Assessment of recreation capacity of Zhongar - Alatau national park in Kazakhstan

Introduction. In Kazakhstan there is no unified methodology for quantitative assessment of the carrying capacity of national parks and protected areas. Despite the fact that each park has a long - term management plan that defines the conditions of access, protection, development and management, these plans are practically not used and function only as inventory tools when necessary. In this situation, there is a need for more accurate methods for assessing the ecological capacity of national parks. This work is aimed at studying and applying existing methodologies for assessing recreational carrying capacity using the example of the Zhongar-Alatau National Park. The purpose of the study is to develop practical recommendations for determining the permissible load on the park’s ecosystem and tourism management, taking into account the conservation of natural resources and biological diversity. Methods. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of existing approaches to assessing the ecological capacity of tourist areas. The authors seek not only to summarize the available knowledge, but also to develop, on the basis of this analysis, universal algorithms that will allow determining the ecological capacity of various tourist zones, including mountainous areas. This task is relevant due to the growing popularity of tourism and the need to manage environmental loads on natural areas. The maximum allowable recreational load (MARL) on natural complexes is usually calculated based on the principle of zoning of the territory. Results. Zhongar-Alatau National Park attracts one million tourists annually, which puts pressure on the park’s ecosystem. While the park’s physical carrying capacity may seem like a solution to tourism management, determining the desired load level and the relationship between visitor numbers and environmental impacts remains difficult. As a result of the popularity of campsites and hiking trails, the park suffers from unauthorized activities by tourist groups and inadequate waste management. Conclusions. The article proposes an algorithm for determining the ecological capacity of specially protected natural areas and mountainous regions attractive for tourism. The algorithm takes into account environmental risks (fire, erosion, geological processes) and the potential for ecosystem restoration (urbanization, agricultural land, forest areas). The methodology is being tested using the example of the Zhongar-Alatau National Park.