Poverty and Environment in Kazakhstan

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Poverty and Environment in Kazakhstan The case of
Mangystau and Atyrau oblasts
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Basic facts

• Mangystau and Atyrau oblasts
• 10 of KAZ territory, 5 of population
• ? sparsely populated (2,2 ppl / sq.km in
  Mangystay, 4 ppl / sq.km in Atyrau)
• Nearly half of population concentrated into
  provincial capitals (Aktau and Atyrau)
• Outward migration until development of oil and
  gas sector
• 85 rural poverty in Mangystau, 44 in Atyray
  oblast

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Environmental challenges

• Rise in sea level 1978-1996
• ? flooded pasture, destroyed infrastructure,
  salinization
• Loss of biodiversity
• Overfishing, invasion of external species
• ? drop in fishery output
• Damage to water supply networks and interruption
  of service (in some cases regional networks
  crossing borders)
• ? lower drinking water availability and quality
• Industrial legacy
• Pollution from oil and gas industry

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Poverty / livelihood challenges

• Environmental changes caused reduction in quality
  of life
• Collapse of USSR reduced importance of some
  industries (collective farms and fisheries,
  uranium mining in Aktau)
• Very little livelihood choices outside of the
  energy sector
• ? 5x drop in agricultural added value
• ? cut living standards and increased poverty in
  rural areas

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Urban vs. rural

• Oil and gas sector
• ? oil companies employing educated people from
  elsewhere
• ? villagers speak Kazakh, business and
  specialized education in Russian
• People not equipped to live in the cities
• ? the only alternative livelihood is poaching
  (for those living along the coast)
• Access to water
• ? shortage of good quality freshwater
• ? water available to app. 70-75 of pop. (mainly
  in urban centres)
• ? in rural areas lt50 l / day (below basic health
  and sanitation requirements)
• A specific kind of poverty

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