Uzbekistan is implementing the “Sustainable Forest and Rangelands Management in the Dryland Ecosystems” project (GCP/UZB/020/GFF), funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and coordinated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). With a budget of USD 3.7 million, the project covers Bukhara and Navoi regions and runs from 24 March 2022 to 31 December 2026.
Key objectives include:
promoting Sustainable Land Management (SLM) and Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN);
improving rural livelihood resilience;
showcasing climate-smart agriculture through Farmer Field Schools (FFS);
supporting knowledge exchange and local capacity building.
Main activities:
establishing FFS on beekeeping, milk processing, and medicinal plant cultivation;
creating Ferula demonstration plots and supporting traditional dairy production;
delivering advanced laboratory equipment to the Bukhara Soil Science Institute;
developing the Earth Engine App for LDN indicator monitoring and land productivity mapping;
providing legislative support, including updates to the national pasture law.
The project also emphasizes awareness raising and gender inclusion through public campaigns, youth participation in the World Food Forum in Rome, gender strategy workshops, and community-based women’s empowerment initiatives.
Project governance is ensured by a Steering Committee, chaired by a representative of the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change, with participation from the Ministry of Agriculture, FAO experts, and national specialists.
