Uzbekistan to allocate 100 billion soums for construction of “green coatings” at the Aral Sea basin

The Cabinet of Ministers adopted a resolution “On measures to accelerate construction of protective forests – “green coatings” on the dried areas of the Aral Sea”.

It is noted that as a result of the Aral Sea water disruption, ecological and natural balance has been declining in recent years and climate change has been adversely affected. As a result of the rise of sand, salt and dust from these zones and pollution to the environment, population of the Aral Sea region, the flora and fauna are being seriously damaged. Secondary salinization is increasing in the lands where agricultural crops, gardens and vineyards are cultivated – it is negatively affecting crop production.

The resolution approves proposals of the State Committee for Forestry of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economy and Industry, the Uzbekneftegaz Joint Stock Company and the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Karakalpakstan on the followings:

Construction of protective forests (“Green coatings”) in the dried Aral Sea basins;

For the construction of “green coatings” in 2019, it was agreed to allocate 100 billion soums from the Uzbekneftegaz JSC's debt to the Fund for Development of the Aral Sea Region under the Ministry of Finance.

Volumes of “green coatings” in the dried Aral Sea area have been approved for spring and autumn seasons of 2019.

The State Committee for Land Resources, Geodesy, Cartography and State Cadaster of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Karakalpakstan and the State Committee for Forestry shall register the land plots for creating “green covers”. Also, measures will be taken to allocate them for forestry enterprises on the basis of the right of permanent possession.

Exceptionally to create “green coatings”:

Forestry bodies of the State Committee for Forestry of the Republic of Uzbekistan – client and contractor;

The State Unitary Enterprise “Urmonloyiha” has been assigned as the main designer.

State Committee for the Forestry of the Republic of Uzbekistan is obliged to do followings:

a) It will ensure the establishment of “green coating” territories by the possibility of forestry capacities, control timely and qualitative construction of shelter forests in the areas of “green coatings”;

b) the SUE “Urmonloyiha” will be responsible for:
Development of a plan for exploration works in the areas allocated on the basis of the right of permanent ownership of forestry, identifying lands suitable for forestry and establishing protective forests;

in accordance with the plan, development of the methods of forest management, the number and types of equipment needed for forestry on each forest, the exact calculation of the cost of raw materials and the amount of work performed;

in accordance with the plan, providing development of working projects for forest management using modern technologies for each forestry by March 1, 2019 and up to September 1 in the following years;

c) It will organize creation of “green coatings” on the area of 500,000 hectares in the dried Aral Sea area in 2019 together with the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Karakalpakstan.