Swipe to right
Section navigation
According to the World Meteorological Organization ( ), average annual global temperature in 2018 exceeded the values of the pre- public.wmo.int industrial period of 1850 1900 by 0.99-0.13 ° C, and in 2019 by 1.1 degrees. The decade of 2010 - 2019 was the warmest yet on record, with 2018 being the fourth warmest year on record, and 2019 the second. Climate change Beginning in 1976, the average annual temperature in Kazakhstan has risen with each subsequent decade by approximately 0.3° C. Anomalies of seasonal air temperatures - 2018–2019 - by region (°С) Region Kazakhstan overall Almaty Akmola Aktobe Atyrau East Kazakhstan Jambyl West Kazakhstan Karaganda Kostanay Kyzylorda Mangystau Pavlodar North Kazakhstan Turkestan 2019 2018 1,10 2,00 0,17 1,34 2,65 ‑0,22 2,76 1,21 ‑0,24 0,91 2,78 3,02 ‑0,90 ‑0,01 3,26 0,55 1,97 -1,22 -0,20 0,65 1,50 2,04 -0,69 0,17 -0,85 1,05 1,56 -0,66 -1,63 1,89 2019 2,25 2,24 2,04 3,06 2,31 2,17 2,06 2,65 1,30 2,48 3,13 3,77 1,66 2,01 2,29 2018 0,56 0,75 -0,55 0,65 1,43 1,00 0,83 1,38 -0,10 0,24 1,00 2,12 -0,32 -0,69 0,92 2019 0,93 1,52 0,13 0,96 1,35 0,73 1,56 0,81 0,93 0,87 1,66 1,72 0,21 ‑0,03 1,38 2018 -0,32 -0,67 -0,79 -0,20 0,39 -0,25 -0,96 1,27 -0,63 -0,59 -0,46 0,39 -1,47 -0,51 0,53 2018 0,14 -0,72 0,81 0,68 0,95 -0,48 -0,95 1,13 -0,95 1,64 0,09 0,80 0,76 1,44 -0,37 2019 0,28 0,66 0,22 ‑0,61 0,25 0,50 0,07 0,46 ‑0,13 0,09 0,00 0,12 0,67 0,67 0,17 Winter Spring Summer Autumn Recorded anomaly value Pavlodar EKO Almaty Jambyl Turkestan Kyzylorda Karaganda NKO Akmola Kostanay Aktobe WKO Atyrau Mangystau Kazakhstan overall 1,97 С 0 2015 2,07 С 0 1983 2,22 С 0 2013 2,3 С 0 1995 2,07 С 0 2002 1,89 С 0 2015 2,61 С 0 1995 2,15 С 0 2013 2,21 С 0 1983 2,45 С 0 2013 1,9 С 0 2010/2004 2,36 С 0 1983 2,19 С 0 1983 1,9 С 0 2019 1,9 С 0 2013 Temperature range - territory of Kazakhstan – 2014-2019 ( 0 С) Name Long-term average annual temperature 1961–1990 Average annual temperature Deviation from the long-term average annual temperature - 1961 to 1990 Highest average monthly temperature Lowest average monthly temperature 2014 2015 5,7 0,2 22,7 -15,6 2016 2017 2018 2019 5,5 7,1 1,7 23,5 -10,2 7,0 1,3 22,4 -10,3 6,8 1,3 23,4 -10,1 5,5 0,1 23,7 -15,6 7,3 1,6 24,5 -9,5 Temperature : In the central oblasts the winter of 2018-2019 was slightly colder than usual, and in the western and southern oblasts air temperatures exceeded norms in some locations by 2-4° C. The s pring of both 2018 and 2019 brought temperatures exceeding norms throughout the country of between 1-3° C. Air temperatures were also above normal in the summers of 2018 and 2019. The maximum temperature anomaly in 2018 was greater than 4° C in some regions; in 2019, the maximum anomaly was registered in the Mangystau region - 1.72° C. In the autumn of 2018, North Kazakhstan and Kostanay regions experienced especially warm temperatures, and the seasonal maximum temperature for the Kostanay region was updated. In 2019, the autumn temperature showed a slight deviation from the average; the largest deviation below average was noted north of the Aral Sea and the largest above average deviation was recorded in the far northern regions of the republic. Precipitation In 2018, recorded precipitation for March, April, August, November exceeded the average, with the month of March receiving its highest precipitation since 1969. In all other months, precipitation was below normal. In 2019, precipitation for February, April, June, September and December exceeded the historic averages, with April and September exceeding norms by 20%. G reenhouse gases are a part of our world, and all contribute to climate change to one degree or another. In calculating total emissions of greenhouse gases, we look at emissions against a