Recently, the FBRC editorial team reported on the most expensive government procurements of the Ministry of Agriculture in 2024. Today, we will analyse the largest procurements of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources.
Unlike the Ministry of Agriculture, which focused on digitalisation, the Ministry of Ecology's priorities proved different. In 2024, the department directed its main funds towards creating a large-scale system of environmental control and environmental protection.
The largest item of expenditure – 9.9 billion tenge – went towards meteorological and hydrological monitoring. These funds ensure the operation of a network of 347 weather stations across the country. Of these, 121 stations operate in automatic mode around the clock, and nine stations conduct aerological observations at altitudes of up to 25 kilometres, collecting data on temperature, humidity and air mass movement.
The second-largest sum – over 2.1 billion tenge – was allocated for environmental monitoring. Significant funds – 680 million tenge – were invested by the ministry in green economy development: the creation of reference manuals on modern technologies, the organisation of working groups, and the promotion of eco-friendly solutions.
In 2024, particular attention was paid to the issue of industrial waste. 141.7 million tenge was allocated for hazardous waste management in three regions of the country. The funds were directed towards solving environmental challenges in the Mangystau, Kostanay and Karaganda regions, where waste from former industrial enterprises requires disposal.
The ministry allocated 265.6 million tenge towards meeting international obligations under climate agreements. The smallest item among the major procurements – 99.9 million tenge – was expenditure on the department's transport services.
The structure of the ministry's expenditure reflects a comprehensive approach to environmental issues. However, there is a clear emphasis on monitoring and research – how effective is this in practice?
In 2024, the FBRC editorial team investigated problems with waste disposal in the village of Priirtyshskoye, where due to high service costs, residents dumped waste on vacant land, as well as violations by the operator "Zero Waste" in Astana, which allowed the placement of waste in a quarry near the village of Koyandy.
We also tracked the situation with populations of saiga antelopes, argali, cormorants, goitered gazelles and investigated the causes of the mass die-off of swans and seals in Mangystau.
In the field of environmental protection, the FBRC editorial team annually analyses methods of insect population control in the regions, investigates the use of pesticides during disinsection in urban environments, and advocates for a transition to safe biological methods.
In 2025, these problems remain relevant. While the ministry engages in monitoring, many environmental challenges remain at the discussion stage, and the public asks: when will monitoring move into the phase of concrete solutions.
To be continued...