Svetlana Anosova

Svetlana Anosova is the leader of the Berezovka Initiative Group, a community organization in western Kazakhstan that is fighting for compensation and relocation for its village to a safe and environmentally clean location. Berezovka is located five kilometers from Karachaganak, a 280 square kilometer oil and gas field operated by an international oil consortium. In 2002, the World Bank Group's private funding arm, the International Finance Corporation, provided Lukoil with loans totaling $150 million for development of Karachaganak. The field has violated Kazakhstan’s environmental laws for toxic emissions control for the past 4 years, spewing hundreds of thousands of tons of toxic emissions into the air during that time.

A dynamic music teacher, community leader, mother and grandmother, Svetlana has worked steadily for the past five years--in spite of harassment and intimidation--for justice in her community, including monitoring the health and environmental problems caused by Karachaganak.

KARACHAGANAK OIL& GAS FIELD

Oil extraction in the Caspian region presents extreme risks for the environment and health of the hundreds of thousands of people living in the region. Kazakh oil in Northern Caspian contains very high percentages of sulphates – around 18% - and other toxic elements like mercaptans. The International Financial Cooperation (IFC) - part of the World Bank Group - has been financing several infrastructural projects for the oil industry in the area. The Berezovka Initiative group was formed by the citizens of the Berezovka village, located at 5 km from the IFC financed Karachaganak Oil and Gas Condensate Field. Suffering from severe environmental degradation and chronic illnesses due to emissions of the Karachaganak field, the villagers are asking for relocation to a safe and healthy location and compensation for their suffering.