scale of comparable amounts of carbon dioxide, which has the lowest greenhouse effect. Climatologists call this indicator the CO2 equivalent of emissions of the corresponding greenhouse gas. As a result of the economic recession of 2001, greenhouse gas emissions then were at their lowest levels in the period of 1990 - 2018. In 2018, carbon dioxide accounted for the greatest level of greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions in 1990 in Kazakhstan amounted to 386 402 million tons, and in 2018, Greenhouse gas emissions - 2013–2018 Greenhouse gas emissions from a range of industries and sectors vary with economic and demographic factors, but percentages have been affected only slightly since 1990. Percentage of greenhouse gas emissions I n 1990 and 2018 Industrial processes and production Waste Power Generation Agriculture 11 1990 year 2018 year 6 1 82 9 6 2 83 Land management and the forestry sector and changes to these sectors result in the emission of greenhouse gases, but these are also greenhouse gas absorbent sectors, playing a vital role in the overall balance of greenhouse gas emissions. From 1990-1996, the activity in these sectors resulted in a positive, or greater absorption of greenhouse gasses emitted. This was followed by a 10-year 'negative' period (1996 to 2006) of emissions, where more gasses are released than are absorbed. This was followed by a decade of carbon sequestration, 2006-2017 and then, most recently, 2017-2018, a period of greater emission than absorption. These changes are associated largely with changes in land management practices. Amounts of greenhouse gases emitted by the energy sector 1900 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 400 000 350 000 300 000 250 000 200 000 150 000 100 000 50 000 0 333 241 322 599 295 549 263 887 227 737 212 792 199 944 192 040 190 642 160 545 192 988 152 113 168 467 188 262 198 445 210 379 230 887 237 504 241 409 235 980 265 085 256 358 262 407 268 738 292 206 297 861 297 285 316 946 331 186 year Amount of greenhouse gases emitted by the agricultural sector Agriculture represents the second largest source of greenhouse gases. Most of the greenhouse gases here arise from methane, formed by intestinal fermentation processes in livestock and nitrous oxide emissions from cultivated soils. 1900 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 50 000 40 000 30 000 20 000 10 000 0 year 43 869 42 533 43 200 41 479 33 645 29 670 25 615 23 920 24 574 27 473 29 523 29 275 29 545 30 044 30 327 30 540 30 871 31 027 30 607 30 511 30 822 30 225 30 179 30 879 31 964 32 820 33 636 34 937 36 223 Amount of greenhouse gases emitted by the industrial processes and production sector Amount of greenhouse gases emitted by the waste management sector In the waste management sector greenhouse gases are generated mainly from waste buried in landfills, wastewater treatment, and medical waste incineration. 1900 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 30 000 25 000 20 000 15 000 10 000 5 000 0 year 20 056 19 098 16 843 12 746 8 547 9 065 7 681 10 361 9 453 11 445 12 179 12 621 13 703 15 303 15 734 16 693 17 904 18 899 18 600 17 383 18 742 19 077 19 023 21 189 20 556 22 421 23 017 23 394 22 373 1900 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 7 000 6 000 5 000 4 000 3 000 2 000 1 000 0 year 4 706 4 752 4 550 4 367 4 277 4 281 4 288 4 314 4 257 4 272 4 289 4 332 4 328 4 371 4 459 4 504 4 647 4 775 4 980 5 322 5 610 5 777 5 980 6 179 6 388 6 479 6 583 6 654 6 789 Among the most notable effects of climate change are the increasing frequency and intensity of hazardous weather events. The number of natural and man-made emergency situations - 2017–2019 2017 2018 2019 Number of emergencies Number of victims 17 000 3 500 16 619 3 567 15 821 2 759 Number of incidents m eteorological phenomena occurring In the Republic - 2018–2019 Region Almaty Akmola Aktobe Atyrau East Kazakhstan Jambyl West Kazakhstan Karaganda Kostanay Kyzylorda Pavlodar North Kazakhstan Turkestan Drought conditions were observed in the Aktobe, Almaty, and Kostanay regions. Severe dry winds (sukhovey) were noted on the territories of the Jambyl and Kostanay regions. 