Summed up results

Chairman of the Ecology Committee Zulfukhar Zholdasov made a report on measures to improve the environmental situation in the country at an expanded meeting of the Board of the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

In his annual Message to the people of Kazakhstan, the Head of State instructed to pay great attention to environmental problems in the country, especially air quality.

The results of ecomonitoring last year showed a high level of atmospheric air pollution in the cities of Temirtau, Nur-Sultan, Almaty, Aktobe, Atyrau, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Karaganda, Balkhash, Zhezkazgan, Shymkent. The main causes of air pollution can be called industrial facilities, heat sources (CHP, boiler houses), motor transport, outdated sewage treatment plants and the private sector.

The Ministry has developed the following measures to improve the environmental situation:

- environmental regulation and control over the activities of industrial enterprises are carried out;

- the best available technologies are being implemented at production facilities;

- a map of hotbeds of environmental tension has been developed;

- environmental legislation is being improved.

The Ministry and akimats of the regions, together with the public, have developed and approved 16 Roadmaps for all regions of the country, including 485 events until 2025.

Their implementation will reduce the air pollution index in ten cities of the country from high to medium.

In 2021, 36 events were held, including:

- the hot water boilers of CHPP-1 and CHPP-2 in the city of Nur-Sultan have been converted to gas;

- the Law "On Technical Regulation" has been adopted, which provides for the function of monitoring the quality of fuel at gas stations;

- approved an action plan to increase the area of green spaces;

- implementation of the project on recultivation of evaporation fields "Rotten beam" in Atyrau and reconstruction of workshops of the Aktobe ferroalloy plant has begun.

According to the National Project "Zhasyl Kazakhstan", 16 large industrial facilities in the 10 most polluted cities have committed to reducing emissions by 20 to 30%.

ArcelorMittal Temirtau JSC has started construction of new electric filters, which will reduce emissions by 31.6% by 2025. NCOC is building treatment facilities, which will reduce water consumption from the Astrakhan-Mangyshlak water pipeline by up to 70% and reduce the concentration of pollutants.

In 2021, the share of solid waste recycling increased to 21% or 2.7% from the level of 2020.

The task is to increase the share of solid waste disposal to 24%, and industrial to 40%. Separate waste collection has been introduced in 134 cities and districts, and sorting has been introduced in 96 localities.

Work is underway to solve problems with historical pollution.

Since 2021, the project for the reclamation of the Koshkar Ata tailings dam has been implemented. The project will be implemented until 2024.

Comprehensive measures have been developed to eliminate existing landfills and prevent the formation of new natural landfills.

Unauthorized waste has been completely eliminated in the Kyzylorda, Atyrau regions and in the cities of Almaty, Shymkent.

Systemic measures have been taken:

- a "hotline" has been opened to respond to residents' appeals on spontaneous and container dumps;

- the need for licensing of enterprises engaged in the processing and disposal of hazardous waste.

Work is underway to switch from 2025 to the best available technologies (BAT).

Measures are being taken to improve environmental legislation and to digitalize environmental information. A unified environmental portal with automated registration and public access has been developed.

Formation of ecological culture and education.

Within the framework of the National Project "Zhasyl Kazakhstan", the Ministry is working to improve environmental literacy and culture of the population;

- it is planned to open environmental education centers and hold the annual republican contest "The best organization of environmental education";

- a number of events and actions are being held at the local and national levels.