Uzbekistan Launches ECODATA Digital Ecology Platform

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan officially launched an updated electronic geoinformation database of biodiversity and protected natural areas, ECODATA, on 28 July 2026. The platform unifies environmental data within a single digital system designed for monitoring natural resources, supporting scientific research, and guiding management decisions.

The presentation of ECODATA took place at the Research Center for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia at Green University. The event was attended by representatives of the National Committee for Ecology and Climate Change, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Green University, the scientific community, international organizations, and development partners.

Jusipbek Kazbekov, Deputy Chairman of the National Committee for Ecology and Climate Change, noted that digital technologies allow for more accurate tracking of natural resources, species distribution, and ecosystem changes. According to him, ECODATA is intended to transform environmental data into a practical tool for government bodies, scientists, specialists, international partners, and the public.

The platform was created by the National Committee for Ecology and Climate Change jointly with the UNDP and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) as part of the Aral Sea Wetlands project.

ECODATA consolidates previously fragmented information on flora, fauna, protected natural territories, forests, water bodies, pastures, nature management, and monitoring results. The system currently comprises seven main modules and more than 60 interconnected tables, covering all 12 regions and the Republic of Karakalpakstan.

The system provides various user access levels at national and regional levels, with all operations recorded in a specialized audit module.

Dedicated sections of ECODATA focus on flora and fauna. They allow users to record species, track populations and distribution, document conservation statuses—including Red Data Book listings—and maintain specialized cadastres. For plant life, the system provides for tracking rare species, natural pastures, their productivity and condition, as well as registers of nurseries and plantations.

The platform also contains data on state nature reserves, national natural parks, wildlife sanctuaries, natural monuments, protected landscapes, forestry and hunting enterprises, fisheries, and ecotourism zones. Geographical, ecological, and economic data can be combined for each territory, including information on flora, fauna, forests, and water bodies.

One of the system's functions is mobile data collection directly in natural areas. Specialists will be able to log observations and cadastral data using GPS coordinates, photographs, and other materials. In the absence of an internet connection, data will be saved locally on the device and synchronized with the central database once connectivity is restored.

Citizens and researchers will also be able to submit observations of plants and animals. Photographs and coordinates can be attached to reports, while unidentified species can be forwarded to specialists for subsequent verification.

ECODATA also includes natural resource management tools. In particular, a specialized quota module will enable the calculation of limits based on species population size, distribution, and available resources.

Digital public services are also integrated into the system. Through integration with my.gov.uz, specific procedures—including nursery registration and confirmation of planting material—are planned to be transitioned into electronic format.

UNDP Resident Representative in Uzbekistan Akiko Fujii noted that scientific organizations will be able to upload research and monitoring results into ECODATA, building a cumulative archive. This will allow for the analysis of changes in species populations and distribution over several years and help identify territories and species requiring additional attention.

In the future, developers plan to expand the mobile application, strengthen GIS integration, introduce automated alerts for critical declines in rare species populations, develop tools to assess climate change impacts, and integrate the platform with international information systems.