Kazakhstan is ramping up efforts to protect the Caspian Sea, with the government allocating 1.1 billion tenge (over $2 million) for large-scale scientific research and environmental preservation.

Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov signed a resolution approving the funding, fulfilling a directive from the president to strengthen research and safeguard the fragile marine ecosystem, The Caspian Post reports via Kazakh media.

Boosting Science to Protect a Strategic Sea

The funds will be directed to the Kazakhstan Scientific-Research Institute of the Caspian Sea to enhance its scientific and technical capacity. The investment will finance the purchase of advanced marine monitoring equipment and modernize hydrobiological and hydrochemical laboratories.

This upgrade will allow researchers to conduct comprehensive monitoring directly in the sea’s waters, including systematic tracking of hydrometeorological and biological indicators. Officials say the initiative will significantly expand the scientific evidence base on environmental processes affecting Kazakhstan’s sector of the Caspian Sea.

Expanding International Cooperation

The institute is also strengthening its global scientific partnerships, recently joining the Association of Universities and Research Centers of the Caspian Countries - a move aimed at improving data exchange and collaborative research across the region.

Oversight and Accountability

The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources has been tasked with implementing the project, while the Ministry of Finance will ensure strict oversight of the targeted use of state funds.