On October 24-25, Nukus city hosted a high-level International Conference under the auspices of the United Nations entitled “Aral Sea Area – Environmental Innovations and Technologies Zone”.
At the conference, Minister of Economy and Industry Botir Usmonov talked about the strategy for Uzbekistan’s transition to a green economy in 2019-2030.
“Ensuring environmental safety is an important component of the “green economy”. This is of great importance for the Aral Sea region. Uzbekistan strives to achieve a balance between economic growth and environmental protection. This is reflected on the concept introducing environmentally friendly, energy- and water-saving technologies.
In recent years, our country has carried out several important projects in the Aral Sea region: tens of thousands of trees were planted in the territory of 700,000 hectares of land, and a development program for the Aral Sea region in 2018-2021 has been adopted,” Botir Usmonov said.
The concept of Uzbekistan’s transition to a green economy in 2019-2030 includes:
- Reducing the consumption of water resources, the use of water-saving technologies;
- Transfer of the population and economy to a better and cheaper energy supply;
- Active use of alternative energy sources;
- Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere by 10% of the GNP 2010 indicator.
The conference was attended by UN Assistant Secretary General Abdoulaye Mar Dieye. He called for more efforts to recreate the Aral Sea region.
“Drying up of the Aral Sea is one of the most serious environmental disasters in the region. Now it is high time to act. We must restore the natural conditions, in particular, to ensure the conditions necessary for the population’s life in remote areas of Karakalpakstan. This will serve as an impetus for the return of youth to these regions,” Abdoulaye Mar Dieye said.
In recent years, the Government of Uzbekistan, with the help of the UN Development Program, has provided over 66,000 rural residents with drinking water, electricity, medicine and education, and more than 215 small enterprises have received support.
As a result of the conference, a draft special resolution of the UN General Assembly on declaration of the Aral Sea Region as the territory of environmental innovation and technology was adopted.
