A new project to mitigate climate change in Karaganda Region has been launched by the Czech NGO “Arnika” and the Karaganda-based EcoMuseum. The project received a grant from the European Union (EU) under the thematic programme “Civil Society Organisations and Local Authorities”.
According to Global Carbon Atlas, Kazakhstan ranked twenty-first among the world’s largest polluters in 2019, and is one of the most carbon-intensive economies in the world, with the energy sector being the major CO2 emitter. The country’s agricultural, forestry, and water resources are extremely vulnerable to climate change. Increased severity and frequency of floods and droughts pose serious risks to the country’s economy and people’s livelihood stated the UNECE’s 3rd Environmental Performance Review of Kazakhstan.
The Karaganda region is one of the main industrial and highly polluted areas in the country. According to the UNECE publication, the civil society in Kazakhstan has limited access to environmental information and climate change data and is not involved properly in decision-making on environmental issues.
The project will strengthen climate action in the region to contribute to the country’s fulfillment of its national commitments and ensure public participation in local decision-making. The project’s duration: March 2022 ‒ August 2024. Total budget: EUR 288,325; EU contribution: EUR 250,000.
“We will work together with civil society, local and regional authorities, private businesses, independent experts, youth & students, media & journalists to promote practical solutions to mitigate the dire consequences of the climate change, which is caused mainly by industrial pollution in the region,” stated Arnika’s Coordinator Zuzana Vachunova.
EcoMuseum’s Development Director Dmitriy Kalmykov explains: ‘Our project is aimed to fill the gap between Kazakhstan’s international commitments under the Paris Agreement and their implementation at the local level. We will bring international experience to Kazakhstan authorities.’
Disclaimer: ‘This press release was created and maintained with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the Arnika Association and EcoMuseum and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.’
