Desertification is the process of land degradation, which continues in all regions of the world, associated with human factors and climate change.

Uzbekistan became one of the first countries in the Asian region to join the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. This convention was ratified by the Parliament of Uzbekistan on August 31, 1995, and entered into force in 1996.

Land restoration and healthy lifestyle empowerment

Fertile land forms the basis of a flourishing economy, more than half of the world's gross domestic product depends on nature. Meanwhile, we are depleting this natural capital at a terrible rate: every minute, due to land degradation, the equivalent of an area equal to four football fields is being lost.

This leads to the loss of biodiversity and increases the risk of drought. The impact of waves on a global scale - from rising food prices to the emergence of instability and migration problems.

Desertification, land degradation, and drought are among the most pressing environmental problems of our time, and it is alarming that 40 percent of the total land area in the world is degraded.

The work being carried out within the framework of the United Nations Decade Program for the Restoration of Ecosystems for 2021-2030 today requires further intensification of efforts to comprehensively restore the wave of land degradation. If current trends continue, 1.5 billion hectares of land will be restored by 2030.

In recent years, consistent measures to combat desertification have been taken in our country.

In particular, during 2018-2024, "green cover" from seeds and seedlings of desert plants was created on an area of 1 million 865 thousand hectares. Of these protective forests, 1 million 783 thousand hectares were created from seeds of desert plants, 82 thousand 397 hectares - from seedlings of desert plants. For these events, about 7.5 thousand tons of saxaul and other desert plant seeds were collected. Saxaul plantations were established on an area of at least 100 hectares per year.

Based on the goals and objectives defined in the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated February 7 of this year "On the State Program for the Implementation of the "Uzbekistan - 2030" Strategy in the "Year of Environmental Protection and Green Economy," the Agency for the Expansion of Forest and Green Areas and Combating Desertification is implementing systemic measures to expand forest areas, increase the level of greenery, and prevent desertification in our country.