OSCE Centre promotes public participation in environmental governance in Kazakhstan

ATYRAU, Kazakhstan, 4 April 2012 – Promoting the Aarhus Convention with a special focus on public participation in water and environmental programmes in western Kazakhstan was the topic of a roundtable discussion held in Atyrau today.
The event was organized by the Atyrau regional administration and the Zhaik-Caspian Aarhus Centre with the support of the OSCE Centre in Astana.

More than 40 parliamentarians, judges, government officials and civil society organizations from the Caspian Sea region discussed ways for the public to be involved in environmental governance, in particular in the rehabilitation and expansion of water supply and sewage systems under the Ak-Bulak National Water Programme.

The participants shared best practices and discussed obstacles to effective public participation, and exchanged ideas about how to implement the Aarhus Convention in the Caspian Sea region. The Aarhus Centre will share the participants’ recommendations with the regional administration and the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

“The Aarhus Convention provides a comprehensive instrument for the government and civil society to move toward a greener economy, and promote sustainable development and environmental security. Public participation in environmental matters and access to information are an essential part of transparent and accountable environmental governance,” said Jeannette Kloetzer, the Deputy Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana.

Yerbol Kuanov, the Head of the Natural Resources Management and Environmental Control Department of the Atyrau region, added: “Today’s event provides a good platform to discuss practical tools to improve public participation in environmental decision-making. We attach particular importance to the role of the Aarhus Centre in promoting public participation along with access to justice and environmental information – key pillars of the Aarhus Convention.”

The Zhaik-Caspian Aarhus Centre was established in 2009 by the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Kazakhstan, the Atyrau Local Administration, the OSCE Centre in Astana and the Environmental Forum of Non-governmental Organizations to strengthen environmental security in the Caspian Sea region by promoting the Aarhus Convention and facilitating dialogue between all stakeholders.