Kazakhstan's 16,000-Hectare Ecotourism Project Revived After Legal Victory
16,000 Hectares Preserved in Akmola Region for International Ecotourism Project
Authorities in Kazakhstan's Akmola Region have successfully retained 16,000 hectares of land designated for an international ecotourism initiative, according to the Investor Rights Protection Committee under the Prosecutor General's Office of Kazakhstan.
As part of the project, bison have already been introduced to the region, with plans to restore the endangered Przewalski's horse population—listed in the Red Book of threatened species—and to develop selective horse breeding.
Earlier, the regional Department of Land Resource Management had filed a lawsuit to seize the land, citing its alleged failure to be used for its intended purpose. A lower court initially ruled in favor of the claim.
However, oversight authorities later determined that the identified violations were procedural in nature and could have been resolved without such drastic measures. Invoking the principle of proportionality, the Prosecutor General's Office sided with the investor. Following the agency's intervention, the department withdrew its demands, and an appellate panel overturned the lower court's decision.
As a result, the investor can now continue implementing the project, which will not only preserve the land but also stimulate regional development.
The committee urges investors facing administrative obstacles or rights violations to contact the 115 hotline without delay.
