Candidate of Geographic Sciences, coordinator of projects performed by UNDP/GEF and the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan Aleksandr Belyi (Astana) visited S. Toraighyrov Pavlodar State University.

Aleksandr Belyi presented a video lecture on Global Climate Change: Current Understanding of the Processes and Consequences.

The lecture was attended by undergraduate and graduate students and academic staff members of the Department of Geography and Tourism of S. Toraighyrov PSU.

The lector told about 4 aspects of the climate change problem: economic, environmental, social and political.

The presentation was based on up-to-date material from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), KazHydroMet, National Communication to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and RosHydroMet. The reasons for the observed changes in climate were explained. The lecturer presented the results of evaluation of temporal changes in air temperature and precipitation for the period from 1941 to 2011 in Kazakhstan and forecast of changes in climatic data for 2016-2045, 2036-2065, and 2071-2099.

There was a presentation of materials for a pilot project in “green economy” - in an apartment building in Almaty (Testing the “Making All Settlements through the Cooperative of Apartment Owners” project), the building of School 9 and Ainur CAO (Astana). The project results show significant savings in payment for the consumed thermal energy, heating and hot water, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

'We already have enough knowledge to take more active preventive measures that coincide with national development priorities. However, it's not enough to put reduction of emissions before the objectives of socio-economic development of the country,’ said Aleksandr Belyi in the final part of the lecture.