2018 2019 34 7 4 0 2 7 1 11 3 10 6 2 17 35 7 5 1 4 4 1 3 1 4 2 11 5 Precipitation on the territory of Kazakhstan – 2014-2019 Name Long-term average precipitation (mm) - 1961–1990 (mm) Annual rainfall Deviation of annual precipitation from the long-term average (%) - 1961–1990 Maximum monthly (mm) rainfall Minimum monthly (mm) rainfall 2014 2015 309 95 50 11 2016 2017 2018 2019 326 377 115 48 19 450 137 60 10 314 96 42 15 335 103 46 11 297 92 40 18 Note: some recorded emergencies are unrelated to weather events and do not serve as an indicator of climate change. In 2018, 148 dangerous natural hydrometeorological phenomena were recorded in Kazakhstan; in 2019, 83 such phenomena were recorded. From 1990 to 2019, the greatest number of hazardous natural hydrometeorological phenomena was observed in 2003. In the winter of 2018-2019, precipitation levels fell within normal ranges over most of Kazakhstan; precipitation shortfalls were observed mainly in the north of the country and in some southern and western regions. The driest region was the western section of East Kazakhstan, where recorded precipitation was less than 20% of the norm. T he spring of 2018 saw increases in precipitation throughout the country, with the East Kazakhstan, North Kazakhstan and Pavlodar regions experiencing particularly wet weather. In the spring of 2019, precipitation was between 80-120% of the norm. The Mangystau region and the area north of the Caspian Sea saw particularly high precipitation. In the summers of 2018 and 2019, precipitation levels in Kazakhstan were below normal with particularly dry weather noted in the Aktobe, West Kazakhstan, Atyrau, Mangistau, Kyzylorda, Turkestan, Jambyl and Karaganda regions. In these regions, the summer of 2018 was among the top 10% of extreme dry seasons ever observed. In 2019, the Karaganda region set a new record of minimum precipitation; the previous record was observed in 1945. Autumn 2018 was a dry season in the west of Kazakhstan - in the top 10% of extreme dry seasons there. In the Turkestan, Pavlodar and East Kazakhstan regions, precipitation exceeded norms. The autumn of 2019 brought an excess of precipitation to the northern regions, with extreme wet weather in the Akmola region. Simultaneously, in the northwestern regions of the country, autumn 2019 was dry – recorded in the top 5% of the region's driest seasons on record. Numbers of flooded population centers and homes - 2015–2019 3 000 2 000 1 000 500 100 50 0 year Pop. centers Homes 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 44 88 3 067 87 50 3 1 554 1 453 13 556 The flood period of 2019 was complicated by heavy rainfall, elevated soil moisture levels and saturated river basins in some areas and severe frost in other areas. Elevated moisture levels – selected rivers - 2019 Karaganda Oblast Akmola Oblast Kostanay Oblast West Kazakhstan Oblast East Kazakhstan Oblast Nura Esil Tobyl Togyzak All regional rivers Tributaries of the Yertis River Tarbagatay 55 15 10 30 From 50 to 100 40 30 Region River % excess of normal Waterlogged soil basins - selected rivers - 2019 Region Karaganda Oblast Akmola Oblast Kostanay Oblast North-Kazakhstan Oblast Norm, mm Index, mm 64 64 47 64 66 69 64 64 37 40 66 30 36 38 38 37 38 35 35 33 28 44 River Nura Sherubainura Sarysu Esil Silhouettes Chagals Kaltukan Zhabay Torgai Karatorgay Esil 34 