Kazakhstan launches major East-West highway project with safeguards for saiga antelope migrationKazakhstan has begun construction on an 865-kilometer Central-West highway corridor designed to minimize disruption to the migration routes of endangered saiga antelopes, the government press service announced Friday."The project, launched simultaneously in Arkalyk city and Torgay village in the Kostanay region, will connect Astana to Irgiz via Zhanteke, Yegindikol, Arkalyk and Torgay," the statement reads.Once completed, the route will reduce travel distance between the capital and Irgiz by 573 km while providing direct access to the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) linking China to Europe."Special attention has been given to environmental considerations during construction," the statement emphasized. "In saiga antelope migration zones, the road's cross-section profile will be modified to minimize barrier effects and ensure safe passage for the animals."The two-lane, 8-meter-wide highway will serve 13 communities with a combined population of 70,000 and handle an estimated 3,000 vehicles daily.President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev ordered the project in March, calling it a catalyst for development in the Turgay region. However, conservationists warn the corridor could fragment critical habitat for the critically endangered saiga, whose populations have rebounded in recent years after near-extinction."The highway may permanently exclude saigas from areas north of the route, confining them to habitats with inadequate grazing resources and negatively impacting reproduction," cautioned the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan.The TITR corridor traverses China, Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia and onward to Turkey and European markets. (ICE ALMATY)

Fonte notizia: INTERFAX