Bulat Utemuratov Almatynians and guests of the city will soon be able to see the renovated republican botanical garden. The need for its modernization is long overdue – for over 60 years there have been no significant changes in the reserve.
The Botanical Garden needs global modernization, and the expected updates relate not only to plant collections and the introduction of modern green technologies. The reserve should be made more comfortable both for caring for plants, and for visitors. The problem is that the government-provided funding covers only current expenses for the maintenance of the Almaty Botanical Garden. It should be noted that it is one of five botanical gardens in Kazakhstan with the republican status.
The reconstruction was made possible thanks to the participation of sponsors. BulatUtemuratov, one of the biggest businessmen in Kazakhstan, offered his patronage. The foundation, created by him in 2014, proposed its first environmental project to the public. On the 28th of June, the concept of landscaping was presented for consideration of the Public Council, which was developed with the participation of experts in the field of botany and hydrogeology, as well as the best domestic and foreign landscape designers. The plans for the forthcoming reconstruction include the restoration of the irrigation system throughout the reserve, as well as the renovation of the 27-hectare public zone. Renovation, which includes the organization of automatic irrigation, the replacement of fencing, the construction of new input groups, the design of the level spaces, as well as the renovation of the destroyed garden paths are ready to be undertaken by the investment group Verny Capital.
In Utemuratov charity foundation they state: their main task is to preserve the integrity and identity of the protected nature reserve, making it as convenient and safe as possible. The final version of the reconstruction project, which is created taking into account the comments and wishes of experts from the Institute of Botany and KazNAU, will be ready by September 15. It is expected to be discussed and agreed upon at public hearings. According to preliminary calculations, the cost of reconstruction will be $15 million. The planned timeframe is September 2018 – December 2019. The Foundation emphasizes that the garden will retain the status of a specially protected area, after the works all objects will be donated to the city for management and maintenance.