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On January 30, a public petition against the project of construction of a new mountain ski resort “Kok-Jailau” on the territory of Ile-Alatau National Park was sent to the President, Parliament, ministries, and political parties of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
In April 2011, head of the Kazakhstani Department of Regulation and Control of Forestry and Protected Areas Kairat Ustemirov announced that the government would lease national parklands for 49 years, primarily for the development of eco-tourism and related infrastructural needs. No doubt eager businessmen looking to capitalize on Kazakhstan’s mountainous regions and a government in times of global economic hardship welcome developments of this ilk, and indeed Mr. Ustemirov stated that a number of projects already were underway. However, how the leasing of these lands will impact Kazakhs today and in future decades constitutes a completely different matter. While it is uncertain that the people would even see the revenue from leased lands, it is even more uncertain what unintended ramifications the populace and local eco-systems would encounter as a result of development. Moreover, these concerns say nothing about the tremendous threat that accompanies any sale of public land to the privatized, for-profit sector—the threat against the social fabric.
From the legal point of view, Kazakhstan is not ready for construction of an atomic power station (APS).
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 Ecological Society Green Salvation has started collecting signatures under a petition for protection of Kok-Jailau. Kok-Jailau valley is located on the territory of Ile-Alatau National Park. Akimat (Mayor’s Office) of the city of Almaty is planning on developing a new ski resort in this area.
The topic of construction of the new ski resort in Kok-Jailau valley was first raised in 2007. In 2011, mayor of the city of Almaty, Essimov A.S., turned to this subject again. The project includes construction of an international resort with a total length of the ski tracks of over 100 km, construction of ski tows, hotels, restaurants, retail and entertainment centers, and golf fields; development of infrastructure – auto road, auto parking, electrical, natural gas, and water supply facilities! All of this is going to be developed at the expense of the state budget! With a consideration that private investors will build-up the resort with commercial and residential estate later on!
Thus, very soon Almaty residents can lose their beloved place of recreation where the quite and beautiful wild nature will be at first replaced by the roar of machinery, and later - by the ski resort with endless fences all-around the private land plots.
We call everybody who cares about the future of the National Park to support the Petition for protection of Kok-Jailau, which will be sent to the President, members of the Parliament, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Tourism and Sport, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Akimat (Mayor’s Office) of the city of Almaty, and political parties of the country.
You may sign the petition (last name, first name, city, country; if you sign the petition on behalf of an organization, then indicate the full name of the organization) to our address: grsalmati@gmail.com We plan to send out the petition on January 24, 2012, but the signatures will be collected past that date as well. And as a matter of fact, you may send your own petitions to the above indicated state institutions.
 At the Forth Meeting of the Parties of the Aarhus Convention ended on July 1, 2011, in Kishinev, the Republic of Kazakhstan was issued a caution and for the third time the country was admitted to fail its compliance with a number of the Convention provisions (decisions IV/9 and IV/9с on compliance by Kazakhstan with its obligations under the Convention).
The incompliance with the Convention requirements which continues for many years creates a fertile soil for new violations of the citizens’ rights on a favorable environment, causes public indignation and growth of social tension, brings damage to the image of the country.
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 Green Salvation Herald 2011 has been published in English. The new issue of the Herald includes materials on compliance with the Aarhus Convention by the Republic of Kazakhstan.
 A booklet “Visiting National Park” was recently published.
It explains simple rules one needs to know and follow, in order to make a visit to a nature site, shiny sun, endless blue sky, beautiful birds, and animals only a pleasant experience.
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 There is no other way to describe what is going on in Kazakhstan’s specially protected natural territories. In the Ile-Alatau National Park, aside from the construction of resorts, restaurants, sports facilities and nightclubs, sanitary felling of the forests is taking place in practically all of the gorges. According to the law, this is permitted, but must be conducted in strict compliance with established rules.
That which we see in the photographs is more like the industrial preparation of timber in the vast expanses of Siberia than of sanitary felling. Is this really sanitary felling? Maybe the forest plots are being cleared for the construction of the next private restaurants and cottages? Or to make money on the sale of timber? Did the initiators of these clearings consider the environmental and social consequences? Isn’t the sanitary felling of forests being conducted too widely and uncontrollably in the national parks?
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If you are studying or teaching about the environment or environmental rights;
if you want to create a children’s environmental club,
create films or take photographs of nature;
if you are concerned about the deteriorating state of Kazakhstan’s environment
or want to maintain your right to a favorable environment;
if you are concerned about what will become of our mountains in the foreseeable future and
on what kind of Earth our children and grandchildren will live,
VISIT THE WEBSITE OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY GREEN SALVATION!
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Welcome to the new Green Salvation web pages!
We are updating our site.
If you are looking for information from the old pages, please click HERE.
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Contact Info
Address:
050000, Kazakhstan, Almaty,
58 Shagabutdinova St., Apt.28.
Tel. +7 (727) 253-62-56
E-mail: grsalmati@gmail.com
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