ASTANA — Kazakhstan is intensifying efforts to restore and protect its forests, which cover only 5% of the country’s territory but play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance and biodiversity. In a written comment for The Astana Times, the Forestry and Wildlife Committee of the Kazakh Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources outlined the country’s forest development strategies, reforestation and afforestation initiatives, and technological advancements in forest management.
Photo credit: Shutterstock
According to the committee, in 2024, 306 million seedlings were planted across 205,000 hectares. Between 2021 and 2024, more than 1.1 million seedlings were planted on 730,000 hectares. They noted that to ensure sufficient planting material, seed collection plans for 2024 exceeded targets by 130%, securing resources through 2027.
By 2025, the supply of planting material is expected to reach 90%, with deficits addressed through local nurseries and imports from Russia. Plans include establishing 114 new forest nurseries covering 1,300 hectares and constructing six forest-seed complexes in several regions, each with a capacity of six million seedlings worth 3.5 billion tenge (US$7 million). These projects align with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s directive to scale up advanced forest management practices.
“Since the beginning of my presidency, I have paid special attention to this issue. The country has made good progress in greening efforts, and this pace must not be reduced. The Semei Ormany (Semei Forest) forest reserve houses the only forest seed complex in Central Asia, dedicated to cultivating planting material that meets advanced international standards. It is necessary to replicate this project in other forest regions of the republic,” said Tokayev in his September 2024 address.
Innovations in forest monitoring and training
To monitor the efforts to plant two billion trees in the forest fund by 2025, Kazakhstan’s Garysh Sapary, a national space company, developed an interactive planting monitoring map. This geographic information system (GIS) technology helps track afforestation, detect illegal activities, and monitor forest fires. Over the past five years, territorial inspections have recorded tree-planting data on the map, making it accessible to the public.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) also play an increasing role in forest surveillance. Currently, 65 UAVs are deployed across environmental institutions, with 70 more stationed in forest agencies under local governments. By 2025, all forestry institutions will be required to incorporate UAVs into their monitoring systems.
Colleges offer specialized training programs for future forestry professionals to support such technological advancements. At the City of Working Professions festival on Feb. 11-15, drones designed for emergency response were showcased. These drones, equipped with thermal imagers and sensors, assist rescue services by detecting people in smoke-filled areas, forests, or urban environments with limited visibility.
“When conventional helicopters and planes struggle to locate people, these drones provide accurate heat signatures, helping rescuers reach those in need quickly and efficiently. We do not just train drone operators; we also teach students to design, build, and service drones,” Shynggys Nurgozhayev, director of Taldykorgan High Polytech College, told The Astana Times during the event.
Addressing illegal logging and forest fires
Kazakhstan’s forests face threats from illegal logging, poaching, climate change, and fires. In 2024, the officials conducted 1,507 raids and 825 inspections, uncovering 1,204 violations, including 378 cases of poaching and 820 instances of illegal logging. More than 1,000 administrative protocols were issued.
Forest fires also remain a significant challenge. In 2024, 294 fires affected 44,990 hectares of forest land, a decrease from the 810 fires that burned 116,800 hectares in 2023. Nearly 59% of the fires were caused by lightning, 6% were spread by steppe fires, and 7% resulted from human activity. The cause of the remaining 28% has not been determined.
“To prevent forest incidents, early detection systems have been implemented in the Kokshetau National Park and the Yertis Ormany Reserve in 2023. Similar systems are available in the Kostanai and North Kazakhstan regions, Burabay and Medeu national parks. This year, we plan to install such systems in 24 forestry institutions, eight of which will be ready by May 30 and the rest by Aug. 30,” said the committee.
Efforts to restore fire-affected forests include international partnerships. In 2024, SEFE Marketing & Trading signed an agreement with Kazakhstan’s SAFC agency to establish a 1,500-hectare forest in the Almaty Region. Additionally, the committee has partnered with KATCO, a joint venture between France’s Orano Mining SA and Kazatomprom, Kazakhstan’s national atomic company, to support reforestation initiatives.
Restoring the Aral Sea basin
Planting saxaul trees has proven to be one of the most effective tools for combating the increased amounts of sand and salt caused by the Aral Sea’s drainage. Forest reclamation work is carried out per scientific recommendations and working projects to achieve the highest saxaul survival rate.
According to the committee, between 2021 and 2024, phytomeliorative plantations were established on 475,000 hectares of the drained Aral Sea bed. Phytomelioration is a land rehabilitation technique that uses plants to improve soil conditions, restore ecosystems and protect areas from environmental damage. In 2024, saxaul was planted on 15,000 hectares, supported by funding from KazMunayGas. Additional restoration work, financed by KATCO, will cover 132,000 hectares by March 2025.
“The 2025 plan includes restoring 308,000 hectares, with 208,000 hectares managed by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and 100,000 hectares by the Kyzylorda Region akimat [administration],” the committee added.
In 2024, a new 33-hectare forest nursery was launched in Kazaly in the Kyzylorda Region, with an annual capacity of three million seedlings. Work also began to establish a 15-hectare nursery on the drained seabed. A branch of the Kazakh Research Institute of Forestry is being created in Kyzylorda to develop new technologies, including using drones for afforestation.
