Winter air pollution in Bishkek exceeds air quality guidelines 30 times

In winter, air pollution in the capital of Kyrgyzstan exceeds WHO air quality guidelines by up to 30 times. ADB document «Tackling Air Pollution in Bishkek: A Road Map to Cleaner Air» says.

«Average annual PM2.5 concentrations in the city are about 30 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³), and in winter they reach 80 µg/m³, with even 150 µg/m³ in one area in the north of the capital. The WHO recommended limit value for the annual average concentration of PM2.5 is 5 µg/m³,» the document says.

Data on other cities in the country are not presented in the document, but geoclimatic conditions and dependence on coal for heating suggest that they also face unsafe levels of pollution.