Saty settlement was chosen for the project implementation due to several reasons. First of all, it is located in the buffer zone to the Ile-Alatau National park, 270 km from Almaty on the way where the important tourist routes Almaty ? Kolsay lakes system ?Issyk-kul are situated. Nevertheless, local residents are not involved into tourist sphere. Thousand of tourists annually pass through Saty, but neither the local state budget nor local community members get any incomes.

Secondly, though the population of Saty is 1500 people, only 70 people are employed. The main source of incomes is farming, gardening and vegetable growing. Social and economic intensity leads to irrational use of biological resources of the area. Despite of interdiction for felling, local people continue cut down trees. New sustainable livelihood alternative will allow prevent destruction of the natural resources of the area.

Thirdly, a big stream of tourists reserves the littered territories. In the future the volume of the waste and the littered grounds will increase. One of the reasons is high prices policy of the monopolist company "Zhybek-Zholy?, which will affect increasing amateur tourism which is the most adverse for the environment. Considering this, and also that fact, that in 2006 the territory of the Kolsay lakes system is planned to be given the status of the national park, it is necessary to note that development of ecological tourism is an integral part of sustainable development of the area.

The strategic goal of the project is decreasing local community dependence on natural resources and threats for biodiversity through socio- economic development by means of ecological tourism in Saty settlement and territories round.

The goals of the project are (i) Involving of Saty local population into ecotourism activity by escalating and strengthening of its potential; (ii) ecological education and raising awareness of the local community about biodiversity of the area by means of organization of ecological rounds; (iii) demonstration of potential opportunities of ecological tourism as a form of sustainable use of biodiversity.

The Goal #1 includes several tasks and activities.
1.1. Development and approbation of the training program for the local community members to further involve them into tourist activities
1.2. Formation and strengthening of existing tourism infrastructure to allow local people render tourists a full complex of services (accommodation, meals, etc.)
1.3 Creation of the Public Council which will be engaged in planning, organization, motivation and control over the ecotourism activities.

The Goal #2 includes several tasks and activities.
2.1. Development of ecological descriptiveness of the ecotourist routes.
2.2. Promotion of the ecological tourist product on the basis of the Saty local community

The Goal #3 includes several tasks and activities.
3.1. Information of the interested parties by means of information - communication technologies.
3.2. Publication and distribution of the printed information materials
3.3. Close work with mass-media