ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS IN UZBEKISTAN AND WAYS TO SOLVING THEM

ABSTRACT

This article presents current and potential environmental problems in the regions of the Republic of Uzbekistan, their causes and consequences, and analyzes and identifies these problems based on indicators recorded by «Uzhydromet» stations, the IQAir portal, and the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan. To identify environmental issues in Uzbekistan, the results obtained for each environment were analyzed, namely: air pollutant emissions from vehicles, the use of fuel oil as a supplementary fuel by heating plants, the increase in the number of industrial enterprises, desertification and degradation of the lithosphere, and the depletion and pollution of hydrosphere water resources.

АННОТАЦИЯ

В данной статье представлены текущие и потенциальные экологические проблемы в регионах Республики Узбекистан, их причины и последствия, а также проведен анализ и выделение проблем на основе показателей, зафиксированных станциями «Узгидромет», порталом IQAir и Национальным комитетом по экологии и изменению климата Республики Узбекистан. При выделении экологических проблем в Узбекистане были проанализированы результаты, полученные для каждой из сред, а именно: выбросы загрязняющих веществ в атмосферу от транспортных средств, использование мазута в качестве дополнительного топлива теплоснабжающими станциями, увеличение числа промышленных предприятий, опустынивание и деградация литосферы, а также истощение и загрязнение водных ресурсов гидросферы.

Keywords: Environmental protection, atmospheric environment, environmental awareness, industrial enterprises, hydrosphere, reduction of desertification, land degradation, land restoration, environmental impact assessment.

Ключевые слова: Охрана окружающей среды, атмосферная среда, экологическая культура, промышленные предприятия, гидросфера, сокращение опустынивания земель, деградация, восстановление земель, экологическая экспертиза.

Introduction. Our country is implementing consistent reforms in the field of environmental protection, rational use of natural resources, and ensuring the improvement of the sanitary and ecological situation. Environmental protection, ensuring the environmental safety of the population, and the efficient use of natural resources are among the priority areas of state policy.

At the same time, the analyses conducted in this area show that an integrated approach and strategic planning in the implementation of state functions in the field of environmental protection are not sufficiently formed, as well as the need to further improve the powers and capabilities of environmental protection bodies to effectively fulfill the assigned tasks.

Today, factors such as global and regional environmental problems, limited natural resources, and increasing anthropogenic impact on the environment require further improvement of the environmental protection system. In this regard, analyzing the current state of the environment, assessing environmental risks, and ensuring sustainable development are among the urgent tasks.

In accordance with the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. PF-5863 dated October 30, 2019, the Concept of Environmental Protection of the Republic of Uzbekistan for the period until 2030 was developed. The main goal of this concept is to ensure a favorable environment for the life and health of the population, achieve sustainable economic development through the introduction of innovative and environmentally friendly technologies, rational use of natural resources and the restoration of biological resources.

The purpose of this research work is to analyze the state policy and concepts adopted in the field of environmental protection in our country, and to study the scientific foundations for increasing the effectiveness of environmental protection and rational use of natural resources.

Methods. The main tasks of the concept are to ensure the preservation and protection of environmental objects (land, water, atmospheric air, subsoil, flora and fauna), expand protected natural areas, ecologize the economy, introduce economic mechanisms for the use of nature, prioritize the use of materials, products, production facilities and other objects that pose the least environmental risk, improve state control in the field of environmental protection and rational use of nature, as well as the system of environmental monitoring of the environment, scientifically ensure environmental protection, increase the ecological culture of the population, increase the level of transparency of the activities of state bodies in the field of environmental protection, and strengthen the role of civil society.

Among the current environmental problems in Uzbekistan, air pollution is the most important. Recently, Tashkent has been ranked among the world's largest cities in terms of air pollution, according to the online index IQAir. According to the IQAir portal, which is based on the indicators recorded by Uzhydromet stations, on the days of the high ranking, the concentration of fine PM-2.5 particles in Tashkent's air was 212 μg/m³ - an indicator classified as "very harmful", which is 42.4 times higher than the norm set by the World Health Organization.

Results. We can name the following as the main factors of this air pollution. The increase in the volume of pollutants emitted into the atmosphere by motor vehicles depends on the environmental level of vehicles, the fuel used, and the quality of road traffic organization. Especially recently, the fact that 300 thousand vehicles enter and leave Tashkent city per day and 400 thousand vehicles move around it is one of the main reasons for air pollution in Tashkent.

