New IUCN co-implemented project to boost ecosystem restoration in Uzbekistan

The GEF-8 project "Integrated Management and Restoration of Valuable Landscapes in Uzbekistan (EcoLand)" was officially launched at the 20^th Conference of the Parties to the CITES Convention (CITES CoP20), in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The project launch signals strong national and international commitment to scaling up restoration across the country.

Funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and co-implemented by IUCN and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the EcoLand project has a total budget of USD 6.1 million. It aims to restore degraded landscapes, strengthen protected-area management, and promote sustainable, community-based natural-resource use for the benefit of both people and nature across three key landscape clusters in Uzbekistan.

The launch event, organised together with the National Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Ecology and Climate Change, brought together government representatives, development partners and conservation organisations. A formal signing ceremony marked strengthened cooperation among the partners to address pressing environmental challenges and embody the potential for innovative, scalable solutions to benefit people and the planet.

"Today’s launch is more than the start of a project. It is a signal of Uzbekistan’s leadership, of Central Asia’s growing regional cooperation, and of what is possible when global partners unite behind a shared vision,” said IUCN’s Director General, Dr Grethel Aguilar, speaking at the launch event. "The landscapes we restore will stand as living proof that restoration is not only achievable, but transformative: for biodiversity, for climate resilience, and for the communities who care for these lands every day."

"Scientists estimate that every minute, nine square meters of land in Uzbekistan turns into desert, underscoring the urgency of our actions. We welcome that GEF-funded project on “Integrated Conservation Management and Restoration of High-Value Landscapes in Uzbekistan” implemented in close collaboration with UNDP and IUCN will further contribute to Government’s initiatives on restoring degraded landscapes, strengthening management of the Key Biodiversity Areas and empowering local communities,” stated Aziz Abdukhakimov, Advisor to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Environment and Chairman of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change. 

"Uzbekistan is blessed with unique ecosystems – from the mountain ranges of the Western Tien Shan and Hissar to the steppes and deserts of its central regions. These landscapes provide vital ecosystem services – from water regulation to soil fertility – that sustain livelihoods and biodiversity. However, they are increasingly threatened by land degradation, water scarcity, biodiversity loss, and the growing impacts of climate change. This project comes at a crucial moment, as Uzbekistan advances its Green Growth Strategy, National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, Biodiversity Conservation Strategy, and its commitments under the Global Biodiversity Framework," said Akiko Fujii, UNDP Resident Representative in Uzbekistan at the event. "We are equally proud to implement this project jointly with the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change, and IUCN. Together, our organizations bring complementary strengths, national ownership, global expertise and networks on the ground needed to drive meaningful change to the people of Uzbekistan.”

The project will take place across six regions and ten pilot districts representing some of Uzbekistan’s most valuable and diverse natural landscapes: Tashkent region (Parkent and Akhangaran districts), Surkhandarya region (Baysun and Sherabad districts), Kashkadarya region (Dekhkanabad district), Navoi region (Khatynchi and Nurata districts), Samarkand region (Koshrabad and Payarik districts), Jizzakh region (Forish district).