Kazakhstan Initiates Program to Protect Caspian Sea Water

Kazakh Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Yerlan Nyssanbayev has said that Kazakhstan initiated work on an interstate program to preserve the water resources of the Caspian Sea.

The initiative is being implemented jointly with the Caspian littoral states, The Caspian Post reports via Kazakh media.

The minister emphasized Kazakhstan’s broader environmental efforts, including combating desertification in the Aral and Caspian regions. Between 2021 and 2025, afforestation covered over 920,000 hectares of the dried-up Aral Sea bed, with plans to continue next year. A 3-million seedling nursery in Kazaly has been established, with another under construction, and a branch of the Kazakh Research Institute of Forestry was set up in the Kyzylorda region. Steps are also underway to create the Aral Forest Nature Reserve covering more than 1.3 million hectares.

Following the president’s initiative, the Kazakh Research Institute of the Caspian Sea was established to study ecological issues of the region. Nyssanbayev added that protective forest belts on dried-out lands are also being planned, drawing on experience from the Aral Sea.

Earlier, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev highlighted the importance of addressing transboundary water management and improving the ecological state of the Aral and Caspian Seas.