Environmental Policy

The development of Kazakhstan’s natural resources during the Soviet period had a very negative impact on the environment and the health of local populations. Any future plans for the production of natural resources must carefully evaluate the potential impact on the environment. Kazakhstan is working hard to bring their ecological policies in line with those of other European countries.

Formulating a policy and implementing plans to repair the ecological damage and to safeguard Kazakhstan’s citizens is a high national priority. The issues that Kazakhstan faces are serious – desertification of the land, water and air pollution, as well as contamination from years of Soviet nuclear testing.

Once the fourth-largest lake in the world, the Aral Sea is now known as an environmental disaster. Soviet-era programs diverted water from two rivers that feed the Aral to irrigate farms, and the effects were devastating. Many nations have cooperated to mitigate the damage to the region, and water levels are rising. In fact, the northern part of the sea has returned to 40 percent of its original size.

Air pollution from the non-ferrous metals industry (lead, cooper and zinc) industry is also a major problem, and Kazakhstan is working hard to stabilize and reduce these harmful emissions.