At the international climate forum. Photo: yuz.uz.
The World Bank has announced that it will allocate $153 million to Uzbekistan to implement the «Sustainable Landscapes Restoration» project. This was reported by the press service of Uzbekistan's Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change.
The project aims to enhance the resilience of landscapes and support forest restoration across various regions of the country, as well as foster cooperation between Uzbekistan and other Central Asian nations in restoring transboundary natural areas. The project was officially launched at the Samarkand International Climate Forum.
«The project we launched today, in collaboration with the World Bank, will assist the government in meeting the goals of Uzbekistan's Forest Management System Development Concept through 2030. These goals include expanding forested areas to 6.1 million hectares by the end of the decade. By planting trees in degraded land areas, the project will improve the resilience of local landscapes and increase the productivity of food systems. It will also contribute to better living conditions, infrastructure development, and job creation. Furthermore, it will support small and medium-sized businesses by improving the efficiency of natural resource use and promote eco-tourism in protected areas,» said Aziz Abdukhakimov, Uzbekistan's Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change.
The project will focus on afforestation and landscape resilience efforts in the Syrdarya, Jizzakh, Samarkand, Kashkadarya, Surkhandarya, and Namangan regions, with the World Bank contributing $153 million to its implementation.
The project will support natural forest and pasture restoration, implement water-saving techniques, combat soil erosion in mountain forests, promote agroforestry practices, create industrial forests, and establish medicinal plant plantations across 5,000 hectares.
Farmers will receive financial and educational support to establish businesses based on the efficient use of natural resources. The Forestry Agency will develop a unified database of forest plantations. The project will also foster the growth of eco-tourism, with funding for the development of tourist complexes, routes, camping sites, picnic areas, and recreational facilities in nature reserves and other protected areas.
At the presentation of the project, the Central Asian University for Environmental Studies and Climate Change (Green University) and the project implementation group at the Forestry Agency signed a memorandum of understanding. The agreement includes a grant from project funds for scientific research on forestry, addressing its ecological, economic, and social aspects.
During the ceremony, it was announced that in 2026, Uzbekistan will host the Global Environment Facility Donors' Assembly, which will help mobilize additional funding and technical support for environmental efforts across Central Asia.
