The Government of Uzbekistan has launched a large-scale program to restore degraded pasturelands, following a presidential decree issued on October 31, 2025. The initiative aims to strengthen food security and promote sustainable agricultural development, Podrobno.uz reports.
As part of the program, a Data Management Center for pasture monitoring will be established under the “Uzdaverloyiha” Institute. A unified digital information system will also be introduced on the “Digital Agriculture” platform to enable real-time land monitoring.
Key practical measures include the creation of community pastures, drilling of water wells, re-vegetation using drones, and the development of seed production for desert-steppe plants. The program will also draw on advanced technologies from China and Mongolia, where similar initiatives have restored up to 30–40% of degraded lands over the past decade.
Funded with $63 million from the Asian Development Bank, the project is scheduled for completion by July 2026.
According to Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Agriculture, pastures cover over 21 million hectares—nearly half the country’s territory—though much of it has degraded due to overgrazing and salinization. By comparison, Kazakhstan has more than 180 million hectares of pastureland, 27% of which requires rehabilitation, while around 20% of Kyrgyzstan’s pastures are in poor condition.
Uzbekistan’s initiative is expected to become one of the largest regional ecosystem restoration projects, focusing on sustainable agriculture and combating desertification.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
November 11, 2025