Nitrogen Dioxide), CO (Carbon Monoxide), and others significantly exceed World Health Organization air quality guidelines, and they will continue this trend unless actions are taken. Urban trends have been exacerbating the situation and contributing to the poor air quality in the city. Rapid population and urban growth, transport patterns and practices, and high reliance on coal increase the concentration of pollutants. Simultaneously, topography and meteorology act together to trap air pollutants in the lower layers of the atmosphere, which is particularly acute in late autumn and winter. The CAAP also includes the need for conducting public awareness campaigns to invite more collective actions from the residents of Bishkek.

Cesar Llorens, ADB Kyrgyz Republic Resident Mission Unit Head Project Administration, at the presentation of the preliminary plan said: “Bishkek needs to focus on using cleaner energy and improved energy efficiency in households leading to improved indoor air quality, reducing emissions associated with transport, and improving understandings of sources of air pollution”.

“By implementing this plan, Bishkek can become a model for other cities in Central Asia and beyond. Through the implementation of effective and cost-effective emission reduction strategies, the city can improve its air quality and create a healthier and more livable environment for its residents”.

Previously, ADB partnered with the government in providing 50 air quality measuring devices that have been deployed all over the city. ADB also supported the new Urban Transport Electrification Project approved in November 2021 to help the country procure battery-electric buses and enhance transport infrastructure in Bishkek, thereby improving air quality, cutting carbon emissions, and reducing traffic congestion.