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Aral Oasis: how Qazaq Carbon creates an institutional foundation and social base for carbon projects in the Aral Sea

The success of the AFOLU carbon project depends not only on the number of trees planted, but also on the support of local communities. Qazaq Carbon, in partnership with the Freedom Shapagat corporate foundation and with the support of GEF UNDP, implemented a large-scale institutional development and training program in the Aral region in 2024-2025. Let's look at how the reorganization of the Aral Oasis Public Fund and the 100 micro-nurseries project create a solid social base for our large-scale climate initiatives in the Aral Sea.

1. Institutional shift: from the foundation to Aral Oasis

To implement large-scale NbS projects (Nature-Based Solutions) in the Aral Sea, Qazaq Carbon initiated a rebranding and deep reorganization of the local Public Fund in 2024. As a result, a specialized organization was created to work with local communities and coordinate field work -«Aral Oasis».

“We understood that without a strong local partner who speaks the same language as farmers and coordinates local activities, a large-scale project is impossible. The reorganization of the fund into "Aral Oasis" allowed us to obtain a professional tool for interaction with the communities of the Kyzylorda region."

2. Partnership with Freedom Shapagat: office and training funding

Creating an organization is the first step. To ensure its effective operation, it was necessary to attract stable funding for operating expenses.

Qazaq Carbon managed to achieve a strategic partnership with a corporate fundFreedom Shapagat. This partnership provided funding for:

  • Organization of work of the Aral Oasis office:Technical equipment, transport and operating costs.
  • Training and education programs:Training of local specialists and farmers on international standards of forest reclamation and carbon monitoring (MRV).

3. Project “100 micro-nurseries”: co-financing GEF UNDP

One of the key areas of work for Aral Oasis was the launch of the project"100 micro-nurseries". This project is aimed at creating a local base of halophyte seedlings (saxaul, etc.) and involving local residents in forest reclamation.

An important confirmation of the significance of this project was the receipt of co-financing from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the UN Development Program (UNDP).

This partnership provides:

  • Localization of seedling production:Reducing logistics risks and creating local jobs.
  • Farmer training and certification:According to standards that meet the requirements of international carbon certifiers (Verra/Gold Standard).

4. Technological MRV and CCP criteria (Safeguards)

For Qazaq Carbon as a developer, working with Aral Oasis is not just a social initiative. This is the key to creating a premium carbon asset. ICVCM's CCP (Core Carbon Principles) criteria require strict adherence to social guarantees and the FPIC (Free, Prior and Informed Consent) principle of local residents.

Having a strong local partner in Aral Oasis, trained to Tier 3 MRV standards and supported by global institutions, allows us to:

Guarantee the legitimacy of the project:

Through transparent profit distribution and community involvement.

Reduce Permanence Risks:

Since local residents are directly interested in the preservation of forest plantations.

Ensure high prices for loans:

Due to confirmed CCP compatibility (Safeguards).


Results

The creation of Aral Oasis, the partnership with Freedom Shapagat and the co-financing of the GEF UNDP is a fundamental shift in the architecture of our projects. We are building not just forest plantations, but a working ecosystem of trust, capital and technology. Qazaq Carbon projects in the Aral region have strong support among local communities represented by Aral Oasis and other non-profit organizations in the Kyzylorda region.