Air pollution in Kazakhstan

What’s happening 

In 2023 CO₂ emissions of Kazakhstan were 255.16 million tonnes, making Kazakhstan the largest carbon dioxide in Central Asia, and placing it 10th on a global level. Kazakhstan's GDP has a carbon intensity that is three times higher than that of the European Union and twice that of the global average. Coal, oil and gas are the main contributors to the high level of emissions. The country's capital is ranked as the most air polluted city in Kazakhstan, with the PM2.5 concentration currently 3.8 times the World Health Organization annual PM2.5 guideline value. 

Geography and history of region

• Kazakhstan is located in Central Asia with a small section of the country in Eastern Europe

• Biggest landlocked country 

• Mountain basins in the south and east trap emissions close to the ground, as it is in Almaty

• Cold winters make people to use coal heating 

• Kazakhstan’s economy is dependent on natural resources, hence mining and fuel burning is a common phenomenon. 

• Astana and Almaty, most polluted cities, are overpopulated due to rural-urban migration 

Why we need to act

Air pollution is a major environmental problem which also undermines economic growth and healthcare. 

• Kazakhstan is ranked 8th coal producing country in the world. Coal production contributes to climate change by producing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. As a result, the air that residents breathe in every day becomes dangerous for human health. 

• Poor air quality has long-term effects such as irritated throat, eyes and coughing and long-term effects such as chronic lung diseases. 

• Kazakhstan's situation requires serious and urgent air pollution control. 

Statistics

• In 2020 sulphur dioxide was the largest pollutant with 868,1 thousand tonnes; 2nd place – solid substances (500,4); 3rd place – oxide carbon (486,5).

• The energy sector, which contributes 40% of yearly emissions, transportation, which accounts for 9.1%, and manufacturing, which accounts for 8.8%, are the top three contributors of greenhouse gas emissions.

• CO2 emissions per capita in Kazakhstan in 2022: 11.514 tonnes CO2 / Capita

What’s new

Kazakhstan is aiming to be carbon neutral by 2060. One of the features of the Republic of Kazakhstan's new Environmental Code, which went into effect in 2021, was the use of the "polluter pays and corrects" principle. Additionally, Kazakhstan is the creator of the Green Bridge Partnership Program (GBPP), which has been accepted by the UN and other nations as a platform for knowledge and experience sharing, technology transfer, and the facilitation of green finance. To establish a productive forum for discussing the advancement and application of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies, Kazakhstan hosted the International Scientific and Practical Conference "Promoting Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Technology within the Framework of the Green Bridge Partnership Program" in March 2022. Through a vast network of monitoring stations, Kazhydromet, the National Hydrometeorological Service, keeps tabs on the country's air quality. The public can access these stations via the AirKZ smartphone app.

Human consequences:

In Kazakhstan, poor air quality causes between 6,000 and 9,360 premature deaths annually. On a global scale, air pollution is the leading environmental risk to health, causing 7 million premature deaths each year. Air pollution leads to increased health risks such as respiratory infections, heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer. People who are already affected by these conditions should be extremely cautious and follow all the recommended medical guidelines. 

Economic activity and worker productivity are hampered by air pollution: Globally, 1.2 billion workdays are missed annually; by 2060, that number might rise to 3.8 billion days. According to World Bank estimates, air pollution costs $6 trillion annually in health damages. Because of the effects on health, lost productivity, and shortened life expectancy, that represents a 5% decline in the global GDP.

Potential Policies:

• Increase public awareness, availability of information and monitoring

• Implementing a low-cost air quality sensors 

• Increase environmental taxes for big emitters 

• Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is a process of capturing carbon dioxide and storing it permanently underground

• Using cleaner fuels in the industrial sector 

• Applying environmental permits to companies 

• Promoting the use of electrical transportation