Woodworking—Central Asia
A significant sector of the economies of Central Asian countries, woodworking produces a variety of products, the most important of which are round logs, lumber, wood-based panels, paper and paperboard, wood pulp, and furniture.
Forest and other wooded land in Central Asia account for 5 percent of the total land area, and constitutes less than 1 percent of the world's forest cover. Turkmenistan has the highest percentage of forest cover (8.0 percent) while Tajikistan has the lowest percentage (2.8 percent); all of the latter's forests are classified as not available for wood supply. To a great extent the demand for forest products in Central Asia is met by imports, mainly from the Russian Federation.
Kazakhstan has the biggest woodworking establishments and accounts for most of the region's production. The forest and woodworking industry plays a significant role in its industrial complex, especially in East Kazakhstan, which is rich in forests. Most of the country's woodworking plants are concentrated in the north and northeast, in Semey, Astana, Petropavl, and Aktobe; a big furniture factory is located in UstKamenogorsk. In south central Kazakhstan, the most important woodworking centers are Chymkent, Almaty, and Zhambyl. In the other Central Asian countries the most important woodworking centers are Ashkhabad, Mary, and Sarakhs in Turkmenistan; Tashkent, Kokand, Andizan, Bukhara, Samarkand, and Karshi in Uzbekistan; Bishkek, Naryn, and Osh in Kyrgyzstan; and Namangan and Dushanbe in Tajikistan.
Forestry practice in Central Asia has remained relatively small-scale and less technologically advanced than in Western Europe. This has been highly beneficial in preserving species diversity. At the same time, most of the indigenous forests in Central Asia disappeared long ago as a result of human activities. The process began during the early Middle Ages in connection with the mining industry and has continued until the present. The effects of deforestation are apparent in the intensification of erosion, higher incidence of avalanches, more arid conditions, air pollution by dust, and melting of the glaciers. In some parts of the Central Asian region, rural poverty causes wood to be used as a primary source of energy, which leads to local deforestation.
Further Reading
Alibekov, L. A. (1990) "Deforestation of the Mountains of Central Asia and the Problem of Agriculture and Forest Amelioration." Vestnik. Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seriya Geografiya 4: 53–57.
Kaser, Michael. (1997) The Economies of Kazakstan and Uzbekistan. Former Soviet South Project Paper. London: Royal Institute of International Affairs.
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