“Green” development of New Uzbekistan and the fight against climate change

As a country with unique natural resources and rich cultural heritage, Uzbekistan is increasingly aware of the need for active action in the fight against climate change. The country is taking a number of measures and initiatives aimed at achieving sustainable and green development, which plays a key role in global efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Goals and objectives of the "Strategy of Uzbekistan-2030" in the field of green development

In September 2023, the country adopted the Strategy "Uzbekistan — 2030", which reflects 5 main ideas. One of them is dedicated to creating favorable environmental conditions for the population.

Among the priority objectives of the Strategy in the field of ecology:

– Expansion of the national project "Yashil Makon" ("Green Space") due to the annual planting of 200 million tree seedlings and bringing the level of landscaping of the republic to 30 percent;

– Expansion of the forest area by creating 26,200 hectares of protective forest cultivation, plantations of the forest fund in mountainous and foothill territories, and bringing the areas with forest plantations in the country to 6.1 million hectares, as well as increasing the harvesting of seeds of trees and shrubs by 840 tons;

– Stabilization of the ecological situation in the Aral Sea region by creating 600 thousand hectares of green areas on the bottom of the Aral Sea, thereby bringing them to 2.6 million hectares in the entire region (80% of the territory);

– Prevention of the negative impact of climate change by bringing the level of early warning of dangerous hydrometeorological phenomena to 100 percent, reclamation of 6,075 hectares of land degraded as a result of mining, as well as the creation of high-yielding varieties of crops, fruits, and grapes resistant to low water and drought;

– Ensuring the sustainable conservation of biodiversity through the annual bio-botanical inspection of plants of natural pastures and hayfields on 2 million hectares, as well as strengthening control over the illegal use of objects of the animal and plant world, increasing ecological culture and awareness of the population about biodiversity;

– Improving the quality of services for the collection and removal of solid household waste by bringing the share of incinerated waste to 35 percent and reducing landfills of household waste by at least 50 percent;

– Complete modernization of polluting technologies in economic entities belonging to the I and II categories of environmental impact, construction, and reconstruction of local drainage and treatment facilities at 249 industrial enterprises.

Development of the conceptual and regulatory framework in this direction

The Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan plays a central role in coordinating and implementing environmental projects and programs. The importance of strict compliance with established norms and rules is emphasized at every stage – from the development of legislative acts to their practical implementation on the ground.

Over the past year, the Government of the country has adopted more than 10 decrees and resolutions aimed at improving the ecological condition in the republic and protecting the environment. Among them are Presidential Decrees "On measures to ensure environmental sustainability by further increasing the level of landscaping in the republic and the consistent implementation of the national project "Yashil Makon", "On measures to streamline the extraction of non-metallic materials in reservoirs", "On measures to improve the waste management system and reduce their negative impact on the environmental situation", "About the state program for the implementation of the strategy "Uzbekistan-2030" in the "Year of support for youth and Business", Resolutions of the President "On measures to further improve the management system of activities in the field of household and construction waste management", "On measures to accelerate the development of ecological tourism in the Republic of Uzbekistan", Resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers "On approval of the regulations on the procedure for the formation and financing of projects "My Garden", developed on the basis of public opinion", "On the approval of the rules of fishing in natural reservoirs of the Republic of Uzbekistan" and others.

It is worth noting separately that articles 49 and 62 were added to the new Constitution of Uzbekistan in April 2023, reflecting the rights and obligations of the state and citizens in relation to the environment.

The successes achieved in green development, including in energy, ecology, etc., and the participation of international partners

Uzbekistan has made significant steps towards sustainable development and a green economy. The country is actively implementing innovative solutions in energy, ecology and other areas aimed at protecting the environment and efficient use of natural resources.

One of the key areas of Uzbekistan's green development is energy. The country is actively developing renewable energy sources. Today, modern solar and wind power plants are being built in almost all regions of the republic. In particular, 9 large solar and wind power plants with a total capacity of 1.6 gigawatts have been launched in Bukhara, Jizzakh, Kashkadarya, Navoi, Samarkand, and Surkhandarya. 6 large and small hydroelectricities with a total capacity of 183 megawatts have been commissioned in the Andijan, Samarkand, Surkhandarya, and Tashkent regions.

Also, solar panels with a total capacity of 457 megawatts have been installed at social facilities, enterprises and organizations, buildings owned by entrepreneurs, and residential buildings. For these purposes, banks have allocated resources for almost 2 trillion sums. As a result, it is possible to produce an additional 5 billion kilowatt-hours of environmentally friendly electricity and save 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas.

