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

This is an important step that demonstrates the country’s commitment to sustainable development and effective environmental stewardship. From May 19 to 23, a team of international experts is in Tashkent to assess Uzbekistan’s environmental performance over the past five to seven years.

“We are conducting a country mission to evaluate environmental performance, governance and implementation. Individual meetings allow us to obtain accurate information about the state of environmental management in the country and to prepare a draft EPR report,” said Antoine Nunes, EPR Programme Manager.

The new review covers four main areas: environmental pollution (evaluating the impact of key economic sectors on air, water, soil and biodiversity), green development (reviewing the greening of the tax and tariff system and environmental), climate change (analyzing greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation measures), and nature-based solutions (addressing desertification, water scarcity, and biodiversity loss).

Khania Asilbekova, a representative of the Center for Specialized Analytical Control in the Field of Environmental Protection under the Ministry of Ecology, noted that the EPR serves as an external audit by leading international experts.

“Today, together with our colleagues, we presented our ongoing work in the field of environmental protection as part of the Ministry of Ecology’s transformation. The fourth EPR stands out in that it will not be voluminous, but it will be comprehensive. It will contain the core information that will later serve as a roadmap for improving environmental policy and integrating environmental considerations into economic activity.”

As part of the mission, progress on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is also being assessed — how well the goals are adapted to the national context, whether sufficient resources have been allocated, how effective the implementation mechanisms are, and what results have already been achieved. In addition, the review includes issues such as integrating gender approaches into environmental policy, protecting environmental rights, introducing circular economy principles and developing ecotourism.

Special attention is given to evaluating the implementation of the 99 recommendations made following the third review in 2020. This work highlights Uzbekistan’s commitment to transparency, international cooperation and consistent reform in environmental policy.