The meeting participants discussed issues related to the environmental security and measures taken in the field of environmental protection.
The President stressed the need to find solutions to health issues of Kalachi and Berezovka villagers of the Akmola and West Kazakhstan regions. In this regard, he highlighted the importance of ensuring free access to information about the environmental conditions in the region.
“No one has yet explained what causes the disease in the Kalachi village. Given that the competent authorities failed to figure out the root of the problem and did not have the required expertise, we should have invited foreign experts and entrusted them with the task,” he said.
Nursultan Nazarbayev emphasized the creation of effective mechanism of risk prediction and prevention will allow to minimize the damage from emergency situations of technogenic and natural character.
The Head of State said that with the aim to ensure Kazakhstan’s sustainable development the Government and local executive authorities must secure the preservation of flora and fauna and identify the causes of mass death of saiga antelopes in some regions of the country.
“Various explanations have been put forward with opposite opinions being expressed. This demonstrates the absence of skilled experts and inability to identify the factors that have led to this situation,” he maintained.
As stressed by the President, the country’s environmental policy should be aimed at promotion and involvement of business in addressing the issues of cost-effective use of resources, introduction of non-waste technologies in all spheres of economic activity.
Taking care of people’s health and ensuring high quality of life requires breakthrough research and development from Kazakhstan’s science that will let the country carry out strategic analysis of the environment and proactively respond to any negative developments.
Nursultan Nazarbayev noted the importance of the effective use of the two Kazakh remote Earth probing systems, launched in 2014 for environmental monitoring and early detection of risks in the environmental field.
In addition, he stressed the need to develop the agricultural sector and small and medium-sized businesses, having mentioned it is necessary to pay more attention to the issues of environmental security.
In President's words, the country’s government and business circles should take specific measures to respond to the challenges of desertification and land degradation, poor air quality and water management, industrial emissions and accumulation of waste, including the problem of illegal dumping.
In his report, the Minister of Energy Vladimir Shkolnik gave an overview of the environmental situation and government’s activities in the appropriate area, including the implementation of the Concept of Kazakhstan’s transition to a “green economy”.
Following the discussions, the President charged the Government with specific tasks, entrusting the Security Council with the power to supervise their implementation.
