Kazakhstan sets 2035 target to expand protected lands for biodiversity
Central Asian nation to add 3 million hectares of reserves, aligning with Kunming-Montreal biodiversity goals and global conservation coalitions
ASTANA, Kazakhstan (MNTV) — Kazakhstan has announced an ambitious plan to expand its protected natural areas from the current 30.9 million hectares to 34 million hectares by 2035, positioning itself as a regional leader in biodiversity conservation.
The new commitment was outlined during the final seminar of the SPACES Kazakhstan project, which works with the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources to advance national biodiversity targets.
According to The Astana Times, the initiative underscores the country’s drive to meet obligations under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the international agreement adopted in 2022 to safeguard 30 percent of the planet’s land and seas by 2030.
A centerpiece of Kazakhstan’s strategy is the piloting of Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECM), a tool being introduced in Central Asia for the first time. These measures, if fully implemented, would increase Kazakhstan’s conserved lands to nearly 30 percent of its territory — a threshold aligned with the goals of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, a global alliance of more than 100 governments pushing for accelerated conservation.
Recent progress includes feasibility studies and public consultations for the planned Aral Ormany State Forest Nature Reserve, development of the Zhaiyk Ormany Reserve, and expansion of the Ustyurt Nature Reserve.
Together, these sites would add almost 2 million hectares to Kazakhstan’s network of protected lands, safeguarding critical migration routes for the endangered Persian leopard and restoring vast areas of the dried Aral Sea basin.
To sustain the effort financially, Kazakhstan has launched a Biodiversity Finance Plan covering 2025–2035. The framework aims to reduce dependence on state funding by attracting private sector investment and strengthening cooperation with multilateral organizations.
International partners have praised the approach. Melissa de Kock, deputy director of the United Nations Environment Program – World Conservation Monitoring Center (UNEP-WCMC), described Kazakhstan’s strategy as a model for how governments, businesses, and local communities can jointly protect ecosystems under mounting climate and development pressures.
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