International Earth Day, officially recognized by the United Nations on April 22, 2009, is an important date that calls upon all humanity to be responsible toward our planet. This day is celebrated to preserve harmony between nature and humanity, ensure ecological balance, and promote sustainable development.

In Tashkent, in honor of April 22 – International Earth Day, an international scientific and practical conference on “Innovative Technologies in Environmental Protection, Climate Change, and Improving the Fertility of Degraded Soils” was held.

The conference was organized in cooperation with the Committee on Agrarian, Water Management Issues and Ecology of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Committee on Ecology and Environmental Protection of the Legislative Chamber, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change, the Academy of Sciences, the Cadastre Agency under the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the National University of Uzbekistan named after Mirzo Ulugbek, the FAO Representation in Uzbekistan, the Tourism Committee, the Forestry Agency, and the IFODA Agro Chemical Protection organization.

At the event, it was noted that 7-8 million hectares of fertile land are degraded globally annually. In some regions of Uzbekistan, humus content has decreased by 40-50 percent, negatively affecting the soil’s biological activity. Measures for soil protection and restoration are directly linked to the following regulatory and legal documents: Presidential Decree of October 4, 2019, “On Approval of the Environmental Protection Concept of the Republic of Uzbekistan until 2030”, Resolution of June 10, 2022, “On Measures to Create an Effective System for Combating Land Degradation”, and Presidential Decree of May 31, 2023, “On Measures to Transform the Field of Ecology and Environmental Protection and Organize the Activities of the Authorized State Body”. These documents formed the political and legal basis of the conference and demonstrated the importance of state-level efforts to protect land resources, maintain their accounting, and ensure environmental safety.

One of the issues particularly emphasized at the conference was ensuring food security and strengthening the effective use of each hectare of land. As the President has defined, this is of priority importance within the framework of the food security strategy until 2030.

On the second and third days of the conference, scientific field activities and seminars were organized in Jizzakh and Tashkent regions. As part of the “Green Space” project, walnut, pistachio, and almond trees were planted on degraded land areas. Also, a competition for the “Best Scientific Work” was held with the participation of young scientists. Exhibitions on “Environmentally Friendly and Resource-Saving Technologies for Improving Soil Fertility” enriched the practical part of the conference.

Bekhruz Khudoyberdiyev, UzA