NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources has launched its Taza Tabigat (Clean Nature) campaign aimed at planting trees across the country, reports the ministry’s press service. The measures will also include cleaning national forests and water reservoirs and improving the parks.
The project began in Turkestan in southern Kazakhstan and will continue in the Zhambyl, Mangistau, Kyzylorda regions and in Shymkent.
The campaign follows the instructions of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to plant two billion trees in forests and 15 million trees in cities.
“The head of state Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in his address to the nation outlined the importance of improving the environment. Nationwide environmental measures are included in the Nur Otan Party’s election programme and in celebrations to mark the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence. Other regions will hold similar events in April when the weather conditions become more favourable,” said Minister Magzum Mirzagaliyev during the launch of the campaign in Turkestan.
Nearly 486,000 trees have been planted as part of the previous Mekenim – Zhasyl Elim (My hometown is a green country) campaign that involved 60,000 people countrywide.
In the Turkestan Region, the ministry plans to create a green belt that will surround the region, which has 3.131 million hectares of forest land, including 1.630 million covered by forests.
“The plan is to increase the territory of the green belt by 3,000 hectares around Turkestan. We grow 35 to 40 million different tree seedlings every year for the development of forest gardens,” said the region’s Governor Umirzak Shukeev.
Mirzagaliyev noted the symbolic importance of launching a campaign during the Nauryz celebrations.
“It is important to make it a tradition to clean the territories during the Nauryz celebrations. Such actions increase the ecological culture of the population and cultivate a careful attitude to nature. We are happy that the number of citizens in Kazakhstan who care about environmental problems and take an active part in such events is growing,” said the minister.
