ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT NEXUS IN KAZAKHSTAN Environment and Development Nexus in Kazakhstan A series of UNDP publication in Kazakhstan, #UNDPKAZ 06 Almaty, 2004 1 ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT NEXUS IN KAZAKHSTAN Report materials could be reproduced in other publications, without prior permission of UNDP, provided proper reference is made to this publication. The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of UNDP. Printed in “LEM Printhouse” 78a Baitursynov Street Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan Phone/Fax: 7(3272) 922-651 2 ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT NEXUS IN KAZAKHSTAN Foreword by the Minister of Environmental Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan Dear Ladies and Gentlemen! In his speech at the World Summit for Sustainable Development, the President of Kazakhstan reminded the world community of the global scale of the processes that are underway, and called for prevention of irreversible harm to the environment in order to preserve the necessary life resources for our descendants. Environmental safety and sustainable development issues are of vital importance for Kazakhstan. Water resource deficit and significant land degradation, the Aral Sea disaster, the aftermath of the nuclear tests, accumulation of industrial waste, oil spills – all these problems are no longer fall under the category of environmental ones. Many of these problems are regional and even global. Coordinated interaction between the mankind and the environment and ensuring a safe environment are one of the priorities of the long-term Kazakhstan-2030 Strategy. It has clear-cut provisions: “...increase efforts in making our citizens healthy during their life time, and enjoying a healthy environment”. Moreover, our legislation defines the worsening environment situation as one of the threats to the country’s national security. Kazakhstan has provided a good basis for implementation of its environmental policy. Proper legislative acts have been adopted. The country has joined the major international conventions on the environment protection. The final documents of the UN Conference on Environment and Development (Rio-92) have been signed, and resolutions of the Lucerne (1993) and the Sofia (1995) conferences for Europe have been approved. Kazakhstan was one of the first countries to ratify the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters. This publication is one of the Kazakhstan’s commitments under the Aarhus Convention, which provides a broad public with an opportunity to learn about the current environmental situation in Kazakhstan as well as the experience in the area of environmental management gained by the country since its independence. I am positive that the report will be interesting and useful for government agencies, academia, students of environmental departments, public and political organizations, and foreign partners. I would like to take this opportunity to thank UNDP for preparing this Publication. I look forward to our continuing constructive cooperation. Aitkul B. Samakova 3 ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT NEXUS IN KAZAKHSTAN Foreword by the UNDP Resident Representative The health of our society depends in large part on the health of our environment. Unfortunately, since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, we have seen a tragic cycle repeated again and again - human activities bring about environmental degradation, and that in turn constrains further human development. This has been the case in many parts of the world and several notable examples are found here in Kazakhstan. In order to break the cycle, we need to have a clear understanding of the long-term effects that the various human activities have on our environment. We also need the legal mechanisms, institutional structures, and economic incentives to respond to those potential threats. This publication, "Environment and Development Nexus in Kazakhstan," is UNDP’s contribution to that understanding in Kazakhstan. It offers an analysis of the linkages between development and the environment in this country, as well as up-to-date information on environmental conditions in general and an overview of the environmental work of national, international, and non-governmental organizations in Kazakhstan. In recent years, a considerable amount of attention has been given to environmental issues here, both at the national and international levels. The environmental disasters related to the disappearance of the Aral Sea, the nuclear devastation in the Semipalatinsk polygon over several decades, and the rapid decline of the many plant and animal species from this vast land should remind us all that our actions today can have serious negative consequences for generations to come. In 2000, Kazakhstan became a signatory to the Aarhus Convention, stating that the public has the right to access information and to participate in decision-making on environmental matters. In fulfilling this commitment, both private individuals and public institutions in Kazakhstan will be more motivated and better able to manage the stewardship given them over our fragile environment. In our joint endeavors with the Government, we strive to live by that Convention and this publication is just one example of that. We trust that the information and analysis provided here will be useful to the government, academia, international organizations, private companies and private citizens. Although we have taken some initial steps in improving the health of the country’s environment, much remains to be done. We, at the United Nations Development Program, are committed to continuing to do our part. Working together, we can create a better world for the benefit of generations to come. Fikret Akcura 4 ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT NEXUS IN KAZAKHSTAN CONTENTS Foreword by the Minister of Environmental Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan .................................... 3 Foreword by the UNDP Resident Representative ................................................................................................ 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................. 7 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .............................................................................................................................. 9 LIST OF UNIT MEASURES .............................................................................................................................. 9 LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................................... 10 LIST OF TABLES ..............................................................................................................................................11 CHAPTER 1. COUNTRY REVIEW ............................................................................................................ 12 1.1. Physical and Geographical Conditions ................................................................................................. 12 1.2. Economic and Social Developments .................................................................................................... 16 1.3. National Environmental Management ................................................................................................ 18 1.4. Environmental Legislation ................................................................................................................... 20 CHAPTER 2. CHANGES IN THE ENVIRONMENT DUE TO ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES ................ 26 2.1. Industry ................................................................................................................................................. 26 2.1.1. The Power Sector ....................................................................................................................... 26 2.1.2. The Oil and Gas Sector .............................................................................................................. 32 2.1.3. The Mining Industry ................................................................................................................... 37 2.1.4. Industrial Waste ......................................................................................................................... 40 2.2. Agriculture ............................................................................................................................................. 42 2.3. Rocket Launching and Testing Sites .................................................................................................... 50 2.4. Urban Areas ........................................................................................................................................... 56 CHAPTER 3. CURRENT STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT ................................................................. 61 3.1. Air .......................................................................................................................................................... 61 3.2. Water Resources .................................................................................................................................... 66 3.3. Biodiversity ........................................................................................................................................... 69 CHAPTER 4. IMPACT OF ENVIRONMENT ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT ...................................