The World Bank has released a report titled "Air Quality Assessment for Tashkent and the Roadmap for Air Quality Management Improvement in Uzbekistan," which evaluates air quality in Tashkent and proposes a roadmap for enhancing air quality management across Uzbekistan. The report was jointly produced with the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of Uzbekistan, supported by the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
The study is part of a series on air quality in Central Asia aimed at informing government dialogue and establishing a regional cooperation platform. It highlights that PM2.5 pollutants are linked to most air quality-related diseases and premature deaths both in Uzbekistan and globally. According to IQAir, Tashkent ranks among the world's most polluted cities.
The Government of Uzbekistan acknowledges that addressing air quality management (AQM) requires collaborative efforts at various levels. On May 21, 2024, the Ministry of Health adopted a new PM2.5 Standard for Residential Air Quality aligning with WHO recommendations.
Key findings from the report indicate that ambient PM2.5 concentrations peak during winter months in Tashkent, exceeding international standards significantly—over six times WHO's annual average guideline. The health costs associated with this pollution equate to 0.7% of Uzbekistan’s GDP.
Human-caused PM2.5 pollution sources include heating (28%), transport (16%), and industrial sectors (13%). Windblown dust accounts for 36% during summer, while heating dominates in winter.
The proposed AQM roadmap outlines priority actions such as updating standards, developing strategies, coordinating mechanisms, and implementing sector-specific policies to reduce pollution exposure. It suggests investments in emission reduction measures across sectors to improve public well-being.
For emissions from heating sectors, improvements could involve better fuel quality, efficient appliances, energy efficiency measures, or switching to cleaner alternatives—requiring regulatory changes and economic incentives. Financial assistance is recommended for households needing support with initial investments in energy efficiency or cleaner heating solutions.
This publication received financial backing from PROGREEN, SDG Partnership Fund, and EGED funded by the UK government.