Reports from the Field (Part 4): Analysing biodiversity expenditures in Kazakhstan

Ainur Shalakhanova is an expert on budget planning for BIOFIN in Kazakhstan. In this report, Ainur shares with us some of her findings from the Biodiversity Expenditure Review.  

What are the main sources of funding for biodiversity in Kazakhstan? 
The main source of funding for biodiversity come from the state budget. Public sector funding covers around 87% of all funding; while the remaining 13% is scattered among different sources such as international donors, revenue from environmental institutions and industrial companies committed to funding biodiversity conservation in the country.

How can the findings of the Biodiversity Expenditure Review benefit Kazakhstan?
A comprehensive analysis of biodiversity finance has yet to be conducted in Kazakhstan. The biodiversity expenditure review will capture a holistic picture of the trends in biodiversity financing. One initial finding was that while significant resources have been invested in environmental protection activities, the majority of these activities have only an indirect relationship to biodiversity conservation. The study therefore has revealed that primary investments in biodiversity remain limited. 

What challenges did you face during the development of the Biodiversity Expenditure Review?
The limited availability of historical data was a major challenge for us. In addition, the process of obtaining the data was rather lengthy. Another challenge was obtaining information from the private sector, especially from some non-commercial organizations, since organizational policies often prohibit the disclosure of confidential information. Publically available databases and meetings with various ministries were used to collect the majority of the expenditure data. Meetings with representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Energy and the Committee of Forestry and Wildlife were especially valuable. As a result of all these efforts, the forthcoming Biodiversity Expenditure Review will paint a full picture of the sources of finance affecting biodiversity in Kazakhstan.