Partly due to intensive urban development, the temperature of surface soil in Astana can reach a stifling 65–70°C in the summer.
Green spaces cool and clean the air, capture carbon dioxide, are home to wildlife and have positive effects on mental health. To capture these benefits, Astana plans to see 52% of its land area flourish with green cover by 2030.
Astana’s eco-city plan will see green 'corridors' link forest belts in the suburbs with parks outside the city, for a combined ecosystem planned to cover 1,490 hectares.
As a result of this and together with other environmental measures, Astana aims to have a higher proportion of green land compared to city area than Berlin, Moscow or Stockholm!
If this interests you, find out more on p. 35, 206, and 207 in the sixth Global Environment Outlook report for the pan-European region.
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