The Almaty Air Initiative (AAI) announces the completion of the test period of its new air-quality sensor network and the transition to full public data publication on leading international monitoring platforms, including IQAir, AirGradient and OpenAQ.

In parallel, the data is published on the Foundation’s own digital platform — the interactive dashboard dashboard.air.org.kz. The platform is designed as an independent analytical tool for civic monitoring and is not a copy or mirror of other services. The dashboard preserves historical data, enables comparison between city districts, and allows users to analyze pollution dynamics over time — forming a basis for public awareness, analytical research and environmental policy development.

For three months, the network of 170 sensors installed with the support of the Nurlan Smagulov Foundation operated in test mode and was available only to users of the MyCar mobile application. Today, the data has become fully open.

Zhuldyz Saulebekova,
Executive Director of the Almaty Air Initiative:

“Our foundation has deployed the largest independent air-quality monitoring network in Asia — a rare large-scale case for international environmental monitoring. The completion of the test period and the publication of data on international platforms such as IQAir mark a transition to full transparency and the actual ‘digitization of air’.

The high density of sensors enables micro-level analysis of air quality — street by street, block by block — and includes sensors installed in the Almaty Region. This is essential for research and modeling in a city like Almaty, where complex topography, frequent temperature inversions, coal heating, transport emissions and dense construction create conditions for smog accumulation.”

Frank Hammes, IQAir CEO :

“When citizens start to measure air quality in their city, community engagement, and data transparency increase. While government monitoring is important, independent air monitoring networks, such as the Almaty Air Initiative provide much needed additional, hyperlocal, and real-time data. This drives public discussion and accelerates evidence-based decision-making that improves air quality for all. IQAir is proud to provide maximum visibility and comparability through its free air quality information website and mobile app.”

Publishing Almaty’s air-quality data on IQAir brings the city to a new level of environmental openness. Such accessibility strengthens the role of civic monitoring as a tool that:
 – records the baseline level of air pollution and enables tracking the effectiveness of future measures;
 – provides a foundation for analysis, research, modeling and policy evaluation;
 – increases accountability among all stakeholders — from residents and businesses to government agencies;
 – promotes environmental literacy and builds public demand for systemic change.