Environment - The Times Of Central Asia

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Eco-Activists Tackle Dust Storms on Karakalpakstan’s Aral Sea

Forestry workers and ecological activists in Uzbekistan’s northwestern Karakalpakstan region have begun planting desert plants on dried up sections of the Aral Sea. Salt and dust carried in the wind cause significant damage to areas adjacent to the Aral Sea and their inhabitants. Every year more than 100 million tons of salt, dust and sand are blown from the bottom of the former Aral Sea and mix into the air. Up until the late-1990s, the land surrounding the Aral Sea was still cotton fields; today, it’s largely an expanse of salinized grey emptiness. The desiccation of the landscape has led to these vast toxic dust-storms that ravage around 1.5 million square kilometers. Spreading nitrates and carcinogens, these storms - visible from space - used to occur once every five years, but now strike ten times a year. Once a thriving agricultural center, Karakalpakstan, home to the remaining section of the so-called Large Aral Sea, is now one of the sickest places on Earth. Respiratory illness, typhoid, tuberculosis and cancers are rife, and the region has the highest infant mortality rate in the former USSR. “This year we plan to create green plantations in the most vulnerable places, where the winds with salt and sand come from,” said Zinovy Novitsky, a project manager from the Research Institute of the State Forestry Committee. “We plan to plant trees on 150-200,000 hectares. The country is introducing an effective policy to combat this problem.” Between 2018 and 2023, 1.7 million hectares of forests were planted on the bottom of what used to be the Aral Sea. To date, forestry enterprises have collected and prepared for sowing 192 tons of desert plant seeds, including 71 tons of saxaul seeds. Similar plans are being undertaken across the border in Kazakhstan, where, according to the International Fund for saving the Aral Sea in the Republic of Kazakhstan, the so called “Green Aral Sea” being created will make a massive contribution to the process of achieving carbon neutrality. “One saxaul retains up to 4 tons of sand, 1 hectare of four-year-old saxaul absorbs 1,158.2 kg of carbon dioxide and releases 835.4 kg of oxygen per year, [whilst] the shrubby plant, salsola richteri kar absorbs 1,547.8 kg of carbon dioxide and releases 1,116.4 kg of oxygen per hectare. Accordingly, 1.1 million hectares will consume about 1.3 million tons of carbon dioxide.”

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Environment Uzbekistan Environment Uzbekistan

Central Asia’s First Green University Opens in Uzbekistan

The Central Asian University of Environmental and Climate Change Studies (Green University) was opened in Uzbekistan’s Tashkent Region on February 10th. The goal of the Green University is to introduce innovative ideas, practices and technologies for solving local, regional and global environmental problems, and strengthening regional cooperation in the field of ecology and environmental protection. The university’s opening ceremony was attended by the director general of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Grethel Aguilar, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change, Aziz Abdukhakimov, and the environment ministers from all the Central Asian countries. Speaking at the event, Aguilar said: “We congratulate the government of Uzbekistan on the opening of the Central Asian Green University, a major regional initiative that serves to develop environmental leadership and education. This university will help solve the triple planetary crisis of biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution. Through environmental education, the university will contribute to the conservation of a region rich in nature.” On the same day, the Green University hosted the opening of the first office of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Central Asia. Aguilar commented: “Today, our planet faces three major challenges – climate change, biodiversity loss, and air pollution. all countries must work together to solve these problems. Together with Uzbekistan and the countries of Central Asia, we are implementing new projects aimed at protecting the region’s ecosystem. The opening of the IUCN office is an important step in this direction”.

