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Baikonur Cosmodrome
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Ecological Policy
Full text of this report
Home
About this report
Topics
-- Air
-- Water
-- Land
-- Biodiversity
-- Agriculture
-- Transportation
-- Energy
-- Climate Change
-- Waste
The Regions (oblasts)
-- Nur-Sultan
-- Almaty
-- Akmola Oblast
-- Aktobe Oblast
-- Almaty Oblast
-- Atyrau Oblast
-- West Kazakhstan Oblast
-- Jambyl Oblast
-- Karaganda Oblast
-- Kostanay Oblast
-- Kyzylorda Oblast
-- Mangystau Oblast
-- Turkestan Oblast
-- Pavlodar Oblast
-- North Kazakhstan Oblast
-- East Kazakhstan Oblast
-- Shymkent
-- Baikonur Cosmodrome
-- Semipalatinsk Test Site
Ecological Policy
Full text of this report
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Biodiversity is essential to the existence of life on Earth. Understanding this, the government is working to restore distressed ecological systems by
limiting the human-generated pressures that may result in additional ecological disturbances. Examples of this work include: an 9.6% increase of
protected natural reserves in the country with a goal of increasing the populations of threatened plant and animal species by 2019. In the recent five-
year period, reforestation efforts have added more than a million hectares to the nation's forests. Another continuing battle is the fight against forest
fires and illegal logging, which are as relevant as ever, with more than 600 wildfires occurring in 2019, double the amount registered in 2016. Illegal
logging has resulted in losses exceeding 29 million Tenge in both 2016 and 2019.
Biodiversity
In 2018 and 2019,
141
cases of Saiga antelope poaching
and horn harvesting were recorded
Poaching of other rare and endangered wild ungulate
species has also been recorded. In 2018, 69 criminal
cases were registered
: seizure
G
azelle
Argali
D
eer
Ibex
Sable
Mute Swan
White-fronted goose
G
rouse
Also registered were the illegal transport of 23
gyrfalcons and seven Saker falcons.
19
2
11
1
6
3
1
2
2018
2019
2019, 651 carcasses and 1,060
sections of Saiga horn were seized
from poachers; in 2018 - 429
carcasses and 501 sections of horn.
651
1060
429
501
In 2019, more than 12,000 violations of environmental legislation were recorded, including 44 criminal infractions of theft,
acquisition and / or sale of biological objects or products.
. Contributing factors to the increase included weather
patterns, poorly equipped forest services, delayed fire
detection and the encroachment of steppe fires into forested
areas.
2019
624
2018
358
year
year
-
-
forest fires
,
Fisheries represent an important and renewable biodiverse resource, generating
income and employment and fostering the development of the export market, but also
one capable of depleting sustainable fish stocks. Kazakhstan possesses over three
million hectares of inland water surface area, including 20 bodies of water of
international and domestic significance, and 2907 locally significant bodies of water. In
2019, these resources produced 45 thousand tons of fish caught. In 1991, the catch
volume exceeded 80 thousand tons, but with the subsequent abolition of the Ministry
of Fisheries, industry financing was affected leading to a decrease in catch volumes
alongside a slowdown in fish stock safeguards and restocking.
In 2019 were seized from poachers for
infractions:
tons of fish
>
80
water vessels
224
thousand pieces
of equipment
2
5
,
hunting firearms
427
The republic boasts a diverse array of flora and fauna. 11% of the nation's territory is forested, with fully forested lands occupying more than 12
million hectares. Arid/desert zones feature saxaul forestation; the plains and steppes are home to birch-aspen and pine forestation; coniferous
forests predominate in the mountainous Altai, Dzungarian and Trans-Ili Alatau
regions; and in the ribbon forests of the Irtysh grow plant species
that are resistant to conditions of heat and low-humidity.
Overall,
5 754
species of plants
grow in Kazakhstan, of which
387
are considered
rare and/or endangered.
Of all the flora in Kazakhstan, 14% are
endemic
and listed in the IUCN Red List. Due
to environmental effects and human activity
including mass harvesting, plants like the Altai
onion (Latin: A. altaicum), Ledebur onion (A.
ledebourianum), Victory onion (A.
microdictyon) and Golden Root (Rhodiola
rosea) are found today only at elevations in the
Altai Mountains which are difficult to access.
