Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources (MENR) of the Republic of Kazakhstan has submitted for public discussion the first version of a project to reduce the area of the Irgyz-Turgai State Nature Reserve. The reserve currently covers 1,173,511 hectares. However, the MENR intends to reduce the reserve by more than 20,000 hectares – to 1,151,761 hectares – due to the transfer of these lands to ‘reserve lands’.
The department has published a draft resolution “On approval of the list of specially protected natural areas of republican significance” on the Open NLA portal. Public discussion of this draft will last until 29 February.
In the explanatory note, signed by the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, Erlan Nysanbayev, it is stated that the project does not require approval from the public council. Additionally, the department assures that the reduction of the nature reserve's area will not entail any socio-economic consequences.
In short, all indications for reducing the protected area seem to be present. Why even put the project up for public discussion if everything is already in order?
It is just unclear why, when transferring to ‘reserve lands’, tens of thousands of hectares suddenly go missing.
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For reference: reserve lands are lands that are in state or municipal ownership. Reserve lands cannot be provided to individuals or legal entities and are considered a reserve.
The protected area, located in the Irgyz district of the Aktobe region, is famous for its biodiversity. The flora of the reserve is represented by over 400 species. Furthermore, this specially protected territory is a habitat for rare animals and birds listed in the Red Book.
We are sure that Mr Nysanbayev will have no difficulty explaining the necessity of implementing the project and, at the same time, the mysterious loss of a substantial portion of the protected area. After all, one can always draw up a ‘biological justification’, similar to the one that served as the argument for the mass culling of saiga antelopes in Kazakhstan.
Meanwhile, the editorial board of the FBKK has sent an official request to the Ministry of Ecology of the Republic of Kazakhstan to ascertain the true reason for the reduction of the reserve, and also to find out for what purpose the nature reserve is intended to be transferred to reserve lands.