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Central Asia Environment

Central Asian Countries Work together to Protect Migratory Species

The 14th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP14) is taking place from February 12th to 17th in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan’s Minister for Ecology and Environmental Protection, Aziz Abdukhakimov commented on February 11th: “Over the next five days, we will be discussing a range of issues related to migratory species, including the socio-economic and environmental challenges of climate change. Our goal is to find solutions and develop effective plans for the conservation of migratory species, which play a vital role in maintaining ecosystems and a healthy planet.” As part of the conference, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan have joined the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Birds of Prey in Africa and Eurasia. The document was signed by Abdukhakimov and his Kazakh and Kyrgyz counterparts. “The memorandum provides for the removal of obstacles to the migration of wild animals and the creation of favorable conditions for their migration from one territory to another. This will protect migrating animals and thereby preserve biodiversity. In addition, it will strengthen the unity of the Central Asian countries in this direction,” the Uzbek minister said. Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have also joined their efforts to preserve the wildlife of the Ustyurt Plateau. On February 11th a Memorandum of Cooperation in the conservation of wildlife of the Ustyurt Plateau was signed between Minister Abdukhakimov and the Deputy Minister for Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan, Nurken Sharbiev.

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Central Asia Environment Uzbekistan Environment Uzbekistan Features

Water Crisis in Uzbekistan: an interview with Eco-journalist Nargis Kosimova

For a long time now, there have been murmurs about the growing problem of water shortages in Uzbekistan. Every citizen is likely to remember, at the very least, public service announcements on television with calls to conserve water. Still, the issue began to really attract people’s attention after the last, rather unexpected hike in cold tariffs. Was this an indication of the situation deteriorating? What is going on with water resources, and what should we expect moving forward? To find out, we talked to Nargis Kosimova, an eco-journalist, teacher, media trainer, and doctor of philology, who has come to fame as the author of Ekolog.uz. What is the current situation with drinking water in Uzbekistan? The problem with water resources is particularly serious in Uzbekistan, now. Experts say that by 2030, the water deficit could reach 7 billion cubic meters, and this could double by 2050. Unfortunately, the climate is changing at a rapid pace. Our key rivers, the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya have seen their discharge decline 20% in just 50 years. Currently, we are also seeing dust storms and droughts, which are exacerbating the problem of water scarcity. The result may be a rise in the cost of fresh water and, consequently, food prices, with the entire economy of the country affected in turn. For example, over the past 15 years, the amount of water used per person in Uzbekistan has roughly halved from 3,000 cubic meters in 2008 to 1,500 cubic meters by the end of 2022. Nevertheless, water consumption per capita is still very high. for example, in Germany each person uses just 312 cubic meters of water each year, meaning that even though they have plentiful resources, Germans conserve a lot of water. Last year, we conducted a training session which was attended by 60 farmers. Unfortunately, not one of them, as they told us, had switched to water-saving technologies. when asked why not, they gave a wide range of answers, from a lack of money to the phrase, “Why [should we] if there is still water?” What measures can be taken to help avoid a water crisis? Many experts highlight drip irrigation as an effective way to rationally utilize resources. Even the Ministry of Water Resources noted that switching to this system would significantly reduce the stress on the country’s reserves. and at the same time, yields would increase significantly. Increasing prices on drinking water can also help avoid a crisis situation, while control over water usage should also be strengthened. A 100% transition to water-saving technologies in agriculture is needed, as well as protecting rivers from erosion. In Uzbekistan, starting on May 1st, an indefinite moratorium on the extraction of ore from the beds of large rivers will come into effect. Increasing construction and urbanization have led to almost uncontrolled extraction of sand and gravel, as a result of which riverbeds have been nearly degraded and the water has practically disappeared from these rivers. Moreover, it is not just water that...

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Central Asia Environment Uzbekistan Environment Home Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Business & Economy Features

