Clean Air for Almaty: Sharing the Results of Kazakhstan’s First Foresight Session on Air Quality

On February 21, 2025, Kazakhstan held its first-ever foresight session focused on air quality, “Clean Air for Almaty”, in collaboration with Satbayev University.

The event brought together 80 participants, including representatives from academia (Satbayev University, Kazhydromet, Kazakhstan Medical University, and others), business (InDrive, ALES, Onay, the Renewable Energy Association, and more), government bodies (Almaty Development Center, Ministry of Transport, Urban Mobility Center, etc.), and public organizations (Almaty Air Initiative, the Public Council under the Mazhilis, the Bolashak Association, and others).

Together, they discussed the current state of air in Almaty, projections for the next 15 years, and project proposals to combat pollution.

As a result of the meeting, a document was prepared analyzing the key challenges and outlining 38 project-based solutions that could be implemented in the near term.

How the session worked:
The foresight session lasted one full day and was held on the premises of Satbayev University. Participants worked in three groups, each analyzing one of the following key sectors:

• Transport
• Industry and Energy
• Urbanism

Group discussions were facilitated by moderators, and the Rapid Foresight methodology was used as the analytical foundation.

Outcomes of the session
First, participants conducted a retro-analysis, evaluating changes in air quality since 2010 and 2015. They identified key events that acted as drivers of change and highlighted factors that exacerbated pollution.

The next step was building a map of the future, where major macro-trends, critical challenges, and potential solutions were outlined.

In the final stage, participants envisioned what Almaty in 2040 might look like and developed 38 project ideas aimed at improving the ecological situation. The result was an analytical document capturing the main challenges and concrete solutions. Some of these initiatives have already been included in the Almaty Air Initiative Road Map.

The full foresight session report is available at the following link.