This chapter is focused on international environmental law in Central Asia. It examines the current state of international environmental law in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, and focuses on problems of its implementation as well as its limitations in these countries. Although the Central Asian states have ratified major international environmental agreements, they often prioritize economic interests over environmental problems and do not provide for the adequate implementation of these agreements at the national level. There is also a problem of a lack of effective cooperation with respect to addressing environmental problems at the regional level. This chapter concentrates on three major cases illustrating the problems with the implementation of international environmental law in Central Asia. It first discusses the issues related to the Western Tien Shan and the UNESCO World and Natural Heritage Lists. It then focuses on the problem of the Aral Sea and the case of the Taldykol lakes in Kazakhstan. While the problem of the Aral Sea dates back to the Soviet Union, the case involving the Taldykol lakes is recent, with the local administration deciding to drain part of the rich, biodiverse system for residential buildings. Cases like these, in which countries demonstrate a lack of true commitment to preserving the natural environment, illustrate the significant problems with the implementation of international environmental law in Central Asia. This chapter advances proposals for solving the above-mentioned environmental protection problems in Central Asia.

错误:搜索内容不能为空,请输入英文关键词
错误:关键词超出字数限制,请精简
高级检索

International Environmental Law in Central Asia: Implementation Challenges and Limitations

  • Kamila Mateeva,
  • Kanykei Kasybekova,
  • Begaiym Esenkulova

摘要

This chapter is focused on international environmental law in Central Asia. It examines the current state of international environmental law in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, and focuses on problems of its implementation as well as its limitations in these countries. Although the Central Asian states have ratified major international environmental agreements, they often prioritize economic interests over environmental problems and do not provide for the adequate implementation of these agreements at the national level. There is also a problem of a lack of effective cooperation with respect to addressing environmental problems at the regional level. This chapter concentrates on three major cases illustrating the problems with the implementation of international environmental law in Central Asia. It first discusses the issues related to the Western Tien Shan and the UNESCO World and Natural Heritage Lists. It then focuses on the problem of the Aral Sea and the case of the Taldykol lakes in Kazakhstan. While the problem of the Aral Sea dates back to the Soviet Union, the case involving the Taldykol lakes is recent, with the local administration deciding to drain part of the rich, biodiverse system for residential buildings. Cases like these, in which countries demonstrate a lack of true commitment to preserving the natural environment, illustrate the significant problems with the implementation of international environmental law in Central Asia. This chapter advances proposals for solving the above-mentioned environmental protection problems in Central Asia.