KOICA completes project on greenery of the territory attached to the Navoi FEZ

The project was implemented in collaboration with the Navoi Regional Administration. The Project established a forest for wind and sand reduction in the territory (140 ha) attached to the Navoi Free Economic Zone (FEZ) and further established a tree nursery, allowing the management of the forestry sites and continued technical cooperation.

The Project also created Korea-Uzbekistan Friendship Forest(4,814m2) in the nearby Karmana district, Malikrabot village, to commemorate the very first project on forestry between Korea and Uzbekistan and constructed a park where the residents can rest and experience the forest greenery technology.

Approximately 100 people attended the workshop, and the participants include officials from the Navoi Regional Administration and the Main Office of Forestry under the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of the Republic of Uzbekistan, including Soli Khamroev, Deputy Governor of the Navoi Regional Administration, and personnel from KOICA, Suppro Co., Ltd., and SK Forest Co., Ltd., including Im Jeong Hee, Director of KOICA Uzbekistan Office.

The workshop began with the congratulatory speeches of Im Jeong Hee and Soli Khamroev and was subsequently followed by the signing ceremony of the project transfer-acceptance statement between KOICA and the Navoi Regional Administration.

The workshop also consisted of a joint seminar of the two countries’ experts, which focused on the current status of forestry and direction of forestry policy in Uzbekistan, KOICA tree nursery’s quality seedling production technology and measures on the development of the nursery industry, the results of the Navoi Project, and successful cases of the forestry project in the Aral Searegion.

On 14 December, the experts from the two countries visited KOICA’s tree nursery, forestry project sites, and the Korea-Uzbekistan Friendship Forest and held in-depth discussions on a range of topics including facility utilization, afforestation tree species, planting methods, and operations management.

KOICA’s project entitled “Greenery of the territory attached to the Navoi FEZ” (US$2.5 million) was implemented, at the request of the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, Investment and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan, with the aim of enhancing the ecological environment of the Navoi FEZ and the living conditions of local residents.

The Korean side shared Korea’s green technology and provided equipment for afforestation through the exchange of experts and transferred forestry technology through the establishment of the advanced nursery facilities.

The project was implemented by Suppro Co., Ltd. and SK Forest Co., Ltd., which facilitated the development of the forest in the territory attached to the Navoi FEZ, the formulation of the Master Plan, the establishment of the tree nursery, and the training of Uzbek forestry specialists in Korea.

The Project contributed to the cultivation of forestry specialists and the development of human resources and further established the foundation for future cooperation between Korea and Uzbekistan in the field of forestry.