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The
recent earthquake in Almaty and Kyrgyzstan, with
a magnitude of 6.7, revealed a lack of timely
notification and evacuation plans for residents.
Despite this seismic activity, both Kazakhstan
and Kyrgyzstan are considering nuclear power
plant construction, raising concerns about the
safety of such projects, especially in
earthquake-prone regions like the Zhambyl
region. Recent examples from Japan and Turkey
highlight the potential risks and environmental
dangers associated with nuclear power plants,
leading activists and experts to advocate for a
shift towards safer renewable energy
alternatives, given Kazakhstan's low reliance on
renewable sources (5% in its energy sector) and
Kyrgyzstan's significant renewable energy
potential.
Movegreen is organizing
Climate Camp on February 26-29, for which 15
journalists from media editorial offices and
social media representatives from 7 provinces of
Kyrgyzstan will be selected. The goal of the event
is to develop climate journalism in Kyrgyzstan
by improving the professional skills of media
representatives in covering climate change,
environmental protection and climate policy in
the country.
Tashkent, the capital
of Uzbekistan, faces severe air pollution,
exacerbated by coal use, a high number of
vehicles, and dwindling trees. On January 19,
the particle pollution (PM2.5) in Tashkent
surpassed the World Health Organization's safe
limit by 15.8 times. The government's reliance
on coal for energy and the prevalence of
vehicles using low-quality fuel contribute to
hazardous air quality, prompting the Environment
Ministry to propose bans on coal for industrial
use, low-quality fuel, and old cars made before
2010, while promoting electric vehicles and
imposing stricter penalties for illegal tree
cutting.
"Green Alternative
invites journalists interested in urban planning
issues in Tbilisi and Batumi to participate in a
working meeting. During the working
meeting journalists will receive information
about key principles of sustainable urban
development, discuss issues related to the
planning of Tbilisi and Batumi, including issues
such as development regulation, mobility and
transportation. In addition, the working meeting
will discuss sustainable development goals and
objectives, urban climate adaptation and
mitigation practices, energy efficiency, the
role of international financial institutions and
their investments in urban projects, and other
issues. Deadline: February 1
Tajikistan has
introduced a vehicle-scrapping tax, termed a
recycling fee, to generate additional revenue.
The one-time tax will be collected during
vehicle registration or mandatory technical
inspections and is intended to cover the cost of
environmentally friendly vehicle scrapping. The
amount varies based on the vehicle type, ranging
from $32 to $261, and is seen as a measure to
enhance ecological safety, public health, waste
impact reduction, and state revenue boost,
although concerns have been raised about
potential mismanagement and corruption similar
to experiences in other countries like
Kazakhstan.
In
Kyrgyzstan, nearly 65% of villages lack
sufficient clean drinking water, prompting
authorities to aim for a solution by 2026.
However, skepticism arises as past promises have
gone unfulfilled, and one-third of the required
funding for the program remains to be raised.
Some proactive villages, such as Ak-Suu in the
Leilek district, have taken matters into their
own hands, successfully solving their drinking
water problem through community efforts,
highlighting challenges in the state's slow and
sometimes inefficient response to the
issue.
Short story by Dinara
Tengri, a Kazakh-Swedish author, podcaster, and
digital creator who lives in Malmö. “Six years
ago, Madina’s daughter left their home aul,
Zholaman, by the North Aral Sea and never came
back. In her stead, came a son. Madina had
always known that Aizhan was different. From the
moment she had said her first word, she didn’t
speak like any girl Madina had known. God plays
funny tricks sometimes, doesn’t He? If God had
made Aizhan this way, who was Madina to oppose
His will?”
Research Competition
among young scientists from Central Asia to
design and implement research on water,
environment, and other related areas, including
Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and
(WEFE) water-energy-food-environment nexus
issues.
Until recently, the
remote Kyrgyz village of Zardaly was completely
off the grid. Now, solar power is changing the
lives of the local community, which has long
been isolated deep in the mountainous Ferghana
Valley. With the help of a herd of donkeys,
ambitious villagers braved hazardous terrain to
bring green energy and the Internet to their
settlement.
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