KAZAKHSTAN ENVIRONMENT UPDATE; FEBRUARY 28

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ALMATY 000965 SIPDIS TASHKENT FOR EPUTNAM E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON SENV ENRG EPET KZ ECONOMIC SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN ENVIRONMENT UPDATE; FEBRUARY 28 ¶1. Summary: This information is drawn primarily from the Kazakhstani press and has not yet been verified. The opinions expressed in this report, therefore, should not be interpreted as official positions and/or policy of the U.S. Government. -- New National Park Established in Southern Kazakhstan Oblast -- Epidemiological Situation Bad in Kazakhstan -- Kazakhstan Prepared to Effectively Counter Bird Flu -- IT Park near Almaty to Manufacture Affordable PCs -- The Northern Aral Has Been Saved! -- KazSat Launch Scheduled for June 8, 2006 -- Parliament to Approve KZ's Adherence to the Kyoto Protocol -- Dialogue about Shared Water Resources in CA Should Proceed -- Almaty on the List of 30 Dirtiest Cities in the World New National Park Established in Southern Kazakhstan Oblast -------------- -------------- ¶2. A new national park is being created in Southern Kazakhstan Oblast. Known as the Sairam-Ugamskiy National Park, it will be the ninth national park in Kazakhstan, covering an area of 150,000 hectares in Kazygurt, Tolebi and Tyulkibas. Special attention will be given to critically endangered species such as the snow leopard, Tyan-Shan bear and others. The goal is to preserve the biodiversity of the unique natural complex, as well as its ecological and scientific value. (Interfax-Kazakhstan, February 4, 2006) Epidemiological Situation Bad in Kazakhstan -------------- ¶3. According to the Vice Minister of Emergency Situations Valery Petrov, Kazakhstan's current epidemiological situation is deteriorating due to serious defects in the medical services activities of the Sanitary & Epidemiological Service. 3,100 people suffered from dangerous communicable diseases in 2005, including 2,525 adult and 408 child brucellosis infections. The situation is worst in the Southern Kazakhstan (947),Zhambyl (615),Kyzylorda (434),and Almaty (384) oblasts. Kazakhstan's medical services also reported one cholera, 6 malaria and 8 Siberian plague cases last year. Additionally, 120 cases of food poisoning were reported, resulting in 9 deaths. MES recommends that the Health Ministry toughen requirements and increase epidemiological surveillance. (Interfax-Kazakhstan, February 9, 2006). Kazakhstan Prepared to Effectively Counter Bird Flu -------------- -------------- ¶4. The Kazakhstani Health Ministry stated that the republic has taken all requisite measures to fight the bird flu. First Vice Minister of Health Aikan Akanov stated during a February 8 press conference in Astana, "We are well- prepared. The World Health Organization has hailed our bird flu preparedness plan as the best and most effective. We have received supplies of Tamiflu, which today are in demand worldwide." (Interfax-Kazakhstan, February 9). IT Park near Almaty to Manufacture Affordable PCs -------------- -------------- ¶5. A new IT Park located in a special economic zone in the Alatau suburb near Almaty will begin manufacturing affordable PCs this May, the State Agency for Informatization and Communications (AIC) chair Askar Zhumagaliev announced. He told journalists after the agency's February 24 session in Astana that "the IT park will provide joint venture opportunities for Kazakhstan with Indian and Chinese partners to produce computers and accessories. Their cost will hopefully not exceed $350-400." The AIC chair stated that the IT Park "is funded exclusively by private investments from companies that intend to manufacture PCs in the tax-free zone." (Interfax-Kazakhstan, February 24, 2005). The Northern Aral Has Been Saved! -------------- ¶6. This statement was made recently by representatives of Kazakhstan's Committee for Water Resources and Kazakhstan's Permanent Representative of the World Bank, Loui Brephor. Despite the fact that the project regulating the bed of the Syrdarya River and the Northern Part of the Aral Sea had been projected to take five to ten years, the northern part of the Aral Sea is already full. Within six months, the surface area had increased by 33% and the volume by 10km3. According to the Chair of Water Resources Committee, A. Ryabtsev, the water is now only 10km away from the town of Aralsk, compared with 75-80km previously. There is currently so much water in the Northern Aral Sea that Kazakhstan is obliged to release water from the Kok-Aral dam and allow it to flow south. (Novoye Pokolenie, February 17, 2006) KazSat Launch Scheduled for June 8, 2006 -------------- ¶7. KazSat, Kazakhstan's first satellite launch, has been tentatively scheduled for June 8, according to a notification posted February 7 on the official website of the Khrunichev Space Center. According to the statement, tests are being carried out in compliance with recommendations from an interdepartmental commission in order to "evaluate the circuit and engineering schematics approved during the KazSat's design stage, as well as the adjustments made during ground tests." A Proton-M booster rocket is planned to carry the KazSat satellite from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. (Interfax-Kazakhstan, February 8, 2006) Parliament to Approve Kazakhstan's Adherence to the Kyoto Protocol -------------- -------------- ¶8. The Kazakhstani Parliament is ready to approve Kazakhstan's adherence to the Kyoto Protocol and recommends that the government introduce a draft law on ratification by the end of 2006. In greenhouse emission volume, Kazakhstan ranks third in the CIS after Russia and Ukraine, while the temperature on the territory of Kazakhstan has increased by 1.3C degrees during the last century. World-wide disasters are predicted following temperature increases of 10%, however the relationship between greenhouse emissions and global warming has not yet been proved. According to Environmental Minister K. Mukhamedzhanov, participating in the global ecological agreement will at the very least force natural resource users to introduce ecologically clean and modern technologies. Following the ratification of the international document, Kazakhstan will undertake obligations to reduce emissions by 340 million tons a year between 2008 and 2012. (Express K, Kazakhstanskaya Pravda, Egemen Kazakhstan, February 25, 2006) Dialogue about Shared Water Resources in CA Should Proceed -------------- -------------- ¶9. At a recent meeting between CAREC representatives and a European Commission delegation representing Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, Ambassador Andrian van der Meyer noted the importance of further cooperation in solving the ecological problems of the Ile-Balkhash basin. The possibility of China increasing water extraction from the Ili River feeding Lake Balkhash is quite real. China currently withdraws 4.42 m3/sec of water. According to experts, withdrawal of 10 to 15% of the water volume would result in the shallowing and salinization of the unique lake. Therefore the regulation of these issues requires participation of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and China. Malik Burlibayev, manager of the "Development of the plan of integrated management in the Ile-Balkhash region" project, reported that project participants are making efforts to draft and sign an international agreement between the three countries based on an ecosystems approach. (Kazakhstanskaya Pravda, February 25, 2006). Almaty is on the List of 30 Dirtiest Cities in the World -------------- -------------- ¶10. Almaty has recently won a spot on the list of the 30 dirtiest cities in the world, primarily due to a sharp increase in exhaust gases. To improve the situation, Almaty Akim Imangali Tasmagambetov has made a number of proposals to the government including: banning importation of vehicles seven years old or older; equipping vehicles with catalytic converters; and toughening certification requirements for petroleum products. (Kazakhstan-1, Channel 31, KTK, Almaty, February 7, 2006; Interfax-Kazakhstan, February 8, 2006) ORDWAY