The Global Environment Facility (GEF) will allocate $6.1 million for the project as part of its eighth cycle. The grant agreement was signed on November 25 during the 20th Conference of the Parties to the CITES Convention (CoP20), reports a Gazeta correspondent.

The project is being implemented by the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change in partnership with UNDP and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is allocating $6.1 million for its implementation as part of its eighth cycle.

“Uzbekistan is taking significant steps to protect and restore its rich biodiversity and unique ecosystems. Cooperation between the government, civil society, and international partners will yield transformative results and lay the foundation for a greener future for young people,” she said.

EcoLand covers six regions and 10 pilot areas  —from the forested areas of Parkent to the pastures of Baysun and the Nurata Range—which are most vulnerable to climate risks and degradation:

• Tashkent region – Parkent, Akhangaran districts;

• Surkhandarya – Baysunsky, Sherabadsky districts;

• Kashkadarya – Dekhkanabad district;

• Navoi – Khatynchi, Nurata districts;

• Samarkand – Koshrabad, Payarik districts;

• Jizzakh – Farish district.

In total, we are talking about an area of ​​1.3 million hectares. This mosaic landscape, where forests, steppe pastures, and farmland coexist, will be implemented, and where modern environmental and climate solutions will be implemented.

In these territories it is planned:

• restore 140 thousand hectares of pastures and forests;

• implement improved management practices on 349 thousand hectares;

• protect 881 thousand hectares of key biodiversity areas (KBA);

• improve the management efficiency of 142 thousand hectares of specially protected natural areas;

• implement improved management on 434 thousand hectares of State Forest Fund land.

EcoLand is part of a global program to restore ecosystems in 20 countries, primarily in the Americas and Africa. Uzbekistan is the only Central Asian country to join the program, noted Gavkhar Kudaibergenova, a program analyst at UNDP in Uzbekistan.

The program is based on four principles: developing evidence-based policies, implementing innovative solutions for ecosystem restoration, establishing sustainable financial mechanisms, and strengthening national monitoring, training, and knowledge sharing systems.

UNDP presentation.

Gavkhar Kudaibergenova emphasized that conservation is impossible without the support of local communities. Therefore, special attention is being paid to involving women, youth, and vulnerable groups in natural resource management and the development of ecotourism, pasture cooperatives, and other local initiatives. Demonstration pilot sites will be created where participants can study methods for restoring degraded ecosystems and preventing their further degradation.

The project will focus on key ecosystem threats: overgrazing, deforestation, and the degradation of abandoned lands. It will also address issues related to the management and maintenance of pasture infrastructure. The program is scheduled for implementation in 2025–2030.

Gavkhar Kudaibergenova. Photo: UNDP in Uzbekistan.

Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Ecology, Zhusipbek Kazbekov, noted that Uzbekistan is committed to restoring its valuable landscapes and protecting biodiversity.

“This project is an important step forward in our ongoing environmental reforms,” ​​he said.

The project is expected to achieve significant results. Restoring pastures and forests will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 7.5 million tons of CO₂ , contributing to the country’s global efforts to mitigate climate change.

The project is expected to benefit 30,000 local residents, improve management of 140,000 hectares of specially protected natural areas, and restore more than 50,000 hectares of forests and pastures.

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