Environmental protection in kazakhstan

There are many environmental problems in Kazakhstan. One of the most acute is the problem of the Aral Sea basin. The excessive use of water resources of the Amudarya and the Syrdarya rivers resulted in a rapid shallowing and drying-up of the Aral Sea. The adjacent area has turned into lifeless saline desert. This entailed negative consequences for the natural environment, economic activity possibilities, and human health.

The significant shallowing threatens also Lake Balkash. Its western part can dry out completely while its eastern part can turn into saline lands (sor).

Environmental pollution, especially atmospheric pollution, is another urgent problem in Kazakhstan. In some big cities and industrial centers concentrations of some toxic substances, such as heavy metals dust, sulfur dioxide, carbon oxide, and some others, are greater by tens of times than maximum permissible concentrations (MFC). The most acute situation is typical of the cities Taraz, Temirtau, Almaty, Oskemen, Leninogor, Shymkent, Balkash, and some others. Pollutant concentrations in these cities within a year are by 5 to 10 times greater than MFC.

Atmospheric air is significantly polluted in the regions, where mineral resources are exploited. Air pollution results also from spaceships launching at the Baikonur space center.

Apart from air pollution there is also pollution of surface waters and other components of the biosphere in the industrially developed regions. For example, 35 to 40% of the Syrdarya run-off is formed by industrial and communal waste waters as well as drainage waters. Pathogens of dysentery, enteric fever, paratyphoid, hepatitis, and also such hazardous substances as DDT, benzene hexachlonde (BHC), etc. are present in water permanently.

Environmental protection in kazakhstan

The industrial pollution is aggravated by large-scale chemical pollution caused by agriculture. Various chemical means for plant protection, defoliants, pesticides, and excessive fertilizers pollute both environment and foodstuffs.

The strain environmental situation has arisen in the vicinity of nuclear testing ground in Semey. Ground tests of nuclear weapons has been held there from 1948 till 1964 followed by underground tests from 1964 till 1989. Testing of nuclear weapons has caused negative effect on the environment and population health in this region.

In order to protect the environment in the republic measures are worked out and implemented, which are aimed at rational use of the Earth's mineral resources (combined use of mineral resources, land reclamation and planting on former dumps, etc.), waste water treatment, reduction of air pollution caused by industrial enterprises (presently about 80% of hazardous substances emitted by the stationary sources of air pollution are caught and neutralized), implementation of wasteless technologies and water recycling systems, development of environmentally appropriate energy sources and modes or transportation, economic stimulating of resource conservation, substitution of biological plant protection for chemical one, etc.

Soil protection from water and wind erosion, control over salinization through the introduction of the appropriate crop rotation, planting of the forest shelter belts, consolidation and afforestation of gullies and ravines, land reclamation are important directions of environmental protection. Erosion control measures are performed in the republic within the area exceeding 20,000,000 ha.

Much attention is given in Kazakhstan to the forest protection and to the development of reserves. The regime of limited economic activity is established for a considerable part of forests. Afforestation is performed yearly within the area of up to 90,000 ha.