THE IMPACT OF AVALANCHE HAZARD ON RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES IN THE ILE ALATAU, KAZAKHSTAN

The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of avalanche hazards on recreational activities in the Ile Alatau Mountains. The study utilizes data on avalanches and the resulting damage from 1950 to 2025, collected by snow-avalanche stations of Hydro-meteo Service (Kazhydromet), the Institute of Geography and Water Security, and the Kazakhstan Mudflow Protection Service (Kazselezashchita). The Ile Alatau Mountains, part of the Northern Tien Shan, are characterized by high avalanche hazard and a significant level of recreational development. This results in casualties among tourists, destruction of tourist infrastructure, road blockages, and downtime of recreational facilities. Indicators of avalanche activity exhibit high interannual variability and a strongly positive skew. In the 270 km² study area, 50 to 220 avalanches occur annually. The average avalanche volume is 15,000 m³, while the maximum volume reaches 350,000 m³. Total annual avalanche volumes range from 30,000 to 1,500,000 m³. During the observation period, 97 avalanche incidents involving people were recorded, affecting 169 individuals, with 74 fatalities. 90% of the victims were tourists, mountaineers, or skiers. The number of accidents is weakly correlated with overall avalanche activity. However, material damage to tourism infrastructure is more pronounced during winters with the highest avalanche activity, namely 1965/66, 1986/87, 2022/23, and 2023/24. Avalanche safety in recreational areas is ensured through avalanche monitoring and warnings, preventive avalanche release, and to a limited extent, protective structures.