14%
In
Kazakhstan, hunting is permitted of 34 species
of mammals and 59 species of birds.
Kazakhstan's Red List includes
:
40
species of mammals
57
species of birds
18
species of fish
10
species of reptiles
3
species of amphibians
85
species of insects
6
species of mollusks
2
species of annelid worms
2
species of arachnids
1
species of crustaceans
Saiga antelope population 2010-2019 (in thousands)
Populations of rare and endangered ungulate species
In 2019, counts of the Saiga antelope population - a rare species in the IUCN Red List – were at
their highest level in the last decade.
Kazakhstan has 835 species of vertebrates.
Vertebrates living on the territory
of the Republic of Kazakhstan
1) the preservation of biological diversity and wildlife gene pool;
The development of protected natural reserves is one method to preserve wildlife while pursuing a managed hunting resource.
Principal objectives include
2) wildlife preservation and reproduction, including that of rare and endangered species, and an increase in valuable game species
populations;
5) the ensuring of food security via access to game hunting and its related yields;
6) the development of game breeding;
7) revival of the national cultural traditions of hunting in Kazakhstan.
3) minimization of growth-limiting factors, including carriers of infectious and parasitic diseases and their effect on biodiversity, the gene
pool, and wildlife reproduction—not excluding that of rare and endangered species;
4) constitutional protection of citizens' rights of access to leisure, a beneficial environment and opportunities to engage in legal hunting;
Overall, Kazakhstan possesses 116 national protected nature
reserves and 42 protected regional reserves.
Eight of Kazakhstan's protected natural reserves are listed in the UNESCO World Network of
Biosphere Reserves (WNBR). These include the Korgalzhyn Nature Reserve, the Akzhaiyk Reserve,
Katon-Karagai National Park, Altyn Emel National Park, the Aksu-Zhabaglinsky, Alakol, Barsakelmes
and Karatau Nature Reserves.
Over the past decade, eight new protected nature areas have been created in Kazakhstan and the
territory of seven additional areas has been expanded.
Republic of Kazakhstan - Area of protected natural territories
Kazakhstan also has five
botanical gardens comprising a
total area of 512 hectares. These
have been established in different
climate zones and reflect a
distinct emphasis. The largest
collection of flora is housed at the
Main Botanical Garden of the
Institute of Botany and
Phytointroduction where 2663
species and varieties of plants are
kept. The institute boasts a
herbarium, a seed bank and a
palaeobotanical collection with
specimens dating from the
Jurassic period as well as a
collection of 500 fossilized plants
of Kazakhstan. This collection
represents the largest
assemblage of flora specimens
from the Jurassic, Cretaceous,
Paleogene and Neogene periods
in Central Asia.
In the work of detecting environmental violations and preserving biodiversity, environmental services conducted
9804 raids and 968 inspections in 2018; in 2019, 9156 raids and 1048 inspections.
A partial list of activities related
to biodiversity conservation - 2018-2019
To detect and eliminate forest fires, air patrols are conducted in eight regions – a territory exceeding 8 million hectares.
Additionally, owners of forested land establish firebreaks and mineralized strips.
To combat illegal logging, environmental agency inspectors and forest rangers conduct raids. In 2018, more than 18,000 raids
were carried out; in 2019, more than 17,000 raids were conducted.
In an effort to promote wildlife populations, the
Astana Ormany Co. has raised nearly 6,200
pheasants, releasing 4,500 into the wild. In the
Turkestan region they have constructed a breeding
center for
Chlamydotis—a type of bustard fowl. In
2019, fish hatcheries released more than 73 million
fry into national waters.
For Saiga antelope conservation, an animal on the
IUCN Red List, aerial counts are conducted. In
2019, assessments were made of the viability and
distribution of the Saiga to determine their optimal
numbers required to permit a sustainable hunt
without depleting the herds.
The availability of cutting-edge
biotechnologies has
allowed for the propagation of numerous rare
species of plants including barberry varietals - the
Berberis karkalensi and the Berberis iliensis, the
Sievers apple (
Niedzwecky
Malus sieversii), the
apple (
, and poplars like the
Malus niedzwetzkyana)
Bolle poplar (Populus bolleana) which have been
cultivated for use in the creation of urban
greenspace.
