Dossayev’s tenure as Almaty mayor has earned him many enemies, he says

Yerbolat Dossayev has made numerous adversaries as akim (mayor) of Almaty, largely due to his decision to impose a ban on construction in the city’s mountainous areas. He addressed the issue during a meeting with Almaty residents, emphasizing that some developers continue to exploit legal loopholes to move forward with their projects.

«It is impossible to impose a moratorium on apartment complex construction in a specific district by law. But we regulate these issues. You wouldn’t believe how many projects have been denied approval in recent years. I already have many enemies in the city because I do not allow construction in the mountain foothills,» Dossayev said.

He noted that despite the ban, some developers still find legal workarounds that allow them to build low-rise residential complexes on land designated exclusively for single-family homes.

«We have submitted proposals to strengthen the legislation and, on our part, have tightened development regulations. These rules now prohibit slope cutting and construction in the mountain foothill zone, including areas with slopes steeper than 15 degrees,» he added.

Last August, media reports indicated that Almaty would develop a landslide risk map for the Ulken Almaty, Kishi Almaty, Kargaly and Aksai rivers. As a preventive measure against unregulated development in the foothills, the city administration will use this map to guide construction in mudflow-prone zones.

In February 2024, a landslide struck residential buildings in Almaty’s Medeu district, damaging two homes in its path. Rescuers searched for those trapped under the mudflow and later recovered the bodies of four victims — a family of two adults and two teenagers.