Uzbekistan has called for stronger international financing and the development of new regional investment mechanisms to address desertification, land degradation and drought. This was stated in a statement by Uzbekistan’s National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, released following the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17) in Ulaanbaatar. According to the National Committee, the high-level segment brought together heads of state and government officials, ministers, representatives of international organizations, and other participants.
The segment was opened by Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh and also featured remarks by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed and UNCCD Executive Secretary Yasmine Fouad. The discussions focused on accelerating land restoration, strengthening resilience to drought, improving sustainable pasture management and expanding financing for the restoration of land and ecosystems.
A central issue was the global financing gap. According to figures presented at COP17, the annual funding shortfall for addressing desertification, land degradation and drought is estimated at $278 billion, while the annual economic cost of inaction stands at approximately $878 billion. Speaking at a ministerial dialogue on innovative financing mechanisms, Aziz Abdukhakimov, adviser to the President of Uzbekistan on environmental issues and chairman of the National Committee for Ecology and Climate Change, noted that land degradation and drought pose both environmental and socioeconomic challenges for Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan covers about 45 million hectares, with roughly 30 million hectares consisting of desert and arid landscapes. More than 11 million hectares are classified as degraded, while about 70% of the country’s territory faces desertification risks. Pastures cover approximately 26 million hectares, with about 60% experiencing declining productivity.
The country has expanded restoration efforts, including in the Aral Sea region, where protective vegetation has been established across more than 2 million hectares of the dried seabed to help reduce dust storms and improve regional resilience. Uzbekistan also highlighted the $153 million RESILAND Uzbekistan project financed by the World Bank, as well as more than $32 million in grants mobilized in 2025 for environmental stabilization in the Aral Sea region. However, Abdukhakimov stressed that international financing remains insufficient and presented several proposals aimed at mobilizing investment in Central Asia.
One proposal calls for establishing a Drylands Project Lab under the Regional Research Institute for Combating Desertification and Developing Desert Economies at Green University. The platform would turn scientific research and tested solutions into investment-ready projects, while a proposed Central Asian Land Project Preparation Center would provide grants and technical assistance. Uzbekistan aims to develop the region’s first portfolio of such projects by 2027.
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