Mirziyoyev Launches Uzbekistan’s National Dendropark Project

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev participated in a tree-planting event as part of the nationwide “Yashil Makon” project and officially launched the creation of the National Dendrological Park.

Speaking at the ceremony, the President emphasized that the tradition of planting trees has deep historical roots. Historically, citizens planted saplings during Navruz celebrations and on significant family occasions, beautifying yards, parks, and roads.

Building on these values, the “Yashil Makon” project has been implemented over the past five years, with approximately 200 million saplings planted annually. To date, 942 green gardens and public parks have been established across more than 2,000 hectares, alongside the creation of “Yangi Uzbekistan” gardens on 47 plots.

Significant efforts have been made in ecologically vulnerable regions. In mountainous, desert, and steppe zones, 256,000 hectares of forests have been planted, while protective forests covering 2 million hectares have been established on the dried seabed of the Aral Sea. In 33 districts, a 60-kilometer “green belt” has been created to mitigate wind and sandstorm impacts.

Additional measures include the development of nurseries and combating desertification. Several regions now host modern facilities capable of producing up to 5.5 million saplings annually. Chinese experience in creating drought-resistant halophyte parks is also being applied to reduce soil salinity and improve fertility.

As a result of these efforts, the country’s green coverage has increased from 8% to 14.2%. A new presidential decree sets the goal of reaching 30% by 2030, with green space provision rising to 10 square meters per person.

Major upcoming projects include a 10,000-hectare “green space” in Surkhandarya, an 84-kilometer “green barrier” in Syrdarya, and new forest areas spanning millions of hectares in Karakalpakstan, Navoi, Bukhara, and Khorezm regions.

The initiative also focuses on workforce development. “Green” technical colleges will open this year, training up to 10,000 specialists annually under a dual education system. Botanical gardens and dendrological parks will serve as practical and research bases.

President Mirziyoyev also called for increased public participation in greening. Funding for the “My Garden” program has been raised to 400 million soums, with up to 1 hectare allocated per green garden. Additionally, members of the Legislative Chamber will receive 412 million soums each to establish green zones in their constituencies.

Scientific planning is being emphasized, incorporating international recommendations for planting adapted species. In Tashkent, the National Dendrological Park is being developed on 108 hectares, including an in vitro laboratory, medicinal plant centers, seed production, and selection programs under the “science — project — practice” model.

The President expressed gratitude to Ismail Belen, Chair of the UN Forum on Forests, Juliette Biao, Director of the Forum Secretariat, the diplomatic corps, and all participants.

The ceremony concluded with President Mirziyoyev and attendees planting decorative trees on the first 5 hectares of the future dendropark, while across the country approximately 21,000 people planted 88,000 saplings over 164 hectares.