Deputy fears Kazakhstan could “turn into Saudi Arabia”

Tengrinews.kz - Mazhilis deputy Bakytzhan Bazarbek has raised concerns about desertification in Kazakhstan.
On February 18, a draft law on soil protection was presented in the Mazhilis. During the discussion, Bazarbek noted that Kazakhstan faces issues with desert lands, describing it as a serious problem.

"There is a problem – soil degradation. We must call things by their proper names. We have an international convention on combating desertification. It clearly states that parties are obliged to address the issue of desertification in their legislation. We must take action. Otherwise, we will lose half of our agriculture. We will have Saudi Arabia instead of Kazakhstan. That is the risk we are facing. We will forget about agriculture forever," said Bakytzhan Bazarbek.

The deputy stressed the need to include specific measures in the proposed bill and promised to put forward his own suggestions.
Land degradation is a process in which soil quality deteriorates due to factors such as improper land use. It involves the decline of the physical, biological, and chemical properties of the soil’s upper layer.
The draft law on soil protection was developed by members of Parliament. As noted during the presentation in the Mazhilis, data from the State Land Survey Institute under the Ministry of Agriculture shows that 29.9 million hectares of land in the country have degraded. The potential fertility of the soil has decreased by 17%, while the area of saline irrigated land has increased by 35-37%. As a result, agricultural crop yields have declined.
The key objectives of the draft law include:

Ensuring state regulation in the field of soil protection;
Conducting timely soil surveys and monitoring to identify negative changes in soil condition;
Ensuring the use of soil protection technologies and implementing measures to improve soil quality, increase fertility, and restore degraded soils.

Previously, Tokayev called for increased labor productivity and technological innovation in agriculture.