As part of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s instructions on the comprehensive study of issues concerning the Caspian Sea, the Government has allocated KZT 305 million from its reserve to the Kazakh Research Institute of the Caspian Sea (KazNIICaspi), reports Infotabigat.kz, citing the press service of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The corresponding resolution was signed by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov.
The institute was established on the instructions of the Head of State to address environmental challenges facing the Caspian Sea. Its activities include assessing fish stock reserves and developing methods for their preservation, studying ichthyofauna, identifying the causes of mass seal deaths, and preserving seal populations. The institute also conducts research on hydrological processes and sea level fluctuations, analyses climate change and its impact on the ecosystem, and monitors water quality, biodiversity, and other parameters of Kazakhstan’s portion of the Caspian Sea and coastline.
“The allocated funds will be used to further develop the institute, enabling timely and effective research in its laboratories of hydrobiology, hydrochemistry, hydrometeorology, and satellite monitoring, as well as to fulfil other tasks assigned to the research centre,” the ministry’s statement reads.
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The Caspian Sea is a unique ecosystem and a vital source of aquatic biological resources, playing a key role in the sustainable development of Kazakhstan’s western regions and the country as a whole. The length of Kazakhstan’s Caspian coastline is 2,320 km — the longest among all Caspian littoral states.