Aktobe region, as an industrially developed region, is experiencing a certain burden on the environment. There are also a number of historical environmental problems in the region, such as pollution and degradation of water bodies in the region and the accumulation of waste, etc.
In the Aktobe region-185 enterprises in category I. Enterprises in the oil and gas sector – 57 (29 %), mining and processing industry - 47 (26%), utilities - 8 (4.4%), metallurgical industry – 2 (1.1%), agriculture -7 (4%), other-64 (35.5%).
In 2018, environmental quality Targets for 2018-2025 were developed and approved by the decision of the regional maslikhat, and an action plan was formed and implemented to achieve them, which includes:
- reconstruction and repair of the sewage system,
- installation of local industrial waste treatment systems,
- elimination of waste storage,
- development of solid waste sorting, construction of landfills in district centers,
- improving the traffic flow management system, creating conditions for the transition of vehicles to gas fuel.
- increasing the amount of landscaping work.
To stabilize the situation at Akbulak JSC, a number of measures have been taken to combat sewage odors at the CPS (sewage pumping stations) and wells of the city and at the CBS itself (a complex of treatment facilities).
For many years, the problem of contamination of the Ilek river with chemical compounds of boron and hexavalent chromium has not been solved. The reason for the historical pollution of the Bor river was the waste of the former Kirov chemical plant in Alga. the source of hexavalent chromium contamination was formed as a result of the activities of the chromium compounds plant in Aktobe.
The Ministry of ecology, Geology and natural resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan has developed a project to eliminate waste from the former alginsky chemical plant, and received a positive conclusion from the state expert examination. In 2019, work was carried out to transfer the working project on waste disposal from the Republican property to the municipal one. The project has been supported from the national budget since 2020.
The issue of cleaning the Ilek river from hexavalent chromium remains open.
Another water body in the region that is undergoing degradation is lake Shalkar of the Shalkar district. Previously, a feasibility study for cleaning the bottom of lake Shalkar was developed, and a working project is being developed this year.
Since 2017, a waste sorting complex has been operating in Aktobe. Work is being carried out to sort waste directly at the places of its formation. The city's container sites have 140 mesh containers for collecting plastic containers. Containers for glass and waste paper are installed.
In the regional center, three recycling collection points have been opened, where cullet, cardboard, aluminum cans, waste paper, plastic bottles, and polyethylene are received.
This made it possible to increase the volume of MSW processing to 11.7% of the mass of waste generated.
55.2 million tons of industrial waste were generated in the region, 5.9 million tons (10.7%) of which were processed. The main volume of industrial waste consists of overburden and rock (52.6 million tons of waste from copper technology LLP, Aktobe copper company LLP).
Work to stabilize the quality of the environment will continue.