The President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, was introduced to a presentation on the current and future plans for ecology and environmental protection. It is worth noting that the 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP14) was held in Samarkand from February 12-17, 2020. Over 2,000 representatives from more than 130 countries participated in this event.
As a result of this conference, the Samarkand Strategic Plan for Migratory Species of Wild Animals for 2024-2032 was approved and will be implemented by the state parties to the Convention. The Global Partnership on Ecological Connectivity (GPEC) was also launched.
Furthermore, Uzbekistan was elected as the president of this UN convention for 2024-2026 and the first office of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Central Asia was opened in Tashkent. Additionally, an agreement was made to establish a representative office of the UN Environment Programme in Uzbekistan.
During the event, an agreement was also reached with the World Bank to implement a project that aims to create six transboundary protected natural areas in Central Asia. Several documents were signed between the Central Asian countries and international organizations.
The President instructed to continue cooperation in this field, develop an action plan for Uzbekistan, and initiate new grant projects. He also emphasized the importance of providing advanced training for employees in international environmental organizations and the convention’s headquarters.
One of the projects presented was the “Restoration of Sustainable Forest Landscapes in Uzbekistan”. This project, implemented with the participation of the International Development Association, has a total cost of over $205 million and will be carried out over a period of six years. The funds will be used to expand the forest area, strengthen the material and technical base of forestry, implement sustainable management practices, and develop ecotourism infrastructure.
In particular, an innovative management system and information technology will be introduced for forest restoration and protection. Efforts will also be made to restore degraded forest lands and collaborate with neighboring countries to restore landscapes in border areas. The project aims to restore 175,000 hectares of forests, 38,000 hectares of pastures, create 19,000 hectares of agricultural and 5,000 hectares of industrial forest plantations, and develop 63 kilometers of ecological trails.
On January 4, 2020, the President of Uzbekistan issued a decree on measures to improve the waste management system and reduce their negative impact on the environment. Information on the progress of implementing this document was also presented.
Uzbekistan produces an average of 6.8 million tons of household waste per year. While the number of mahallas (local communities) with sanitation services has exceeded 90%, the level of waste recycling remains low with only 313 enterprises currently operating in this field. The Presidential Decree includes measures to incentivize such activities, such as conducting the sale of secondary raw materials from household waste through an exchange system starting from June 1, 2024. The collection and sorting of waste into categories such as “recyclable”, “non-recyclable”, and “food” will also be organized. Private partnerships in waste collection and recycling will be promoted.
Moreover, stricter measures will be implemented to hold individuals accountable for illegally dumping waste in unidentified areas. The obligation to clean up the place where waste is illegally dumped, as well as to remove it, has been determined.
Furthermore, the optimization of household waste landfills and the establishment of enterprises for the production of goods from waste were discussed at the event. To attract investments in waste landfills, special economic zones will be introduced in their buffer zones and a new system for producing electricity and organic fertilizers through waste incineration will be created. The first pilot project for this new system will be implemented in the Andijan region, with plans to expand this experience to other regions in the future.
In conclusion, projects for producing 100,000 tons of organic fertilizers from organic waste through an investment of $13 million in Andijan district and the production of 2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year from waste in Asaka are planned to be launched. The Andijan experience will serve as a model for other regions in the future.
UzA