Over two years, the maximum permissible concentration of air pollutants in Semey was exceeded more than 6,500 times

In 8 out of the last 10 years, the city of Semey has recorded an “elevated” level of air pollution; in 2021 it was assessed as “low,” while in 2022 it rose to “high.” Only during the period from 2023 to 2024, more than 6,500 cases of exceeding the maximum permissible concentration (MPC) of air pollutants were registered in the regional center.

Semey, located in the east of the country on both banks of the Irtysh River – the largest river in Kazakhstan – has a sharply continental climate. 

The city is home to more than 310,000 residents and hosts several major industrial enterprises, the largest of which is the coal mining company Karazhira JSC. Other facilities include Semey Cement Plant LLP, Silicate JSC, Tasoba Stone Mining Plant JSC, Semipalatinsk Machine-Building Plant JSC, Semipalatinsk Bus Plant LLP, Metallist LLP, Semipalatinsk Leather and Fur Plant LLP, Semipalatinsk Meat Plant LLP, and others. 

Semey’s industrial enterprises supply raw materials for the entire local construction sector, producing cement, slate, bricks, and reinforced concrete products.

Air quality in Semey is monitored at 4 automatic monitoring stations, where data are recorded every 20 minutes across 6 parameters: 1) sulfur dioxide; 2) carbon monoxide; 3) nitrogen dioxide; 4) nitrogen oxide; 5) hydrogen sulfide; 6) ozone.

Two indices are used to assess air quality: 

- Atmospheric Pollution Index (API) – a metric that takes into account concentrations of several key pollutants and their impact on human health. It uses daily or annual average concentrations to assess long-term (chronic) pollution levels;

- Standard Index (SI) – a metric based on the highest recorded one-time concentration of a pollutant divided by its maximum permissible concentration. It indicates which pollutant contributes the most to air contamination at a given station or city and is used to assess short-term pollution.

According to RSE “Kazhydromet,” in Semey the Atmospheric Pollution Index between 2015 and 2020 was assessed as “elevated” (API 5.0–6.0), in 2021 as “low” (API 2.4). Based on the Standard Index, air pollution was assessed as “high” in 2022 and “elevated” in 2023–2024.

In 2023, monitoring stations recorded 5,114 cases of exceeding the maximum permissible concentrations of harmful substances; in 2024 – 1,392 cases. The majority of pollutants consisted of sulfur and nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen sulfide. 

As previously reported, the Regional Ecological Summit is scheduled to take place in Astana on 22–24 April 2026, where environmental challenges in Central Asia and ways to address them will be discussed.