Uzbekistan Environment - The Times Of Central Asia

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UN Launches Projects to Improve Health and Environment in the Aral Sea Region

The UN has launched two new projects to address environmental and health issues in Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan. These projects are “Enhancing Climate-Resilient and Safe Water, Sanitation, Hygiene, and Health Services for the Most Affected Communities in Four Districts of Karakalpakstan,” and the joint project between its development programme (UNDP) and its food and agriculture organization (FAO), "Building Knowledge and Skills of Local Partners and Communities to Address Environmental Insecurities through Innovative Air, Land, and Water Management Solutions in the Aral Sea Region.” “The launch of these projects marks a significant milestone in our collective efforts to address the Aral Sea Region's profound environmental and health challenges," said Sabine Machl, the UN's Resident Coordinator in Uzbekistan. "By fostering resilience through innovative solutions in water management, health services, and community empowerment, we are laying the groundwork for a sustainable future in Karakalpakstan.” The project between the UNDP and FAO aims to increase the knowledge and skills needed by local partners and communities to solve environmental security problems. It also aims to develop practical solutions for managing air, land and water, enabling communities to adapt to and mitigate climate change. In addition, within the project's framework, special attention will be paid to introducing new approaches to water treatment, forest restoration, and soil stabilization in the region. These activities have the potential to directly benefit over 376,000 residents of the three northern districts of Moynaq, Kungrad, and Takhtakupir in Karakalpakstan, particularly women in at-risk communities. The indirect impact will extend to 200,000 more people and build on the results of the previous projects. On 16 August, the UN programme “Laying the Foundations for People-Centered, Climate-Resilient Primary Health Care and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Practices at Healthcare Facilities and Schools” was officially completed. During his visit to Karakalpakstan on August 19, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced the establishment of the Aral Sea Region International Innovation Center to improve the ecosystem and create new varieties and seeds in a saline, water-less environment. $80 million will be allocated to mitigate the consequences of climate change in the Aral Sea region. The Times of Central Asia has published several articles about the problems arising from the drying up the Aral Sea and the work being done to combat this.

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UN General Assembly Adopts Uzbekistan-Initiated Resolution on Forest Management

The UN General Assembly last week adopted Uzbekistan's proposed resolution on “Fostering sustainable forest management, including afforestation and reforestation, in degraded lands, including drylands, as an effective solution to environmental challenges.” The resolution is based on the concept of Uzbekistan’s nationwide program, Yashil Makon (Green Space), which aims to preserve and restore biodiversity through the greening of urban and rural areas. Launched by Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in November 2021, the Yashil Makon initiative allows the planting of one billion trees and shrub saplings across the country over five years. The resolution reflects the key proposals on effectively countering climate change and combating land degradation, voiced by Mirziyoyev during the 78th session of the General Assembly and the 28th UN Climate Change Conference. The resolution discloses the economic, social, and environmental benefits of sustainable forest management and tree planting, emphasizing their contribution to increasing biodiversity, mitigating the effects of climate change and air pollution, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, including poverty eradication and food security. The resolution gives specific recommendations to UN member states regarding tree planting to preserve and increase biodiversity using nature-saving and ecosystem methods.

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Uzbekistan and UAE to Build Modern Wastewater Facility

The United Arab Emirates company “Sustainable Water Solutions” (SWS) is to cooperate with Uzbekistan on the construction of a modern wastewater facility in Tashkent. The project includes building a facility with a daily capacity of 1.0 million cubic meters of water and a 42-kilometer wastewater collector in the territory of the Surum mahalla, an administrative centre in Tashkent's Lower Chirchik district. Regarding the scheme, Ahmed Al-Shamsi, head of the SWS company announced: “Our next initiative will prevent water wastage in Uzbekistan. The capacity of the joint facility will be 1,000,000 cubic meters per day at the first stage and 1.5 million cubic meters later. The estimated project cost is one billion dollars." According to reports, the quality of wastewater service provided to 1.5 million people will increase, and more than 500,000 residents and over a hundred enterprises and organizations will be provided with centralized wastewater service. The construction of a 42-kilometer collector allows efficient collection and transportation of wastewater for further treatment. SCADA, a data management and collection system, and GIS,a geographic information system, will be introduced, ensuring effective monitoring and management of cleaning and transportation processes. As a result of this large-scale project, 10 million kilowatts of electricity will be saved, and the sanitary-epidemiological and ecological situation in the Sergeli, Bektemir, and Yangi Hayot districts of Tashkent city will be improved.

