The First Almaty Air MeetUP

On June 22, 2024, the first Almaty Air MeetUP took place at Aurora Space, bringing together more than 50 guests.

Among the attendees were residents and visitors of Almaty who expressed a desire to support the foundation, engage in volunteer work, as well as experts involved in addressing the issue of air pollution.

Speakers of the panel discussion included:

• Anel Moldakhmetova, Director of the Cityzen Space Foundation and Co-Founder of AUA Group, shared the story behind the creation of the first citizen-based air quality monitoring network and the AUA GROUP initiative. She spoke about the challenges her team faced and their achievements, emphasizing the importance of civic engagement and open dialogue in addressing air quality issues.
• Yevgeny Mukhamedzhanov, Head of the “Zhasyl Almaty” Project Office and Founder of ECO Network, talked about the current measures being implemented by the city to improve air quality. He also highlighted the need to promote and encourage the use of public transport.
• Yerlan Buzurbayev, Partner at KazYurConsulting, explained what changes Kazakhstan’s citizens can expect with the introduction of the new Law on the Protection of Atmospheric Air in Almaty. His presentation focused on legal aspects and innovations aimed at improving the city’s environmental situation.
• Azamat Abdullayev, Director of Eco Almaty, spoke about the organization’s work, highlighting key projects and initiatives focused on improving Almaty’s ecological environment.

Guests and speakers participated in a creative discussion, exploring which forms of art are most effective in drawing attention to environmental issues, and proposed art project concepts to raise public awareness about air pollution.

Participants also discussed barriers that prevent socially and economically vulnerable groups from participating in environmental initiatives, and developed an action plan to engage these groups in ecological projects.

The interactive session included the development of educational project concepts and innovative learning approaches to help school students better understand the problem of air pollution.

Additionally, the participants worked on a plan for introducing Low Emission Zones (LEZ) in Almaty.

They explored ways to make air quality monitoring data more accessible to the public and to increase citizen involvement.

The interactive session generated a wealth of valuable ideas and practical solutions aimed at improving air quality and strengthening public engagement in environmental initiatives.