Professionals from different fields gathered at Satbayev University to find a solution to the air problem in Almaty

Satbayev University hosted a research foresight "Clean Air of Almaty" session, organized by University in cooperation with Almaty Air Initiative Foundation.

Almaty is a tourist, educational and business center of the region, which has been facing an acute problem of air pollution for many years. Zhuldyz Saulebekova, Executive Director of Almaty Air Initiative Foundation, noted that the given problem affects not only adults, but also the future of the younger generation:

– Last year, the concentration of harmful particles in the air of Almaty exceeded the norm by five times, – she said. – It is especially dangerous for children, especially in winter, when the air is more polluted. According to our calculations, every winter month a child living in Almaty inhales polluted air in the volume equivalent to 70 cigarettes. Imagine a five-year-old child who "smokes" more than 200 cigarettes over the winter, just breathing the air of the city. We try to protect the children, but they have to face this problem every day.

Arsen Tomsky, founder of InDrive and initiator of Foundation, delivered a welcoming speech at the session. He stressed that the initiative of Satbayev University and Almaty Air Initiative to purify the air in Almaty is to approach this problem from the point of view of an engineering and technological approach. Using the power of science should lead to the creation of specific design ideas, and subsequently to the systemic change in the urban environment.

To achieve the given goal, the foresight session brought together concerned Almaty residents from different fields of production, representatives of science, business, government and public organizations.

The session was held using the international Rapid Foresight methodology. The participants were divided into three thematic groups to discuss issues of urbanism, transport, and energy, which most affect the state of the air. Each group has developed its own project, which it shared with all the participants.

The session results formed the basis of the roadmap to achieve the goal of being able to breathe clean air in Almaty.