Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov chaired a meeting of the Center for Monitoring the Implementation of the Head of State’s “Taza Kazakhstan” Initiative. The meeting reviewed the progress of implementing the relevant Concept in the regions, measures to support the volunteer movement, and the development of ecological tourism.

“President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s initiative ‘Taza Kazakhstan’ is one of the fundamental principles of the new Constitution. This underscores the priority of tasks related to environmental protection, forming an ecological culture among the population, and a careful attitude toward nature. In the approved Concept ‘Taza Kazakhstan’, local executive bodies are assigned an important role as the main link in implementing environmental policy,” Olzhas Bektenov noted.

According to Almaty Akim Darkhan Satybaldy, 146,000 people participated in environmental campaigns in the metropolis. Seven city-wide clean-up days were held at 126 locations, and 18,000 cubic meters of waste were removed. Since April this year, a new sanitation model “One District – One Contractor from Façade to Façade” has been introduced in the city. This approach improves the quality of cleaning, control, and prompt response to residents’ appeals. As part of greening efforts, over 1.4 million trees and shrubs have been planted. Work is underway on decorative floral landscaping of the city. This year, the area of floral landscaping has been doubled to 450,000 square meters. In addition, the first mobile ecotruck was launched this year, promoting ecological practices and the culture of waste sorting. The ecotruck is actively used at sports and cultural events, engaging participants and guests in environmental initiatives.

In Almaty Region, more than 271,000 people participated in environmental events, 98,100 trees were planted, and 6,400 tons of waste were collected. Akim of Almaty Region Marat Sultangaziyev reported on the implementation of the “Barys” and “Nomads” ecoparks projects. It was noted that construction of the Kaz Waste Conversion waste sorting and processing plant with a capacity of 450,000 tons continues in Karasay District. In cooperation with Freedom Holding, tourist infrastructure is being improved: beaches in the city of Konaev have been renovated over 1 km, work continues on communal beaches, and projects are being implemented to improve the territory of the “Kolsai Lakes” natural park in Kegen District, the “Tas Tobe” ridge, Lake “Tuzkol” in Raimbek District, and along the Kaskelen River.

In Aktobe Region, 200,000 trees were planted, 395 video surveillance cameras were installed, and water meters were installed in 1,482 apartment buildings. In addition, 26 km of bike paths were built, 300 waste sorting bins were installed, and 8 electric vehicle charging stations were set up. Akim of Aktobe Region Askhat Shakharov reported that in 2025, 13 parks and squares were built with sponsor support, and 26 more projects are planned for this year.

To assess the measures being taken, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources has developed a pilot rating of regions on the implementation of the “Taza Kazakhstan” initiative based on 5 key indicators, including population coverage with waste collection and removal services, the share of their processing and disposal, the share of landfills, population coverage with environmental campaigns, and the share of requests processed via TazaQazBot.

Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov instructed all akimats to take measures to improve the effectiveness of the President’s initiative and to improve performance in each area.

Ecovolunteering within the framework of Taza Kazakhstan

The meeting reviewed issues of supporting the volunteer movement.

“On the initiative of the Head of State, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2026 the International Year of Volunteers. The new Constitution enshrines the state’s obligation to support volunteers, recognizing the volunteer movement as an important component of civil society. Today, the volunteer movement is a key force behind the ‘Taza Kazakhstan’ initiative, uniting thousands of caring citizens in solving environmental issues and preserving natural wealth. This demonstrates the high potential and effectiveness of the volunteer movement, which requires comprehensive state support,” Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov emphasized.

Today, 810 organizations and 3,500 initiative groups are active in the country, with the number of active volunteers reaching 300,000 people.

Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Culture and Information Aida Balaeva reported that every third Kazakhstani participates in such initiatives. Environmental volunteering within the framework of “Taza Kazakhstan” annually unites about 800,000 volunteers. It was noted that 56 projects and 60 small grants are being implemented to further develop the movement. New approaches are being developed, including the formation of an appropriate concept, the introduction of a digital volunteer passport, and additional measures to stimulate and provide social protection for volunteers.

Special attention was paid to the preservation of historical and cultural heritage. As part of the Head of State’s initiative, the “Let’s Preserve Cultural Heritage Together” campaign to improve historical and cultural sites is being implemented for the second year in a row. Volunteer clubs have been created in all regions of the country, with more than 1,000 people participating in each region. Volunteers participate in restoring public spaces and fostering a culture of careful attitude toward the environment and urban infrastructure in society.

The Ministry of Culture and Information was instructed, together with the Ministries of Science and Higher Education, and Labor and Social Protection of the Population, to form measures for comprehensive state support of the volunteer movement, including at the legislative level.

Taza Kazakhstan: Olzhas Bektenov Instructs to Strengthen the Development of Ecotourism and Ecological Infrastructure

Attention was paid to measures for the development of ecological tourism. The total area of specially protected natural territories in Kazakhstan is 30.9 million hectares. There are 179 tourist routes and 42 trails operating in state national natural parks. The number of visitors has increased from 2.4 million in 2023 to 3.7 million in 2025.

Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Yerlan Nysanbayev reported that ecotourism development projects with a total investment volume of up to 16 billion tenge are being implemented in national parks. Works are underway in Ile-Alatau Park, as well as in “Altyn-Emel” and “Charyn” parks. It was particularly noted that under the “Clean Tourism” program, information banners, containers for waste sorting, eco-benches made of recycled plastic are being installed in the parks, and visitors are provided with biodegradable bags.

In addition, work is underway to digitalize the process of visiting national parks. All national parks are connected to online payment through banking services, and QR codes for payment are placed on the parks’ websites. In 5 national parks, 9 checkpoints have been automated using their own funds. This makes visiting more convenient for tourists and increases the transparency of visitor accounting and revenue collection for the national parks.

The Prime Minister drew attention to the need for systematic development of ecotourism, including ensuring environmental safety and modernizing infrastructure. This is one of the fastest-growing areas of the tourism industry: according to analysts, the global ecotourism market may exceed $660 billion by 2034. Kazakhstan has high potential for ecotourism development thanks to its unique natural sites, including the Charyn Canyon, Kolsai Lakes, “Altyn-Emel”, Ile-Alatau, and other national parks.

The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources was instructed to strengthen measures to prevent pollution of territories and organize effective waste management in specially protected natural territories. The task was also set to develop infrastructure, including the arrangement of ecological trails, gazebos, and other facilities in nature reserves, using revenues from tourism activities.

The Head of Government criticized the slow pace of arranging the necessary infrastructure on the territory of national natural parks.

“The Minister of Ecology reports on the arrangement of the Ile-Alatau, Altyn-Emel, and Charyn national parks, although these works were carried out several years ago. Since then, there have been no noticeable results. I instruct Nurlybek Mashbekovich, together with the Ministry and regional akims, to hold consultations with large businesses on their involvement in the arrangement of natural parks. It is necessary to approve a unified design code and corresponding work schedules. Report at the next Center meeting in June this year,” Olzhas Bektenov instructed.

#Olzhas Bektenov #Ecology #President's instruction #Tourism

• 
• 
• 
•