Alakol's tourism industry and environmental challenges

Abstract

This research analyzes the ecological state of Lake Alakol and its surrounding environment, with a focus on the resort and tourism cluster. It examines the adjacent Abai and Zhetysui regions, where the Alakol resort, tourist cluster, and nature reserve are located. The study specifically investigates the influence of anthropogenic factors on the ecology of Lake Alakol. The development of the resort and tourism cluster, progressing within the framework of a specially adopted state program in Kazakhstan, represents an important direction but has also intensified anthropogenic environmental issues. Currently, there is dynamic growth in resort tourism facilities, yet this growth is accompanied by violations of state environmental legislation. This article addresses the environmental problems of Alakol, which are partly linked to its natural climatic conditions, such as extreme temperature variations between hot summers and cold winters, when large ice floes damage the lake's shorelines. A critical issue is the pollution of Lake Alakol, driven by human activity and various unresolved social and communal challenges.