The Kazakh government plans to spend around ₸161 billion on the national project "Zhasyl Kazakhstan" in 2022, Qazmonitor reports citing the press service of the Prime Minister.
According to the message published on Tuesday, the budget for implementing the national project in 2021 was ₸89.3 billion – in 2022, that number almost doubled to ₸161 billion.
"Zhasyl Kazakhstan" is one of the several initiatives birthed from a larger government effort to make the country ‘greener’, by creating a favorable living environment for the population and improving the overall environmental situation. The project is to be completed in the period 2021-2025.
The aim outlines tasks to improve air quality, switch to a more sustainable production method, preserve the ecosystem of Lake Balkhash and the Northern Aral Sea, and protect endangered plant and animal species among other things.
Improvement of atmospheric air quality was highlighted as one of the main priorities of the project. The specific task provides for a reduction of emissions at 16 major industrial enterprises by 20% in five years in 10 major cities.
"The Almaty CHP-2 is scheduled to be converted to gas, which will reduce pollutant emissions by 80% by 2025. At the Atyrau Oil Refinery, work is underway on the fine purification of flue gases of catholic cracking and amine treatment of fuel gas at the facilities, which will reduce pollutant emissions by 3.6%. Overall, by 2030 it is planned to reduce emissions by 9.1%."
Minister of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources Serikkali Berekeshev gave assurance that the "implementation of the national project Zhasyl Kazakhstan is under constant control”.
