The Hydro-meteorological Agency of Tajikistan, in cooperation with the Finnish Meteorological Institute, will monitor the air quality in Dushanbe through new equipment. Finnish specialists installed modern equipment at the air quality observation point in the city from March 5 to 13 as part of the "FINTAJ" project (Phase 3).
This project's implementation will further normalize the operation of the observation point for diagnosing the city's air quality. The agency highlighted that air quality monitoring is a top priority, with continuous efforts to enhance the technical condition of observation points.
As of March 18, the air quality index in Dushanbe is deemed "unhealthy for sensitive groups." Real-time data on the map supports this assessment. The air quality in Dushanbe has been considered "unhealthy" for quite some time.
For instance, on the morning of January 3, 2024, the soot and dust content in the air exceeded WHO recommendations by nearly 26 times, as reported by iqair.com. Monitoring that day detected an excess of fine particulate matter PM2.5, a component of air pollution consisting of solid particles and tiny liquid droplets, also known as fine dust or ultrafine particles.
The mass concentration of PM2.5 is a key parameter for assessing air quality and its health risks. According to WHO recommendations, the concentration of these substances in the air should be at 5 µg/m³.
In 2022, Tajikistan ranked among the top 10 most polluted countries globally based on the annual average concentration of PM2.5. In 2020, PM2.5 concentration in the country exceeded the WHO standard by 5-7 times.
