Strengthened Penalties for Unlawful Tree Cutting
In a significant move to improve the environmental situation and increase forest cover, Kazakhstan has launched a large-scale tree planting initiative. This strategy, which spans from 2023 through 2025 and beyond, focuses on arid and degraded lands, particularly the Aral Sea region.
The Prime Minister, Askar Mamin, chaired a meeting where key details of this plan were discussed. The meeting was attended by several high-ranking officials, including the Minister of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources, M. Mirzagaliyev, and the Akims of various regions.
A key component of Kazakhstan’s afforestation strategy is the creation of the new Aral Ormany state nature reserve in Kyzylorda Region. This initiative aims at environmental restoration and forest recovery on former seabeds. Progress includes the afforestation of thousands of hectares with drought-resistant black saxaul seedlings, the establishment of nursery facilities for seedling production, and scientific management following recommended guidelines.
Notable achievements include the afforestation of 4,000 hectares with black saxaul in 2023, and 11,800 hectares in March 2025, supported by Kazakh-French cooperation. A 33-hectare forest nursery near Kazalinsk was launched in November 2024, producing around three million seedlings. Another 15-hectare nursery is under construction on the Aral Sea’s dried bottom, expected to yield 1.5 million seedlings annually with irrigation and on-site accommodation for staff, improving efficiency and cost.
Kazakhstan has also increased its specially protected natural areas significantly since independence, now totaling over 30.9 million hectares, contributing to species recovery and biodiversity conservation. By mid-2025, at least 173,915 hectares are covered under formal forest management plans, supported by initiatives such as seed gene banks.
This afforestation strategy is part of Kazakhstan’s broader national environmental agenda and biodiversity protection efforts, synchronized with international restoration goals. The government is also balancing conservation with sustainable tourism development in ecologically sensitive areas.
However, the meeting also discussed the potential rise in food prices due to the second wave of coronavirus and the upcoming New Year holidays. The Minister of Trade and Integration reported that prices for certain export-oriented goods, such as sugar, buckwheat, potato, sunflower oil, and eggs, have risen. The Ministry is concerned about the increased cost of food products in Nur-Sultan, Pavlodar, and Atyrau regions.
In response to these concerns, the Prime Minister has instructed several ministries and regional akimats to develop a Comprehensive Plan for Forest Reproduction and Afforestation within two months. The Government will also submit a bill to the Parliament in December on the conservation and rational use of plant world objects.
Moreover, amendments have been developed to the Administrative and Criminal Codes, increasing penalties for illegal tree felling and norms for compensatory planting. The Head of State has set a task to plant 2 billion trees in the forest fund and 15 million in populated areas over five years.
Kazakhstan joined the global initiative "Bonn Challenge" in 2018, and regional akimats have been tasked with monitoring, inventorying, and controlling the state and use of green spaces in populated areas and the state forest fund. The total area of Kazakhstan's state forest fund is 11% of the country's territory (over 30 million hectares).
This comprehensive approach to forest reclamation and ecosystem restoration is a significant step towards Kazakhstan's commitment to preserving its natural resources and promoting sustainable development.
- The afforestation strategy in Kazakhstan, which includes the creation of the Aral Ormany state nature reserve, falls under the umbrella of its broader national environmental agenda and biodiversity protection efforts, focusing on climate-change mitigation through science and environmental-science.
- The Prime Minister, Askar Mamin, has instructed several ministries and regional akimats to develop a Comprehension Plan for Forest Reproduction and Afforestation, which will address policy-and-legislation updates to curb illegal tree felling and promote sustainable forest management.
- As Kazakhstan works towards its commitment to preserve natural resources and promote sustainable development, the Government plans to submit a bill to the Parliament in December, focusing on the conservation and rational use of plant world objects in the general-news landscape.
