Uzbekistan to introduce air pollution forecasting and warning system

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- By the end of 2025, a system for forecasting air pollution and early warning of the population about a high level of pollution will be introduced in Uzbekistan. This is envisaged by the decree of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev from 31 May “On measures to transform the sphere of ecology and environmental protection and organize the activities of the authorized state body”.

Under this decree, the Ministry of Natural Resources was transformed into the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change.

As part of a fundamental improvement in the system of state environmental monitoring, by 1 October, automated background air pollution monitoring substations will be installed in districts and near industrial enterprises throughout the country.

Starting from 1 January 2024, all information from these substations will be sent to a single monitoring center - a geoinformation database, where air quality data will be visually displayed in real time.

Industrial enterprises of category I environmental impact must install automated monitoring substations for the analysis of emissions into the atmosphere from priority pollution sources by the end of 2024 (category II - by the end of 2025).

In addition, during the same period, enterprises should install new and upgrade existing high-performance dust and gas cleaning equipment, as well as local water treatment facilities. On the territory of the sanitary protection zones of these enterprises, automated stationary observation posts should be installed.

Starting from 1 January 2024, projects for the construction of enterprises of categories I and II that do not provide for the installation of appropriate equipment will not be able to pass an examination, and facilities built without this equipment will not receive a commissioning permit.

A US$100 million credit line is being opened to install dust and gas cleaning devices, local water treatment facilities and automatic monitoring systems at enterprises. These funds will be provided through commercial banks with the help of international financial institutions.