Exceptionally hot summer predicted for Kazakhstan
Kazakh Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Yerlan Nyssanbayev spoke about measures to prevent forest fires during the Government’s meeting, Kazinform News Agency reports.
Speaking about the current fire situation, the Kazakh Minister noted that 32 forest fires have already been registered countrywide, covering a total area of 4,831 ha since the beginning of the year.
"An analysis of forest fires in previous years shows that they are mainly caused by the spread of fire from the steppe and by dry thunderstorms. Their further spread is often due to factors such as remoteness, inaccessibility, and the lack of a road network. In light of this, regional akimats need to take comprehensive measures to prevent or extinguish steppe fires and ensure that the personnel and equipment of forestry enterprises are fully prepared," said Yerlan Nyssanbayev.
He also pointed out that, according to Kazhydromet, this summer is expected to be unusually hot.
"In this regard, regional akimats need to take all necessary measures to maintain fire safety in forests. The Ministry, in turn, is taking all necessary measures to bring subordinate organizations to full combat readiness and to prevent large-scale forest fires in the territory of the state forest reserves," the Minister concluded.
As reported earlier, Kazakhstan seeks to increase its forest cover from 13.7 million ha to 14.5 million ha by 2030.