We draw particular attention to the restoration of the ribbon forests of the Irtysh region, the creation of a green zone at Nur-Sultan, and the
Phyto-forestry reclamation of
the drained Aral Sea basin.
In 2019, a 7,000-hectare forest was re-established in the Irtysh region, more than 4,000 hectares of new-growth forestation was introduced in
areas around the nation's capital, and 10,000 hectares of saxaul were planted on the drained Aral Sea basin over a period of two years.
Afforestation and reforestation projects in 2019 covered 56,000 hectares, with plantings undertaken on over 29,000
hectares. The bulk of this work was conducted in the south of the country, where Saxaul plantings were conducted on
a total area of 21,000 hectares.
Reforestation and Afforestation
Kazakhstan is a participant in the Global Program for
the Conservation of the Snow Leopard and Its
Ecosystems, employing satellite monitored collars and
camera stations in protected nature reserves in order to
monitor the numbers and viability of this rare species. In
2019, camera stations managed to capture snow
leopard activity in the territory of Kolsai Lakes National
Park.
The Kazakhstan Zoological Institute conducts research to identify threats to rare mammal species
of mammals listed in the Republic of Kazakhstan Red List. The Institute has tagged around 5,000
rare and endangered birds from 45 species to study their migration patterns resulting in new data
on the migratory resting locations of
s, among other benefits of the program.
demoiselle crane
Working with the
Alaqol State Nature Reserve, the institute engaged in extensive
tagging and registration of bird colonies. More than 250 virus samples collected from
migratory birds were able to be cataloged. In addition, s
tudies for monitoring and taking
counts of the wolf populations in western Kazakhstan were carried out, resulting in
recommendations for regulating wolf populations.
The "Informational Database of the Botanical Description of Rare, Endangered and Economically Viable Flora of Kazakhstan” program continued
its work, entering newly collected data on 75 species and 28 families of flora in Central Kazakhstan and 70 species and 33 families from Western
Kazakhstan
To both preserve and supplement forested area, satellite monitoring was employed to assess the state of national forests and of occurrences of
steppe and forest fires. The data assisted in the prediction of forest fire spread and the determination of hectarage affected.
Satellite images were employed in the development of a mobile application for volunteers providing access to the
oko.gharysh.kz geolocation service by which images of burns could be uploaded to the RSE "Kazakh Forest Management
Enterprise" to update forest management maps.
Two studies - "A Comprehensive Assessment of Shchuchinsk-Borovsk Resort Zone Ecosystems TO Determine a
Sustainable Ecological Load and Recreational Potential" and “Ecological Challenges of the Shchuchinsk-Borovsk Resort
Zone and the Development of Veterinary and Sanitary Measures" – were conducted to assess the challenges of eco-tourism
in the Shchuchinsk-Borovoye resort area.
As a part of the "Study and Conservation of the Biodiversity of Walnuts and Hazelnuts and Genetic Data Utilization for the Development of Nut
Farming in Kazakhstan" project, the first assessment ever of the genetic diversity of the Kazakhstani walnut and hazelnut crop (Corylus avellana
L., Juglans regia L.) was undertaken. This resulted in the cataloging of the DNA of 121 samples of promising walnut varietals, including wild
walnuts.
A
Regional Program for sustainable and climate sensitive land use for economic development
German Society for International Cooperation Project in the Republic of Kazakhstan: "
in Central Asia
(SUSTAIN-CA)". The project helped to strengthen the capacity to implement private afforestation, integrate ecosystem services into the development plan and employ
other economic instruments for the sustainable use of natural resources.
As part of the International Snow Leopard Protection Day, running from September 23 to October 23, 2018, the national "Save the Snow Leopard – TOGETHER!" festival was held.
Organizing partners: UNDP, Committee of Forestry and Wildlife of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the Barys Hockey Club.
In 2018-2019, the Public State "Kazakhstan Association for Biodiversity Conservation" Association was engaged in 14 separate projects. Expeditions to three groupings of Saiga habitats
were organized, where animals were tagged with satellite monitored collars. An analysis of the hot spots and routes of the Saiga horn trade was prepared, as well as recommendations for
an alternative route for the Center-West Road project with the goal of reducing threats to Saiga migration. The Association continues to work on the resettlement of kulans in Central
Kazakhstan, a study of the steppe eagle, the tallying rare species of geese, Branta geese, and other waterfowl. More than 30 key ornithological areas were surveyed.
