START OF ACTIVITIES ON RECREATIONAL LOAD EVALUATION ON TWO NATURE TRAILS IN THE ILE-ALATAU AND "KOLSAI KOLDERI" NATIONAL PARKS
SEPTEMBER 2014

In the fall of 2014 “Avalon” PF with assistance of the Kazakhstani and German volunteers started to evaluate recreational load on two nature trails in the Ile-Alatau and “Kolsai kolderi” National Parks in the framework of the project “Biodiversity protection in the transboundary region “Northern Tien Shan mountains”.  Evaluation procedures have been taking place on the nature trail leading to the Kayrak Waterfalls, as well as on the nature trail linking the Lower and Middle Kolsai lakes. The volunteers have been engaged in calculating the overall number of tourists, considering gender and age categories, group size, means of transportation as well as weather conditions.

These activities are carried out within the approbation of “Methods of evaluation of the acceptable tourism carrying capacity and recreational loads on specially protected natural areas (SPNA)”, drawn up by Centre for Remote Sensing and GIS “Terra” for their possible implementation and application in all SPNAs of Kazakhstan in future.

The project is implemented by Nature and biodiversity conservation union of Germany (NABU), “Avalon” PF and Association for the conservation of biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK) with the financial support of Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany (BMZ).