Known for its vast Eurasian steppe, rust-red Charyn Canyon and towering Altai Mountains, Kazakhstan is one of the largest and lushest countries in the world, and one of the most underrated destinations for nature-seeking travellers – but that’s about to change.
The Central Asian country just announced plans to double down on its natural marvels with an ambitious endeavour that will add 20,000 square kilometres of protected land by 2035.
This is part of its greater biodiversity strategy – ‘The Concept for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity for 2026–2035’ – which aims to preserve Kazakhstan’s extraordinary landscapes, from its striking, snow-peaked Tian Shan mountains to its wind-swept desert dunes.
Despite already being the largest landlocked country on Earth (and ninth largest overall), Kazakhstan aims to increase its total protected land to 332,000 square kilometres, according to Wanderlust. That’s larger than the sizes of Poland or Italy.
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The plan includes efforts to expand forest coverage with an additional 8,000 square kilometres of woodland set to be restored or planted, as well as adding new and extended reserves.
And it’s not just good news for the land. The project also hopes to restore and protect Kazakhstan’s wildlife. There are over 835 species of vertebrates and 6,000 plant species across the country; however, around 230 animal species like the snow leopard, Bukhara deer, goitered gazelle and more are under threat of extinction.
Protecting them isn’t just an ecological effort, either. Kazakhstan’s wildlife is often overlooked, but bringing more life back into protected land could also mean tapping into wildlife tourism, whether it’s birdwatching, hiking through alpine forests, or simply finding a spot to sit, and maybe spot one of those endangered gazelles.
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