ASTANA – Japan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) provide Kazakhstan with $3 million to strengthen environmental oversight and promote sustainable development in its rare metal and rare earth mineral sector under a new initiative launched Oct. 30, reported the UNDP’s press service.
Yasumasa Iijima, Japan’s ambassador to Kazakhstan and Katarzyna Wawiernia, UNDP Resident Representative in Kazakhstan. Photo credit: UNDP
Funded by Japan, the project will be implemented by UNDP in partnership with Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Industry and Construction.
Kazakhstan has identified more than 120 rare-metal and rare-earth deposits nationwide. As global demand for critical minerals grows, ensuring that their extraction and processing meet environmental standards is becoming increasingly important.
The initiative will help Kazakhstan develop the analytical, regulatory and technological foundations for sustainable rare metal and rare earth mineral supply chains. It will focus on integrating environmental standards and digital monitoring at an early stage to identify and address environmental risks before large-scale industrial development begins.
“This joint initiative with UNDP and Japan will allow us to significantly strengthen our efforts by integrating advanced green technologies and international environmental standards into our production chains,” said Olzhas Alibekov, deputy chair of the Industry Committee at the Ministry of Industry and Construction.
According to Yasumasa Iijima, Japan’s ambassador to Kazakhstan, the initiative aligns with Japan’s priorities of Green and Resilience and Connectivity, announced at the December 2025 Central Asia-Japan Summit.
“Japan intends to provide comprehensive support for the project,” he said.
“The growing demand for critical minerals brings new economic opportunities, but it also calls for greater environmental responsibility. Strong environmental governance, pollution prevention and the protection of local communities must be central to the sector’s development,” said Katarzyna Wawiernia, UNDP Resident Representative in Kazakhstan.
“Through this partnership, UNDP aims to help Kazakhstan strengthen the standards, expertise and monitoring needed to manage environmental risks and ensure that development benefits people while safeguarding ecosystems,” she added.
Japan has long partnered with UNDP to advance sustainable development and resilience in Kazakhstan and across Central Asia.
UNDP and Japan are currently implementing four joint initiatives in Kazakhstan focused on flood risk management at dams, addressing the decline in the Caspian Sea’s water level, improving urban resilience to climate and disaster risks, and strengthening disaster preparedness in Central Asia.
The new project is the fifth initiative under the partnership and expands cooperation to environmental governance and sustainable natural resource management.
