“Eco Pulse”: A youth-led initiative for cleaner air in Uzbekistan
By Utkir Alimov, journalist
Today environmental challenges have moved beyond national and regional boundaries to become a global concern for humanity. Amid climate change, air pollution, and growing pressure on natural resources, monitoring environmental conditions based on reliable data is becoming increasingly important. Modern digital technologies, in turn, are creating new opportunities to strengthen environmental monitoring and provide the public with access to accurate and timely information.
Against this backdrop, Jaloliddin Musayev, a 12th-grade student at International House Tashkent, has developed “Eco Pulse”, a digital platform designed to provide accessible information on air quality.
Launched in September 2025, the platform monitors six major pollutants – PM2.5, PM10, nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), ozone (O₃), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and carbon monoxide (CO). The data is converted into the Air Quality Index (AQI), allowing users to monitor local trends and view short-term forecasts.
“Eco Pulse” has gradually expanded beyond an individual technology project. According to the project data, more than 1,200 users have registered on the platform, while over 20 schools and 52 clinics across Uzbekistan use its information. Around 30 volunteers have also contributed to installing air-quality sensors in different locations, enabling the platform to supplement external information with locally collected data.
The initiative has also developed a research component. Together with researchers and collaborators in Uzbekistan, Musayev has been working on an open PM2.5 dataset covering Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. The dataset includes more than 341,000 hourly readings from monitoring stations in six Central Asian cities.
Alongside Eco Pulse, J.Musayev is involved in environmental and youth initiatives. He is one of the co-founders of “Blue Zarafshon”, a volunteer movement that organizes environmental awareness activities and cleanup campaigns. In 2026, he also launched “TexnoNova”, a youth technology hackathon in Fergana focused on technological solutions for reducing urban air pollution.
One of the technical challenges behind the project has been the reliability of low-cost air-quality sensors. Jaloliddin is currently exploring methods for improving sensor calibration and using more reliable data in forecasting models.
