Landscape restoration projects in Kazakhstan

In order to make Kazakhstan a real green oasis, the authorities are paying particular attention to the planting of green spaces throughout the country and the restoration of lands that were once fertile. Under the Global Environment Facility program, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development has allocated US$4.3 million to Kazakhstan. The project is expected to be implemented in the next five years.

“As part of the funding, it is planned to restore degraded land through tree planting. In the Kyzylorda region, for example, much work will be done to solve the Aral problem. There is a green zone in Nur-Sultan, and exactly the same one will be created around the city of Kyzylorda,” said Ayan Meirash, spokesperson, Kazakh Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources.

Green plantations on the bottom of the Aral Sea - this project is also very real. For example, already 300,000 hectares of forest will soon appear on the local map of the drained sea. Another 50,000 hectares of lands are supposed to be planted. Soon, a special site and a forest nursery will be created there, where four million saxaul trees will be planted every year.

“It will be something like breeding centers for the cultivation of tree and grain crops. It should be noted that this center will be a good tool for achieving the goal set by the President of planting two billion trees,” said Ayan Meirash, spokesperson, Kazakh Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources.

In addition, it is expected that the IBRD tranche will help to strengthen the material and technical base of the forestry institutions in Kyzylorda and Zhambyl regions. The project will also carry out an inventory of unrecorded forests in the Turkistan region. And a genetic seed bank of forest plants will be created in the Akmola region.

Translation by Assem Zhanmukhanova

Editing by Saule Mukhamejanova