BISHKEK, KYRGYZ REPUBLIC (18 March 2021) — A newly appointed ADB Country Director for Kyrgyz Republic Ms. Kanokpan Lao-Araya, highlighted the positive impacts of measuring real-time air quality and its importance in Kyrgyz Republic’s health sector at a press briefing in Bishkek today.
The press briefing was opened by the Minister of Emergency Situations Mr. Boobek Ajikeev and Deputy Director of the Agency on Hydrometeorology Ms. Asylkan Ramankulova, who presented the air quality map now publicly available, through ADB-funded air monitoring equipment, under the Almaty Bishkek Economic Corridor (ABEC) Initiative.
“Detecting the major sources of pollution, quantifying health effects, empowering the citizens with reliable data, and supporting effective measures to mitigate emissions will strengthen the governments efforts to improve air quality in the capital. Clean air is central to long-term, environmentally sustainable growth in the Kyrgyz Republic”, said ADB Country Director for Kyrgyz Republic Ms. Kanokpan Lao-Araya.
The data, which is published on the KyrgyzHydroMet (gov.meteo.kg/?map=5 ) and the Almaty Bishkek Economic Corridor (www.almaty-bishkek.org) websites, will help to identify local sources of pollution, inform mitigation measures, and assess the health impact of increasingly polluted capital and areas surrounding the city.
In December, ADB handed over 50 air monitoring devices to the Agency on Hydrometeorology under the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic, through a $90,000 grant. The devices were installed on electric utility poles in Bishkek, where the accurate and calibrated data can now be used to assess the health impact of bad air quality and plan for decisive measures to mitigate the pollution.
As part of mitigation measures, ADB will cooperate with the government to prepare a Bishkek Clean Air Action Plan that will develop technological solutions and policy actions for air quality management. Moreover, ADB proposed to support the further electrification of urban transport and the collected air quality data will serve as a baseline for the proposed project.
ABEC is a pilot initiative that seeks connects people, businesses, and ideas along this key economic corridor for mutual benefit. The pilot is run by the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program, a partnership of 11 countries – including the Kyrgyz Republic – to promote growth and sustainable development through regional cooperation. ADB serves as the secretariat for the CAREC Program.
ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.