The Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources plans to create a National Geological Service. This was announced by the Minister Magzum Mirzagaliyev at the government session chaired by Prime Minister Askar Mamin.

“This service will operate according to the one-stop shop principle. Thus, the investor will be able to receive high-quality information in a modern format with the construction of three-dimensional models of the subsoil of the country's territory. In addition, it will give an opportunity to combine the efforts of fundamental, applied science and production,” the Minister of Ecology said.

As shown by environmental monitoring in 2021, the cities of Nur-Sultan, Almaty, Shymkent, Temirtau, Aktobe, Atyrau, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Karaganda, Balkhash, Zhezkazgan are characterized by a high level of air pollution. To achieve emission reductions, the following measures are envisaged:

• introduction of the best available technologies in accordance with the new Environmental Code;
• signing of memorandums and Roadmaps between the Ministry and enterprises, according to which emissions will be reduced from 20% to 30%;
• reduction of the emission limit by enterprises of the 1st category by at least 20% by 2025 in 10 cities. Akimats should carry out similar work with enterprises of 2.3 categories;
• gas supply of settlements and business entities;
• switching public and municipal transport to gas and electric transport.

“Last year, the first project on digitalization of the main channel K-19 with a length of 12 km was successfully implemented in the Maktaaral district of the Turkistan region. Thanks to the digitization of the canal, it was found that water is consumed by 45% more than the irrigation rates. Over the next 5 years, there are plans to digitize 212 channels with a length of more than 3.3 thousand km. The implementation of these measures will save up to 2.2 cubic meters of water,” Mirzagaliyev said.

In addition, in order to save water, the ministry proposes to increase the area where water-saving technologies are applied to 750 thousand hectares by 2025.

In general, the republican property has 3,298 irrigation networks with a length of about 20 thousand km, of which 60% of the canals are in an unsatisfactory condition, which is the primary reason for high losses during the transportation of water to end consumers.

The reconstruction of the canals is being carried out on an ongoing basis. So, for 2019-2020, 1,734 km of canals were repaired, 111.5 thousand hectares of irrigated land were put into circulation. Reconstruction of 1,050 km of canals is planned this year. This will make it possible to put into circulation 78 thousand hectares of irrigated land.

“Over 5 years, at least 120 channels with a length of about 2.3 thousand km will be reconstructed. 600 thousand hectares will be put into circulation. By 2025, the area of ​​irrigated land will be increased to 2.2 million hectares. This will contribute to the creation of 120 thousand jobs in the countryside and the cultivation of products worth 510 billion tenge annually,” said the minister.

In addition, by 2025, 9 new reservoirs will be built in 6 regions with a total volume of 1.7 billion m3 with a total cost of 51 billion tenge.