National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan

For reference: Projects with a total value of USD 18.4 million will be implemented under the CAWLN Programme across Central Asia. CAWLN aims to address common environmental challenges faced by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The region shares high-value ecosystems — rivers, wetlands, steppes, semi-deserts, and mountain areas — which are increasingly threatened by human pressure, climate change, competition for natural resources, and land degradation.

During the event, participants were introduced to the CAWLN Programme, which provides for the implementation of science-based, coordinated actions to promote sustainable land and water management, reduce deforestation, enhance agricultural resilience, conserve biodiversity, and support climate adaptation.

Speakers included Jusipbek Kazbekov, Deputy Chairman of the National Committee for Ecology and Climate Change, and Sherzod Umarov, Deputy FAO Representative in Uzbekistan.

The event concluded with an officially signing ceremony for Uzbekistan’s project agreements under the CAWLN Programme, confirming the commitment of the country and the region to sustainable natural resource management. Participants emphasized the importance of regional dialogue, knowledge exchange, and in coordinated action to strengthen water security, conserve ecosystems, and enhance the resilience of rural areas across Central Asia.

 

About the Programme:

Central Asia is an environmentally unique region that includes the basins of major rivers such as the Amudarya, Syrdarya, Zarafshan, Pyandzh, and Naryn, as well as mountain and pasture ecosystems, desert and semi-desert landscapes. However, increasing demand for resources, population growth, land degradation, worsening water scarcity, and accelerating climate change pose a serious threat to environmental sustainability. Today, nearly half of the region’s land is in a degraded state, and economic losses amount to USD 6 billion per year. Limited water resources directly affect agriculture, energy production, drinking water supply, and ecosystem resilience.

In such challenging conditions, the CAWLN Programme aims to improve water and land resource management in Central Asia based on scientific, integrated, and regional approaches; strengthen early warning systems; restore ecosystems; and enhance resilience to climate impacts. As part of the Programme, which unites seven major GEF-funded projects, Uzbekistan is actively participating in the implementation of four key initiatives.

The first project — Strengthening Integrated Water Resources Management in the Amudarya, Zarafshan, and Pyandzh river basins — has a budget allocation of USD 5.84 million. It focuses on implementing sustainable water management principles, modernizing monitoring and data exchange, preserving environmental flows, and strengthening transboundary cooperation.

The second project — Improving Water Resources Management in the Syrdarya and Naryn basins — has a budget of USD 5 million. The project aims to increase the efficiency of water allocation, develop early warning systems, update water quality control mechanisms, and reinforce interstate coordination.

The third project — Supporting Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity through Integrated Land and Water Management in Uzbekistan — has a total cost of USD 5.6 million. It includes restoring degraded lands, promoting agroecological approaches, conserving rare plant species and agrobiodiversity, strengthening ecosystem services, and improving the well-being of local communities.

The fourth project — Regional Initiative to Reduce Land Degradation in Vulnerable Ecosystems of Central Asia — has a budget of USD 2 million. The project focuses on restoring lands in areas with a high risk of desertification, implementing sustainable land management practices, strengthening monitoring, and enhancing the climate resilience of local communities.