Creation of Green Belt around Astana reviewed

    The green belt surrounding Astana, the world’s largest man-made forest, Caspionet says, has been expanded by another 5 thousand hectares. Nursultan Nazarbayev has learned about the state of affairs related to the development of the green belt around the capital city.
    The total size of the forestland exceeds 55 thousand hectares. The first trees planted under project have reached 15 metres in height. To accelerate the creation of the forest, the government has decided to bring in roes and pheasants. They recently released another portion of the animals into the new habitat.
    Denis Klinin, zoologist stated, “These animals are getting rid of harmful insects.”
    Kairbek Mussabayev, deputy chairman of the Forestry and Hunting Committee added, “The forest itself does not only consist of trees, but an entire ecosystem, with insects and animals. This is why today, while we are planting a forest, we are also thinking about wildlife. We would like to have both trees and animals, just like in other forests.”
    “The green belt brings fresh air and shields the capital city from dust and snowstorms. Older residents say that due to the green belt, the climate in Astana has become milder,” he added.
    President Nursultan Nazarbayev commented, “Soil and animals were destroyed during the development of the virgin lands project, and now we are planting trees and restoring animals to this land. This is a great task we are engaged in for our country”.
    “In general, as part of the Zhasyl Aimak program, we are planting 60 thousand hectares of forest each year. I cannot name another country, which is doing the same thing. It is our contribution to the system of international environmental safety, for both the people and the state,” the president said, according to Caspionet.