Educating people on energy saving is the greatest challenge of our time. Today, in Uzbekistan, the implementation of energy-saving technologies is accelerated by the joint project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Communal Services of the Republic of Uzbekistan “Market transformation for sustainable rural housing in Uzbekistan” funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The project also strengthens the capacity of national specialists in this area.

Within the framework of this project the trainings have been conducted in all the regions of the country and the Republic of Karakalpakstan for architects and architecture university professors and students in April-June 2024. The trainings were organized with the generous support of the Scientific Research Institute of Technical Regulation and Standardization in Construction under the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Communal Services of the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as in collaboration with another UNDP Uzbekistan project “Sustainable Rural Development”.

UNDP experts familiarized the training participants with the benefits of passive heating/cooling techniques, which are associated with much lower greenhouse gas emissions, and with solar radiation calculation free software tools. The training also highlighted the role of BIM (Building Information Modeling) technologies in improving the quality and ensuring transparency of design and construction processes. Additionally, the Green Investment Financial Support Mechanism (FSM) was presented in detail and discussed with the training participants, emphasizing the energy-efficiency issue – isolation tools and materials and their importance in the construction. Around 250 specialists, professors, and students attended the event.

The UNDP/GEF project is being implemented since 2017. A significant contribution of the project is the development of standard designs for 24 different energy-efficient building types. The project has also revised a series of building codes and regulations to introduce stricter building energy performance requirements. Those activities helped to boost the mass construction of energy-efficient and low-carbon housing across the country. Additionally, the project has provided financial and technical assistance for constructing 1358 energy-efficient and low-carbon houses and apartments.

UzA