On October 21, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired a meeting to discuss the effectiveness of the work within the national “Green Space” project and priority tasks for the future.

Uzbekistan aims to plant 200 million trees and shrubs annually to bring greenery to 30 percent by 2030. In recent years, this figure has reached 12 percent.

This spring, 138 million seedlings were planted. Since the beginning of the year, more than 10,000 hectares of green belts have been created, and ministries and hokimiyats have planted 257 gardens. In the Aral Sea region, the area of ​​green cover has exceeded 2 million hectares.

Starting this year, 2,000 hectares of land adjacent to roads, rivers, and canals have been leased to 10,000 residents and entrepreneurs for landscaping. Within the framework of the “My Garden” project, 49 billion UZS have been allocated from the budget, and 215 new parks are being created in mahallas.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and the executive body of the Convention to Combat Desertification also recognize these efforts.

Unfortunately, in some places, progress is slow in such a noble cause. In some areas, seedlings are planted on lands without an irrigation system, or trees are not planted to replace those cut down.

The tasks for the current season and next year were defined at the meeting.

First, the need to increase the number of seedlings adapted to the country’s climate was noted. In particular, with effective cooperation with the Academy of Sciences, environmental services, organizations of agriculture, water, and forestry, research institutions of the quarantine system, higher education institutions, and in vitro laboratories, it is possible to earn 2-3 times more income from growing seeds and seedlings. This will also contribute to the development of science.

Next year, 4 gardens with drought-resistant and salt-resistant halophytes will be created in Nukus, Arnasay, Karakul, and Mubarek districts. Also, on 250 thousand hectares of deserts in Karakalpakstan, Bukhara, Jizzakh, Navoi, Kashkadarya, Surkhandarya and Khorezm regions, water-free seeds of saxaul, kandym and cherkez will be sown with the help of drones. 

In spring, 1.5 thousand tons of seeds will be harvested annually by selecting healthy mother plantations in forestry enterprises. Based on the experience of South Korea, 2 million seedlings of drought-resistant plants adapted to climatic conditions will be obtained using the closed root system and in vitro method. On the lands of the Mahmud Mirzayev Institute in Samarkand, Khorezm, Tashkent regions, and the Fergana Valley, 10 million fruit tree seedlings will be grown yearly.

The possibilities for organized work on planting seedlings were indicated.

The mahallas are an incredible power in this matter. Landscaping and improvement are needed first of all by the people themselves. Therefore, representatives of the “mahalla of seven” will grow 100 pieces on the streets assigned to them, a total of 6 million ornamental trees. In addition, 3 million seedlings will be planted on other streets, empty squares and around multi-story buildings. In total, 20 million ornamental and fruit trees can be planted in mahallas.

The Forestry Agency has been instructed to organize fairs in all mahallas and supply 30 million seedlings. It was noted that 2.5 million trees can be planted on the territory of more than 20,000 education institutions and hospitals and 1.5 million trees on 60 thousand hectares of land allocated to young people. 

Hokimiyats and ministries plan to plant 40 million seedlings in the fall.

In particular, 9 million seedlings will be planted along 13 international highways. For these purposes, 10,000 citizens and entrepreneurs will be distributed 2 thousand kilometers of roadside areas. Seedlings will also be planted along the Tashkent-Samarkand and Samarkand-Karshi railway lines. 21 million poplar, mulberry, and grape trees will be grown on the outskirts of fields.

The Ministry of Defense will be responsible for planting 200 thousand seedlings, and the systems of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the National Guard, and the Ministry of Emergency Situations – 100 thousand seedlings each. A green belt will be created around landfills.

As noted, 100 billion UZS will be allocated to implement the “Green Space” project next year. The investment program will also include expenses for three years of tree care, protection from diseases, and irrigation.

Two irrigation experiments will be conducted. In particular, drilling of one well will be allowed in 27 districts. In spring, tree planting using the terrace method will begin on the slopes of mountains and hills in 14 districts on an area of ​​500 hectares.

Instructions were given to create green zones and regional public parks as part of the “My Garden” project. These areas will be placed on the Open Budget portal before the sowing season, where recommendations on tree species and their cost will be indicated. At the same time, a warning system will be introduced through a mobile application for persons who have shown irresponsibility in caring for plantings.

It was noted that dust storms have recently become more frequent in the country. This, along with global climate change, is facilitated by illegal logging, depletion of water resources, and uncontrolled grazing. The diversity of plant species in the steppe has also sharply decreased.

The Head of state emphasized that pastures are the largest reserve for ensuring food security in the current conditions of population growth.

In this regard, it was decided to transfer the management of 16 million hectares of pasture lands to the Committee for Veterinary and Livestock Development. The Committee was instructed to prepare a three-year program to bring deserts out of degradation. Next year, grant funds for $50 million will be attracted for these purposes.

Another problem associated with the sphere is the disappearance of the steppe vegetation cover. In this regard, responsible persons were instructed to increase the area of ​​green spaces in the steppe and semi-desert areas of Bukhara and Navoi regions.

A platform for monitoring the environmental situation in the deserts will be created jointly with the Uzbekspace Agency. The Forestry Agency’s responsibility in this area will be increased. Now, it will also be engaged in the fight against desertification, and the Green Road organizations under the hokimiyats will be transferred to the agency system. 

The agency has been tasked with creating, together with the Academy of Sciences, a 20-hectare experimental site and growing plants that restore degraded pastures.

The President also touched upon the widespread popularization of a healthy lifestyle in society. The importance of introducing new approaches to increasing the population’s physical activity, promoting sports, walking and healthy eating was emphasized.

Responsible persons presented reports and plans on the issues discussed at the meeting.

UzA