Over 332 thousand seedlings have been planted on an area of 300 hectares in the Issyk-Kul region in the Karkyra tract by Kumtor Gold Company. This is the first large-scale afforestation initiative since the collapse of the USSR. The initiative is named "EcoSeason" and is part of the long-term ecological campaign conducted within the national campaign "Green Legacy".
The President of Kumtor Gold Company, Almazbek Baryktabasov, emphasized the significance of such activities in the face of the deteriorating environmental situation on the planet. He noted that the company actively participates in projects to minimize the harm inflicted on nature and will continue to finance ecological initiatives. "We witness how rapidly and irreversibly the ecosystem of our planet is changing. Climate change as a result of desertification, deforestation, drought – all of this is a result of human activity," he stated.
In addition to tree planting, the company is implementing other environmental projects. In August 2022, a plant for recycling car tires was launched in Tokmok. The company also funded a project for recycling plastic containers in the village of Saru Jeti-Oguz district.
Upcoming plans include launching a waste recycling project at the mine tailings facility and completely phasing out the use of polyethylene bags at the mine. The tree planting was carried out in collaboration with the Forestry Service staff, which was necessary to comply with all planting rules in high-altitude conditions. The Chief Forester of Jeti-Oguz Forestry, Kanat Toytukov, mentioned that some of the planted seedlings are birch trees, which grow faster than conifers and create favorable conditions for their growth.
Last year, "Kumtor" planted Tian Shan spruce seedlings on eight hectares of Jeti-Oguz forestry territory. Next year, an inventory will be conducted on the planted area of the Karkyra tract to assess the survival rate of the seedlings. If it falls below 74 percent, new trees will be planted, as by law, the area can be recognized as forest.
Kumtor Gold Company urges all environmentally conscious citizens to join ecological initiatives and contribute to the preservation of nature for future generations.