The second factor of air pollution is the use of fuel oil by heating stations as an additional fuel to provide the population with heat. If in 2018 118.9 thousand tons of fuel oil were consumed at the Tashkent Thermal Power Plant, today this figure has exceeded 270 thousand tons.

Another factor polluting the air in our republic is the increase in the number of industrial enterprises. Currently, there are more than 100 thousand industrial enterprises in our republic, of which more than 18 thousand are located in Tashkent. This, in turn, leads to an increase in the emission of pollutants into the air around Tashkent.

Table 1.

Pollutants emitted into the atmospheric air of Tashkent city (2020-2025)

During 2020-2025, the amount of harmful substances emitted into the atmospheric air in Tashkent city increased from 380 thousand tons to 460 thousand tons. One of the main reasons for this is the increase in the number of industrial enterprises and the increase in production volumes. An important factor is also the increase in the number of motor vehicles in the capital. It has been noted that in some periods, the amount of PM2.5 particles in the air has reached levels dangerous to health.

Another environmental problem is the desertification and degradation of these lands. For the Republic of Uzbekistan, 80 percent of its territory consists of deserts and semi-deserts, the issues of combating desertification and drought occupy a priority position in ensuring sustainable development.

Currently, about 10 million hectares of pastures are in need of radical improvement. Repeated grazing of livestock on the same pasture, cutting down trees for fuel and other purposes has led to a significant reduction in tree and shrub vegetation in the desert zone.

In the republic, shifting sands occupy about 1 million hectares, and two hundred thousand hectares of these lands have recently appeared around irrigated fields. This creates a serious threat, manifested in the acceleration of the desertification process. Land degradation is also occurring in irrigated areas involved in agricultural production.

The lack of crop rotation, suboptimal land cultivation, non-compliance with the requirements for the care of agricultural crops, uncontrolled use of fertilizers, as well as the low level of implementation of agroecological standards lead to the deterioration of soil and ecological conditions and an increase in the area of ​​degraded land.

One of the most important environmental problems in our republic today is the depletion and pollution of water resources. In accordance with the water distribution schemes among the five republics of Central Asia, Uzbekistan's limit for the Amu Darya and Syrdarya basins is 63.02 km3 per year at a 100% limit.

An analysis of the use of the water withdrawal limit shows that Uzbekistan receives 85% of water on average, and about 70-75% in water-scarce years, such as 2008, 2011, and 2018. The average annual water consumption in agriculture remains high.

The situation in the Aral Sea is one of the most acute environmental problems in the Central Asian region. Currently, a trend of increasing seasonal droughts is observed in Uzbekistan. This indicates that the drying up of the Aral Sea has a negative impact on the climatic conditions in the region. The Aral Sea disaster has intensified drought and scorching heat in the summer and prolonged the cold and harsh winter season, deepening the continentality of the climate.

Today, the residual water balance of the Aral Sea basin has reached an unbalanced state due to the limited, and in some years, the absence of water from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers, as a result of which the sea level continues to fall, its surface area decreases, and the concentration of dissolved elements in it continues to increase.

Strong winds from the dry bottom of the Aral Sea lift toxic salts and dust into the air, posing a serious threat to the health of the population, causing chronic blood diseases, respiratory diseases, kidney, gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system, as well as gallstones, oncology and other diseases.

According to Uzhydromet, the republic's watercourses are mainly clean and moderately polluted waters of categories II and III.

The increasing discharge of pollutants into water bodies is causing pollution of open water bodies, which, as a result, causes irreparable harm to aquatic flora and fauna, as well as affecting the health of the population.

The preservation and restoration of flora and fauna in our republic is one of the main tasks of the present day.

The diversity of flora and fauna is directly related to the state of ecosystems. Due to its geographical and climatic features, in particular, the fragility of arid and mountainous ecosystems and the limited availability of water resources, Uzbekistan is exposed to the impact of negative environmental, including transboundary, factors.

The extensive development of irrigated agriculture, salinization, waterlogging, soil erosion, water pollution, frequent changes in river flows, repeated grazing of livestock on the same pasture, cutting down of forests and thickets, and other factors have led to the loss of habitats and a decrease in the number and range of many species of flora and fauna.

Currently, 91 species of fauna are listed in the International Red Book, 324 species of flora and 184 species of fauna in the Red Book of Uzbekistan.

The Convention on Biological Diversity recommends that the Parties to the Convention increase the share of protected natural areas on land to 17 percent of the total territory of the country. Currently, this figure in Uzbekistan is about 5 percent.

