Published on: 2026-06-03
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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Uzbekistan has achieved significant progress in green development, but the country still needs to strengthen measures to combat environmental pollution. This was stated by experts of the European Economic Commission (UNECE). They presented the Fourth Review of the Environmental Performance of Uzbekistan in Samarkand.
“Uzbekistan has implemented ambitious reforms and introduced innovative approaches, particularly in the field of environmentally oriented development, renewable energy sources, and nature-oriented solutions,” said the Executive Secretary of the UN ECE Tatyana Molchan.
Major achievements
From 2018 to 2024, emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere in Uzbekistan decreased by 25 percent, according to the EAEU of the UN. A law on limiting greenhouse gas emissions was adopted.
The area covered by forests increased to 8.7 percent. Uzbekistan has significantly expanded the scale of reforestation and ecosystem restoration efforts, especially in the Aral Sea region. In 2021, more than 600 thousand hectares of forest were planted, mainly in desert areas.
The country has also adopted a roadmap strategy for the green economy until 2030, green bonds have been launched. The share of renewable energy sources in electricity production has reached 15–18 percent.
Experts also noted a reform in the management sphere: the Ministry of Ecology was transformed in 2025 into an independent National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change under the president.
Uzbekistan has successfully implemented or is implementing 77 percent of the previous recommendations of the UN Economic Commission for Europe.
Main problems
Experts note that Uzbekistan still significantly depends on fossil fuels. In 2023, natural gas accounted for 80 percent of primary energy consumption, oil – 10 percent, coal – eight percent. The level of processing of solid household waste in 2024 was only 5.2 percent.
There is also a water shortage in the country, and the irrigation systems are ineffective. Only 48 percent of controlled water bodies are recognized as clean, 48 percent are moderately polluted, and 4 percent are heavily polluted. Up to 90 percent of pollution in the Syr Darya river basin is related to agriculture.
Economic losses of Uzbekistan from climate change could reach 1 percent of GDP by 2030. The country ranks 19th out of 138 in terms of concentration of harmful PM2.5 particles in the air. And the majority of more than 200 registered landfills do not meet environmental standards.
Recommendations
For the further reform of the EAEU, the UN (with the support of experts from Germany, Italy, UNEP, and UNDP) has prepared 45 recommendations. Including: the adoption of a comprehensive law on climate change and a National Adaptation Plan, modernization of wastewater treatment, systematic integration of nature-oriented solutions into infrastructure, and the development of payment mechanisms for environmental pollution.
“The recommendations contained in the review represent a practical roadmap for further improving ecological efficiency, combating pollution, strengthening resilience to climate change, and improving the well-being of the population,” said Molchan.
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