Cleaning Up Kazakhstan, One Step at a Time: The Taza Qazaqstan Initiative
Waste Collection Surpasses 120,000 Tons by Dedicated Volunteers
From the streets of our cities to the shores of our lakes, the Taza Qazaqstan (Clean Kazakhstan) movement has been leaving its mark since its inception in 2024. This grassroots campaign, spearheaded by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, is all about fostering an ecological culture and improving Kazakhstan's environment.
So, What's the Game Plan?
Taza Qazaqstan is focused on three main objectives:
- Education and Awareness: Encouraging folks to understand the importance of their environmental footprint and promoting a culture of sustainability.
- Clean-ups and Landscaping: Organizing clean-up days and beautification projects to revitalize our cities and villages.
- Community Involvement: Encouraging citizens to take an active role in environmental efforts and cultivate a spirit of responsibility.
Making a Difference, One Event at a Time
From January 2025, over 405 events under the Taza Qazaqstan banner have been held. These range from the "Clean City" initiative, to "Tree for the City", "Moldir Bulak", International Bird Day, and "Earth Hour". These efforts have resulted in:
- Over 121,000 tons of waste being collected
- Cleaning up around 584,000 hectares of territory
- Planting over 1.7 million saplings
- Mobilizing around 1.4 million people, including 82,000 volunteers
University and school 'Eco-hours' have played a significant role in raising the next generation of environmentalists. Students have learned about monitoring equipment through lectures and lab tours, and even participated in waterbody cleanups.
The Big Eco Fest
One of the highlights was the Taza Qazaqstan eco-festival, which took place in the capital, Astana, in April 2025. The event showcased a variety of waste management and recycling projects, initiatives from leading companies like ERG, KAZ Minerals, and ArcelorMittal Temirtau, as well as eco-friendly startups backed by the International Center for Green Technologies.
The festival attracted over 1,500 visitors, including students from several capitals universities and colleges.
Speak Up, Clean Up!
For continuous feedback and improvement, the Taza Qazaqstan initiative has set up a Telegram chat-bot. Citizens can submit photos and locations of polluted areas, and reports are sent directly to responsible authorities for prompt action.
Since its launch, the chat-bot has received 18,322 requests, of which 16,907 have been completed. Residents of Almaty, Astana, and the Turkestan region have been the most active users.
In a nutshell, the Taza Qazaqstan movement is turning Kazakhstan greener, one event, one cleanup, one sapling at a time. Join the cause and help make a difference!
Science plays a crucial role in the Taza Qazaqstan initiative as environmental-science knowledge is utilized to monitor pollution levels and develop strategies for waste management and recycling. Additionally, education and self-development are key components of the movement, with university and school 'Eco-hours' providing students with opportunities to learn about the environment and take an active role in its preservation.
