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Almaty
< > Monitoring of radioactive gamma contamination of the surface layer of the atmosphere in the city was carried out daily at two meteorological stations in the areas of Satpayev Street and Seifullin Prospect. Measurements reveal that the average values of the gamma background, gamma emissions and radioactive fallout in both 2018 and 2019 were within normal limits. Water pollution monitoring has been conducted on three city streams: the Kishi Almaty, Esentai, and Ulken Almaty rivers and on Ulken Almaty Lake. All monitored bodies of water are categorized in Class 3. 2016 4,4 4,98 2017 2018 2019 5,1 5,9 Stationary sources of air pollution, Almaty, aggregate, kilotons - 2018–2019 2019 46 2018 43 Passenger vehicle access is denied for private passenger vehicles but allowed for natural gas-powered bus and passenger shuttles covering the Medeu - Shymbulak route. Six environmental monitoring posts are positioned at primary entry points to the tract to gauge transport exhaust pollution levels. Almaty sits in a basin, a geographical location that complicates the atmospheric dispersion of automobile exhaust and emissions from boilers, thermal power plants, industrial facilities, and the private residences. Operations commenced at Municipal bus depot #3, serving as a natural gas refueling hub for 220 city buses. To reduce public transport emissions, a 3.1km metro line is under construction and the BAKAD ring road also under construction will re-direct roughly 40,000 vehicles per day away from the city. Three natural gas distribution companies serve Almaty. The city's gas supply lines cover 5875 kilometers and 99% of city residents have access to the natural gas supply. 2912 homes remain unconnected to natural gas. There are 153 bodies of water within the city. The primary water challenge in the city is low-water levels in city streams and the water quality in those streams – a situation conducive to contaminant exposure and dilution/dispersion. The primary pollutants found in urban streams include nitrates, petroleum products, phenols and heavy metals. Beginning in 2007, reconstruction of riverbeds and adjacent water protection zone landscaping projects have been carried out, including 22 kilometers of riverbank and riverbed landscaped and improved in 2018-2019. The total land area covered by the city in 2019 is 68,351 hectares which fall into four categories: Category Residential Public space Commercial Other Area / hectares 10 256 4 618 7 780 45 696 Substance Chromim Zinc Lead Copper MAC 6 mg/kg 23 mg/kg 32 mg/kg 3 mg/kg In spring and autumn of 2019, soil samples were tested in several districts of Almaty for heavy metal concentrations. Levels observed, 2019 0,13–1,54 mg/kg 2,8–19,3 mg/kg 9,4–51,9 mg/kg 0,53–6,4 mg/kg Medeu Regional Nature Park covers over 700 hectares of regionally protected land within the city. The territory is home to 334 species from 225 genera and 59 families of plants; at least 136 species of nesting, stationary, migrating and wintering birds; and 25 mammal species. Around 400 steel mesh containers for plastic waste collection and a further 100 containers for electronic and technical waste collection have been installed at the city collection sites. More than 700 eco-boxes for the collection of plastic waste, wastepaper, and glass containers have been installed at State-run facilities and organizations operating in the Almaty. By year's end 2019, over 51,000 cars were registered in Almaty: motor vehicle transport is the primary source of air pollution in the city. Atmospheric monitoring in the city is carried out at 16 stationary posts. In 2018-2019, the air in the city was rated as highly polluted. Heating and power plants are being gasified, the thermal electric station #1 operates exclusively on natural gas, a feasibility study for thermal electric station #2 is under development entitled “Modernization of Almaty Thermal Electric Station #2 to minimize environmental impact." To reduce air pollution in the city, the private residential sector is undergoing gasification, improvements are being made to transportation infrastructure, public transport is being modified, and regulatory controls for business enterprises have been put in place. Within the city, dedicated bus lanes are being installed and public transport is being transitioned to burn more environmentally friendly fuel. By 2019, in Almaty 735 buses currently operate and an additional 450 buses have been purchased which comply with EURO-5 standards. Due to these modernization efforts, harmful substance emissions have already decreased annually by 2,300 tons. In the city, work has begun on the implementation of light rail transport system covering 24 kilometers. - Medeu Regional Nature Park 31.5% of city territory is zoned as protected natural areas, of which there are three: - Ile-Alatau State National Park - Almaty Historical Museum (Boraldai Saki Mounds) Almaty borders on Ile-Alatau National Nature Park, a federally protected nature reserve. In Almaty stand Baum's Grove Natural Monument (139.5 ha) and the Main Botanical Garden (104 ha), both federally protected areas. Within the city, trees of the ulmus genus predominate, primarily elms and karagachi. Greenspace and tree plantings within the city reveal uneven levels of environmental distress, with 35% of trees in the Turksib district showing damage, 17% in Zhetysu showing damage, but in the Almalyn and Bostandyk Districts only 1% showing damage. Overall, roughly 8% of all trees in the city evidence environmental damage. In 2019, the greenspace in Almaty amounts to more than 2 million trees and shrubs. Area of public access greenspace, by district - 2018-2019 District Alatau Almalyn Auyezov Bostandyk Zhetysu Medeu Nauryzbay Turksib Almaty, totals 2018 year In 2019, 4626 trees were cut down in emergency/hazardous situations. 2019 year Total m 2 m per person 2 Total m 2 m per person 2 117 000 998 900 429 800 1 483 900 398 700 1 716 000 6 000 241 500 5 385 800 0,52 4,64 1,5 4,47 2,47 8,55 0,01 1,08 3,07 1 145 382 1 297 632 1 544 322 2 291 244 1 339 140 2 852 454 1 233 570 2 605 818 14 309 562 4,14 5,98 5,1 6,55 7,89 13,37 8,81 10,87 7,49 In 2019, 135,553 tree and shrub seedlings were planted in the city, roughly 6,000 seedlings from previous plantings were restored; maintained flower beds cover 110,775 m of the city. 2