The Town of the XXI Century
Series of reports on ecological situation in Central Asia

WORLD WIDE CONSERVATION AND ECOTOURISM

THE STRATEGY IN ACTION

• The forestry code of the Republic of Kazakhstan (January 23, 1993)
• The water code of the Republic of Kazakhstan (March 31, 1993)
• The law of the Republic of Kazakhstan `On protection, regeneration and exploitation of the animal world" (October 21, 1993)
• The presidential decree having the power of the law "On oil" (June 28, 1995)
• The presidential decree having the power of the law "On land" (December 22, 1995)
• The presidential decree having the power of the law "On natural resources and exploitation of lands" (January 27, 1996)
• The law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On ecological expertise" (March 18, 1997)
• The law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On environmental protection" (July 15, 1997)
• The law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On specially protected territories" (July 15, 1997).

During the years of independence the following legislative acts, regulating environmental protection issues and, to an extent, the issue of preservation and rational exploitation of the biological diversity, were adopted in the Republic of Kazakhstan:

The Republic of Kazakhstan also observes its obligations outlined by international agreements, which include:
 

• The convention on biological diversity, adopted by the government of Kazakhstan in 1994;
• The convention on protection of the cultural and natural heritage, signed in 1994;
• Agreement on protection and exploitation of migrating kinds of birds and mammals and their habitats, signed in 1994 by the representatives of the governments of the Republic of Azerbaidjan, the Republic of Armenia, The Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Georgia, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, the Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, the Republic of Tadjikistan and the Republic of Uzebekistan.
• The framework convention on the climate change ratified in 1995;
• The convention on prevention of the expansion of deserts, ratified in 1997;
• The Vienna convention on protection of the ozone layer, ratified in 1997; The Montreal protocol on the substances destroying the ozone layer, ratified in 1997.

It is not a secret for anyone that it easier and faster to destroy than to create. To destroy an ant-hill or to fill the city river with broken bottles is of course much easier than to plant trees in spring or to make bird houses. It is also well known that it costs money to preserve and rebuild the nature or the environment.

10-15 years ago many scientists ecologists were think about the possible sources of funding to finance environmental protection programs. Some of them suggested to introduce a payment for pollution. The idea was to collect payments from plants and factories polluting the environment.
These payments were supposed to constitute the environmental protection budget. Unfortunately the fall of the Soviet Union made implementation of this idea impossible. In Kazakhstan many plants drastically reduced their production volumes, quite a few of the plants were completely stopped.

Currently people all over the world and primarily in developed countries are thinking about the ways to save the planet. Ecological projects dealing with preservation of birds, animals, plants, insects of Kazakhstan, or the so called "biological diversity", are implemented thanks to the international investments and grants.

HERE ARE SOME OF THEM:

• The framework project for stable development of the Republic of Kazakhstan (International Ecological Development Program - 414 thousand USD, UNDP - 102,5 thousand USD),
• The World bank project aimed at increasing institutional capacity for creation of management structures and planning in environmental sphere (399 thousand USD, carried out by International Ecological development Program and NPDOOS).
• Support of the National plans of actions aimed at environmental protection in the region of Central Asia (Harvard International development institute - 12 thousand USD),
• A grand scale program is represented by the Central Asian Trans Border project for protection of the biological diversity of western Tjan-Shan, the preliminary stage of which has been finished by the governments of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan using the funds provided by the Global Ecological Foundation (345 thousand USD), Know-How Fund of the British government (240 thousand USD).

Starting from 1997, in the framework of the international program aimed at supporting global research in the sphere of cattle growing, the Republic of Kazakhstan together with other central Asian states participates in development of the project directly related to preservation of the biological diversity of pastures - "the integrated methods for development of cattle growing and conservation of pastures in Central Asia".

Bilateral relations of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the sphere of environmental protection are developing with participation of international and regional government and non-government organizations and financial institutions, such as:

• the World bank and its regional representative office in Kazakhstan; the European Bank for reconstruction and development;
• Asian development bank
• Global ecological foundation;
• The Un environmental protection program and its European and Asian offices;
• The UN stable development commission; UNESCO;
• FAO;
• USAID;
• The UN European ecological commission, European environmental protection center;
• International Union of nature protection, etc.

The third, final part of "The national strategy…" - "The national action plan for preservation and balanced exploitation of the biological diversity." Considering the difficulties of the current stage of development of Kazakhstan, the plan covers the period only till the year 2005.

To successfully fulfill the National action plan for preservation and balanced exploitation of the biological diversity it is proposed that it will actively interact with other National programs, and with international conventions and agreements.

Each person has the right to live in the environment beneficial for his health and well-being and must individually or together with other protect and improve the environment for the benefit of the current and future generations.

From "The convention on access to information, participation of the public
n decision-making process and access to justice in environmental matters", Orhus, Denmark, June 25, 1998.