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Climate Council Established in Uzbekistan

Uzbek media is reporting that a Climate Council is being established in the country. The council will coordinate activities to combat climate change, develop policy in this area, and ensure the country's fulfillment of its obligations under the Paris Agreement. The main functions of the Council will also include: -- Development of the National Strategy for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation, as well as coordination of government agencies in this area; -- Monitoring the implementation of Uzbekistan's obligations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement; -- Support for projects to combat climate change, including using green technologies, scientific research, and innovation. The National Center for Green Transformation and Adaptation to Climate Change under the Ministry of Ecology has been renamed the National Center for Climate Change. This center will serve as the working body of the Climate Council, and coordinate Uzbekistan's preparation for international and regional climate events.

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Tajikistan and Uzbekistan Discuss Using Lake Sarez For Drinking Water

On August 3, a Tajik-Uzbek working group on the shared use of water from Central Asia's transboundary rivers met in Dushanbe. Participants discussed the potential for using the water from Lake Sarez, in the Tajik National Park in the east of the country, to provide Central Asian countries with clean drinking water. Other potential joint projects between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in the field of water management were also considered. In 2018, the presidents of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, Emomali Rahmon and Shavkat Mirziyoyev, first discussed using the Sarez freshwater as drinking water, during a visit by Rahmon to Uzbekistan. The nations subsequently commissioned a feasibility study from the Intergovernmental Joint Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation. Rahmon has repeatedly emphasized that Tajikistan has ample freshwater resources, and has previously used speeches at political forums to suggest using the Sarez mountain lake to provide Central Asian countries with drinking water. The Tajik government has also offered to supply drinking water from Sarez to Iran, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates. The Times of Central Asia has previously written that Central Asia will face severe water shortages in the coming years. More than 80% of the available water in Central Asia is used for irrigation, 40% of which is lost during delivery in the fields. With the commissioning of the Qosh Tepa canal in Afghanistan, the water shortage will become even more serious from 2028. The chairman of the Eurasian Development Bank, Nikolay Podguzov, has warned that the Qosh Tepa's construction could threaten Central Asia's water balance.

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Uzbekistan Pushed to Clean Up Cities Amid Air Pollution Protests

Uzbekistan's capital Tashkent continues to suffer from high levels of air pollution. According to the IQAir portal, on the morning of August 2 the concentration of PM 2.5 (fine particles in the air) in the city was 5.4 times higher than the WHO base indicator. Protest groups have been holding flash mobs in Tashkent this summer. One participant, Temurkhan Jahangir, believes that the main factor for the city's dangerous air is the government's poor urban planning policy. “The urban development strategy, implemented at the expense of urban densification, was a complete mistake from the start. It is foolish to sell land in the city center and build more buildings between multi-story buildings,” he said. According to the Ministry of Ecology, about 49,000 trees have been illegally cut down in the Tashkent region recently, which has also had a negative impact on air quality. At a meeting on January 29, the country's president Shavkat Mirziyoyev spoke about ecological problems. In particular he criticized the implementation of construction projects that don't consider environmental protection. He instructed the ministry to develop a “master plan” for each city and district of Uzbekistan, for local governors to improve the ecological situation by the end of the year. “On average, 730,000 motor vehicles move in Tashkent every day. In addition, 160,000 to 300,000 motor vehicles enter from the regions. Engines using A-80 gasoline, which does not meet international standards, emit harmful emissions into the atmosphere, exceeding the norm,” the Ministry of Ecology says. Mirziyoyev has also tasked the ministry with comprehensively abandoning A-80 gasoline from 2025 onwards, and developing sustainable public transport. He added that encouraging the population to switch to electric cars must be introduced to support green energy, prevent environmental problems, and reduce harmful emissions.