Center for Natural Resources and Sustainability

Kazakhstan

World Bank

MLA+, Rotterdam, The Netherlands;

1 August 2022 – 30 September 2023

Ecology

The objective of the project

The aim of the project is to contribute to the achievement by Kazakhstan of the global objectives on carbon sequestration and forest landscape enhancement and in the development of two products:

1. City of Almaty urban tree management plan, inclusive of pest management
2. Action plan that guides the reforestation and establishment of a green forest corridor with a special focus along the rivers connecting the City of Almaty and the Almaty Region

Both products together aim to provide residents with the full range of environmental and social benefits, such as improved air quality, reduced soil surface temperature, enhanced biodiversity, strengthened community cohesion and improved health status of the region's population.

A vision for the tree management plan

The Tree Management Plan is a roadmap which sets out a shared vision for the future for urban trees and the green fund as a whole.

- The plan aims to help professionals actively and effectively manage the entire life cycle of trees and maximize the long-term benefits that urban trees create for citizens

- The plan will contain recommendations based on the analysis of satellite imagery and detailed inventories and will include additional components and documents such as budgets, policy and procedure manuals, plant assortment recommendations, Almaty agglomeration-wide pest management recommendations, public education and monitoring plans, and recommendations for changes to existing ordinances and legislative development.

Vision for a green corridor

The Almaty agglomeration's urban green corridor action plan is needed for the region and the city to develop together a green infrastructure which, like nature, knows no administrative boundaries. The green corridor is a multifunctional and continuous element of the green network of the whole agglomeration and will be presented on three levels within this project:

- Green Corridor Strategic Framework Plan

The project articulates a vision for the corridor as a key element of the agglomeration's green network. Based on an analysis of green and land assets, it sets out the boundaries of the green corridor and its spatial structure.

- Green Corridor Toolkit - illustrates approaches to overcome various challenges specific to the green corridor area and is complemented by a guide on how to apply the toolkit. The proposed approaches can be used to develop other elements of the agglomeration green network.

- The Almaty Agglomeration Green Corridor Pilot Action Plan proposes concrete steps for the development of protective greenery along the Almaty-Konaev highway as a response to the request of the Oblast authorities.

Project beneficiaries

The project is implemented by the landscape architecture company MLA+ and the Kazakh-German University (DKU). The project is part of a larger World Bank "RESILAND" programme aimed at landscape restoration efforts in Central Asia.

Actual results of the project

Two project workshops with project stakeholders conducted, data collection phase and current situation assessment completed.

1. At the end of September 2022, the first stakeholder workshop was held with representatives of the City and Oblast Akimats and scientific organisations. As a result of the workshop, the wishes for the composition of the project have been formed.
2. In February 2023 the second working meeting was held, where the analysis of the current situation in the field of green infrastructure of the city and region based on open data and data provided by the Akimat of Almaty and its departments and Akimat of Almaty region, as well as the results of surveys of the public, highlighting the attitude of residents to green resources of the city and region were presented.

Suggestions and comments provided at the meeting were taken into account in further development of the documents

27 September 2022

Kazakh-German University, 173 Nazarbayev ave.

Purpose of the kick-off meeting: presentation and discussion of the implementation of the new project, discussion of cooperation for achieving common goals

Participants: representatives of Almaty City Akimat, Almaty Oblast Akimat, Ile-Alatau SSPP, World Bank, Department of Ministry of Ecology, Department of EMERCOM, Botanic Garden, Plant Protection Institute, MLA+ Architecture, Planning and Consultancy, Kazakh-German University (DKU), Almaty City Public Council

First workshop with stakeholder representatives: staff of the city and oblast Akimats and scientific organisations. As a result of the workshop, the wishes for the composition of the project were formed.

Dawnload

1 February 2023

Kazakh-German University, 173 Nazarbayev ave.

The second working meeting where the analysis of current situation in the field of green infrastructure of the city and oblast based on open data and data provided by Akimat of Almaty city and its departments and Akimat of Almaty oblast as well as the results of conducted public surveys highlighting the attitude of residents to green resources of the city and oblast were presented.

Purpose of the meeting: Presentation of (a) an assessment of the current situation of green space management in Almaty (b) an assessment of the potential for development of the green corridor in the Almaty agglomeration and the specific area of the pilot site; and obtaining feedback from project partners

Participants: representatives of Almaty City Akimat, Almaty Oblast Akimat, SSPP Ile-Alatau, World Bank, Department of Ministry of Ecology, Department of MES, Botanic Garden, Plant Protection Institute, MLA+ construction and architecture company, Kazakh-German University (DKU), public representatives and public council of Almaty.

Dawnload

Project coordinator: Olga Romanova

romanova@dku.kz , + 7 701 403 72 22

Project assistant: Suleiman Magazov

student.magazov@dku.kz + 7 727 355 05 51 (ext. 328)