The public is worried that the air in Tashkent is getting worse day by day, and that the capital city is often mentioned among the cities with the worst air quality and harmful to health. "Daryo" interviewed climatologist Erkin Abdulahatov and "Uzgidromet" director Sherzodhoja Habibullayev, discussing the causes, consequences, and potential solutions to the growing air quality issue.
Erkin Abdulahatov said that Central Asia is one of the regions of the world where dust storms are observed a lot. "We have always had dust storms, but in the last 150 years, the risk of dust events has been increasing. We see and feel this in our lives. Now it has become a common thing to be covered by dust like in the movies. In the climate of our region, warming is twice as high as in other regions. Besides, we don't get a lot of rain. Studies show that the amount of dust in the air is increasing in the region," the expert said.
Sherzodhoja Habibullayev noted that climate change has a strong impact on atmospheric air. "The concerns are real. On the one hand, the air pollution of Tashkent is caused by the dust coming in through Jizzakh. Dust rises due to drought and low rainfall. This is shown by our climate stations. In the beginning, air pollution was relatively low due to relatively high rainfall and normal seasons. Now the situation has changed," said the head of "Uzgidromet".
"Tashkent is not in the first place in terms of air pollution," Erkin Abdulahatov said that the air pollution in the capital in the summer is mostly due to the increase in the mass of dust, and this phenomenon is also moving into the winter. "If it rains today, it will be hot again tomorrow and there will be no rain for 10 days, the high level of heat will result in the evaporation of moisture from the soil. This happens even in the winter months. Air pollution in Uzbekistan has been studied since 1970. In the country, the city of Tashkent is not in the first place in terms of air pollution. The higher levels (5-10 years ago) were occupied by Navoi city, Almalyk, Fergana, and Angren regions. When new statistics are published, we can see how the capital ranks in terms of air pollution."
As per Sherzodhoja Habibullayev's analysis, air pollution is divided into two types: natural and man-made factors. "If we consider the natural factors such as drought and lack of precipitation, another important factor is that we do not keep in balance technogenic advancements. That is, factories being located close to the city, the increasing number of construction works, the number of motor vehicles increasing, etc. For example, recently, when the snow fell in Tashkent, the heating systems were fueled by gas and fuel oil, which seriously affected the air. In some places, coal was also lit to maintain the heating system. When the supply of gas was reduced for the gasoline stations, the increased supply of the Ai-80 gasoline also increased the man-made effect at once. Our air quality sensors were "red" (red indicates bad air). Such a situation was observed in the last 10 days. On Saturday last week, the sensor started going green. Which means that man-made influences have a greater impact on air pollution."
Erkin Abdulahatov emphasized that in order to eliminate the problem, first of all, it is necessary to find the source of atmospheric air pollution. "It is necessary to find out what is polluting the air and where the dust is coming from. If the influence of natural factors is strong, it is necessary to create green phytomasses in desert areas. The transition to electric cars is slow, but it is very necessary. Many scientific works have been done to prevent air pollution. It is important to put them into practice. It is necessary to install filtering devices in the chimneys of factories and carry out their regular technical inspection. The main dangerous air pollutants come from factories. New research suggests that such toxic air can cause cancer. In addition, asthma and allergic diseases are caused by polluted air. Walking down the street, you can really feel the impact of air pollution on the city's residents. Because 2-3 out of 10 people have a cough. This also indicates that the level of air pollution is higher than normal."
Erkin Abdulahatov states that, as the level of air pollution in the city increases, residents of the capital will start moving to other areas. "To reduce air pollution, it is necessary to switch to the principles of green economy. Greenery should be increased in the capital. It is necessary to create green phytomasses even on balconies in vertical constructions. The more large trees there are, the more wind power and dust will be prevented. But if no measures are taken in the current situation, the number of climate migrants will increase in the next 5-6 years. First, the number of migrations to the suburbs and then to other regions will increase. There are very big issues in solving the problem."
During the conversation, Sherzodhoja Habibullayev emphasized that the situation in the capital will worsen if sufficient measures are not taken. "As per the analysis of international climatologists, if we increase greenness, use water correctly, from waste disposal to our normal diet, if we follow standards in production and processing, we can stop the current climate change trend. If the current situation continues, the situation will get worse. Today will be a treasure for us. The annual air temperature for Central Asia is rising by 1.5-3 degrees. The temperature in the world is increasing by 2 degrees per year. That is, we have it higher. Because there are many desert areas and little water. That's why we have to act harder and faster than the rest. All Central Asian countries should work together to overcome the problem."
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