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

The event was attended by Director of the Institute of Green Projects under the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change Olim Khakimov, Deputy Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program in Uzbekistan Anas Fayyad Qarman, Manager of Programs of the Department of Forestry and Timber Roman Michalak, representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Ecology and System Organizations, UNDP, the Office of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), local and foreign scientists and researchers specializing in urban planning, sustainable financing, and environmental policy.

For information: in order to support the successful implementation of the "Yashil Makon" initiative, in cooperation with the Ministry of Ecology, UNDP, UNECE, and UNHCR, a joint project was launched aimed at integrating integrated master planning with innovative financial solutions and creating income generation opportunities for residents of the Surkhandarya region to ensure that the initiative is not only sustainable but also scalable to the diverse landscapes of Uzbekistan.

"The master plan is mainly basically aims to align  international best practices, country needs, and local needs, as well as scientific research to ensure the successful implementation of the "Yashil Makon" project and to ensure that we implement this initiative effectively and efficiently. We are also part of a project working to modernize the "Yashil Makon" platform, where current progress data can now be shared to enhance the transfer and accountability of this initiative", said Anas Fayyad.

Olmas Sobirov, Chief Specialist of the Ministry of Ecology, spoke about the goals and objectives of the Master Plan. He noted that the Master Plan consists of chapters prepared by international and national experts, which contain important technical recommendations and standards for forest expansion, tree planting, maintenance, pest control, and other processes.

 "Our goal is to present and discuss the main sections of the Master Plan developed by domestic and international experts. Here, attention is paid to technical instructions, and their compliance with the specific needs and requirements of Uzbekistan is ensured. It is also planned to draw up a master plan taking into account the views of stakeholders and develop a roadmap for its completion, approval, and implementation. At the same time, current activities in the Surkhandarya region are also important, in particular the issue of creating nurseries by attracting citizens of Afghanistan and Uzbekistan in need of labor in exchange for material benefits", said Olmas Sobirov. 

Representatives of the Ministry of Ecology also provided information on the ongoing work to improve the Yashil Makon platform. It was noted that the planting and care of trees are under full control, the registration of planted trees is underway, new modules are being created, the platform is integrated with other systems, and a map of planted trees has been created.

For reference: registration of planted trees allows inspectors to see information about planted trees on their tablets every season, to warn those responsible for not caring for seedlings through a mobile application, as well as to strengthen public control. The process of creating new modules includes the release of the "100-year-old trees" module to an open platform, the introduction of the "Green Parks and Green Public Parks" module into the system, as well as the creation of a compensatory planting module for other seedlings instead of legally and illegally cutting down trees. Integration with other systems, in turn, makes it possible to attach seedlings to individuals or legal entities, keep records of trees in Tashkent, and view seedlings by district.

The aim of this workshop was to reach a final agreement on chapters developed by national and international experts, combining detailed information on landscaping, plantings, technical guidelines for pest control, and standards for the care of trees and shrubs. The general information and the plan will serve as a basis for finalizing and launching the digital platform "yashilmakon.eco" and attracting carbon credits.