Uzbekistan is launching the largest environmental project in the country's history aimed at restoring the ecosystem of the dried-up Aral Sea and combating desertification. In 2025, within the framework of the national program "Yashil Makon", it is planned to green 250 thousand hectares in the Aral Sea region, including 115 thousand hectares on the former bottom of the Aral Sea.
The project is being implemented under the direction of the newly established Forest Agency. Among the priority tasks are the development of the forest fund, increasing the production of planting material and digitalization of ecological gardening processes.
By 2030, the country intends to grow 919 million seedlings, harvest more than 9 thousand tons of seeds and scale production in 79 forest farms. This will allow not only to cover the Aral Sea region with new green spaces, but also to create protective forest belts to prevent dust storms.
Key areas of the program include:
- Landscaping of 250 thousand hectares in the Aral Sea region during 2025, including saline and arid areas.
- Use of moisture-resistant and salt-resistant tree species, which will be planted using trikes in hard-to-reach areas.
- Digital platform "Yashil Makon", where in real time it will be possible to track the coordinates of landings, responsible organizations and budget expenditures.
- Restoration of 38.5 thousand hectares of pastures in six regions of the country.
- Creation of nurseries for rare animals and launch of production facilities for processing wood waste into biofuels.
Starting from October 1, 2025, all stages of the project implementation will be fully digitized. Citizens will be able to monitor the progress of work, get information about planted trees, planting sites and organizations responsible for their safety.
In addition to the Aral Sea region, the project will cover other regions of the country. It is planned to create local gardens in each mahalla, and ministries, enterprises and administrative districts will participate in the environmental rating. Regular "green days" will be held throughout the country, during which residents will be able to plant trees and take care of them.
One of the key goals of the program is to increase the forest cover of the territory of Uzbekistan from the current 8 percent to 15 percent by 2030. This will not only create a sustainable ecological system, but also provide long-term protection against climate threats, including droughts and dust storms.
