Mangistau region to plant some 250,000 saxaul, juniper trees to combat desertification
Mangistau region demonstrates success in growing saxaul trees in its efforts to stabilize the region’s environmental balance, Kazinform News Agency reports.
The works aimed at preventing sand migration were launched in Senek village in 2004, and then continued in Ushtagan, Tushchykuduk and Shebir settlements.
The main goal of these projects is to protect villages from increased amounts of sand and restore the ecological balance by growing saxaul.
According to the data, saxaul planting works have been underway in the village of Ushtagan - since 2007, in Tushchykuduk - since 2012, and in Shebir - since 2016. As a result, by 2021, saxaul trees have been planted on a total area of 3,329 hectares in each village.
Khaidar Tuleushov, Deputy Chief of the Department for Environmental Management, says that in 2018, a 6-year project was developed for Zharma, Sazdy and Sauskan villages to protect them from sand through planting trees on an area of 134 hectares. From 2022 to 2024, at the first stage of the project, 203,634 saxaul and juniper trees were planted on 60.34 hectares of land. 248,887 trees are set to be planted on 73.74 hectares of land in 2025-2027.
In line with the President’s instructions assigned during his visit to Mangistau region in 2022, local authorities are working on identification of the risks of aeolian process in Tazhen, Syngyrlau, Sam, Turysh, and Akzhigit villages of Beineu district, in Senek and Bostan villages of Karakiyan districts, in Zharmysh and Akshymyrau villages of Mangistau district and in Tauchik village of Tupkaragan district.
72.5 million tenge has been allocated from the local budget for this purpose. The project is set to be implemented from 2025 to 2032.
“From 2025, saxaul planting works in these villages will be continued. These measures are aimed at improving the environmental situation, increasing land fertility and improving the quality of life of the rural population. The work carried out in Mangistau region will not only protect the environment, but will also contribute to improving the socio-economic situation of the rural population,” regional administration says.
Eearlier, the Ministry of Ecology reported that 475,000 hectares of drained bottom of Aral Sea had been planted with saxaul trees