By Abbas Nazil
Kyrgyzstan is making significant progress in the fight against air pollution, with the United Nations leading a broad-based and science-driven initiative to tackle the country’s growing air quality crisis.
The campaign, coordinated by the UN Resident Coordinator in Kyrgyzstan, Antje Grawe, focuses on leveraging data, partnerships, and policy transformation to combat what UNICEF has identified as the leading environmental risk to human health in the country.
Bishkek, the capital, has consistently ranked among the world’s most polluted cities in recent years, with winter months particularly dire due to dense smog caused by coal-based domestic heating, outdated vehicle fleets, and poor fuel standards.
Other cities in Kyrgyzstan are also beginning to reflect similarly concerning air quality trends. Vulnerable groups including children, the elderly, and those with respiratory illnesses face heightened risks from the persistent pollution.
Responding to the urgency, the UN launched a comprehensive and coordinated effort beginning with a groundbreaking air quality assessment in 2022 jointly conducted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
This marked the first scientific analysis of its kind in Bishkek and laid the foundation for evidence-based policy dialogue.
UNEP’s assessments significantly raised public awareness and helped forge stronger regional ties, effectively translating research into policy momentum.
The UN system adopted a multi-agency approach. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) linked the right to clean air to broader human rights, while UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) examined the health implications of pollution on women and children.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) focused on the specific impacts of pollution on internal migrants, and the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) facilitated technical support through the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution.
In 2022, UNEP and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) co-chaired a working group on air quality under Kyrgyzstan’s Development Partners Coordination Council (DPCC).
This group expanded to include over 30 institutions, including bilateral partners, UN agencies, financial institutions, and NGOs like MoveGreen.
In 2023, they released a joint policy brief, “Tackling Air Pollution in Bishkek: A Road Map to Cleaner Air,” presenting a clear set of policy options focused on key sectors such as domestic heating, transport, waste collection, and electricity generation.
Many of the recommendations were incorporated into Kyrgyzstan’s 2024–2025 Plan of Priority Measures to Reduce Air Pollution in Bishkek, approved in February 2024.
The initiative reached a major milestone on 26 February 2025, when the UN and the Ministry of Natural Resources co-hosted a national dialogue with over 120 stakeholders.
The event highlighted the country’s progress and commitment to long-term, cross-sectoral clean air strategies.
Participants from the government, parliament, development agencies, academia, and civil society reaffirmed the importance of regular dialogues and collaborative action.
Experiences were shared with counterparts from countries like China, Mongolia, and Serbia.
In the aftermath of the dialogue, the DPCC published a detailed review of clean air actions from 2018 to 2024, consolidating the input of development partners into a resource for decision-makers.
UNEP supported this publication, which underscores the UN’s commitment to transparent and actionable policymaking.
While the path to cleaner air remains challenging, Kyrgyzstan is demonstrating its resolve through science-based, inclusive action.
Antje Grawe emphasized that lasting change will come through coordinated legislative reforms, innovative technologies, and widespread community involvement.
The UN’s continued support will aim to ensure no one is left behind as Kyrgyzstan advances its clean air agenda across energy, heating, transport, waste, and industrial sectors.
The groundwork laid today signals a promising future for Kyrgyzstan’s environment and public health.
