Targeted greening program will be adopted in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan will adopt the Targeted Greening Investment Program every year. Each hokimiyat and government agency was instructed to create their own gardens in all cities and districts by the end of the year. All industrial enterprises should create “green belts”. This was reported by the correspondent of “Gazeta.uz”.

Uzbekistan will introduce a “dramatically new system” of organizing measures to increase the level of landscaping of territories, as well as the development of forestry and forest nursery. This is stated in the decree of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev dated May 31 “On measures to transform the sphere of ecology and environmental protection and organize the activities of the authorized state body.” As we wrote, by this decree, the Ministry of Natural Resources was transformed into the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change.

According to the document, from 2024, 500 billion soums will be allocated annually from the state budget for the following purposes:

• their creation and maintenance until the transfer to permanent users of protective forest plantations “green belt”, “green garden”, “green public park” and “green coverings”;
• planting tree seedlings along main roads and main railways based on natural conditions;
• creation of gardens on at least 5 hectares of area in each district and city;
• carrying out work on planting tree seedlings, preparing and designing land plots;
• expansion of maternal plantations in the development of seed production, through this, the harvesting of high-quality seeds and cuttings;
• development of forestry and forest nursery, including the use of the method of growing in pots with a closed root system and care for a period of at least three years based on tree species;
• creation of irrigation systems and installation of water wells.

The Investment Program for Targeted Planting of Uzbekistan will be approved annually. It should include:

• main parameters of events and target forecasts for the year;
• address list of roadsides and railways where tree seedlings will be planted;
• address lists by areas, industries, regions and organizations;
• specific financial mechanisms and sources of events.

Planting, irrigating, caring for tree seedlings, creating “green gardens”, “green public parks”, “green shield” and “green cover” will be carried out in accordance with the public procurement legislation.

Customers, designers and contractors must be determined in the manner prescribed by law. The Ministry of Ecology is entrusted with carrying out an environmental review.

The decree also provides that by the end of 2023, each state organization and each khokimiyat must create their own gardens, which are cared for for three years at the expense of extra-budgetary funds and local budget funds, respectively. At the same time, it was established that the gardens of organizations should be created in the central territories of districts and cities and occupy an area from 50 acres to 2 hectares. The determination of land areas and the allocation of funds for these gardens will be carried out by the Cabinet of Ministers.

Starting September 1, each large industrial enterprise (categorized as environmental impact categories I and II) must create “green belts” in its own and adjacent territories on the basis of a project agreed with the Ministry of Ecology.