Kazakhstan’s Astana Becomes Central Asia’s First City to Receive Sustainable Development Certification

Astana has become the first city in Kazakhstan and Central Asia to receive sustainable development certification, according to the akimat (city administration) press service.

The city was evaluated based on the ISO 37120 standard on Sustainable Development of Communities under Indicators for City Services and Quality of Life, The Caspian Post reports, citing Kazakh media.

The certification was conducted by the World Council on City Data (WCCD), the world"s only city certification body.

Astana was assessed on 128 indicators covering 19 key areas, including economy, education, health, security, transportation and others. Experts highlighted such areas as economy, ecology and security, confirming the implementation of effective solutions in resource management and urban planning.

The ISO 37120 standard was developed in 2014 and updated in 2018. Now over 140 cities around the world comply with the standard, including Los Angeles, London, Dubai, Johannesburg and Warsaw.

The next goal is obtaining ISO 37122 certification for "smart" cities, reported akimat.