Industrial emissions are of major concern, especially in developing countries. Hence, there is a need for studies that investigate the trends in industrial emissions in these countries. The purpose of this study is to discuss trends in industrial emissions in Kazakhstan and the air pollution level in its industrial cities. Data on emission limit values from the permitting documents of twenty-one power plants and nine metallurgical enterprises of Kazakhstan were analyzed. Eight cities (out of fourteen) had a “high” level of atmospheric air pollution according to the Air Pollution Index in 2019. Most of the considered enterprises increased their emission limit values compared to the previous permitting period. In some cities there is a lack of monitoring stations, indicating the need for improving the spatial coverage of the air quality monitoring network in the industrial cities of Kazakhstan. The location of industrial plants far outside the cities could reduce the exposure of the urban population to air pollution. Kazakhstan urgently needs to adopt stringent emissions standards for coal-fired power plants and heavy industrial plants. The national air quality standards and definitions of air pollutants need to be updated based on the latest scientific knowledge.

The transition to sustainable energy requires an assessment of drivers of the use of clean and dirty fuels for cooking. Literature highlights the importance of access to clean fuel for switching from dirty fuels to clean fuels. Though access to cleaner fuels, such as electricity promotes clean fuel use, it does not necessarily lead to a complete transition to the use of clean fuels. Households continue using traditional fuels in addition to the clean fuels. The main objective of this paper is to explain the choice of dirty cooking fuels even when access to electricity is provided. We use nationally representative household survey data to study the household energy use decisions in three middle-income countries, namely, India, Kazakhstan, and the Kyrgyz Republic. The study discusses the role of access to natural gas, free fuel, convenience or multi-use of fuels featured by the heating system installed, built-in environment, and other socio-economic factors in household fuel choice for cooking. The results show that access to natural gas increases the likelihood of opting for clean fuel, while the availability of free fuel in rural areas and the coal-based heating system promote the use of solid fuels.

The air quality in cities in Kazakhstan has been poorly investigated despite the worsening conditions. This study evaluates national air pollution monitoring network data (Total Suspended Particle-TSP, NO₂, SO₂, and O₃) from Kazakhstan cities and provides estimates of excess mortality rates associated with PM_2.5 exposure using the Global Exposure Mortality Model (GEMM) concentration-response function. Morbidity rates associated with PM₁₀ exposure were also estimated. Annual (2015-2017) population-weighted concentration in Kazakhstan cities was 157, 51, 29 and 41 μg m⁻³ for TSP, NO₂, SO₂ and O₃ respectively. We estimated a total of 8134 adult deaths per year attributable to PM_2.5 (average over 2015-2017) in the selected 21 cities of Kazakhstan. The leading causes of death were ischemic heart disease (4080), stroke (1613), lower respiratory infections (662), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (434), lung cancer (332). The per capita mortality rate attributable to ambient air pollution (per 10⁵ adults per year) was less than 150 in nine cities, between 150-204 in nine cities, and between 276-373 in three industrial cities (Zhezkazgan, Temirtau and Balkhash).

The international journal of Aerosol and Air Quality Research (AAQR) covers all aspects of aerosol science and technology, atmospheric science and air quality related issues.

Kazakhstan is an upper-middle-income country and one of the coldest countries in the world with rich energy resources and energy prices considerably lower than in developed countries. This paper presents the first comprehensive overview of household fuel use in Kazakhstan and assesses the causes and extent of energy poverty using the Households Living Conditions Survey dataset of 12,000 households. The results show that there is an overwhelming reliance on coal in Kazakhstan: 40% of all surveyed households use coal for heating, cooking and other needs. In general, liquefied petroleum gas is mainly used for cooking, coal and firewood for heating, while electricity is rarely used for heating. Energy poverty was less prevalent in oil and gas rich regions, due to low gas prices and higher income levels in those regions, while households located in the North Kazakhstan, Central and East Kazakhstan mainly suffer from lack of cleaner fuel options, income poverty, longer and colder winters and consequently energy affordability. Despite low energy prices in Kazakhstan, the results demonstrate that 28% of surveyed households spend more than 10% of their income on energy. Gas and district heating infrastructure coverage and income inequality across its regions contributed the most to energy poverty in Kazakhstan. Energy prices are regulated and indirectly subsidised. Removing energy subsidies alone may worsen energy affordability of households. Offering direct subsidies to cover part of the energy expenditures may not fully solve the problem, but subsidies, interventions for efficient technologies and fuels, dwelling energy-efficiency improvements are necessary.