A United Nations Development Program Project in the Republic of Kazakhstan: "
Increasing the sustainability of the system of protected areas in desert ecosystems through the promotion
of biodiversity-compatible sources of life support in and around protected areas
". The project goal: to enhance the sustainability of protected areas in globally significant desert and semi-
desert ecosystems by expanding their geographical coverage, promoting the landscape approach, supporting sources of life support in protected areas and adjacent territories.
Achievements: technical and expert support was provided in the development of management plans for the Ustyurt and Barsakelmes Reserves, Altyn Emel National Park, and the new
reserve at Ile-Balkash, from 2018-2023.
A United Nations Development Program Project in the Republic of Kazakhstan: "
Conservation and Sustainable Management of Key Globally Important Ecosystems for Multiple Benefits
". The goal is to improve the system of conservation and management of forest resources and adjacent meadow, floodplain and desert ecosystems important for the conservation of
biodiversity, land resources and improving the well-being of the local population. Achievements: all initial activities for the launch of the project were completed, an introductory project
seminar was held, a work plan, procurement and monitoring plans for the project for 2018 were drawn up and finalized, and an introductory project report was prepared and agreed
upon, which was submitted to the UNDP country and regional (Istanbul) offices. A detailed review of forest management of the Republic of Kazakhstan for the period 2004–2018 has
been prepared; the review covers 120 forestry authorities and 20 protected areas.
United Nations Development Program Project in the Republic of Kazakhstan "Biodiversity Financing Initiative – BIOFIN". The aim is to identify the biodiversity financing gap and
introduce new financial mechanisms to mobilize resources for biodiversity conservation. Work on the project is continuing.
A number of State Agency-International Community joint projects on ecology are being undertaken in Kazakhstan.
What follows is a listing of the largest projects.
Protected nature reserves
in the Republic of Kazakhstan
Cyclostomata
Mammals
Birds
Reptiles
Amphibians
Fish
Jeyran
Kulan
Argali
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
17 000
16 000
15 000
14 000
13 000
12 000
11 000
10 000
9 000
8 000
7 000
6 000
5 000
4 000
3 000
2 000
1 000
Tugai deer
17 954
16 980
16 802
15 979
15 710
14 737
14 525
13 872
12 623
12 888
12 994
13 197
13 218
13 727
14 055
14 391
2 920
3 222
3 420
3 595
3 807
3 984
4 103
4 197
451
465
481
503
716
825
856
878
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
500 000
400 000
300 000
200 000
100 000
85,4
102
137,5
187
256,7
295,4
108,3
152,6
215,1
334,4
National
:
State Natural Preservation Areas
State National Parks
State Nature Reserves
State Botanical Gardens
State Protected Areas
State Natural Habitat Sites
State Natural Historic Sites
State Dendrological Park
Local/Regional
:
State Regional Nature Parks
State Regional Natural Habitat Sites
State Natural Historic Sites
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
500 000
400 000
300 000
200 000
100 000
0
10
8
6
4
2
0
Area of protected
natural
areas,
Total % of national territory designated
as protected natural areas
%
year
year
240 188
244 287
244 287
262 488
262 488
9,6
9,6
8,8
8,8
8,6
h
unting
forest
fishing
total
Measure
10 000
8 000
6 000
4 000
2 000
0
Violations
recorded
Citations
issued
Individuals cited
for statute violations
Administrative
fines imposed
Measure
100
80
60
40
20
0
million
Tenge
2018
total
:
8 840
6 585
981
1 274
2019
total
:
8 840
6 662
1 005
1 081
2018
total
:
8 014
6 608
664
742
2019
total
:
7 951
6 613
596
742
2018
total
:
7 671
5 768
944
969
2019
total
:
7 184
5 377
822
985
2018
total
:
102,7
89,5
9,9
3,3
2019
total
:
95,4
81,9
11,2
2,3
100
80
60
40
20
0
Volume,
thousands of hectares
year
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
60
57
57
57
53
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
178
489
104
49
12
3
10
13
6
5
5
50
26
1
3
18
21
In 2019, poaching
damages were valued at
(
with 90.5 million Tenge
recovered in fines
).
billion Tenge
2,4
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.