Uzbekistan Continues Switching Public Transport to Electric-Powered

Uzbekistan is charging ahead in 2024 on a course it began a few years ago to modernize public transport systems. Metro lines have been completed and several new stations opened in both remote and densely populated areas of Tashkent, and a plan is being developed to bring the most environmentally-friendly form of urban transport, the streetcar back to the capital. The bus fleet in Tashkent has also been significantly upgraded; now, it's mostly comprised of newer, more comfortable buses and electric buses. Against a background of serious air quality problems, the issue of reducing the number of cars on the roads has become particularly urgent. Thus, in the capital and other major cities, authorities are opting for electric modes of urban transport. The first bus powered by electricity hit the streets of Tashkent back in 2019. Last year, officials in the capital agreed to purchase 2,000 buses from China: half of them will be used in the regions and the rest in Tashkent. In early 2024, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) issued a loan to Uzbekistan to buy 100 Yutong electric buses from China for the Samarkand Region. Tashkent will buy 673 electric buses - out of 1,063 total planned purchases - by 2025. From now on, only electric buses will be purchased for Uzbekistan's capital. By 2025, their share of the public transport mix of Tashkent should be 49%. It is a major component that city authorities are counting on as part of a plan to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, reduce noise levels in the city, and improve transport safety. Uzbekistan plans to not only buy pre-assembled buses but to also produce its own. a memorandum has been signed with Lanzhou Guangtong New Energy Automobile of China to start the joint production of 2,000 electric buses annually in Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan's continued efforts at electrification of the public transport network comes against a backdrop of the low headline costs of using that transport. Numbeo, the world's largest database on the cost of living, publishes data on the cost of public transportation in different countries. according to their data, the cost of a one-way fare in Uzbekistan is $0.13. In Kazakhstan, the fare is slightly more at $0.20. Currently, there is no data on other Central Asian republics. The top three are most expensive places are Switzerland ($4), Norway ($3.76), and the Netherlands ($3.66).

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Central Asia Uzbekistan Environment Environment Uzbekistan Features

Potential Water Crisis in Uzbekistan: An Interview with Eco-journalist Nargis Kosimova

For a long time now, there have been murmurs about the growing problem of water shortages in Uzbekistan. Every citizen is likely to remember, at the very least, public service announcements on television with calls to conserve water. Still, the issue began to really attract people’s attention after the last, rather unexpected hike in cold tariffs. Was this an indication of the situation deteriorating? What is going on with water resources, and what should we expect moving forward? To find out, we talked to Nargis Kosimova, an eco-journalist, teacher, media trainer, and doctor of philology, who has come to fame as the author of Ekolog.uz. What is the current situation with drinking water in Uzbekistan? The problem with water resources is particularly serious in Uzbekistan, now. Experts say that by 2030, the water deficit could reach 7 billion cubic meters, and this could double by 2050. Unfortunately, the climate is changing at a rapid pace. Our key rivers, the Amu Darya and Syr Darya, have seen their discharge decline 20% in just 50 years. Currently, we are also seeing dust storms and droughts, which are exacerbating the problem of water scarcity. The result may be a rise in the cost of fresh water and, consequently, food prices, with the entire economy of the country affected in turn. For example, over the past 15 years, the amount of water used per person in Uzbekistan has roughly halved from 3,000 cubic meters in 2008 to 1,500 cubic meters by the end of 2022. Nevertheless, water consumption per capita is still very high. For example, in Germany each person uses just 312 cubic meters of water each year, meaning that even though they have plentiful resources, Germans conserve a lot of water. Last year, we conducted a training session which was attended by 60 farmers. Unfortunately, not one of them, as they told us, had switched to water-saving technologies. When asked why not, they gave a wide range of answers, from a lack of money to the phrase, “why [should we] if there is still water?” What measures can be taken to help avoid a water crisis? Many experts highlight drip irrigation as an effective way to rationally utilize resources. Even the Ministry of Water Resources noted that switching to this system would significantly reduce the stress on the country’s reserves. And at the same time, yields would increase significantly. Increasing prices on drinking water can also help avoid a crisis situation, while control over water usage should also be strengthened. A 100% transition to water-saving technologies in agriculture is needed, as well as protecting rivers from erosion. In Uzbekistan, starting on May 1st, an indefinite moratorium on the extraction of ore from the beds of large rivers will come into effect. Increasing construction and urbanization has led to almost uncontrolled extraction of sand and gravel, as a result of which riverbeds have been nearly degraded and the water has practically disappeared from these rivers. Moreover, it is not just water that has...

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