Japan provides $1 million to promote climate-resilient development in Fergana valley

The project aims at contributing to the adaptation of agriculture to climate change as well as to achieving the net-zero target through climate-resilient development in Fergana valley, for example, saving technologies in the industry, construction, agriculture and other sectors of the economy, improving the productivity of agricultural land and improving the water management system, thereby leveraging Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

In the Second NDCs under the Paris Climate Agreement, Uzbekistan increased its commitments by more than 300 percent, with plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions per unit of GDP by 35 percent of 2010 levels by 2030, compared to the 10 percent reduction stated in the First NDC. Adaptation measures in the Second NDC cover a wide range of actions aimed at protecting communities from the adverse effects of climate change.

The one-year initiative will be launched in March 2022 and implemented in cooperation with the Center of Hydrometeorological Services of Uzbekistan and the local partners in the Fergana Valley.

The project goal will be achieved through enhancing coverage of the agro-meteorological networks in the Fergana Valley, developing an intelligent operational system for agro-meteo monitoring – based on remote sensing and modern modeling as well as improving the reliability of forecasting and early warning systems.

Forecasting and early warning system on irrigation water availability is critical for informed decision-making on planting crops. Therefore, the project will target agrometeorological information services to the vulnerable communities in the Fergana Valley employed in horticulture. Their needs will be addressed by improved observation, forecasting and extension services for climate-resilient production of fruit and vegetables, and the introduction of greater knowledge about climate variability into horticultural planning.

Such support to the private producers is fundamental and urgent in the context of ensuring that the post-COVID recovery investments are protected from climate risks. It is also expected that the project will have positive spill-over effects on neighboring communities living in the Fergana Valley through strengthened regional cooperation in the exchange of hydrometeorological information from observations in transboundary territories.

Warming trends observed in Uzbekistan since 1951 have been occurring at more than twice the rate of the global average and significant climate risks have already become evident. The situation is particularly severe in the Aral Sea region and in the far-eastern Fergana valley, where drought, desertification, and extreme seasonal weather, all worsened by climate change, threaten basic well-being and food security. Thus, urgent and well-informed adaptation action in the agriculture sector is needed to prevent yield and productivity losses in the agriculture sector, secure livelihoods and food supply of the most vulnerable communities.