Abai, Kazakhstan
Restoring wildfire-affected forests in the Abai Region, Kazakhstan
Abai, Kazakhstan
Restoring forest fire-affected forests
Project Target
Carbon Absorption
28,960 tCO2
Trees to be Planted
2,000
Project Area
20 ha
Project Overview
The Abai Region in eastern Kazakhstan is well known for its unique natural ecosystems, including belt pine forests, which have played important ecological roles: maintaining biodiversity, preventing desertification, stabilizing soil and conserving water resources.
But the region has been severely affected by large-scale wildfires, most notably in 2023, when extensive areas of belt pine forest were destroyed. These forests are ecologically significant yet highly vulnerable to fire, drought and rising temperatures. Following the fires, large tracts of land were left degraded, with increased erosion risk, reduced habitat quality and weakened ecosystem services.
This project targets wildfire-affected forest areas where restoration can rebuild forest structure, stabilise soils and restore long-term ecological resilience, while contributing to national climate and land-rehabilitation goals. In particular, the project supports restoration through site preparation and reforestation using native pine species adapted to local conditions.
Activities focus on clearing burned debris and removing stumps, preparing planting sites and establishing new forest stands to enable regeneration and long-term recovery of belt pine ecosystems. Reforestation efforts prioritize native species suited to the region’s climate and soils, strengthening biodiversity and reducing future fire and degradation risks, including Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine: dominant belt forest species providing soil stabilization and habitat).
The tree species to be planted:
Project Site
Project Impact
Within the first years of implementation, restored areas have begun to show improved forest cover, increased ecosystem stability and reduced erosion risk.
Over time, the recovering forests will enhance carbon sequestration, support biodiversity and strengthen the resilience of the landscape to future climate-related disturbances.
Forest restoration will contribute to the recovery of critical ecosystem services, including soil protection, water regulation and climate mitigation, supporting long-term environmental stability in the Abai Region.
Project Overview
The Abai region is located in eastern Kazakhstan. It is well known for its unique natural ecosystems including belt pine forests. The forests in this region have played various ecological roles such as maintaining biodiversity, preventing desertification, stabilizing soil, and conserving water resources. However, in 2023, the region suffered severe damage due to large-scale wildfires, which destroyed approximately 60,000 hectares of forest.
This project aims to restore and rehabilitate the forest areas affected by the wildfires in the Abai region of Kazakhstan. By clearing the burnt areas and removing stumps, the project seeks to regenerate the damaged forests and restore the ecosystem services in the Abai region.
The tree species to be planted include:
Project Site
Project Impact
The project will restore pine forests within the national forest and nature reserve areas that were damaged by wildfires. In the long term, the project will contribute to conserving the forests in the Abai region to enhance the resilience of the ecosystem.
Project Target
Carbon Absorption
28,960 tCO2
Trees to be Planted
200,000
Project Area
500 ha
