Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Ecology and the UNDP launched two projects to develop the new National Biodiversity Strategy and restore ecosystems in Western Tien Shan. Funded by a $6.5 million Global Environment Facility grant, the initiatives are set to be implemented by 2030.

The Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change, together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Uzbekistan and with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), launched two international projects worth $6.5 million. Their implementation is planned until 2030, UNDP’s press service announced.

The first initiative, titled “Comprehensive program to support the renewal of the National Biodiversity Strategy and action plan (NBSAP)”, will help develop an updated NBSAP aligned with the Global Biodiversity Framework, including new national targets based on this framework.

This initiative seeks to shape long-term state policy on the protection, conservation and restoration of biodiversity. Achieving these goals will require active collaboration of all parties: government agencies, the business community and civil society, the UNDP said.

The second initiative — “Integrated management for the protection and restoration of highly valuable landscapes in Uzbekistan” — focuses on practical measures to create favorable conditions for ecosystem restoration. This will involve inclusive and well-considered policies, innovative ecosystem restoration approaches and the development and testing of effective, sustainable biodiversity conservation financing mechanisms.

The project’s pilot areas include the landscapes of Western Tien Shan, Nuratau mountains and Kugitangtau. A key partner in this effort is the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which opened its regional office in Tashkent in 2024.

At the projects’ presentation, deputy minister of ecology Iskandar Kutbiddinov delivered a speech on behalf of the minister Aziz Abdukhakimov. THe latter said: “Efforts to enhance ecosystem sustainability and conserve biodiversity in Western Tien Shan, Nuratau and Kugitangtau mountain ranges, along with the development of a National Strategy and action plan for biodiversity conservation, are particularly significant. These initiatives will shape our long-term actions in alignment with the objectives of the Global Biodiversity Framework.”

https://www.gazeta.uz/en/2025/01/21/eco-projects/