bridges, and inundated seven railway sections. Over the past five years, flooding has affected 692 sections of roadway, damaged Number of landslide-prone areas by region - 2019 Almaty Oblast Almaty Turkestan Oblast Shymkent KO E 194 144 27 11 9 0 200 In 2018, over 376 landslide- prone areas were identified in Kazakhstan; in 2019 - 385. In 2019, more than 800 structures and 9,000 residents were located in potential landslide impact zones. Number of avalanche-prone areas by region - 2019 E KO Almaty Almaty Oblast Turkestan Oblast Jambyl Oblast 336 165 91 10 1 0 350 There are 603 sites of avalanches in Kazakhstan that pose a threat to 215 structures and over 5,000 residents. Almaty Oblast Almaty Jambyl Oblast Turkestan Oblast KO E Shymkent 243 195 140 93 23 22 0 250 Number of mudflow sites by region - 2019 There are 716 mudflow sites in Kazakhstan located in the vicinity of 11,000 structures and 57,000 residents. In 1995, Kazakhstan ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), becoming full party to the Convention; since 2009 Kazakhstan has been a party to Annex I of the Kyoto Protocol. In 2016, Kazakhstan ratified the Paris Agreement on climate change. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement on the principles of engagement by nations in the fight against climate change, having been signed by nearly all industrialized countries. The Paris Agreement is an international treaty on climate change adopted at the 21st session of the Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC. The Kyoto Protocol commits industrialized countries to the limitation and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with approved national commitments. One main obligation under the UNFCCC is the annual submission of the National Greenhouse Gas Emission Report to the Convention Secretariat. The report includes data on the six major gases with a direct greenhouse effect, including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride. Estimates are submitted for some greenhouse gas sources producing indirect effects: carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, non-methane volatile organic compounds, sulfur dioxide. Within the framework of the Paris Agreement, Kazakhstan proposes to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 15-25% by 2030 relative to base level emissions from 1990 and encompassing the entire national economy. In pursuit of the Convention's 13th Sustainable Development Goal involving the adoption of urgent measures to combat climate change and its consequences, Kazakhstan has adopted measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, instituting an online system for monitoring, reporting and verifying emission sources, and is planting Saxaul on the drained Aral Sea basin. To reduce its volume of greenhouse gas emissions, Kazakhstan's carbon emissions exchange system is now operational and sufficient to account for the nation's largest greenhouse gas emitters. Activities combatting emergency situations - 2018-2019 Emergency interventions Rescues Evacuations Administrations of First Aid 70 711 11 335 25 926 5 053 80 994 12 135 27 251 3 090 Type of activity 2018 2019 Flood In 2018-2019, practical engineering and protective measures helped limit the flood threat at 692 population centers. In 2019, 316 kilometers of retaining dams and levees were erected, 268 kilometers of retaining structures were repaired, as well as the completion of bank reinforcement, dredging and straightening of 237 kilometers of flood riverbeds, construction and repair of 226 kilometers of drainage systems, and maintenance of 1424 kilometers of ditches and canals. In 2019, to provide public information on the flood threat, 475 presentations were broadcast on television, 1547 on the