Uzbekistan has also achieved significant success in the field of ecology. Launched on the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the nationwide project "Yashil Makon" ("Green Space") provides for the annual planting of 200 million tree seedlings throughout the republic. So, in the spring season of 2024 alone, 138.5 million tree seedlings were planted, or 110% of the plan. Of these, 5.3 million tree seedlings were planted on the territory of 1,040 industrial enterprises. Also, "green covers" have been created on an area of 215 thousand hectares in the Aral Sea region. In addition, about 3.4 million seedlings and cuttings have been planted on the territory of healthcare organizations, schools, and preschools.

Another urgent task of the strategy is environmental monitoring, installation, and modernization of dust and gas cleaning equipment and local water treatment facilities. Thus, since the beginning of 2024, environmental monitoring has been carried out at 3320 sources of pollution of 488 enterprises. At the same time, dust and gas cleaning equipment has been installed at 42 large enterprises, and local treatment facilities have been built and reconstructed at 37 enterprises. 11,296 (107 percent) enterprises that have an impact on the environment were provided with the conclusions of the state environmental assessment.

As a measure against desertification, drought, dust and sand storms, and rising temperatures, work is being carried out in stages to prevent the negative effects of climate change. Thus, forest plantations have been laid on an area of 220 thousand hectares of forest fund and 771 tons of seeds of desert and other plant species have been prepared for economic activity. To improve the environmental situation (to prevent desertification and migration of sands, water, and soil erosion), protective forest plantations have been created on an area of 140 hectares in desert, mountainous, and foothill areas. In addition, plantations of medicinal and nutritious plants have been laid on an area of 2,820 hectares, and 663 tons (110 percent) of medicinal and nutritious plant raw materials have been harvested.

In addition, a system for posting environmental pollution monitoring data for 11 types of hydrometeorology has been launched on the open data portal.

Uzbekistan is also conducting consistent and effective reforms in the field of waste management, improving the quality of services provided to the population, and combating environmental pollution. Thus, according to the plan, in 2024-2028, by attracting investments, waste recycling, alternative energy, and organic fertilizer production projects will be implemented in each region of the country. Indicators will also be set for the annual production of 2,000 MW of alternative energy from 2.8 million tons of waste, the production of 1.1 million tons of organic fertilizers from 1.3 million tons of waste by composting, and the commissioning of 14 waste recycling plants.

At the same time, the country is actively working to raise environmental awareness among the population. Environmental education programs are being introduced in educational institutions, and mass actions and events aimed at drawing attention to environmental issues are being organized. An important role in this process is played by the participation of young people, who are actively involved in environmental initiatives and projects.

Strengthening comprehensive cooperation and uniting Central Asian countries in the fight against climate change

It is a well-known fact that Central Asia is one of the more vulnerable regions to the effects of climate change. Therefore, one of the strategic objectives of the Government of Uzbekistan is to unite with the countries of the Central Asian region for a more comprehensive approach to solving this issue.

In this direction, Uzbekistan In this direction, Uzbekistan Interacts with Central Asian countries on a variety of platforms, including the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the "C5+1" diplomatic summits, the OSCE, and many other platforms.

One of the main projects within the framework of cooperation between Central Asian countries in the fight against climate change is the "Green Central Asia" project, implemented with the support of the German Government and GIZ. For the first time, within the framework of this project, a Central Asian program on adaptation to the effects of climate change was developed, providing specific measures to address this problem. In addition, it is now planned to create a Secretariat for the timely and correct implementation of this program.

Regarding the representation of the Central Asian region at global events such as the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP), as part of its participation at COP28, the Republic of Uzbekistan participated for the first time with national pavilions in Dubai (UAE). The pavilions of the country became a kind of business card and attracted everyone's attention.

At the same time, the Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia (CAREC), in cooperation with the governments of the Central Asian countries, with the financial support of the international organizations of the United Nations, organized a Regional pavilion to promote the unified voice of the Central Asian countries "5 countries - 1 region - 1 voice".

In the Central Asian Pavilion, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan presented their achievements, results, and prospects on a single platform. Over 21 years of joint work, the Central Asian countries have accumulated huge potential in the fields of environmental legislation, strategic planning, and the introduction of innovative technologies, which is an advantage of the region.

It is worth noting that the ministers of environmental agencies of the Central Asian countries are currently negotiating the creation of a unified group of negotiators from Central Asian countries to participate in UNFCCC meetings, which will serve as a strategically important step to strengthen the region's representation in the international arena.

Lola Rakhmanbaeva,

Advisor to the Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change on Information Policy- Press Secretary