In recent days, the issue of the Republic of Tajikistan’s ranking in terms of air pollution has been actively discussed on social media as well as in various media outlets, including Asia Plus, Your TJ, Vecherka, and Radio Ozodi.
In this regard, on April 1, 2026, a roundtable discussion was held at the Agency for Hydrometeorology under the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, with the participation of the Agency’s leadership and specialists, as well as representatives of the media, including Asia Plus, Your TJ, Radio Ozodi, Radio Sadoi Dushanbe, Radio Tajikistan, and Narodnaya Gazeta.
The main objective of the event was to discuss the current state of air pollution in the country, present the activities of the Agency for Hydrometeorology in the field of air quality monitoring and control, and strengthen cooperation with the media in order to enhance environmental awareness and public understanding.
During the main session of the roundtable, the Director of the Agency, Mr. Qurbonzoda A. Kh, highlighted the efforts of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan in addressing climate change, including the adoption of key strategic documents such as the National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy of the Republic of Tajikistan until 2030 and the State Program for Greening of the Republic of Tajikistan until 2040. These initiatives represent important national measures aimed at addressing climate-related challenges, including air quality.
He also presented specific examples of hydrometeorological phenomena, including precipitation (rain and snow), river discharge levels, snow reserves, glacier conditions, and air pollution levels. The discussion included an analysis of the main causes of air pollution, including the impact of natural factors and climate change.
The Director further emphasized that, in recent days, the assessment of air quality in the country presented in certain media outlets has been inaccurate, which has caused public concern. It was noted that the indicators of air pollution presented in the media do not meet modern air quality monitoring standards and do not take into account the geographical characteristics of the country. In this regard, the level of air pollution was presented to media representatives based on verified data and factual evidence.
In another part of the event, media representatives visited the Weather Forecasting Center, the Environmental Monitoring Department, laboratories for monitoring air and surface water pollution, an automatic air quality monitoring station, as well as a mobile air quality monitoring laboratory. They were introduced to modern equipment, measurement methods, and data collection and processing procedures.
At the conclusion of the event, the participants expressed their readiness to continue fruitful cooperation and emphasized that only through coordinated efforts and increased public awareness can improvements in environmental conditions and the protection of public health be achieved.
