The nationwide initiative of the Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev “Taza Qazaqstan” has united systemic work on the development of environmental culture, landscaping, waste processing, greening, and the restoration of natural ecosystems. The values laid down in it have received further institutional consolidation: in the new Constitution, the preservation of nature is defined as the responsibility of the state and every citizen, and in the Basic Principles, Values, and Directions of Domestic Policy, “Taza Qazaqstan” is enshrined as one of the guidelines forming a new public culture. On how environmental priorities and the President’s instructions are being implemented in practice — in a review by the editorial board of the Primeminister.kz website.

Digital Filter and Responsibility: The Level of Elimination of Unauthorized Dumps Has Been Brought to 95%

Within the framework of the “Taza Qazaqstan” initiative, the development of environmental culture is based on direct interaction with residents through digital services. At the same time, measures of responsibility for violations in the field of landscaping have been strengthened: sanctions for the formation of spontaneous dumps, illegal dumping of waste, and other violations have been tightened, including the possibility of confiscation of vehicles used for the removal and placement of garbage in unauthorized places. Responsibility for the timely sanitary cleaning of territories has been assigned to local akimats.

The space monitoring system of JSC “NC “Qazaqstan Gharysh Sapary” in conjunction with the digital feedback services of eGov makes it possible to promptly identify spontaneous dumps and ensure control over cleanliness. Continuous space monitoring makes it possible to promptly record violations and increases the inevitability of punishment. The number of spontaneous dumps across the country has decreased more than threefold – from 8.6 thousand in 2018 to 2.6 thousand in 2026. Of the points identified this year, akimats have already eliminated 2,035 or 77%, and the cleaning of the remaining sites continues.

In parallel, citizen involvement is growing. Through the chatbot @TazaQazBot and the eGov Mobile application, more than 50 thousand applications in 21 categories of landscaping have been processed since 2024. At the same time, in 2026 more than 18 thousand appeals regarding garbage collection and street lighting were received, of which more than 16 thousand have already been processed by akimats.

2.5 Billion Tenge Allocated for the Processing of Municipal Waste Under the EcoQolday Subsidy Program

The state is consistently developing the infrastructure for sorting and processing waste, while simultaneously stimulating the return of secondary raw materials into economic circulation through subsidy mechanisms.

According to the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, since the start of the implementation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s initiative “Taza Qazaqstan,” growth in waste processing indicators has been recorded.

• in 2024, about 5 million tons of solid municipal waste were generated in the republic, of which 1.2 million tons were sorted and processed – 25.8%;
• in 2025, with a similar volume of waste generation, processing increased to 1.5 million tons, and the share of utilization reached 30.6%;
• in the first half of 2026, a decrease in the volume of solid municipal waste generation is observed – of the 2.1 million tons generated, 600 thousand tons or 27.7% were sorted and processed.

The financial sustainability of the industry is ensured by the EcoQolday mechanism, which subsidizes the collection and processing of secondary raw materials. According to the results of the second quarter of 2026, 1,087 applications for the processing of more than 3.5 thousand tons of glass, waste paper and cardboard, worn-out car tires, and polymer waste were submitted through the system. In 2024–2026, more than 2.5 billion tenge was paid to enterprises and citizens under this mechanism.

The renewal of 2,755 solid municipal waste landfills is also provided for, and the construction of new facilities is planned to be financed from the utilization fee. Preferential financing of 68 projects with a total cost of 374 billion tenge has already been approved from the funds of the utilization fee, of which 12 have already been put into operation. For rural sites, certain permitting procedures and environmental requirements have been simplified.

Waste Sorting Capacities in 13 Regions and Modernization of Landfills

Within the framework of implementing the instruction of the Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on the formation of a modern system of waste processing and utilization, the Government has approved an Action Plan for the construction of 100 new solid municipal waste landfills.

In addition, with the involvement of foreign investors, the construction of modern enterprises for the utilization and processing of waste with electricity generation is underway:

• in Astana, an eco-park project worth 82 billion tenge with a utilization capacity of 1.5 thousand tons of waste per day is being implemented;
• in Almaty, a waste processing complex with a capacity of up to 2 thousand tons per day and an investment volume of over 145 billion tenge is under construction;
• in the Zhambyl Region, a solid municipal waste utilization plant worth 80 billion tenge with a daily processing capacity of up to 900 tons is being built.

The launch of the complexes will make it possible to process a total of up to 4.4 thousand tons of waste per day. The main effect is the transition from simple storage of garbage at landfills to Waste-to-Energy technology, when non-recyclable fractions are used for electricity generation. This will not only relieve the landfills of Astana, Almaty, and the Zhambyl Region, but also attract more than 225 billion tenge of investment into environmental infrastructure.

In addition, the Government is currently working on the issue of building waste utilization plants in Karaganda, Atyrau, Aktobe, Pavlodar, and other cities.

