No ministry – no environmental problems

August 6, 2014, Decree of the President “About reformation of the system of the state government of the Republic of Kazakhstan” eliminated the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources. Its functions were partially given to the Ministry of Energy, partially, to the Ministry of Agriculture.

1988

Decision by the Council of Ministers of the Kazakh SSR from February 18, 1988, “On Realizing the Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the Council of Ministers of the USSR” from January 7, 1988, “On Fundamentally Restructuring Nature Protection Matters in the Country.” Created by the State Committee of the Kazakh SSR for Nature Protection.1990
Decree from the President of the Kazakh SSR from December 20, 1990, “On Reorganizing the State Management Bodies in the Kazakh SSR.”
To form the State Committee of the Kazakh SSR on Ecology and Nature Use on the basis of the abolished State Committee of the Kazakh SSR on Nature Protection.

1991
Decision by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kazakh SSR from March 29, 1991, No.202 “On an Outline for Managing the State Committee of the Kazakh SSR on Ecology and Nature Use.”

“In connection with the creation of the State Committee of the Kazakh SSR on Ecology and Nature Use on the basis of the abolished State Committee of the Kazakh SSR on Nature Protection, and in accordance with the Decree from the President of the Kazakh SSR from December 20, 1990, ‘On Reorganizing the State Management Bodies in the Kazakh SSR’, the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kazakh SSR has decided:

“1. To establish that the State Committee of the Kazakh SSR on Ecology and Nature Use (GosKomEkologiya) is the central body of state management in the field of nature protection and the use of natural resources, on par with the Oblast Executive Committee, Alma-Ata and Leninsky City Executive Committees, and bears, in its entirety, responsibility for the state of the environment and the rational use of nature in the republic.”

1992
Decision by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Kazakhstan from March 11, 1992, No.216 “Issues of the Ministry of Ecology and Bioresources of the Republic of Kazakhstan.”

“In implementing the Decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan from February 7, 1992, ‘On Updating the Organization and Activities of the State Management Bodies of the Republic of Kazakhstan under Conditions of Economic Reform’, in particular the formation of the Ministry of Ecology and Bioresources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Kazakhstan has decided:

1. To establish that the Ministry of Ecology and Bioresources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, having legal successors in the State Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Ecology and Nature Use and the Forestry Ministry of the Republic of Kazakhstan, has the authority and exercises the function of an oversight management and control body in the sphere of protecting the natural environment on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The decision of the Ministry of Ecology and Bioresources of the Republic of Kazakhstan and its local bodies, adopted under its competency, is required for implementation by all ministries, departments, institutions, enterprises and organizations, regardless of the form of ownership and departmental affiliation, and by citizens.”

1997
Decree from the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan from October 10, 1997, No.3655 “On Measures to Further Increase the Effectiveness of State Management in the Republic of Kazakhstan.”

This decree mandated the formation of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, transferring to this Ministry the authority to manage the property and matters previously the responsibility of the abolished Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

1999
Decree of the President of Kazakhstan dated on January 22, 1999, No.6 “About structure of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan” the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan was founded with the functions in the sphere of forestry, fishery and hunting industries, and water resources, excluding functions of melioration, irrigation, and drainage.

2002
Decree from the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan from August 28, 2002, No.931 “On Measures to Further Improve the State Management System of the Republic of Kazakhstan.”

This decree mandated the reorganization of the “Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Ministry of Environmental Protection by way of transferring to the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan its functions and authority in the field of managing water, forest, fishing and hunting resources.”

2007
The Environmental Code is passed. As a result, some of the powers of the Ministry of Environmental Protection are redistributed to local authorities. In particular, the right to perform state environmental assessments for a variety of enterprises was redistributed to local authorities.

By the Decree of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated December 8, 2007, No.1201 “Questions of the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan,” the territorial organs of the Ministry of Environmental Protection were reorganized. They were merged.
The Nature Protection Control Committee of the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan was reorganized into the Committee of Environmental Regulation and Control.

The territorial bodies of the Ministry of Environmental Protection were reorganized into the territorial bodies of the Committee of Environmental Regulation and Control of the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

2013
In accordance with the Decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 466 dated on January 16, 2013, “About further improvement of the system of the state regulation of the Republic of Kazakhstan,” the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan receives functions and authorities on implementation and control over the state policy of “green economy” development with giving it functions and authorities in the area of:

Protection and control over efficient utilization of natural resources, development of a state policy in water resources management, and also functions and authorities in water resources management and fisheries development, excluding the matters related to melioration; questions of solid waste management; development of a state policy in the sphere of development of renewable sources of energy.

Decree of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan No.172 dated on February 25, 2013, adopted a new provision about the ministry which gives it an authority over the Forestry and Game Committee, Fish Industry Committee, Water Resources Committee (all of which used to be under jurisdiction of the Ministry of Agriculture).

In accordance with the Decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan No.677 dated on October 29, 2013, “About further improvement of the system of the state regulation of the Republic of Kazakhstan,” the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan is re-organized into the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Decree of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan No.1413 dated on December 27, 2013, “About some questions of the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan” renamed committees, departments, and organizations within the jurisdiction of the ministry.

2014
August 6, 2014, Decree of the President “About reformation of the system of the state government of the Republic of Kazakhstan” eliminated the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources. Its functions were partially given to the Ministry of Energy, partially, to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Translated by Sofya Tairova.