He noted that one of the objectives is to transform Almaty into a garden city. This year, as part of this initiative, nearly 643,000 seedlings have been planted. However, the most crucial aspect, according to him, is the changes in the rules for the care and planting of green spaces.
One of the key innovations is the requirement for the sizes of seedlings. From now on, small trees will not be planted in the city. The minimum height of seedlings must be between 2 to 2.5 meters. In 2025, the city plans to start an experiment with planting large-sized trees, ranging from 4 to 6 meters in height — this is expected to ensure higher survival rates for the plants and accelerate the creation of a comfortable urban environment.
The irrigation requirements have also changed: now, when planting trees, automatic watering or drip irrigation must be included. Over the past two years, nearly 500 km of irrigation networks have been constructed in Almaty, and another 290 km is planned for construction in 2025. This will ensure continuous watering for trees in public areas and enhance their survival rates.
If previously, in 2023, the standards for tree care were less stringent, resulting in nearly 30% of seedlings failing, in 2024 this figure has been reduced to 10%. Next year, there are plans to bring it down to 7-5%.
An important innovation has also been the introduction of a three-year guarantee for the care of seedlings. Companies that plant trees are now required to provide care for them during this period. In the event of a seedling's death, they must replace it. This decision has helped eliminate fly-by-night companies that previously planted trees and then left them without proper care. Now, after planting, the trees will be maintained until they reach the necessary level, and only then will they be handed over to the city as part of the green fund.