Uzbekistan aims to develop "desert economy" to combat land degradation

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, has reviewed a series of strategic proposals aimed at combating desertification and establishing a sustainable "desert economy." The initiatives focus on expanding forest plantations, generating new streams of income on salinized lands, promoting ecotourism, and launching scientific projects geared toward sustainable natural resource management.

According to the presidential press service, strategies for countering land degradation were integrated into a broader presentation that also outlined the implementation of eco-friendly urban planning principles under the "Green Samarkand" sustainability model.

It was noted during the presentation that approximately 80% of Uzbekistan's territory is comprised of desert and semi-desert zones. Ecological vulnerabilities are particularly acute in the country's western regions, where soil salinization, intense dust storms, and arid winds have severely intensified as a direct consequence of the drying of the Aral Sea.

To mitigate these impacts, protective afforestation efforts continue in the Aral Sea basin. Halophytic and desert-resistant flora, including saxaul (Haloxylon), are systematically planted to bind desert sands and limit the atmospheric dispersion of dust and toxic salts. Over recent years, more than 2 million hectares of protective green cover have been successfully established on the exposed, dry bed of the Aral Sea. Concurrently, the nationwide "Yashil Makon" (Green Space) project has overseen the planting of over 1 billion trees and shrubs across the country. Through these combined measures, Uzbekistan's overall green cover indicator has risen from 8% to 14.3% over the past five years.

A new phase of anti-desertification initiatives has been mapped out for the 2026–2030 period. The state plans to establish and restore 1.27 million hectares of forest areas alongside anchoring 16,000 hectares of protective shelterbelts spanning desert, foothill, and mountainous terrain.

Planned regional targets include deploying 10,000 hectares of green plantations in the Surkhandarya region, constructing an 84-kilometer-long "green wall" of protective trees in the border districts of the Sirdaryo region, initiating terraced tree planting in highland zones, and piloting advanced agro-technological solutions on degraded soils.

Considerable emphasis is being placed on pioneering a specialized "desert economy." Priority development verticals within this framework encompass specialized seed breeding, the cultivation of salt-tolerant halophyte crops, optimized livestock farming support, and upgrading pasture productivity. The model also incorporates the expansion of regional ecotourism and targeted scientific research.

As part of the structural plan, dedicated nurseries for desert flora will be built in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, while commercial pistachio plantations will be cultivated on the Babatag ridge. The government also discussed the formation of a regional seed and plant bank specializing in drought-resistant crops.

To broaden international cooperation on the climate agenda, the proposals call for scaling up the operations of the Central Asian Research Institute for Combating Desertification and Green Economy Development, alongside activating joint regional efforts within the "Green Shield" partnership program.