FAO, UNECE support Kazakhstan in developing a master plan for the forest sector

Forests are high on the political agenda of Kazakhstan. In collaboration with the joint UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section and international experts, the country has developed the draft “Master Plan for the Development of the Forestry Sector of the Republic of Kazakhstan until 2030,” as well as an action plan for its implementation.

These strategic documents were on the agenda on 4 March at a joint event of the Committee on Forestry and Wildlife under the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan and the UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section in Nur-Sultan. The national forest policy dialogue was organized to continue work on the master plan and to carry out a participatory review of its content by involving external stakeholders in the decision-making process.

In the meeting, participants reviewed and commented on the document, while also aligning the master plan with commitments made as part of the Bonn Challenge.

The meeting combined a wide range of expertise, attracting national and international experts and representatives of civil society, academia, and the private sector. Over 50 people from various akimats, Kazakh regional representatives, also participated in the meeting. Their recommendations will be submitted for consideration to the Committee on Forestry and Wildlife.

As Ekrem Yazici, Deputy Chief of the Joint Section, emphasized during the workshop, “Forest policy dialogues like this one in Nur-Sultan allow professionals to come together and share their knowledge and experience for successful, long-term national forest management strategies.”

The project aims to increase the state forest cover by up to 5 percent by 2030; improve the conservation and sustainable use of forest ecosystem biodiversity; improve the efficiency of forest protection services from fires and violations of forest legislation, protecting them from pests and diseases; and strengthen human resources of the forest sector in economy.

5 March 2020, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan