This year, Almaty was ranked as having the highest pollution levels globally, according to IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology company. With the air quality index reaching 256, residents of Kazakhstan’s most populous city were encouraged to take precautionary measures, such as wearing masks, keeping windows closed, and using air purifiers to protect their health.
Savva Brown.
Kazakhstan urgently needs to decarbonize its economy to prepare for a future without fossil fuels and one in which residents no longer have to suffer the effects of air, ground and water pollution. However, this transition must be a just one, where those most reliant on fossil fuel-based industries are not left behind and instead have viable economic alternatives.
The coal industry, along with mining and processing of other minerals, all produce immense amounts of air pollutants. This is why, on average, the highest air pollution levels within…
