Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) —Air quality in Tashkent improved in 2026 compared with the previous year, with average PM2.5 concentrations falling 28% and PM10 levels declining 32% from 1 January to 19 October. However, natural dust remains the city’s largest individual source of air pollution, particularly during autumn, according to data presented at a briefing by Doniyor Turgunov, director of the Research Hydrometeorological Institute at Green University.
The briefing, held at the Content Preparation Centre for Mass Media, examined the causes and effects of autumn air pollution and measures being taken to address it.
Why air pollution worsens in autumn
Several factors contribute to deteriorating air quality in autumn, including meteorological conditions.
As daylight hours shorten, the ground cools rapidly at night, creating a near-surface temperature inversion in which a layer of warmer air traps colder air close to the ground.
The height of the atmosphere’s mixing layer falls from 2–3 km in summer to several hundred metres. Weaker winds further limit the dispersion of pollutants, allowing emissions to accumulate over the city. Persistent high-pressure systems on the periphery of the Siberian anticyclone can maintain these conditions for several days.
Natural dust is another major factor. Central Asia lies within one of the world’s largest dust belts, with dust from the deserts of the Caspian region, Kyzylkum, Aralkum and southern Balkhash spreading across the region. September and October are generally relatively dry, and limited rainfall allows soil dust to become airborne more easily.
Sources of PM2.5 pollution
According to a study by the World Bank and Uzbekistan’s Ecology Committee, the annual sources of PM2.5 pollution in Tashkent are distributed as follows: windblown dust accounts for 36%, building heating for 28%, transport for 16% and industry for 13%. The remainder comes from sources including urban dust and waste burning. The proportions vary by season.
The World Bank’s 2025 report, “Air Quality Management in Central Asia,” estimates that soil and desert dust account for 20%–50% of annual PM2.5 exposure in cities across the region, a substantially higher share than in other parts of the world.
Natural dust accounts for more than 80% of PM2.5 exposure in Turkmenistan. It is also the main source in western parts of the country, the Caspian region and central Kazakhstan. In Tashkent, dust remains the largest single source, while autumn pollution is compounded by emissions from fuel combustion during the heating season.
The contribution of different sources was assessed by analysing the chemical composition of PM2.5 samples collected at a specialised laboratory in three Tashkent districts: Yunusabad, at Green University; Almazar, on the premises of Tashkent State Technical University; and Mirzo-Ulugbek, at the Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanisation Engineers.
From 28 September to 6 October, components associated with natural dust accounted for 52%–78% of the samples, averaging 64%. On 13–14 October, the share stood at 47%–52%.
Air quality indicators improve
Data from automatic monitoring stations in Tashkent show that average PM2.5 concentrations fell 28% and PM10 concentrations declined 32% between 1 January and 19 October 2026 compared with the same period in 2025.
The improvement was also evident during autumn. From 1 September to 19 October, PM2.5 levels decreased by 28% and PM10 by 37% year on year. During the first 19 days of October, the respective declines reached 40% and 56%.
Last year, the Air Quality Index (AQI) reached the “unhealthy” category on 11 days. No such days were recorded during the corresponding period in 2026, according to the data presented at the briefing.
The number of days when air quality, measured by PM2.5, was rated “moderate” or better increased from 21 to 38.
