COMPENSATION FOR DAMAGE CAUSED TO WATER RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND ITS APPLICATION IN KAZAKHSTAN

The article presents a comprehensive study of environmental courts and tribunals as specialized judicial bodies designed to ensure the effective resolution of environmental disputes. The authors examine international experience in establishing and functioning environmental courts and tribunals (ECT) in more than ten countries, including India, Australia, New Zealand, China, the United States, and Brazil, drawing on UNEP program documents, systematic reviews of scientific literature, and research by leading scholars in environmental studies.

The purpose of the article is to conduct a comparative legal analysis of environmental court and tribunal models, identify their key characteristics, and assess the prospects for establishing similar specialized institutions in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The study examines the organizational and legal features of ECTs, criteria for their effective functioning, access to scientific and technical expertise, and the efficiency of environmental dispute resolution. Particular attention is paid to the National Green Tribunal of India, the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales in Australia, and specialized environmental courts in China.

The findings demonstrate that specialized environmental courts can improve the quality of environmental justice and provide effective mechanisms for compensating environmental damage in administrative and criminal proceedings. They also facilitate public access to justice, strengthen protection of environmental rights, and contribute to the rule of law, particularly given that the right to a favorable environment is enshrined in Article 31(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Based on the comparative analysis, the authors develop recommendations for establishing environmental courts in Kazakhstan, taking into account the national legal system, regional environmental conditions, and international best practices. The study has theoretical and practical significance for environmental law specialists, natural resource managers, and public authorities responsible for environmental and water policy.

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