National State of the Environment Report: Uzbekistan

The report provides a comprehensive analysis of Uzbekistan's environmental status from 2012 to 2022, highlighting critical challenges in water scarcity, land degradation, and air pollution driven by population and economic growth. It details the ongoing Aral Sea crisis and the country's vulnerability to climate change, while outlining national responses such as the Yashil Makon afforestation project and a transition toward green energy.

• Uzbekistan is highly vulnerable to climate change, with average annual temperatures increasing by 1.6°C since 1880, a rate higher than the global average.
• Water scarcity is a critical issue; per capita water availability declined from 3,048 m3 to 1,400 m3 over the last 15 years, and the country is ranked 25th out of 164 in water stress.
• Agriculture is the primary water consumer, accounting for up to 90% of total water use, but efficiency remains low with water-saving technologies implemented in only 23% of irrigated areas.
• Air pollution is driven by stationary sources (energy, oil, gas, metallurgy, chemicals) and mobile sources, with vehicles contributing 63% of total emissions, peaking in Tashkent city.
• The Aral Sea crisis continues to cause severe ecological and health impacts, with the sea's volume declining from 1,083 km3 in 1960 to 69.31 km3, leading to the formation of the 5-million-hectare Aralkum desert.
• Land degradation and desertification are prevalent, with 70% of the country being arid or semi-arid; soil salinity increased from 51.4% in 2012 to 55.8% in 2022.
• Uzbekistan has expanded its protected areas, with 11 new areas created between 2019 and 2022, bringing the total coverage to 14.08% of the country's area.
• Greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 0.6% since 2013, and the country has committed to reducing GHG emissions per unit of GDP by 35% by 2030 compared to 2010 levels.
• Waste management faces challenges in recycling; while municipal waste collection coverage reached 85%, most waste is disposed of in landfills, and recycling for industrial, medical, and e-waste is very limited.
• Public health is impacted by environmental factors, with a 26.9% probability of premature death from noncommunicable diseases, and high rates of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
• The Yashil Makon national project aims to plant 200 million trees and shrubs annually until 2030 to increase urban green spaces from 8% to 30%.
• Uzbekistan is transitioning to green energy, with a target of 27 GW of capacity from green power plants by 2030 to save 25 billion cubic metres of natural gas annually.

APA

Asilbekova, K., Yarullina, Z., Plocen, M., Sherimbetov, K., Li, T., Talipov, J., Abdullayev, U., Makhmudov, B., Shokirov, N., Abdukhalikov, J., Tursunaliyev, A., Usmanova, S., & Mirshina, O. (2023). National State of the Environment Report: Uzbekistan. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-02/uzbekistan-state-of-the-environment-en.pdf

Chicago

Asilbekova, Khaniya, Zulfiya Yarullina, Marina Plocen, Khalilulla Sherimbetov, Tatiana Li, Jakhongir Talipov, Umarjon Abdullayev, et al. National State of the Environment Report: Uzbekistan. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2023. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-02/uzbekistan-state-of-the-environment-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{asilbekova2023national, author = {Asilbekova, Khaniya and Yarullina, Zulfiya and Plocen, Marina and Sherimbetov, Khalilulla and Li, Tatiana and Talipov, Jakhongir and Abdullayev, Umarjon and Makhmudov, Bobur and Shokirov, Numonjon and Abdukhalikov, Javokhir and Tursunaliyev, Anvar and Usmanova, Shahnoza and Mirshina, Olga}, title = {{National State of the Environment Report: Uzbekistan}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2023}, month = dec, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-02/uzbekistan-state-of-the-environment-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }