The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the government of Uzbekistan, has launched an ambitious project to reduce land degradation and improve the management of natural resources.

The initiative, titled “Sustainable Management of Forests and Pastures in Dryland Ecosystems of Uzbekistan” (GCP/UZB/020/GFF), will play a key role in achieving sustainable land and forest management (SLM/SFM) goals and fulfilling the country’s commitments to land degradation neutrality (LDN).

With a budget of $3.8 million allocated by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the project seeks to address critical environmental challenges facing Uzbekistan. A strategic meeting was held in Tashkent to discuss key initiatives and accelerate the project’s implementation.

The meeting brought together representatives from the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Forestry Agency, FAO experts, and international specialists.

The project focuses on Bukhara and Navoi regions, where pasture degradation has reached a critical level. In Jondor and Nurota districts, pasture productivity has declined by 42% since the beginning of the century. Plans include restoring 13,000 hectares of degraded land and implementing climate-resilient practices across an additional 225,000 hectares.

The project’s implementation is expected to reduce CO₂ emissions by 6.1 million tons, improve the livelihoods of local farmers, and expand value chains in dairy production, beekeeping, and medicinal plant cultivation.

The project aims to develop a land degradation neutrality (LDN) monitoring system, enhance climate resilience in affected regions, implement sustainable land and forest management practices, and support local communities through training and financial assistance.

The FAO-Uzbekistan project promises to be a significant step toward environmental stability and the sustainable development of the country’s rural areas.

Muhayyo Toshqorayeva, UzA