Forecasters reveal air quality data for Kazakhstan’s cities
Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Kazakhstan recorded varying levels of air pollution across its cities in May 2026, with Karaganda and Shubarshi showing very high levels.
- 33 out of 69 monitored settlements had low pollution, while 22 had increased, 12 had high, and 2 had very high levels.
- Air quality monitoring involved 174 stations, utilizing both manual sampling and automatic observation methods to measure key pollutants.
Kazakhstan's air quality in May 2026 presented a mixed picture, with two settlements classified as having "very high" levels of atmospheric pollution. The cities of Karaganda and the village of Shubarshi registered the most severe pollution.
According to data from Kazhydromet, out of 69 monitored settlements, a significant number experienced elevated pollution levels. Twelve cities and one village were classified as having "high" levels of pollution. These included major cities such as Ust-Kamenogorsk, Almaty, Petropavlovsk, Zhezkazgan, Temirtau, Astana, and Semey.
Additionally, 22 settlements were found to have "increased" levels of pollution, while 33 settlements maintained a "low" level of atmospheric air pollution. The monitoring effort involved 174 observation stations across Kazakhstan, employing both manual sampling and 129 automatic observation stations to track concentrations of pollutants like PM2.5, PM10, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide.
Originally published by Tengrinews. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.