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The heating season has ended,
offering a glimmer of hope for residents of
Central Asian capitals who yearn for clean air.
But is clear air a reality, or a distant dream?
Imagine a world where cities, not people, wear
masks to shield themselves from a shroud of
smog. In Central Asia, this dystopian vision is
worryingly close to reality. Here, dust storms
trade places with coal smoke, blanketing the
region in toxic air for most of the year. Let’s
delve into the current state of Central Asia’s
air quality: will residents be forced to become
accustomed to holding their breath and
minimizing outdoor time?
A bill
similar to Russia’s "foreign agents" law,
endorsed by Georgia’s ruling party, is rapidly
progressing through the country’s parliament. If
enacted, it would compel nonprofits and media
receiving foreign funding to register as "agents
of foreign influence," risking fines and prison
sentences for non-compliance. This move aims to
suppress dissent, stigmatize independent media
and civil society, and poses a threat to
Georgia’s EU aspirations by violating democratic
values and EU laws. Civil society organizations,
media outlets, and international partners are
mobilizing against these bills, which could
severely undermine their vital work and endanger
the country's democratic progress.
55
deputies supported the draft law on climate
action, developed by the Ministry of Environment
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase
society's resilience to climate change. The bill
contains clear measures to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, as well as a system for monitoring
and controlling them, including aviation and
stationary sources. It also establishes state
control and creates a National Commission on
Climate Change to coordinate climate change
adaptation policies and projects.
Residents
of the village of Shukruti in Chiatura, Georgia,
have been protesting for 21 days to prevent
potential disasters caused by underground mining
activities. Despite their continuous efforts,
they have not received attention from local or
central authorities, nor from the media. The
residents face threats and injustice from the
mining company, which has failed to fulfill
agreements and now offers problematic contracts.
The situation highlights ongoing environmental
and social challenges in the region, exacerbated
by the actions of powerful mining
interests.
The
Chernobyl disaster remains one of the worst
nuclear accidents in history, with widespread
environmental and health consequences. While
some countries are promoting the idea of a
"nuclear renaissance" by building new nuclear
power plants supported by the IAEA and the
European nuclear industry, experts point to the
enormous risks associated with nuclear energy,
including long construction times, dependence on
uranium supplies from Russia, and safety
concerns. Despite arguments in favor of nuclear
power, such as reliability and energy
independence, the facts show that it carries
significant risks and requires huge investments
that could be directed to renewable energy
sources.
Plans
to build a road through the Besh-Aral reserve in
Kyrgyzstan have caused controversy in the local
community: some support the idea, seeing it as
infrastructure development and an opportunity to
build a hydroelectric power plant (HPP), while
others fear for the ecosystem and the negative
impacts of gold mining. Authorities are eager to
approve the project, but environmentalists and
local residents have expressed concerns about
potential environmental threats and the impact
on the natural resource. Experts also emphasize
the need for a more in-depth analysis of the
economic and environmental impacts associated
with the construction of the hydropower
plant.
The
Kremlin appears to be gaining ground in the
Caucasus despite setbacks in Ukraine, with
Armenia distancing itself from Russia while
Azerbaijan and Georgia edge toward Russian-style
authoritarianism, according to Freedom House's
Nations in Transit 2024 report. The report
criticizes Georgia's ruling coalition for
halting democratization and accuses it of moving
towards a "semi-consolidated authoritarian
regime," akin to Hungary and Serbia. Azerbaijan
faces criticism for its crackdown on activists
and journalists, with its authoritarian
practices now comparable to some of the region's
most oppressive regimes.
Strengthening
trade ties between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan can
contribute to the development of the "Middle
Corridor" trade route, especially in the context
of expanding cooperation in the energy sector.
President Ilham Aliyev emphasized the strategic
importance of strengthening relations with
Turkic states, which could lead to the
establishment of a joint investment fund and
increased trade in oil and other commodities,
including lithium. However, the realization of
these plans could face challenges, such as the
need to diversify export routes and take into
account the interests of other states, including
Russia and China, as well as the struggle for
control of the lithium market.
Central
Asian countries are intensifying their reliance
on coal-fired power plants despite the region
experiencing faster temperature increases due to
global warming. The Global Energy Monitor's
report highlights a doubling of coal's role in
power generation over the past decade, with
plans to expand coal-fired capacity further in
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and
Tajikistan. Despite some efforts towards green
initiatives, such as Kazakhstan's commitment to
carbon neutrality, the report warns that the
region's continued investment in coal could
undermine climate goals and pose significant
economic and environmental risks.
The
Oasis project aims to restore the ecosystem at
the bottom of the Aral Sea by planting saxaul
trees. Despite challenges such as high
temperatures and limited water access, the
project has seen some success in increasing
saxaul survival rates. The initiative not only
addresses environmental concerns but also
presents an opportunity for sustainable
development through carbon offsetting,
potentially serving as a model for future
projects in the region.
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