As of January 1, 2019, the forest fund of the Republic of Uzbekistan amounted to 11,572.6 thousand hectares, or 25.7% of the country's territory, including 3,201.6 thousand hectares covered with forest.

Forests mainly perform environmental (soil protection, water protection, preservation and protection of flora and fauna and other natural resources, sanitary and hygienic, health improvement, recreational) tasks and socio-economic functions.The greatest anthropogenic load falls on trees and shrubs growing in areas with a dense population and near large industrial facilities.

Currently, waste management is of great importance. Anthropogenic activity has led to the accumulation of billions of tons of industrial waste, as well as solid household waste in the republic, which are often disposed of in landfills, dumps and sludge storage facilities that do not meet the requirements.

Table 2.

Data on waste generation in Uzbekistan

Industrial waste is accumulating especially rapidly in mining, oil and gas production, coal and chemical industries. The lack of technologies for reducing, disposing of, recycling or reusing industrial waste creates opportunities for the accumulation of such waste. In addition, the presence of residual reserves of banned and obsolete chemicals (pesticides and herbicides) is also a serious problem.

Existing solid waste landfills in the republic do not meet sanitary and environmental standards. A large part of solid waste is collected in disorderly and unauthorized places or is burned without the use of special means.

Now we will dwell on the measures outlined in the Environmental Protection Concept to address environmental problems in our republic.

•  ensuring the development and improvement of bilateral relations with bordering countries in the following areas;
• reducing the risk of exposure to chemical, biological, and radiological materials;
• establishing transboundary protected natural areas;
• reducing the level of desertification and land degradation, restoring the quality and productivity of land areas:
• ensuring sustainable management of forest resources, pastures, and livestock, as well as water and land resources;
• increasing the area of ​​​​planted trees on the dry bottom of the Aral Sea on the Uzbek side;
• development and implementation of a program for the restoration and reclamation of degraded lands;
• reduction of water resource losses in agriculture and the municipal sector;
• ensuring the reduction of emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere;
• development and adoption of comparative standards for the emission of pollutants generated in the production of electricity and heat;
• creation of "green belts" around regional centers and large cities of the republic;
• increasing the area of ​​forest fund covered with forest;
• ensuring the introduction of waste-free and low-waste technologies in production, including through the provision of preferential loans;

Discussions. Now we will dwell on the following measures proposed by the National Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Ecology and Climate Change to reduce and prevent air pollution in Tashkent.

• In order to reduce traffic congestion and ensure traffic safety, restrict the movement of vehicles weighing more than 3.5 and 12 tons intended for the transportation of goods during peak hours of the day (from 07:00 to 10:00 in the morning and from 17:00 to 20:00 in the evening) in the territory of Tashkent;

• In order to reduce traffic jams that have been occurring on highways in recent years, as an experiment, introduce the rule of driving cars on "odd and even" days to optimize traffic;

• create zones free of motor vehicles on the city's prominent central streets;

• declare a moratorium on the construction of all types of construction projects (except for objects of social and state importance);

• prohibit the use of coal fuel for industrial purposes in the districts of the Tashkent region adjacent to the city of Tashkent;

• strictly prohibit the use of fuel oil as a reserve fuel in heat centers operating in the city of Tashkent;

•  installation of scoreboards and monitors that constantly announce the air quality indicator.

Within the framework of the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan  PF-229 (“On urgent measures to improve the environmental situation in the city of Tashkent”) adopted on November 24, 2025, approximately 500 billion soums have been allocated from the state budget and other sources to improve atmospheric air quality and develop a monitoring system.

Table 3.

Within the framework of the Decree, funds will be allocated mainly to the following areas

Conclusion. In conclusion, it can be said that as a result of the implementation of the measures in the concept, the area of forests in the Uzbek part of the Aral Sea dry bottom will be increased to 60% of its total area, the loss of water resources in agriculture will be reduced by 10%, the emission of pollutants into the atmosphere will be reduced by 10%, 80% of vehicles will be converted to run on gas-cylinder fuel and electricity, and the volume of solid household waste generated will be increased to 65%.

References:

1. Online index IQAir portal. 2025.
2. Data of the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan. 2023.
3. Yormatova D.Yo., Sadullaeva D.M. Environmental problems in Uzbekistan. “Economy and society” №4(119)-2 2024.
4. Ergashev, M. Yu’lchiyeva, O’. Ahmedov, A. Abzalov “ Ecology “ Textbook, Tashkent - 2018, 246 – p.
5. Tursunov Sh.M. "Ecology and environmental protection", Tashkent: “Science”, 2020