Event Summary
At the end of January 2026, the Ministry of Tourism and Sport of the Republic of Kazakhstan announced to hold public hearings on the construction of a large-scale ski resort in the Kok-Zhailau ravine in Ile-Alatau National Park, near Almaty. The hearings are scheduled for April 2026 and follow repeated conflict between developers and environmentalists about the project. Although President Tokayev had banned construction in 2019 after public protests, the project reemerged in 2025 under a new name—the Almaty Mountain Cluster (“Almaty SuperSki”). In September 2025, an updated master plan was approved, proposing to develop 1,000 hectares of the park, build 60 km of ski slopes, and add commercial facilities, with projected annual revenues of $1 billion.
Civil society has strongly opposed the plan, citing a lack of transparency and public exclusion from decision-making. Scientists and activists warn of irreversible environmental damage: destruction of habitats for Red Book species like the snow leopard and Tien Shan bear, and loss of unique Sievers apple forests—the genetic ancestor of almost all domesticated apples. Critical risks include threats to Almaty’s water supply, as river water would be diverted for snowmaking, worsening air quality, and increased social inequality, as an elite resort would exclude most citizens.
In order to protect the Kok-Zhailau mountains and ensure and inclusive and participatory process that responds to citizens’ needs and concerns, civil society should come together, document procedural violations to challenge illegal decisions on budget and land use, and leverage international support through the Kazakhstan-EU human rights dialogue as well as through alternative assessment of the project’s expected impact by international experts. An independent review of the project through a Strategic Environmental Assessment is needed to ensure transparency in the planning and implementation of the project. In this regard, the public hearings in April 2026 will be an important test of the authorities’ and business’ willingness to engage with citizens and civil society in an inclusive and participatory manner.