UNDP launches project to enhance agricultural resilience and ecosystem conservation in Northern Kazakhstan

The project set to run until November 2029 has a budget of US$10,587,470.

Land degradation is one of the pressing environmental issues that reduces soil productivity, threatens the sustainability of the agricultural sector, deteriorates ecosystem health, and negatively impacts biodiversity. According to the UN, around 40 percent of the world's land has degraded, affecting three billion people globally. In Kazakhstan, approximately 75 percent of agricultural soils are subject to various forms of degradation, such as desertification, salinization, erosion, and land exhaustion due to prolonged use. The State Institute for Land Surveying of the Ministry of Agriculture reports that the potential fertility of soils has decreased by 17 percent, leading to reduced crop yields.

The Government of Kazakhstan is improving legislation to address these issues. Land degradation issues are included in the Land and Environmental Codes, as well as in the draft law “On Soil Protection,” aimed at the protection and restoration of land. Alongside legislative improvements, the implementation of effective management technologies and long-term land resource development planning is essential.

In accordance with the concept of developing the agro-industrial complex until 2030, special attention is paid to enhancing labour productivity, yield, updating and providing agricultural machinery and seeds, and increasing the share of processed products in the agro-industrial complex, as well as addressing export issues. At the same time, measures to reduce the area of eroded lands within agricultural holdings are being considered, noted Yermek Kenzhekhanuly, Vice Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Through this joint project, UNDP and the Ministry of Agriculture will test sustainable land use approaches and practices in four key regions of Northern Kazakhstan: Akmolinsk, Kostanay, North Kazakhstan, and Pavlodar. In 2023, the area of arable land in these regions amounted to about 17 million hectares, which is equivalent to 70 percent of all arable land in the country. This highlights the critical role of target areas in Kazakhstan's agricultural production.

To combat land degradation, a comprehensive approach to sustainable territorial planning is necessary, ensuring a balance between economic development and the conservation of natural resources, emphasised Katarzyna Wawiernia, UNDP Resident Representative in Kazakhstan.

The project plans to implement agro-ecological incentives and financial instruments to support sustainable agricultural production and key production-distribution chains, restore pastures, and optimize territorial planning. Scientifically based land use approaches will be developed, incorporating functional zoning tools and landscape planning, considering ecological, economic, and social factors. The project also aims to minimize conflicts among various land users and enhance ecosystem services.

The project will support the integrity of the Naurzum Nature Reserve’s lake ecosystem, which is a globally significant site for nesting, migratory stopovers, and the fattening of waterfowl, highlighted Daniyar Turgambayev, Chair of the Forestry and Wildlife Committee of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The project aims at sustainable management of Kazakhstan’s land resources, creating conditions for agricultural development, preserving biodiversity and ecosystems to ensure long-term ecological stability.

Earlier it was reported that Kazakhstan had exported 5.8 million tons of grain from new harvest, marking a 53% growth, out of overall 7.4 million tons of its grain shipments.