Almaty, 10 August 2011. The EDB environmental patrol starts today. In the early morning, four buses departed from the Bank’s headquarters to Tamgaly Tas at the Ili River to clean this natural and archaeological site from garbage. The purpose of this initiative is to foster the development of environmental culture in the society, make people understand their responsibility for the environment, and protect the unique nature of the EDB member states. The initiative’s motto is Clean up after Yourself.
Preliminarily, the initiative was planned to take place at Kapchagay Reservoir, but after final discussions with local authorities the place was changed.
In recent years, Tamgaly Tas (translated as “inscribed stones”) has become very popular with residents of, and visitors to, Almaty. They are attracted by numerous petroglyphs of Buddha, magnificent river scenery, and rock climbing, rafting and leisure opportunities. Unfortunately, this popularity has resulted in that this site is now filled with garbage. Bottles, cans, paper and other waste scattered over the site have become yet another “sightseeing attraction” along with the famous petroglyphs of deities that date back to the early Middle Ages.
The patrol included the EDB’s employees and management, and representatives of Kazakhstan’s media and the Kapchagay Akimat. Igor Finogenov, Chairman of the EDB Executive Board, also took part in the initiative. “I am pleased that the Bank has initiated this idea. We hope very much that our environmental patrol will draw people’s attention, waken their love and respect for their land, and improve their attitude to nature,” said Igor Finogenov.
The EDB plans to arrange similar initiatives in all its member states: Russia, Belarus, Armenia, and Tajikistan.
