Русский
April 19, 2026 AQCA Conference

AQCA Conference 2023

organization

As part of the activities of the AQCA platform, the Central Asian Air Quality Conference “Systemic Changes to Improve Air Quality” was held in Astana on February 22-23, 2023. The conference was organized to discuss, educate and share experiences on pollution, air quality monitoring, and management. 

Session #1. Air Quality in Central Asia

Air Quality in Kazakhstan

  • Galiya Amirova – Head of Department of Environmental Monitoring of EEM RSE “Kazgidromet”. “Analysis of the current situation in Bishkek city”.  Presentation 
  • Laura Malikova – Chairman of the Association of practicing ecologists. “Air quality monitoring in Central Asia”. Presentation 

Air Quality in Kyrgyzstan

  • Bolot Sharshenaliev – Head of the Department of Civil Protection and Disaster Response of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic. “Analysis of the current situation in the city of Bishkek”. Presentation 
  • Maria Kolesnikova – Chairman of Public Association “MoveGreen”. “Building Air Quality Management in Central Asia” project. Presentation. 

Air quality in Uzbekistan. 

  • Natalya Teryaeva – Specialist of Atmospheric Air Pollution Monitoring Department of Hydrometeorological Service Agency under the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Republic of Uzbekistan. “Atmospheric Air Monitoring” Presentation

Air Quality in Tajikistan 

  • Sanginmurod Samiev – Head of the Environmental Monitoring Division of the Agency for Hydrometeorology of the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan.  “Air quality monitoring in Tajikistan”. Presentation
  • Ikromjon Mamadov – Chairman of Public Association “Youth Group on Environmental Protection”. “Experience in Implementation of Public Monitoring of Air Quality in the Republic of Tajikistan”. Presentation

Air Quality Monitoring by Civic Activists

  • Pavel Plotitsyn – Founder of the project Airkaz.org. “Civic Eco-Monitoring”. Presentation

Session #2. State regulation of air quality and air quality standards 

The Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, Protocols and Benefits of Ratification

  • Carolyn Sanz Noriega – Environmental Officer, UNECE Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution. “The Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution, the Protocols to the Convention and the Benefits of Accession.” Presentation

WHO work in air quality and health: guidelines, tools and capacity building

  • Pierpaolo Mudu – WHO Representative. “Air pollution and health: air quality guidelines and an overview of some useful tools”. Presentation. 

State regulation of air quality in Central Asian countries

  • Laura Malikova – Chair of the Association of Practicing Ecologists. “Air Quality Monitoring in Central Asia”. Presentation

Session #3. Emissions control at the source, green technologies

Reducing Industrial Emissions, Swedish Experience

  • Christian Silver – Global Development Division, Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. “Air Quality in Sweden.” Presentation

Problems in adoption and implementation of emission reduction policy in cities of Almaty and Bishkek. 

  • Elena Erzakovich – Expert in the field of transport policy. “Challenges in adopting and implementing transport emission reduction policies”. Presentation

Equipment to Reduce Vehicle Emissions 

  • Khusain Bolatbek – JSC “Institute of Fuel, Catalysis and Electrochemistry named after D. Sokolov”. D.V. Sokolsky Institute of Fuel and Electrochemistry JSC. “Domestic High Quality Catalysts”. Presentation 

EBRD Green Finance Instruments

  • Maira Karasaeva – Lead Banker, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. “EBRD financing instruments for Kazakhstan’s energy transition”. Presentation

Best Available Techniques for Improving Air Quality at Source 

  • Baurzhan Abenov – Head of the Office of Best Available Techniques, International Center for Green Technologies and Investment Projects. “The Best Available Techniques”. Presentation

Session #4. Air quality and pollutant monitoring 

Integration of policies and measures for reduction of air quality and greenhouse gas emissions: findings of GAINS modeling for Almaty and Astana

Integration of air quality monitoring into regional projects 

  • Galina Artyukhina – Representative of the Asian Development Bank Project.

Citizen-Scientific Approach to Solving Air Pollution Problem

  • Daniyar Saliev – Director of EpiC project in Kyrgyzstan, FHI 360 representative. Presentation 

Impact of Meteorological Conditions on PM 2.5 Concentrations in the Air in the Residential Area 

  • Madina Tursunbaeva – PhD Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. “Detection of volatile organic compounds in the air”. Presentation

Monitoring of mercury in the air, coal-fired power plants and cement plants 

  • Meruert Zhaylybayeva – Consultant, SRO “Association of practicing ecologists. Presentation

State regulation of air quality in Central Asia countries 

  • Laura Malikova – Chairwoman of the Ecology Practitioners Association. Presentation

Session #5. Air Quality: Air Quality Indicators and the Transition to AQI in Central Asia

U.S. air quality policy: management and communication of air quality information

  • Dale Edwards – Physical Scientist, Environmental Protection Agency Executive Director, Climate and International Group, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Presentation 

Presentation of AQI Roadmap for Implementation in Kazakhstan. 

  • Olga Kornyukhova, Consultant, APE “Association of Practicing Ecologists”. Presentation

Presentation of AQI roadmap for Kyrgyzstan

  • Azhara Baisalova – Project manager of Public Organization “MoveGreen”. Presentation