Restoration of Natural Ecosystems: 1.7 Billion Trees and Restoration of the North Aral Sea

A separate area of environmental work is related to the restoration of natural ecosystems and the reduction of desertification processes. Within the framework of implementing the President’s instructions on the reproduction of forest resources and the reduction of desertification, about 1.7 billion trees have been planted over five years on a total area of over 1 million hectares. In the 7 months of 2026, 234 million seedlings were planted on an area of 145.6 thousand hectares. For 2027, the planting of another 270 million pieces is planned, which will make it possible to achieve the task set by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of planting 2 billion trees.

In the field of greening of settlements, 18.1 million trees were planted in 2021–2025 against a plan of 15 million.

In the structure of nature conservation and forestry institutions, 243 nurseries operate on an area of 2.7 thousand hectares. The volume of cultivation is 157 million seedlings with a total production potential of the existing network of 220 million trees. As part of modernization, a network of nurseries with a closed root system is being deployed, guaranteeing high survival rates of planting material.

A separate area is related to the restoration of the dried bottom of the Aral Sea. Here, phyto-forest reclamation works are being carried out and sustainable saxaul massifs are being formed, which make it possible to fix the soil and reduce the spread of salt-dust storms.

Over the past three years, more than 6 billion m³ of water has entered the North Aral Sea, thanks to which its volume has increased from 18.9 billion m³ at the end of 2022 to 23 billion m³ at the end of 2025.

The second phase of the project to preserve the North Aral Sea, developed by the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation together with the World Bank, provides for the reconstruction of the Kokaral Dam and raising the sea level to the mark of 44 meters according to the Baltic height system. After the implementation of the project, the area of the North Aral Sea is planned to be increased to 3.9 thousand sq. km, and the volume of water to 34 billion m³, which will create more sustainable conditions for the further restoration of its ecosystem.

Public Sector and Volunteering: 813 Thousand Tons of Waste Collected During 500 Environmental Actions

The transformation of environmental consciousness is ensured by the broad involvement of civil society, volunteer associations, and youth. In the 7 months of 2026, 500 nature conservation events were organized under the auspices of “Taza Qazaqstan,” including regular campaigns “Taza Aimaq,” “Taza Olke,” “Taza Aula,” “Tazaru Kuni,” “Zhasyl Aula,” “Moldir Bulak,” the “All-Kazakhstan Tree Planting Day,” and the international action “Earth Hour.”

813 thousand tons of waste were collected and taken for disposal, 117 thousand hectares of territories of recreational zones, riverbeds, and settlements were cleaned, and 1.2 million trees were planted. 6.1 million people took part in environmental actions, including 741 thousand volunteers.

To consolidate the results achieved, the Government has determined a set of priority tasks:

1. Increasing the share of processing: increasing the load on existing sorting lines and launching waste incineration complexes according to Waste-to-Energy standards in Astana, Almaty, and Shymkent.
2. Financing a pool of deep processing projects: prompt delivery of funds through the preferential leasing mechanisms of JSC “Industrial Development Fund” and the institutions of JSC “Zhasyl Damu.”
3. Preserving the survival rate of plantings: technological transition of forestry enterprises to planting material with a closed root system and ensuring systematic irrigation in the green belts of settlements.

Ideological Foundation and Environmental Education of the Younger Generation

The initiative of the Head of State “Taza Qazaqstan” has gone beyond exclusively nature conservation actions and has been transformed into a nationwide ideological platform affirming the cult of cleanliness as a key element of worldview, everyday norm, and spiritual renewal of society. The concept of cleanliness in it is considered comprehensively – as the inner culture of a person, responsibility for the environment, and the foundation of a new public ethics. This philosophy is actively promoted to the masses through youth forums, cultural festivals, NGOs, volunteer associations, the media sphere, and is also broadcast on international dialogue platforms, forming a new cultural code of the country.

In the field of education, the values of “Taza Qazaqstan” are consistently integrated into the unified educational program “Adal Azamat,” based on the principles of patriotism, law and order, justice, personal responsibility, hard work, and creation. The next step will be the consolidation of these guidelines in a unified state standard, which should link the environmental norms of the Constitution and the principles of “Adal Azamat” with standard curricula at all levels – from kindergartens to universities.

Environmental topics have already been included in everyday educational and upbringing work. Thematic class hours, essay competitions, research projects, and nature conservation events are held in schools. In the 2024–2025 academic year alone, 44 thousand such events took place, and schoolchildren across the country took part in an essay competition on the topic “Taza Qazaqstan.”

Practical environmental education continues beyond lessons. More than 4 thousand “Green Clubs” operate in educational organizations, covering over 125 thousand students; stations of young naturalists, research competitions, and volunteer initiatives are being developed. This approach makes it possible to form a responsible attitude toward the environment not only through knowledge, but also through the direct participation of children and youth in nature conservation activities.

#Culture #Ecology #President's instruction

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