radio, and 677 articles were published. Mudslides Mudslide monitoring is carried out at 89 posts, of which 64 are year-round and 19 seasonal. To protect against meltwater in 2019, 6.3 million m3 of snow was removed from population centers; 22 thousand road culverts and 2.5 thousand on railway culverts were cleaned; 50 settlements were provided with embankments; and bypass canals were serviced and cleaned in 79 towns. Information on natural hazards and emergencies is collected and processed at 28 control centers. Avalanche To monitor avalanche-prone areas, a surveillance and warning service has been organized which includes 60 year-round and 37 seasonal posts; monitoring is also carried out on 24 routes experiencing significant snowfall. In mountainous areas, 1899 sections of snow-fencing have been erected. To provide public information on safety measures in avalanche-prone zones, 98 warning and information boards were erected. Mobile groups employed Raids conducted Violations recorded Fines imposed (million Tenge) 325 2 000 > 199 2,5 456 6 000 > 832 4,6 2018 2019 Fires Remote forest fire sensors are maintained to monitor forest and steppe fires. Regular land and air patrols are conducted covering more than 9 million hectares of State Forest. In 2019, mineralized strips extending more than 280 thousand kilometers were installed in forest-steppe areas; more than 6000 posters and billboards on fire safety were installed; initiatives in 3777 towns & cities worked to clear dry vegetation and dispose of combustible materials. In 2019, 335 regional fire-tactical exercises and six international fire-tactical exercises were conducted. Kazhydromet conducts systematic meteorological observations at 328 weather stations. An aero weather network is comprised of 203 observation posts. The hydrological network includes 310 observation points, with 264 posts located on rivers and 36 on lakes. Monitoring and forecasting of hydrometeorological phenomena Kazhydromet forecasts dangerous and spontaneous hydrometeorological phenomena to an accuracy rate of > 95%. "Sustainable Cities for Low-Carbon Development in Kazakhstan (Climate Change Mitigation Measures for Low-Carbon Urban Development, Reflecting National Conditions)" (UNDP). Planning a Strategy for the Low-Carbon Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan by 2050: reducing energy consumption, producing cleaner electricity; enhancing technologies for the capture and storage of emissions; transitioning to cleaner fuels and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in non-energy producing industries (German Society for International Cooperation, GIZ). Initiation and implementation of medium- and long-term climate change adaptation policies in Kazakhstan to assess climate risks and vulnerabilities as a basis for further action (UNDP).   "Development of the National Communication of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the framework of the UNFCCC biennial report " (UNDP). The "Project to Provide Technical Support to the Southeast Europe and Central Asia Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility in the Republic of Kazakhstan", supporting the development of a modern infrastructure for the disaster risk insurance market (SEECA CRIF) is being implemented by the World Bank.   