Today, due to climate change, the accumulation of dust masses in the air is observed not only in Tashkent, but also in many countries of the Central Asian region and the world. Erkin Abdulakhatov, head of the laboratory of the Hydrometeorological Research Institute, climatologist-expert, gave his opinions and recommendations on this issue.
According to the expert, desertification is ongoing in many countries located in the central part of the Earth, in the region from northern Africa to China, and this is leading to an increase in dust masses in the air (map).
Fact!
PM2.5 is a compound formed by the combination of solid particles in the air or similar particles with water vapor, with a diameter of up to 2.5 micrometers (30 times smaller than a hair). PM is an abbreviation for the compound "Particulate Matter", which means "particles". 2.5 is a measurement number in micrometers. There are also other small particles that pollute the air, and depending on their size, monitoring and scientific research is carried out on particles such as PM1, PM10 and PM100.
No country complies with the WHO indicators
E. According to Abdulakhatov, the criteria are developed based on the standard recommended by the World Health Organization, which is 5 μg/m(3) throughout the year, and 15 μg/m(3) per day. These indicators are not reflected in the national standards of any country, because the Air Quality Index platform is not considered a sufficient platform for developing decisions and recommendations, but only for scientific research institutes, since each country has its own national standards and it is difficult to compare them and form ratings, so the value of 5 μg/m(3) is considered a convenient value for forming a rating of cities based on the data recommended by the World Health Organization.
The “Air Monitoring Tashkent” platform was developed
In 2024, the Ministry of Ecology, the Hydrometeorological Agency, and the Sanitary and Epidemiological Committee developed national standards for Uzbekistan based on in-depth research. According to them, the air pollution standard was set at 35 μg/m(3) per year and 60 μg/m(3) per day.
“For comparison, no country in the world has a standard equal to that of the WHO. Even the countries of the European Union have developed their own national standards. In 2023–2024, the Ministry of Ecology and the Tashkent City Administration developed the “Air Monitoring Tashkent” platform based on our national standards. "This platform updates the data for the regions of Tashkent every hour and is a reliable source," says the climatologist-expert.
Wind speed is decreasing
According to the expert, there is a concept called "wind flower" in air pollution, that is, wind plays an important role in atmospheric pollution. Due to the high wind flow in coastal countries throughout the year, dust particles do not accumulate in the air. In Tashkent, in the 1950s-1980s, the wind came from the northeast and circulated in the city, forming a "wind flower". In the years 1990-2020, the “wind flower” changed, that is, due to the influx of wind currents and a decrease in wind movement, Tashkent became an area where dust particles accumulate in the air.
“In the last century, the wind speed in Tashkent was 1.7 meters/second, and in 1981-2010 it was 1.4 meters/second. In the last 5 years, it has decreased to 1.3 meters/second. The fact that Tashkent is surrounded by mountains also hinders wind movement. In addition, the high-rise buildings being built in the capital city are also hindering wind movement. This leads to the accumulation of dust particles in the capital and an increase in air pollution levels,” says E. Abdulakhatov.
When we say greenery, we usually mean trees. But in fact, greenery also includes lawns and shrubs mixed with trees.
“Compared to 2016, construction areas in 2023 increased by 2 times, and as a result, green areas decreased by 2 times. That is, green lawns decreased sharply compared to trees,” says the specialist.
Heat Island
Erkin Abdulakhatov also specifically touched on the concept of “heat island”.
"Tashkent has been experiencing a sharp increase in temperature since 2016. This naturally leads to high temperatures in areas where there is a lot of construction and a decrease in the level of greenery. This gives rise to the concept of a "heat island" in Tashkent," the specialist said.
The climatologist noted that harmful emissions from automobiles and heavy and light industrial enterprises also have a negative impact on the atmosphere of Tashkent.
For information, information was previously provided on permanent and seasonal factors of atmospheric air pollution.
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