According to new initiatives, a standard will be developed in Uzbekistan that will require taking into account wind directions and speed (the so-called "wind rose") when constructing buildings. This is provided for in the program of measures to strengthen environmental reforms, which was approved by the president on November 18.
According to the document, a regulatory act should be ready by April 2026, including:
- establishment of requirements for buildings and structures considering wind directions;
- consideration of the impact of buildings on air flows during their placement;
- mandatory obtaining of conclusions from construction, environmental, and cadastral authorities before the start of construction work.
The Ministry of Construction and Housing and Communal Services, the Committee for Ecology, the Cadastral Agency, the Agency for Technical Regulation, as well as the Ministry of Economy and Finance have been appointed responsible for the implementation of these measures.
In January 2024, climatologist Erkin Abdulkhatov spoke in an interview about the reasons for air pollution in Tashkent, mentioning the influence of the city's geographical location. He noted that dust and emissions from large industrial enterprises located in the Akhangaran district, Angren, and Chirchik settle in Tashkent.
“If we consider the wind rose, the wind descends from the mountains at a speed of 4 meters per second, slows down to 3 m/s in Chirchik and to 2.5 m/s in the Kibray district, collides with the city, and, moving southwest, loses strength. Thus, the wind brings harmful emissions from the east and northeast and leaves them in Tashkent,” he explained.
An expert stated in an interview with CABAR.asia that designers in Tashkent still use outdated information about the "wind rose."
“We continue to build according to schemes based on data developed for the capital in the 70s and 80s. No one takes into account that wind directions have changed since the last century. As a result, we see high-rise buildings that block air circulation,” Abdulkhatov added.
Architect Alexander Kuranov also believes that modern developers do not show interest in such details.
“Firstly, modern developers do not take the wind rose into account in their projects, as there is no proper control from the city authorities. They are not interested. If the work is done poorly, the responsibility will fall on the project executor, who will simply sell the housing and leave,” Kuranov asserts.
Earlier, "Gazeta" reported that the import of household air purifiers to Uzbekistan has significantly increased. In 2022, about 2,000 devices were imported into the country, in 2024 — over 16,000, and in the incomplete year of 2025 — more than 18,000. These devices are subject to import duties of 20% of the cost, but not less than $3 per unit.
According to World Bank data, about 3,000 premature deaths related to air pollution are registered annually in Tashkent, causing health damage of nearly $490 million per year (about 0.7% of GDP).
