Kazakhstan

International seminar and annual coordination meeting, devoted to the SPARE development in Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia took place 27-29 of May in Ukraine. Participants discussed development of educational materials for schoolchildren, domestic practical project on renewable energy and energy efficiency, NGO capacity building and involvement to national energy policy.

SPARE-Kazakhstan holds a number of «Energy workshops» in kindergartens and schools for disable children in Karaganda region. The main topic of these events is energy saving and alternative energy sources. On January 16 such a workshop took place at the orphanage in Novodolinskiy village. Members of «EcoObraz» NGO and volunteers of «AGE» training center shared their skills and experiences.

From September 27 to October the Sixth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development of Asia Pacific region (MCED) took place at the Palace of Independence in Astana (Kazashtan). This event is held every five years since 1985. Today MCED recognized internationally as unique platform for exchanging views and experiences between politicians, academic and business communities, civil society across the region. Assimilating of best practices and scientific knowledge, political decision making are only few actions committed within the framework of the Conference, which help to provide real answers to the questions posed by environmental problems and sustainable development in the region.

Since late July to early September Center EcoObraz (SPARE Coordinator in Kazakhstan) held master classes for the assembly of solar barrels and solar cookers in the educational and health-improving institutions of Karaganda region.

The program of SPARE-Kazakhstan was presented at the organized by the global climate movement 350 in Turkey.

From July 25 to 30 the regular Central Asian conference on energy efficiency and mitigation of global climate change within the International School Project on Application of Resources and Energy (SPARE) took place near the city of Karaganda (Kazakhstan). The conference was organized by the NGO "Ekoobraz" supported by the Norwegian Society for the Conservation of Nature.

On May 28th to 31st an international semonar on the development of the SPARE project took place in Minsk. An important theme of the workshop was the integration of SPARE project into the state education systems in the participants’ countries, as well as practical solutions for energy saving. Participants visited a straw house and a multistory house that was built with energy-saving technologies and was recommended as a model for construction in Belarus.

On January 15, 2010 energy saving events have been held at school 16, Temirtau city (Karaganda region, Kazakhstan). Participants of the brigade have installed heat-reflecting panels behind the heaters and heat insulation material at the front door. Not only they have taken care of their own school, but of their neighbor school either. The correctional boarding school for mental disorders.

On February 16 a very unusual lesson has been held at boarding-school #2, Karaganda. The lesson has been organized by “220 volt” company in partnership with “EcoObraz” NGO.

Norges Naturvernforbund/Friends of the Earth Norway has for several years cooperated with NGO partners in EECCA region on education, practical projects and policy development around energy and climate issues. We have now got the possibility to invite most of our NGO cooperation partners to Oslo, and on the 3rd of June we use the opportunity to arrange a conference on energy and climate in the Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA-region).

In December 2008 nine schools from Karaganda region have installed heat-reflecting panels behind the heaters. It has been a piece of polyethylene about 3 mm in width with thin foil layer. The installation process is very simple: you need to fix it with double-side scotch tape at the wall behind the heater so that the foil side of the panel is directed to the room. At the end of heating season the panel can be removed and used again at the next year.

SPARE coordinators from 11 countries have in the end of April been gathered for international SPARE meeting in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. The coordinators have been discussing results and development of educational and practical energy activities. The activity of SPARE is higher than ever, with 3 000 schools and 150 000 pupils participating in the project during the educational year 2007-2008.