Projects in the environmental protection sector implemented in the Republic of Kazakhstan jointly between state and international organizations Average viability of weather forecasts and storm warnings involving hazardous conditions, natural hydrometeorological phenomena and sudden weather changes - 2015-2019 Accuracy of storm warnings, % Accuracy of daily weather forecasts - % 95–99 95 95–97 96 2018 2019 90–95 96 98–99 96 2018 2019 96–99 96 99 96 2018 2019 In 2019, 624 forest fires occurred in Kazakhstan, primarily in the Pavlodar, East Kazakhstan and Kostanay regions. Number of forest fires on state land (incidents) Material damage caused by fires (million tenge) Forest area affected by fires (thousand hectares) 358 210 162,6 Indicator/year 2018 2019 628 564 73,5 In 2012, at the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, Kazakhstan announced its commitment to the reduction of emissions by 5% relative to base level emissions from 1990. To meet its obligations under the UNFCCC, new articles have been introduced into the Environmental Code. On the basis of these articles, a framework for the regular accounting and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions has been adopted and an internal carbon market has begun to function. In addition, the amended Environmental Code makes provision for a department on the "Public administration for adaptation to climate change". Forest Fire Prevention Activity - 2018-2019 Average annual air temperatures by and anomalies - region - 2018–2019 (°С) Turkestan Pavlodar NKO Kyzylorda Kostanay Karaganda WKO EKO Aktobe Akmola Turkestan Mangystau Mangystau 13,6 0 12,6 0 12,8 0 12,3 0 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Kyzylorda 11,9 0 10,1 0 Atyrau 11 0 Atyrau 10 0 Jambyl 11,5 0 9,5 0 Jambyl W КО 8,4 0 7 0 Almaty Almaty 9,7 0 6,9 0 Aktobe 6,9 0 5,5 0 Karaganda 5,4 0 3,1 0 E КО 3,2 0 4,5 0 4,5 0 Kostanay 2,6 0 Pavlodar 3,6 0 1,6 0 Akmola 3,3 0 1,2 0 NKO 2,9 0 1 0 Temperature anomalies, by region - 2018–2019 (°C) Pavlodar NKO Kyzylorda Kostanay Karaganda WKO EKO Aktobe Akmola Mangystau 1,3 0 Kyzylorda 0,5 0 2,3 0 Atyrau Atyrau 0,8 0 Jambyl 1,8 0 0,2 0 Jambyl WKO 0,64 0 1,6 0 Almaty Almaty 0,2 0 Aktobe 0,2 0 1,5 0 Karaganda -0,6 0 1 0 EKO 1,4 0 Kostanay 1,3 0 Pavlodar -0,7 0 1,1 0 Akmola -0,7 0 1,2 0 NKO -0,7 0 1,2 0 2,5 0 2 0 1,7 0 1,5 0 1,2 0 1 0 -0,1 0 Mangystau 1,9 0 Turkestan 1,9 0 Turkestan 0,9 0 1,8 0 1,8 0 -0,2 0 -0,5 0 -0,7 0 -1 0 -0,01 0 -0,1 0 Annual precipitation (mm) - 2018–2019 Pavlodar NKO Kyzylorda Kostanay Karaganda WKO EKO Aktobe Akmola Mangystau 97 Kyzylorda 120 139 Atyrau Atyrau 98 Jambyl 249 291 Jambyl WKO 231 220 Almaty Almaty 496 Aktobe 162 191 Karaganda 271 221 EKO 355 375 269 Kostanay 246 Pavlodar 395 270 Akmola 447 372 NKO 471 341 Mangystau 136 Turkestan 367 Turkestan 405 178 327 500 400 300 200 100 Precipitation anomalies (% of normal) - 2018–2019 140 130 120 110 100 90 80 70 60 Pavlodar NKO Kyzylorda Kostanay Karaganda WKO EKO Aktobe Akmola Mangystau 79,8 Kyzylorda 87,6 85,5 Atyrau Atyrau 61,6 Jambyl 99,8 109,1 Jambyl WKO 84,8 86,1 Almaty Almaty 97,9 Aktobe 134 113 Karaganda 81,6 80,3 EKO 106,5 Kostanay 92,6 Pavlodar 63,8 97,4 Akmola 112,7 100,3 NKO 134,3 92,9 Mangystau 102,2 Turkestan 96,7 Turkestan 132,4 79 92 61,6 102,2 Of the 624 fires, 273 resulted from human negligence and fire safety violations. 310 fires resulted from natural phenomena. In 2019, there were 72 steppe fires covering more than 24,000 hectares. Hydrofluorocarbons t/year 1000 ( ) Perfluorocarbons t/year 1000 ( ) Sulfur hexafluoride t/year ( ) 1000 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 mln t/year year Carbon dioxide mln t/year ( ) Nitrous oxide mln t/year ( ) Methane mln t/year ( ) 2013 240 0,052 2,1 257 0,053 2 264 0,054 2 268 0,053 2 287 0,054 2,1 320 0,058 2,3 201 4 201 5 201 6 201 7 201 8 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 thousand tons/year year 2013 201 4 201 5 201 6 201 7 201 8 639 0,084 629 635 526 0,088 665 556 0,088 652 591 0,090 665 640 0,092 668 649 0,104
This interactive report was created by the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan with the support of the European Commission, the United Nations Environment Programme, and Zoï Environment Network.