The programme is being developed by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in cooperation with national partner organisations with the aim of mobilising financial support from the Green Climate Fund (GCF).

The programme aims to strengthen the climate resilience of the agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) sectors, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In Uzbekistan, programme activities are envisaged to cover, in particular, the Fergana Valley and Surkhandarya Region.

The programme envisages the use of climate-related data in land-use planning and investment mobilisation, the introduction of sustainable agricultural practices, the restoration of pastures and forests, expanded access to climate finance for small and medium-sized businesses in rural areas, and capacity-building for government institutions and land users. The programme will also contribute to strengthening cross-border cooperation, knowledge and experience sharing and the coordination of regional investments.

The programme is planned to be implemented by GIZ in cooperation with relevant sectoral organisations in the three countries. In Uzbekistan, the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan will serve as the national implementing partner.

The programme is envisaged to be financed through funding from the Green Climate Fund, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), as well as contributions from the participating countries.

Through the programme, it is planned to directly strengthen the climate resilience of more than 1 million people across the three countries, implement sustainable land management and restoration measures across nearly 939,000 hectares of land, and achieve a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 6.95 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent.

As part of the programme preparation process, an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and an Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) have been developed. These documents are intended to identify the programme’s environmental and social impacts, the associated risks, and measures to manage such risks.

To provide stakeholders and the general public with relevant environmental and social information about the programme, these documents are being disclosed to the public and are presented below.