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

The dialogue brought together representatives of government authorities, international organisations, academia and civil society from countries across Central and North-Eastern Asia, including Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, China, the Republic of Korea, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan was represented by Alisher Salomov, Advisor to the Chairman of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, who delivered opening remarks. During the event, the Uzbek side also presented its position on further advancing regional cooperation in land restoration.

It was emphasised that, for Uzbekistan, land degradation and desertification are not only environmental challenges but are also directly linked to water and food security, rural livelihoods and the country’s economic resilience.

In this context, Uzbekistan proposed moving beyond the implementation of individual projects towards the development of a regional system for restoring degraded land, based on measurable results, modern technologies, scientific research and investment mechanisms.

Particular attention was given to four practical areas. The first is the establishment of the Aral–Gobi Partnership, aimed at bringing together the experience of countries in Central and North-Eastern Asia in restoring arid and steppe ecosystems. The second is the launch of a Central Asian Pastureland Data Processing Centre, which would make it possible to link financing for pasture restoration projects to verified environmental and socio-economic outcomes.

The third area is the development of a unified regional MRV (Measurement, Reporting and Verification) standard to enable comparable assessment of the results of land restoration projects. This approach would combine satellite-based monitoring with targeted field verification and assess not only the area of land restored, but also the condition of vegetation and soils, water balance, pasture productivity and socio-economic impacts.

The fourth area focuses on translating scientific research into investment-ready projects. It was proposed to establish Drylands Project Laboratories at Green University, as well as a Central Asian Land Project Preparation Centre to develop a regional portfolio of land restoration projects.

The dialogue also highlighted the need to strengthen cooperation among governments, research institutions, international organisations, civil society and investors. Such an approach would help bring together existing technologies, scientific knowledge and practical experience to support the large-scale restoration of degraded land.

Following the discussions, participants reaffirmed the importance of continued regional cooperation and advancing practical solutions aimed at enhancing the resilience of arid and steppe ecosystems across Northern and Central Asia.